Chapter 6

I went to school to tender my resignation five days before my departure. Back in the day, I'd chosen to turn down Professor Watts' offer for me to continue working in his research lab so I could be with Eugene. Instead, I'd remained in Rogenvale and gotten a job as a teacher. My colleagues were astonished by my resignation. "Why are you quitting, Ms. Stone?" someone asked. "Wait, you gave us wedding invitations. Is it because you're going to become a stay-at-home wife? Mr. Ford is a lucky man," another teased. I smiled while gathering my stuff. "No, it's not that. The wedding is off." … When I got home, I opened the door to see Eugene and Cassandra seated on the couch. It had been a week since I'd last seen him. When he saw the things I held, he asked, "Why do you have all that stuff?" I lied and said, "I brought them home because I didn't need to use them at work." He nodded and looked around the apartment. Then, he asked in confusion, "Why do I feel like so many things are missing? I was only gone for a week." I headed to the bedroom to put my things away, calmly answering, "I cleared out some trash. That's all." Eugene wanted to say something else, but Cassandra interrupted him. "Nerissa, Gene must be tired after traveling with me. I also want to thank you for allowing him to have the pre-wedding shoot with me so he can make one of my dreams come true. "How about I treat you guys to a meal as thanks for your care and concern? I'll probably have to trouble you two for some time from now on, so I hope I won't get on your nerves." I looked at her. I could tell from the smugness in her gaze that she was starting to lose her calm. After all, I hadn't done anything since receiving that photo of her prenatal test report. I hadn't even questioned Eugene about it. However, I didn't want to get into a meaningless fight with her. In five days, I would cease to show myself before Eugene. All I wanted to do now was deal with everything so that I could have a clean break when leaving. Cassandra's eyes reddened when I didn't answer. "Is Nerissa upset, Gene? You guys are about to get married, after all. But I just…" Eugene frowned at her words and turned to me with displeasure, immediately starting to berate me. "Why are you sulking when Cassie genuinely wants to thank us? It's just a meal—it's not like she's going to poison you! You have to go!" I hadn't even made a peep, yet he'd already marked me as a sinner. In the end, he forced me to join them for the meal. At the restaurant, a waiter came to take our order. I'd just flipped open the menu when I heard Eugene say, "We don't want anything too heavy or spicy, and make sure none of the dishes have coriander." When the food was served, he considerately scooped food onto Cassandra's plate. Then, he pushed a plate of shrimp to me. "Cassie can't have seafood now, but I ordered this for you." I instantly lost my appetite when I saw the shrimp. I put my cutlery down. "I'm allergic to seafood." It was laughable. Eugene and I had been in a relationship for five years, yet he had no idea I was allergic to seafood. However, he knew exactly what Cassandra could and couldn't eat, to the point that he could remember she didn't eat coriander. For a split second, he looked lost. Then, a trace of guilt colored his gaze, and he ordered a few more dishes. I didn't touch any of the food throughout the rest of the meal, though. All I did was drink my water. … Jessica called me as I was walking down a flight of steps after the meal. "Riss, Professor Watts wants me to ask you whether you're sure you want to follow the regular procedure after starting the research. Our first experiment involves a confidential project, so it's highly likely we'll be cut off from the outside world for a year or two." My gaze landed on Eugene and Cassandra, who were walking ahead of me. They were shoulder to shoulder, and he even carefully held her waist as they descended the stairs. I said calmly, "I'm sure." Jessica sighed in relief. "That's great. Professor Watts was really worried you wouldn't bear to leave your husband." I retracted my gaze and turned to head in another direction. "The wedding is over, and I'm ready to leave." A confused voice rang out behind me as soon as the words were out of my mouth. "Who's leaving?"