Love Never Wilts in a Moment

Everyone knew that Simon Zimmer and Luna Springfield had been friends with benefits for a year, but they had chosen to hide it from Bertha Marsh, the deaf one. During a New Year’s gathering, Bertha's cold attitude caused displeasure to Simon’s friend. “Simon, is Bertha kicking up a fuss again? Seriously, that doctor of yours is more considerate. She knows how to get you into a good mood and doesn’t throw tantrums,” he said loudly with disdain. Simon’s expression turned dark, and he snapped at him. “Don’t say anything you shouldn’t. Bertha’s the most important person to me. I’ll die if she leaves.” He then anxiously signed to Bertha to ask whether she was sick. What he did not know was that Bertha had heard it all, and their future together was over. Chapter 1 “Ms. Marsh, the plan for your fake death is in place. You will ‘die’ in an accident. After that, your personal information will be destroyed, and you will cease to exist.” A cold, mechanical voice came through Bertha Marsh’s phone. She smiled and replied with a firm, “Okay.” “We’ve given you a new identity in Switzerland, and your death will occur half a month later. Please cooperate with us when the time comes.” Once she hung up, Bertha opened an app and scrolled down. Soon, she received a message that she had successfully booked a flight ticket. Following that, she drove over to the restaurant where she was supposed to have a date with Simon Zimmer. She went upstairs shortly after she spoke with a waiter. Simon had booked the second floor and covered the place with roses. Only the table beside the window was not covered in flowers. It offered the best view, which was a clear view of the entire ocean. Soon after Bertha sat down, the sight of a man and woman on the beach drew her attention. The sun shone on the woman's smooth back. Then the man removed his blazer and covered her while he caressed her thin neck. Bertha could not see their faces, but the man wore a ring with a ruby on his middle finger. It was cut from the same raw gemstone as the one on Bertha’s ring. She took her phone out and tapped the name at the top of her contact list. With trembling fingers, she typed her message for around five minutes. During this time, she kept deleting and retyping her message. In the end, she only sent three words. [Where are you?] The receiver replied quickly. [I’m at a meeting in the company. What’s wrong?] Bertha looked outside. The man was typing on his phone with one hand as he forced the woman to remain in the same position. Bertha held her phone tightly as pain filled her heart. Her eyes stung while she replied, [How much longer will it take before you arrive?] [An hour.] Soon, the man sent another message over, as though trying to appease her. [Are you getting antsy from the wait? I’m sorry for making you feel that way. I’ve gotten you a surprise for your birthday, so forgive me, please?] Bertha no longer looked at the screen. Instead, she kept her eyes fixed on the beach. Soon, the man threw his phone to the side, cradled the woman’s face, and kissed her passionately. When tears started to blur her vision, Bertha took a deep breath. While she endured the pain in her heart, she forced herself to stop looking. This was perhaps the surprise Simon had mentioned. An hour and a half later, she heard hurried footsteps from the stairs. Simon was holding a bouquet of lilies in his arms, along with presents of various sizes. By this time, Bertha’s tears had dried up, but she did not smile at Simon as usual. Instead, she turned her head away and stared at the setting sun in the distance. Simon’s eyes were full of regret. Feeling pity for her, he hugged Bertha and anxiously signed to her, “The people in the company just kept pestering me. That’s why I’m late. Don’t be mad, please? I’ll accept whatever punishment you give me.” She broke free from his embrace. The sweet smell of another woman’s perfume made her want to puke. With dull eyes, she whispered, “Do you still love me, Simon?” However, Simon was already used to the smell of perfume lingering on him, so he did not think much of it. When he saw the dried tears around Bertha’s eyes, he panicked and signed, “What on earth are you saying? Of course I love you! Everyone knows that I’ll die if I don’t have you by my side.” Despite his passionate declaration of love, Bertha’s heart did not flutter. She just wore a self-deprecating smile. Indeed, everyone knew that Simon loved her and could give everything up for her. Before she met Simon, she did not know what love was. Her family was no good, as her parents only doted on her younger brother. Ever since she was a child, she would have to eat her brother’s leftovers and constantly patch up her clothes. Her sanitary pads were all sold and bought in