âAsleep?â Vicky stared at Tylerâs face intently. âAre you saying that you were so deeply asleep that you
canât hear your phone ringing?â
After a few moments of silence, Tyler said, âIâm exhausted today, so yes, I was deeply asleep.â
âWhy did you cut your call with Harry halfway through and fail to answer your phone after that?â Vicky
glanced at the phone on the couch and picked it up to unlock it.
Sure enough, the screen showed the last contact history with Harry. The call did not last for more than
five minutes.
As she navigated to the menu, she noticed the missed calls from both Harry and herself.
âTyler, donât tell me that you were so tired that you fell asleep during your call with Harry.â
Her clear eyes seemed to stare right into his soul, and Tyler avoided those eyes in silence.
Her heart softened as she studied his face and continued in a softer tone, âTyler, do you know how
worried I was when I received Harryâs call? If youâre unwell, you can tell me. Donât let the people who
care about you worry about you.â
Tylerâs eyes locked onto her upon hearing those words. âYou were worried about me? Youâreâ¦
genuinely worried about me?â
Vicky nodded. âYes, I am.â
âWhy?â
Vickyâs brow creased. âIâm worried because Iâm worried. Do I need any other reason?â
Tyler seemed puzzled. âWhy would you worry about me if you donât even want to be with me?â
âThatâs not true. Youâve mistaken-â
âNo, Iâm not,â he interrupted her. âYouâre different toward me than before. Youâve been avoiding me, and
I can feel that youâve never stopped planning your departure.â
Vicky stared into his eyes and suddenly found herself speechless.
Seeing her hesitation, Tylerâs eyes dimmed slightly.
He looked out of the window into the deep night and continued in a cold voice, âYou seem to care for
me, but I know that your heart isnât really with me. Youâve never dismissed the idea of leaving.â
Caught off-guard by Tylerâs sudden revelation, Vickyâs eyes betrayed a hint of panic. She instinctively
tried to explain,â Youâve misunderstood, I havenât-â
Tylerâs gaze was tranquil and aloof. âHavenât you?â
âIf thatâs the case, why have you been slowly putting away your personal belongings? Why did you
write down my daily habits and preferences in the memo, as if youâre preparing to hand them over to
another woman when you leave? Why canât you look into my eyes and tell me that youâll never leave?â
Vickyâs mind fell into chaos as she had not expected him to be so perceptive.
Confronted with Tylerâs questioning, she could not find a single word to say because he was right.
Silence loomed over them, and the air in the living room became suffocatingly heavy.
The crystal chandelier above shone brightly, casting its radiant light over a large wedding photo.
A few days ago, they had taken wedding pictures at the bridal store and were praised by others as the
most loving and happy-looking couple. Once all the pretenses were stripped away, all that was left was
emptiness.
After a long silence, Vicky finally managed to utter a sentence. âIf you know everything, then why did
you order a wedding dress for me and asked me to take wedding photos with you?â