The End of Daylight Is Not Love

I picked up my phone and walked out of the office. The sound-activated lights in the fire escape flickered and faint noises reached my ears.

Quietly approaching, I saw the entwined figures of Josh and Tatiana.

"You promised me flowers and a hot spring suite, but now we're stuck in this creepy place …" she whined.

Josh kissed her indulgently, "Those places are so boring, this is exciting! The whole building's sound-activated lights are here to set the mood. Scream as much as you like …"

Tatiana asked, "Aren't you afraid that your old hag might hear?"

Josh bit Tatiana hard. "Don't talk about her like that. I told you I'd give you anything, but don't ever appear in front of her!"

"Hmph, I've had enough. I'm leaving … ah …" Her words were swallowed up by amorous sounds.

The noises inside grew louder. Standing in the dark corridor, I swayed unsteadily. I should've felt heartbroken, but I didn't even have the strength to be sad.

I didn't remember how I got home. My phone kept ringing, the name "Josh" flashing on the screen, filling me with an inexplicable sense of disgust.

Josh burst through the door and pulled me into his arms, his voice trembling with panic, "You scared me to death, Natalie! I couldn't find you anywhere and you wouldn't answer your phone. I thought something had happened to you! I even thought, if anything happened to you, I wouldn't want to live either!"

Yet this man, who claimed he couldn't live without me, had been passionately entangled with another woman just moments ago.

"Get away from me, you smell!" I snapped at him. The strong jasmine scent on him was mixed with a faint, sickly sweetness.

His face turned pale and he looked at me guiltily, "Natalie, why did you come home by yourself?"

Exhausted, I turned over, unwilling to look at him any longer.

The next morning, when I got up, the dining table was already set. Toasted bread, lukewarm milk, heart-shaped fried eggs and fruit arranged into flowers, after ten years, he had mastered all my preferences.

Josh pulled out a chair for me. "It's been a while since we've visited grandma. After breakfast, I'll go with you to see her."

My hand paused midair. Grandma had loved her grandson-in-law so much when she was alive. Now that she'd been gone for days, it was fitting for him to pay his respects.

It was also time for me to say goodbye to grandma, three more days and I'd be leaving this place.

As the car drove past Central Avenue, we passed a couple celebrating their wedding.

Seeing their blissful embrace reminded me of my wedding with Josh ten years ago.

Josh had lifted my veil and kissed me gently, treating me with such care and love. He once said, "Natalie, I will love you forever and never change my heart for a lifetime."

Having lost my parents early, I'd always lacked a sense of security. On our wedding night, I leaned against Josh's chest.

I said, "If one day you stop loving me, please tell me. Though I hope our love lasts forever, if that day comes, I'd still wish for us to part peacefully. But if you secretly betray me, Josh, I will never forgive you!"

Back then, Josh had sworn to me, "If I ever betray my wife, Natalie Ambrossia, let me spend the rest of my life seeking but never finding, dying alone!"

Those grand promises had withered into nothing after just ten years. Recalling those beautiful memories, I couldn't stop my eyes from reddening.

"Natalie, what's wrong? Why are you tearing up all of a sudden?" Josh was always observant, noticing even the smallest changes in me.

"Nothing, it's just the wind," I replied.

Josh pressed the switch and the car window slowly rose. In the slanting sunlight, two faint handprints became visible on the glass.