Fleeting Love Leaves No Trace

Rosemary could only sigh in surrender. As she stepped out of the office and opened the door, her gaze met mine.

In that instant, I saw the shock on her face.

“T-Trevor, what are you doing here? Have you got here for a while?”

I tried masking the sadness in my eyes and forced a casual smile. “I Just arrived, was about to go in when you came out.”

“Did you... hear our conversation just now?”

I pretended to be confused. “What were you two talking about?”

“No, nothing...” Rosemary quickly left the room afterward.

When my eyes met Ashley’s, she lowered her head with guilt. “How did you get here so fast?”

I simply nodded. “You said there were important files on the phone. I figured it must be something urgent.”

Ashley stood up and walked over to me, her delicate hands wrapping around my neck.

“Why don’t you go sit somewhere while I finish up? I’ll come find you when I’m done. By the way, I remember you like coffee, so here, have mine.”

She lifted her coffee and brought it to me. I took it with difficulty, managing a faint smile. “Okay, I’ll wait for you in the lounge.”

As I closed the door behind me, the world blurred before my eyes. My steps faltered and I felt dizzy, as if I were about to collapse.

I spent just a few minutes inside, but it felt like an eternity, each second dragging on like a century.

I was terrified I would break down and confront Ashley right then and there. I’d demand to know why she was so heartless.

I had always believed my father’s death was just a tragic accident, but now I realized it was part of a long-planned scheme she’d orchestrated. Just to gain Zachary’s favor.

Back then, Mae’s betrayal left me feel so isolated and helpless. When Ashley appeared, I thought she was the lifeline I could cling to—the person thing that could save me from drowning.

Now that I’d reached this point, I realized how naïve I was.

Her love for me was so intense it could make anyone envious, but only I knew the truth. It was nothing more than a way for her to make amends for what she did to me.

The bitterness of the coffee spread across my tongue. Compared to my pained heart thought, it was not even close.

As I walked toward the lounge, I passed a small corner and noticed a door wasn’t fully closed. I was about to pass on when a large photo wall on the adjacent wall caught my eye.

I looked around, nobody was around. Then I took advantage of the situation before stepping inside.

The room was filled with an overwhelming array of objects that seemed to pierce my eyes. The entire wall was covered with countless photos, arranged tightly and densely.

And in every single one, there was Zachary’s face.

The way he diligently studied.

The way he smiled.

The way he moved so energetically on the basketball court.

The way he gave it his all to claim victory in the swimming pool.

On another wall hung rows of medals and trophies, shining symbols of Zachary’s achievements in university swimming competitions. I couldn’t wrap my head around why these pictures and items were here, in this room.

On a display table, stacks of receipts were neatly arranged—donation records from Ashley’s years of charitable activities, all made in Zachary’s name.

At the center of the display were over a dozen tokens of good luck, each marked with a specific year. She had done all this for one purpose: to bring fortune and protection to Zachary.

It suddenly hit me—how Ashley would disappear for a few days every year, always at the same time. Now I understood. She had been going to the church to pray for Zachary.

In all our years of marriage, she had never made such dedicated prayer for me. Yet, she’d never missed a year to do so for Zachary. No matter how terrible the weather outside.

My chest tightened painfully, my breath growing rapid.

What truly caught my eye was a small notebook lying carelessly in an inconspicuous corner. I picked it up and flipped through its pages, immediately recognizing the graceful and familiar handwriting.

Inside, precise times were recorded, down to the exact second.