bulk because they had already expired. Even her undergarments were items she got from dumpster diving. To buy her brother a tablet, her parents even stole her scholarship. She also had to beg her parents for an entire day and night just for a chance to study at university. It was cold that day, and the floor was chilly. She ended up getting a fever and nearly died from it, but her parents just told her to go ahead and die. It was her neighbor who told her that she could get a student loan to study. Later on, she became a famous designer, and her parents came to her doorstep with her brother in tow. They shamelessly stayed at her place, with the excuse that they had the right to do so because they brought her up. When her house caught on fire, her parents pushed her into the flames so that she would save her brother. As a result, she lost her hearing. Everyone treated her like a burden after that. She was chased out of the studio she had built up with her own two hands. Her parents took all of her savings and swore that from then on, she was no longer their daughter. The first half of her life was hell on earth, hence she scoffed at the idea of love. Simon fell in love with her at first sight when they met in university. But she had already shut herself off from the world, and she remained unmoved by his attempts to win her heart. Yet, after she lost her hearing, Simon kept taking care of her without complaint. He took her all around the world to receive treatment and even learned sign language for her sake. Time passed, and Simon continued trying to win her heart for four years. His constant companionship eventually melted the ice around her heart. During those four years, the entire world abandoned her, but Simon was the only one who stayed by her side. When they just got together, the Zimmer family did not like her. They were an affluent family, and they thought that she was not worthy of their heir. Simon abandoned his title as heir and built his own business for her. Every day, he worked overtime, until he nearly died from exhaustion. The constant social gatherings also caused him to get a gastrointestinal rupture. But eventually, he managed to create a business that rivaled Zimmer Corp, and he brought her back to his family. Their wedding shocked the entire world. Simon booked all the billboards in the city and signed his love for her at the same time that he announced it to the world. After they got married, Simon’s enemies orchestrated an accident for her, and she nearly died from it. In the process of protecting her, he lost a leg and fell into a coma for three days in the hospital. Despite nearly dying, the first thing he did after he woke up was look for Bertha. “If anything happens to her, I’ll die too.” The media took pictures of this, and the incident trended for a few days online. [No one’s as loyal as Simon Zimmer.] [Simon Zimmer almost died for his wife.] [The warrior of love: Simon Zimmer.] However, the man who claimed to love her slept with Luna Springfield in the third year of their marriage. She was Bertha’s attending physician. He would take care of Bertha during the day, but at night, he would lie that he had a meeting. Then, he would stay overnight at Luna’s place and make love to her until the sun rose. It was Bertha’s birthday today. Just how obsessed was he with Luna that he would cheat on her so fearlessly right beside the restaurant? Some time ago, Bertha had regained her hearing. She was overjoyed, and she immediately ran off to tell Simon, only to hear his conversation with Luna. “Simon, why don’t you marry me? I want to be with you like a proper couple. If you can’t abandon Bertha, you can take care of her. I won’t mind. After all, you loved her so much in the past.” “Don’t I dote on you enough already, you little witch?” Simon’s voice was hoarse. “Bertha’s different from you. You can’t hope to compare to her.” During the three months after she learned the truth, Bertha could not sleep. But she did not have the courage to confront Simon and demand answers. She could only let her pain, disappointment, and despair overwhelm her bit by bit. “Simon, do you remember what you said on our wedding day?” Bertha stared at Simon and smiled. With an earnest tone, she said, “You asked me to swear that if you ever made a mistake, I should leave without a word and not give you a chance to apologize because you’d be undeserving of forgiveness.” It was time for her to fulfill her oath. Half a month later, she would disappear during their fourth anniversary, and no one would ever find her. Chapter 2 Bertha’s serious gaze made Simon panic. “Bertha, why are you suddenly talking about this?” He did not know why Bertha would say such a thing. Frowning, he fell into deep thought for a few minutes before a possibility