Love Has Faded

On the day of our wedding, my girlfriend, Eliana, went hiking with her first love, Mateo.

My younger brother, unable to contain his anger upon hearing the news, rushed up the mountain to confront them.

However, he was caught in a sudden heavy rain and accidentally fell from the mountain. By the time he was taken to the hospital, he had already stopped breathing.

I went to demand an explanation, only to be pushed to the ground by my girlfriend once again. She even lashed out at me with cruel words, accusing me of bringing misfortune upon my brother.

When I had no way out and chose to end my life by drowning in the sea, my girlfriend’s younger sister, Camila, ignored everyone’s attempts to stop her and swam toward me with all her might, rescuing me when I was barely clinging to life.

From that moment on, Camila frequently appeared by my side, accompanying me through the darkest and most unbearable days.

On the anniversary of my brother’s passing, Camila publicly proposed to me, declaring that she would marry no one else in this lifetime and that I was the only one she would ever love.

On our third wedding anniversary, I ended my business trip early and returned home ahead of schedule, carrying a carefully prepared gift.

But just as I was about to push open the door, the sound coming from inside made my hand freeze in place.

“I had to marry him on his brother’s death anniversary. That way, I can always remind myself to pretend that I love him!”

“I truly love him? Does he even deserve my love?

“For Mateo, I’m willing to sacrifice my marriage without hesitation!”

“Enough! I’ve already married him. Isn’t that enough?”

The voices from the room kept echoing. My body trembled as I slowly withdrew my hand from the door handle, turning away without a second glance.

——

The very moment I turned to leave, my phone lit up with a message from Camila.

[Honey, when are you coming home? I miss you!]

[Happy third wedding anniversary! We’ll be together forever!]

[I’ve already prepared your anniversary gift! I’m just waiting for you to come back!]

I stared at the messages popping up one after another, curled my lips into a faint smile, but my eyes were filled with bitterness.

If I hadn’t accidentally overheard Camila’s conversation with someone just now, I would probably still be filled with joy upon seeing her messages.

This time, I didn’t reply to Camila right away as I usually did. Instead, I casually closed the chat window.

I walked slowly toward the outside. After only a few steps, I saw a security guard from the property management walking toward me.

It was probably because I was rarely home that the security guard didn’t recognize me and immediately stopped me.

"Which unit are you from? I don’t think I’ve seen you before."

"1506," I replied.

"That’s not right. I’m quite familiar with the residents of 1506. I often see the couple going for walks together. I know the man from that unit and it’s not you."

Seeing my startled expression, the security guard gave me a once-over before grabbing my arm before I could react.

"The lady of 1506 is home today. Come on, let’s go ask her what’s going on."

The moment I processed his words, I immediately caught the doubt in his tone. Suppressing the emotions surging inside me, I forced myself to keep my voice steady.

"I’m not a thief!"

As soon as I finished speaking, the door to the apartment swung open from the inside. Camila stepped out, looking slightly anxious.

The moment she saw me, she froze for a second. Then, as if snapping back to reality, her face filled with shock.

"Honey, you’re back? Why didn’t you tell me you were coming home?"

Hearing this, the security guard hesitated, his expression conflicted.

"He’s your husband? But I clearly saw..."

Before the security guard could finish his sentence, Camila interrupted him directly.

"Mr. White, I have something urgent to deal with, so I’ll talk to you later."

As she spoke, she quickly stepped forward, grabbed my hand and pulled me into the apartment.