Too Late to Hold Her, Too Late to Love Her

"Once things settle down, how about we take a trip to Norway to see the aurora as a family?"

Norway? I thought he had long forgotten.

When we first got married, he had promised, personally and earnestly, that he would take me to Norway for our honeymoon. But every time I brought it up, he found an excuse, a reason, a sudden obligation. Eventually, I stopped asking.

Now, after all these years, he was bringing it up on his own. Yet, instead of excitement, all I felt was indifference.

"Today is your birthday. Come home early tonight; I have a gift for you."

He hesitated, looking awkward. "I have an important business dinner. I might be home late."

I let out a soft chuckle, effortlessly exposing his lie. "With Ava, right?"

His eyes dropped. "I promised her I’d spend my 40th birthday with her."

Then, as if realizing how it sounded, he quickly added, "It’s just a meal; nothing else will happen."

I smiled, pretending to believe him. "I trust you. Just don’t forget to open the gift I prepared for you tonight."

"You’ll never forget it."

He pinched my cheek, and for once, I didn’t pull away.

"Love you, wifey."

As Hugo disappeared through the door, I turned and headed to the dining room.

Jasper was already by the door, his backpack slung over one shoulder, ready to leave for school.

Ava stood beside him, her hand in his, the two of them laughing together like the perfect picture of a family.

Then she saw me.

Her fingers slipped from his hand as she straightened, an uneasy smile on her lips. "Audrey, I’m so sorry. Jasper asked me to take him to school. Do you want to do it instead?"

Before I could utter a word, Jasper tightened his grip on her hand and shot me a glare.

"I don’t want you to take me. You don’t deserve to."

His words cut deep, but I met his gaze without hesitation. "Are you sure?"

"I’m sure."

"Alright. Then hear me clearly: I swear, for the rest of my life, I will never take you to school again."

Jasper faltered. He hadn’t expected me to be so resolute. A flicker of uncertainty crossed his face before he threw out a final challenge.

"You better not regret it."

Neither of us backed down. The tension crackled between us until Ava quickly stepped in, her voice dripping with forced lightheartedness.

"Oh, come on! No need to argue like this. Let's just talk things through..."

I didn’t give her the chance. I saw right through her, and this time, I made sure she knew it.

"Stop pretending. Isn’t this exactly what you wanted?"

Her face drained of color. Without another word, she tightened her hold on Jasper’s hand and hurried him away.

Once they left, I sat down for breakfast, though the food tasted like nothing. My mind was elsewhere.

Afterward, I returned to my bedroom, reached under my pillow, and pulled out the sleeping pills.

Ever since Ava moved in, my nights had been endless battles with insomnia, my thoughts gnawing at me until morning. Anxiety coiled around my chest like an iron grip. The doctor had prescribed these pills months ago, and over time, I had collected more than enough.

Crossing the room, I placed my miscarriage diagnosis report on Hugo’s study desk. A quiet statement left for him to find.

Then, without hesitation, I swallowed them all.

Lying down, a strange calmness settled over me as drowsiness took hold. My body felt heavy, the edges of my mind blurring.

Just as darkness began pulling me under, my phone screen lit up.

A message from Ava.

[Guess what? Tonight, is he spending it with you or with me?]

Five seconds later, the message vanished. Deleted.

My fingers slackened, and my phone slipped from my grasp.

My body felt weightless as if I had become a bird soaring through the endless sky, drifting effortlessly without the need to flap my wings.

I had no sense of time. The blinding white around me stretched endlessly, swallowing everything until it didn’t.

Slowly, the emptiness faded, replaced by the familiar neon glow of the city at night.

I was floating. Suspended high above the skyline, looking down at the world I had once called home.

"What’s going on?"

I turned to the system. "Am I not dead yet?"

The response was cold. "Program disengagement in progress. In 12 hours, the host will return to the original world."

Twelve hours.

A bitter sense of helplessness washed over me. Below, the city sprawled in every direction, lights flickering like distant stars. Ten years I had spent in this place, and now, I drifted above it like a ghost with nowhere to go.

Then, movement caught my eye.

Two familiar figures.

Hugo and Ava.

They sat across from each other in a high-end restaurant, bathed in the golden glow of candlelight.