occurred to him. “Bertha, did someone say something to you?” Before she could reply, Simon’s expression turned stern, and he made a call. “Come to the restaurant now.” Fifteen minutes later, his secretary rushed over and stood in front of him while gasping. With a dark expression, he said to his secretary, “Sign to Bertha all the business trips and all the things I’ve been doing at the company lately.” His secretary frowned. After some thinking, he approached Bertha and started signing, “I went on a business trip abroad with Mr. Zimmer two months ago. When Mr. Zimmer heard that you fell ill, he abandoned a contract worth one million dollars. He immediately booked a plane ticket back so that he could take care of you. He watched over you as you fell asleep. “Over the years, all sorts of women have tried to sleep with Mr. Zimmer, but none of them have ever caught his eye. Since he’s worried that you’ll misunderstand, he always asks me to chase them away. “When Mr. Zimmer attended a social gathering last week, he got drunk and kept calling out your name. He stumbled back just so that he could fall asleep beside you. Whenever he joins a meeting in the company, Mr. Zimmer always reminds me to immediately tell him if you call because he doesn’t want you to wait for him.” The secretary signed so much that his hands became sore. All the things he said pointed to how much Simon cared for and loved Bertha over the years. When Simon saw that Bertha was still silent, he scowled, and fury raged in his eyes. “Tell all the women who want to crawl into my bed to know their place. If they want to work under me, they need to understand what they should and shouldn’t do. If they dare gossip to my wife again, only one thing will happen to them.” His secretary agreed to it and left. Just then, he heard the rhythmic clacking of heels from the stairs. Simon looked over and saw Luna, who was dressed in a red pencil skirt. His scowl finally let up a little. “Sorry, am I bothering you two?” Recalling what she just heard and seeing the tense atmosphere between them, Luna walked to Bertha’s side and signed, “Don’t worry, Mrs. Zimmer. Whenever Mr. Zimmer comes to me, it’s just to ask about your condition. Everyone knows that you’re the one he cares about the most. Mr. Zimmer doesn’t discuss anything aside from your condition with me.” Bertha kept quiet and just stared at her. Luna had a cheerful gaze, and she looked really dignified. If Bertha had not heard those things with her own two ears, she would never have expected Luna to be in such a twisted relationship with Simon. It would be even less likely for her to realize that Luna loved looking flirtatiously at Simon from time to time. When Luna looked back at Bertha, her gaze carried a hint of disdain and mockery. Bertha just kept staring at Luna, so much so that Simon grew restless and got up to stand between them. “Why are you here?” Luna smiled. “It’s Mrs. Zimmer’s birthday today, and I came here to wish her a happy birthday.” She signed to Bertha, “There’s a new technology abroad that can install manmade cochleas into your ears. After that, you’ll be able to hear again.” Simon was so excited that he hugged Bertha and teared up. “Bertha, you’ll finally get to hear again!” Perhaps she was imagining it, but she felt as if Simon was trembling. “Once you’re better, we can go on a trip and fulfill your dreams. We’ll be together forever, okay? Bertha, promise me that you’ll never talk about disappearing again. I’ll get really scared.” Chapter 3 Bertha did not reply to Simon. Disgust crept through every part of her body. She could no longer feel warmth in Simon’s arms, only coldness. He was such a good actor. She had witnessed with her own two eyes how he cheated on her. If she had not, perhaps she would have believed him after he worked so hard to explain himself to her. But there were no what-ifs in the world, were there? The sight of his tears just disgusted her, and she found the entire situation ironic. She pushed Simon away and smiled at Luna. “Thank you for working so hard to take care of me all this while. Since you’re here, you might as well have a seat and eat with us.” Simon could sense that there was something off about Bertha, and he signed timidly, “Bertha, are you still mad?” Bertha shook her head and looked at the beach again. Simon clapped, and the entire ocean of flowers lit up. A server then pushed a cart over. When he lifted the lid, Bertha found that the tray was not filled with food. Instead, it contained a set of emerald accessories. Simon had spent a few hundred million dollars on the emeralds during an auction in Paris last month, simply because Bertha had said that she liked them. She looked up and saw the burning love in Simon’s eyes. Whenever she saw such gifts in the