Chapter 5

She cupped her face, smiling as she looked at Liam.

"You used to hate wearing any jewelry, and you'd complain for ages about how suffocating a hat felt."

"But from just now until this moment, you've touched your wedding ring at least ten times."

Chloe pointed to Liam's ring finger.

"You must really love your wife. It's a subconscious reaction."

Liam, loved me?

I tilted my head, staring at Liam. His eyes began to fluster.

"No way? It's just a habit. Plus, my finger feels a bit itchy..."

Chloe smiled, then encouraged him to call me.

Liam couldn't argue with her, so he pulled out his phone and dialed my number.

My heart jumped. I instinctively reached for the phone in my pocket, but found nothing.

Oh, I forgot I was already dead.

The phone vibrated in the trunk. Liam had silenced it earlier because he found my ringtone too noisy.

Several calls went unanswered, and Liam hung up.

"Just because I said a few harsh words, she has to give me the silent treatment for this long?"

He slammed his phone on the table in frustration.

Chloe's smile faded. She looked out the window.

"You just told me you locked your wife in the trunk. That was a joke, right? The car doesn't feel like there's anyone in it."

Liam felt an inexplicable panic. He glanced at the several unanswered calls on his phone, then took a deep breath.

"Maybe she opened the door and ran off. Ugh, what could possibly happen!"

Liam didn't know if he was trying to reassure himself or what. He took off his ring directly, acting like "out of sight, out of mind."

"Forget about that. You're only back once in a blue moon. How about I show you around here? It's changed so much in two years!"

I stood by the car, and suddenly felt a dampness on the back of my hand.

Was it raining?

I looked up, seeing the same boundless starry sky.

I wiped my face again, only to find tears streaming down like broken pearls.

It wasn't the earth that was sad. It was me crying.

Because Liam really didn't love me.

He didn't care if I existed, or about his baby and me.

The two of them left the restaurant, walked past the car, and headed straight up the hill.

I wished he would glance at the trunk. Just one look, and I would forgive everything he had done to me.

But no, he had completely forgotten that I was lying alone in the trunk.

I wanted to curse him. "Liam! May you die a terrible death!"

But the words caught in my throat. I swallowed them back.

Liam was a heartless man, but I still wished him happiness, even if it wasn't with me.

I rubbed my stinging nose, wiped away my tears, and shamelessly continued to follow behind them.

They walked and talked about old times, reaching the hilltop before they knew it.

The evening breeze rustled Chloe's dress.

Liam thoughtfully took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders, his eyes fixed on the distant city lights.

I wondered if, at any moment, he would remember that among those countless lights, there was a home for him and me.

Suddenly, a phone rang abruptly.

Liam answered, and his expression instantly changed.