Chapter 4

Eventually, Selena's ankle recovered. She pinned me down on the chair and began massaging my shoulders. "You've been taking such good care of me lately, Hud. Are you tired?" I shook my head. "If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have gotten injured. I should be apologizing to you instead." There wasn't much issue with my words, but apologizing over something like this between a married couple sounded strange. Selena scrunched her brows and flicked my head lightly. "You and I—we don't use the S-word here." I smiled without a flicker of expression, and she reciprocated, confidently promising me, "I'll cook for you today." Right when she prepared the ingredients, her phone rang. After glancing at me, she walked to the side and answered the call. I knew what was happening. The only person who could make her so wary of me was Zion. As expected, she ended the call and approached me with an apologetic smile. "Hud, I don't think I can cook for you today. Something urgent came up at the company. Once I return, I'll prepare you a feast!" Selena coaxed and hugged me. Then, without hesitation, she turned and left. I didn't try to stop her this time because I knew I couldn't. In the kitchen, I cooked a meal using the ingredients left behind. I sat alone at the vast dining table and ate something light. As I prepared to rest, my phone suddenly chimed. It was another text from Zion again. "Hey, Mr. Davenport. Would you like to see Selena in a wedding dress? I bet she'll look stunning. She'll probably say yes to anything I want. If you'd like to see her too, drop by Villa 101, Melrose District." I was frozen in my seat upon reading the message. At last, I rose to my feet, started my car, and headed to the address he provided. I sat in my car as it parked outside the villa, watching Zion put on the headpiece for Selena. She donned a wedding dress and danced in the garden with him. She was ever-so-stunning. The memories from our youthful years began rushing into my mind. Our wedding ceremony was a grand one, to say the least. Due to our identities, many guests attended to celebrate the occasion with us. However, none of those came close to the vivid memory of her walking toward me in her wedding dress. At that moment, it felt like time had frozen, as if Selena and I were the only persons in the world, with the officiant speaking in the background. I still remember what she said in her vows. "I, Selena Norman, will only ever wear a wedding dress for the only man I love, Hudson." "Selena, do you remember that? You vowed that you'll only wear the wedding dress for me. Have you forgotten it already?" From afar, I witnessed her tender look as she danced with Zion. That was exactly how she was with me. Just minutes ago, she said she would cook me a feast; the next thing I knew, she was running away to meet another man. I stood for what felt like an eternity outside the villa that day. It wasn't until the sky drizzled that I snapped back to reality. My heart had long been numb, and my body was cold. I returned to my car in my drenched clothes and slowly fell asleep. When I groggily opened my eyes, I realized it was already a new day. I turned on my phone and saw a few missed calls from Selena and a text from Zion. The sight of his phone number seriously annoyed me. "I know you were there, Mr. Davenport. What did you think? Was she a beauty?" He even attached a photo of Selena as if making sure I saw them. A looming headache warned me I might be getting sick. I looked into the mirror and saw my flushed cheeks. Perhaps I had a fever from yesterday's downpour. As such, I drove to the hospital and decided to call Selena after some thought. Once the call connected, her panic-stricken voice sounded. "Hudson, you finally returned my calls! Where are you? What happened? Do you know how worried I was because I couldn't reach you?" Her long string of words only worsened my headache. "I'm in the hospital. I'm running a fever." It didn't take more than a second before she exclaimed, "What did you do? Are you okay? Gosh, I—" I decisively hung up without waiting for her to finish. Subsequently, I texted her my ward number. If I remember correctly, this was my first time disconnecting her call. I felt rather melancholic, a feeling which I couldn't quite describe. Soon, Selena arrived at my ward with a flask of peppermint tea. Her eyes immediately reddened with tears upon seeing me. "Why did you hang up like that? What's wrong with you, Hudson? You're freaking me out! Why didn't you look after yourself?" Her words of concern offered me with not even an ounce of warmth. I struggled to believe this was the same person in Zion's arms yesterday. Perhaps she was frightened by our sudden loss of contact. For the next few days, Selena kept vigil by my side and looked after me like I did when she twisted her ankle. Everything felt ordinary yet completely foreign at the same time. One night, I groggily got up to use the bathroom and heard some chatter in the corridor. When I looked out the window, I saw Zion. He was probably here because he was upset that Selena had been spending too much time with me. "It's my birthday tomorrow, Selena. No matter what, you're spending the day with me." "Relax. Of course, I remember what day it is tomorrow. I even prepared a surprise for you." Selena's voice was as tender as when she spoke to me earlier. I stopped eavesdropping and returned to bed, eventually losing my urge to sleep. The next day, she used the same excuse—company matters—to get away. As she left, I couldn't help but laugh at myself for how often she had relied on that excuse. I was taken aback for a moment, then I smiled. Tears mixed with my smile as I muttered to myself, "Selena, let's end everything." … After Selena left, I went to the counter and processed my discharge paperwork. There was no point staying there any longer. Besides, it was time to do something. At last, I drove home. A feeling of wistful loss washed over me as I opened the door. While she was gone, I quickly tidied up every corner and packed all my belongings into boxes. Following that, I took out the divorce agreement from the drawer. I filled out everything that needed to be filled, then put it all back in the drawer. After I sealed the boxes, I contacted Jordan to have them loaded onto the truck. Once I sent him away, I returned to my living room. Standing in the center of it, I gazed at the home I had lived in for many years. What was once filled to the brim now felt so empty, with much of it gone. It looked so vast, so vacant. At the same time, it was reminding me that everything had changed.