past, she would be surprised and weep. But all she did in the present was stare at him calmly. “Bertha, do you remember the first gift I gave you? I gave it to you in this restaurant as well. When I first confessed to you, I gave you an emerald too. I spent half a month researching what you liked. Everyone told me that I would never win your heart and that I was an idiot, but I knew that you were worth the effort. “When you said that you liked them, I bought them and hired someone to turn them into accessories. Our names are carved into the backs of each one. Once words are carved into something, they won’t disappear, just like how my love for you won’t disappear.” Luna cast her an envious gaze. “To think that after all these years, your relationship with Mr. Zimmer would still be so good, Mrs. Zimmer.” Mockery flashed in Bertha’s eyes. Simon had indeed sworn to love her forever, and he had declared that his love for her would never disappear. All these things were a subject of envy for others, but only Bertha knew that their love had rotted away long ago. She allowed Simon to put the accessories on her. The emerald made her skin even more radiant, and she supposed that she really did love emeralds. However, emeralds shattered easily, just like love. While they ate, Simon busied himself cutting steak for her, but she noticed that he would occasionally reach for the car keys beside his hand. She had never seen those keys before. Each time he pressed down on it, she would hear a faint buzz, along with a faint moan. Right before her eyes, she saw Luna’s cheeks slowly turn red. Luna gnashed her teeth, as if enduring something. Just when things were about to go out of control, Luna trembled, and her glass of red wine toppled over. It accidentally spilled on Simon’s shirt. Simon frowned before giving Bertha a troubled look as he signed, “Bertha, I need to clean myself up. I’ve cut your steak for you. Go ahead and eat it.” He then left. Soon after, Luna received a call. With the excuse that she had surgery in the hospital, she left the restaurant too. As for Bertha, she did not eat her steak as Simon had asked. Instead, she got up and went to the other side of the restaurant. Through the floor-to-ceiling window, she saw Luna running strangely toward the car Simon had parked by the road. Bertha got down quietly. The car window was partially rolled down, and it revealed the people inside. Simon and Luna were pressed flush against each other as they kissed. Soon, the car started shaking. Chapter 4 Simon pinned Luna against the seat and said in a passion-filled voice, “Didn’t I satisfy you earlier? I told you before not to show up that often in front of Bertha.” Luna giggled wantonly. Her moans grew louder as she crooned, “It’s your fault for putting that thing in. It was so tough for me…” “It’s because you’re insatiable. I’ll satisfy you this time, but after this, respect my boundaries and stop causing trouble in front of Bertha.” Bertha hid behind a tree beside the car. Even though she already knew about Simon and Luna, her heart still hurt. Before she realized it, tears filled her eyes, and the sounds of their passion grew louder. Sometimes, it sounded like water striking stone. At other times, it sounded like splashes. She clenched her teeth to silence herself. She tried to leave a few times, but for some reason, she could not find the strength to move her legs. Pain filled her entire body. With trembling hands, she took her phone out and pointed it at the car as she pressed the record button. She never felt time move as slowly as it did at this moment. The moans from inside the car slowly came to a stop. Bertha checked the video time. It was an hour and forty minutes. However, this was only the beginning. In less than ten minutes, the limited-edition Rolls Royce started shaking rhythmically again. Luna’s voice also became weak. “Simon, I… can’t do it anymore. But if you really want to do it, why don’t we change places? The ocean of flowers upstairs is beautiful, and you know that I love roses the most.” Luna’s voice was delicate and charming. The desire in Simon’s eyes grew as he lifted her chin and chuckled. “Be good now. We’re doing it in the car today. Tomorrow, I’ll let you have fun in a sea of flowers.” The car started shaking violently again. This time, Bertha could not bear listening to it anymore. She covered her ears and left looking pale. By the time she got home, her tears had dried up. Even so, her heart still hurt. Looking around, she found that every inch of the house was covered with something related to Simon. On the bookshelf was a picture of them together on their first date. On the cupboard were the ceramic cups they had made together, along with plaster dolls they had painted at a stall. Everything represented