Chapter 3

Although a storm of emotions churned within Elizabeth, she chose to sit there in silence. As always, Spencer treated her with unrelenting adoration. He draped his coat over her shoulder, offered fruits to her lips, and even leaned in to wipe off the milk from the corner of her mouth. His gaze darkened as he was doing so, and soon, a faint smile tugged at his lips before he leaned in and kissed her. Elizabeth closed her eyes to receive the tenderness, however, the flutter of emotion she once felt was no longer there. When she lifted her gaze, she noticed Courtney staring at them somberly across the room. In that moment, Elizabeth understood that Spencer's performance had served its purpose in provoking Courtney. Yet all the affection he lavished upon her came to an abrupt end the instant Courtney collapsed onto the coach and cried in pain. Everyone started to panic. "Courtney, what's wrong?" "I don't know. But it hurts... Maybe it's just my stomach… Just bring me some medicine. I'll be fine." Spencer's expression instantly changed as he rose to his feet. When he spotted the liquor at the table before her, his expression darkened further. "Don't you know how sensitive your stomach is? Why would you drink that? I'll take you to the hospital!" His voice trembled with barely contained distress. With that, he swept her into his arms and turned to leave without sparing Elizabeth a single glance. Elizabeth closed her eyes. She knew that her part in this performance had come to an end. Summoning all her strength, she rose from her fever-ridden body and murmured an apology before following them out. In the days that followed, Elizabeth rested at home to recover and also took the opportunity to organize her things. She laid out the jewelry and handbags Spencer had bought her, the photographs in which they both appeared, the dress shirt and cups she had picked out for him—each one a quiet testimony to how deeply she had once cared. Aside from a few daily necessities, she threw everything else away. Not even one was left behind. As the room slowly emptied, Elizabeth fell into a brief daze, her mind drifting to countless memories she once enjoyed. She remembered when he held her as they watched movies on the couch, when they stayed up late at night building Lego sets, and when they planted flowers together until the balcony bloomed with color. She had endlessly dreamed that this life would go on forever without disturbance. But now, it seemed that the dream was over. As she sat there with her thoughts, the sound of a car pulling into the driveway broke the silence. She lifted her gaze to find Spencer returning with Courtney beside him. His expression remained calm as ever, while Courtney kept talking as though she were trying to fill the space between them with cheerful chatter. The two of them soon walked into the living room but paused mid-conversation when they noticed how bare the space looked. Spencer's brow furrowed as he asked Elizabeth, "Why is the house so empty?" "I cleared out some stuff we didn't need," Elizabeth simply gave him an excuse with her eyes lowered. Spencer didn't press further. Instead, his attention shifted back to Courtney. "Courtney hasn't been feeling well, and something happened with her home. So she'll be staying here for the time being." Elizabeth nodded. "Sure." Spencer was the kept man, and Elizabeth was just a kept woman. There was no need for him to explain anything to her. However, Spencer frowned upon noticing her unusual quiet demeanor, as if sensing something out of place. Just when he was about to speak, Courtney interrupted, "Spencer, can I sleep in the south-facing bedroom? Also, you knew that I'm allergic to pollen. Can you remove the flowers from the balcony? And I'm not a fan of your carpet catching on my heels. Can you get rid of it?" Spencer gave a simple hum in response and instructed the housekeeper to work on it. Courtney's mouth twitched into a knowing half-smile as she met Elizabeth's eyes with a look that broadcasted her victory. The housekeeper soon led a group of maids to remove the carpets and flowerpots. After clearing out the master bedroom, the house gradually transformed into something unrecognizable. A bitter ache rose in Elizabeth's chest. Yet after that heaviness came a hint of relief. She silently reminded herself that it didn't matter since she would be leaving this place very soon. Hence, none of this would have anything to do with her anymore. Clinging onto that thought, she lowered her head and silently made her way upstairs alone to her room.