a memory of their past together. There was also the wedding photo above their bed. His eyes were filled with sincere love. In the walk-in closet was the wedding dress he had designed for her too. Bertha removed her wedding ring and put all those things together. Then, she asked the maids to move everything to the backyard. In the end, she grabbed the wedding dress and went over as well. She calmly picked up a pair of scissors and started cutting up the wedding dress. The lawn became filled with the white gown, reminding her of the day Simon had proposed to her. The lawn had been filled with fresh, tender lilies at that time. While laughing, Simon picked her up and spun her around. “Bertha, I hope that our love will be as pure as these lilies. This one-of-a-kind wedding dress is for you, the most special person in my life. You’re the only woman I’ll ever love, and I’ll give you all the best things in the world.” “I’m the only woman he loves?” Bertha sneered and put the cut wedding dress together with the things in the box. Without any hesitation, she lit them up with a lighter. In an instant, fire rose and bathed the area in a red glow. The maids panicked, but Bertha remained still and unmoving. She coolly watched as everything that symbolized her relationship with Simon went up in flames. In her mind, she thought, ‘There’s nothing left between us now, Simon.’ She returned to the room to pack up, but halfway through, she suddenly heard someone calling her name from outside. “Bertha?” Simon rushed in. When he saw Bertha, he immediately ran over and hugged her tightly. He only let go after a moment. “Why did you leave on your own? Did you have any idea how worried I was? I almost lost my mind looking for you!” He sounded like he was panicking. By the looks of it, he was truly worried about her. Even so, Bertha only stared at him with a stony expression. Since she had not said a word for a long time, Simon finally realized what he had done wrong and signed to her. Just then, he noticed the luggage bag behind her and froze. Multiple errors began showing up in his signs, and it took Bertha some time before she pieced together a sentence. “Why are you packing up? Are you leaving me?” Chapter 5 As she saw the panic and fear on Simon’s face, Bertha wanted to laugh. If she left, he and Luna could finally be an official couple, no? That would be perfect for his wish, right? Why was he pretending to be all scared? Bertha spoke calmly. “I’m leaving after lunch. I’ve been really bored just sitting in the house all the time, and I got tired of some of my clothes. I’m going to be donating them since I won’t be wearing them anymore.” Simon sighed in relief, and the worry in his heart finally faded away. He smiled with a sense of ease as if he was feeling lucky about something. But when he saw Bertha’s flat gaze, he still felt anxious and knelt down to apologize to her. “I’m sorry, Bertha. It’s all my fault. Something suddenly went wrong with a contract, and I forgot to tell you because I was really flustered about it. I shouldn’t have left you alone in the restaurant. I know that you’re mad. You can hit me or yell at me, just don’t scare me, please. I’m really afraid of losing you…” As Simon spoke, he cried, and his eyes were full of fear. Bertha just watched everything unfold. Simon was a company president who ruled over the business world. No one could ever imagine him kneeling before a woman and begging her to not leave his side. However, she had only vanished for a few hours. What was Simon going to do once she left for good half a month later? Bertha could not understand it. Since Simon loved her, why did he sleep with Luna? “I’m fine. Your work is more important.” The more magnanimous she was about the situation, the more uneasy Simon felt. He swore, “Bertha, you’re more important to me than anything else.” He hugged her tightly and pressed his face against her neck. “You haven’t eaten your birthday cake today. I ordered a fondant cake for you. I know it’s your favorite. Why don’t we make a wish and blow out the candles?” Simon had a pitiful expression on his handsome face as he stared at Bertha. In the past, she would start to pity him at this point. But she no longer wanted to put up an act around him, so she just shook her head. “My birthday’s the same every year anyway. I’m tired. I’d like to sleep.” Since Simon was panicking, he agreed to whatever Bertha said and entered the bathroom to take a shower. After that, he stayed by her side for three days. On the fourth morning, Bertha woke up and saw Simon making a call on the balcony. His tone was doting, and his gaze was gentle as if he was speaking to a really important person. Over the next few days, Simon would even begin calling Luna right in front of her. It would also be common for him to sneak out in the middle of the night. On this day, a good friend of Simon was going to get married. So, he wanted to meet up with him before his wedding. Bertha had just returned from a toilet break when she was about to open the door. Right then, the people inside talked about her. James Jonas, Simon’s good friend, teased him, “Simon, you’ve been with Bertha for almost eight years, right? I’m about to be tied down to another woman too. Tell me, have you ever been tired of her?” Upon hearing this, Bertha’s hands froze above the door handle for a moment. But she soon pushed the door open and entered as if nothing had happened. The group that was laughing inside fell silent. Simon immediately went up to her and led her back to the couch. He poured her juice and even fed her fruits. When James noticed that the atmosphere had turned awkward, he cleared his throat before saying, “Come on, Simon, tell me. It’s not as if Bertha can hear you.” Simon hugged Bertha tightly and smiled brilliantly. “Tired of her? How could such a thing exist between me and Bertha?” The others laughed. “Simon’s a great man. Eight years is nothing. Even if he’s together with Bertha for eighty years, he won’t get bored of her.” Simon took a sip of wine while the people around him laughed. Then, he softly said, “But a lifetime is really long, and you’ll get bored of sleeping with the same person.” He gave special emphasis to the word “sleeping,” and everyone got excited. They started cheering him on. “Ooh! Looks like you have quite an exciting life, Simon!” Bertha was shocked when she heard this, and the grapes she had just eaten suddenly tasted poisonous. Pain spread from her throat straight down to her stomach. She looked at Simon, only to see that his eyes were still filled with love. At that moment, her blood ran cold as if she had been thrown into a blizzard. “Enough, pipe down. Don’t let Bertha notice that something’s off.” Simon only thought that she was curious about why they were laughing, and he snapped at the group. “Come on. You don’t have to be scared. It’s not like Bertha can hear you. Just tell her later that we were talking about the wedding tomorrow.” “By the way, Simon, who’s better? Bertha or Luna?” Simon slumped against the couch. His expression remained the same, but his tone was intriguing. “Bertha’s special to me, but everyone needs a sense of novelty in life.” The cheers in the room grew louder, and they were making Bertha’s mind go blank. Simon picked up a grape and fondled it for a moment before he added, “Luna’s young and pretty. She’s open in bed, and she has plenty of bedroom tricks…” He had not finished his entire statement, but everyone got even more excited. He pointed at Bertha and motioned for everyone to fall silent with a look. After he peeled the skin off the grape, he fed it to Bertha. However, Bertha remembered how he had just fondled the grape, and she could not swallow it. Perhaps he noticed her unusual behavior, but Simon patiently signed to her, “What’s wrong? Are you sick of it? Do you want to eat something else?” When Bertha saw the words “sick of it,” her entire body trembled. “No. If I like something, that will be the only thing I like. I won’t ever change.” With a doting look, Simon held her hand and smiled as he stared into her eyes. “I’m the same.” Bertha met Simon’s gaze. His eyes remained as gentle as ever as he confessed his love through sign with practiced ease. If she had not heard him say those things with her own ears, Bertha would never have believed how fake her husband was. After she listened to their conversation, Bertha finally understood that everyone knew about his affair with Luna. She was the only one who had been kept in the dark like an idiot. Chapter 6 Perhaps God had taken pity on her and restored her hearing. Simon was still pretending to be a loving husband, but he did not know that Bertha had already learned about everything. She knew what he had been doing at night over the past few days. She also knew that his love could not win against the temptation of lust. Simon probably noticed that something was off about Bertha, so he left earlier with her. When they got into the car, his phone began ringing. He took one look at the screen and signed to her that it was a call from his company. Then, he answered the phone right in front of her face. Luna called Simon’s name sweetly. After he listened to her for about three minutes, he hung up and gave Bertha an apologetic look. “Sorry, Bertha. There’s a really urgent meeting in the company, and I need to go back to chair it.” Bertha did not expose him. She just smiled and nodded. “Your company’s important. Go ahead and do your thing.” Simon reached out to pat Bertha’s head, but she avoided him. He thought that she was still mad at him, just like how she had been when he left her to return to the “company.” But when he remembered what Luna just told him, he still chose to leave after a moment of hesitation. Before he did, he signed to Bertha that he was going to bring her a gift when he came back. “I’ll get the driver to send you back, and I’ll bring you a surprise at night.” As she watched Simon leave into the distance, Bertha’s sadness turned into tears. She had heard the entire conversation. Luna said that her family had arranged a blind date for her. Hence, Simon had left her behind so that he could go over to keep Luna by his side. As for what he would do to achieve it? Bertha could already guess it. Even so, she did not expect Simon to lie to her so blatantly. Just how many times had he delivered such blatant lies to her face? She did not ask the driver to send her back home. Instead, she went to the shopping mall alone and bought a pen drive. While she was on her way back, it started pouring. She stood at the entrance while she waited for a car, but suddenly, she received a video call from a stranger. She knew who it was and chose to answer it. The video was taken from a secluded angle, but Bertha could still immediately recognize the two people in the footage. “Master, it hurts… Please stop hitting me…” The red marks left on her skin by a leather whip were revealed before Bertha’s eyes. Then, she heard a familiar voice. “Shut up and swallow.” She then heard the sound of clothes being torn apart, along with moans. Those sounds blended together with the pouring rain. Bertha trembled nonstop. Then, as if her soul had left her body, she ran into the rain and let it soak her body through. She felt like it was the only way she could get rid of those disgusting voices that were echoing in her ears. When Bertha got home, she was drenched, and the maids were terrified. They quickly pushed her into the bathroom so that she could take a warm bath. Simon received a message from them and came back. By then, Bertha was sitting in the living room while wrapped up in a blanket. The sight of her dejected expression made him kneel in front of her while he slapped himself twice. “I won’t ever abandon you again, Bertha.” Bertha was already sick of his promises. She could not even be bothered to expose him. In fact, she did not even look at him. “It’s fine. If it’s necessary for your job, I’m okay with it.” A hint of regret flashed in Simon’s eyes. “I won’t care about work anymore. Bertha, you’re the most important person to me.” That night, Bertha started burning up, and Simon took care of her throughout the night. Since she did not like the smell of disinfectant in the hospital, he hired a private doctor. When she had no appetite, Simon looked through all sorts of recipe books for tasty, healthy meals. The maids were envious of her relationship with Simon. But Bertha was the only one who knew that she would be abandoned in the huge house whenever night fell. Luna posted new content on her Instagram every day, and Simon always showed up in every single one of her photos. Sometimes, it would be in the form of his arm. Sometimes, it would be his abs. Tonight, Luna took a selfie as she lay on his chest. The caption read, [Wherever his love is, that is where he will be every night.] Bertha zoomed in on the photo and saw the letter “B” tattooed on the spot right above his heart. Simon had gotten that tattoo in secret during their first anniversary. He said that he would treasure her forever. At this point, her heart had died a long time ago. With a stony expression, she liked the post. So, a person could truly multitask, huh? He loved one woman while he slept with another one. Soon, Luna sent her a message. [Bertha, how does it feel after listening to us making love? Earlier, he called me honey, and he did it so passionately. Everyone says that a man works during the day while he lives his life at night, right? He doesn’t love you anymore, and he only takes care of you during the day out of a sense of responsibility. I’m the one he truly loves. Why else would I be pregnant? [You’re a smart person, and you should be aware of your place in Simon’s heart. I don’t think you know this, but I’ve been with Simon for more than a year. He says that you’re boring in bed. During the nights we’ve been together, we’ve tried more than one hundred styles in bed. Sometimes, if he’s addicted to a certain position, he might use it for an entire week. [We’ve made love on the lawn you got engaged in, the theater where you had your first date, the first car he bought, and even your bedroom! [I doubt that you know just how obsessed he is with me. I’m pregnant now. If you have any sense at all, pack up and leave. Otherwise, when the baby’s here, you’ll end up looking like a joke.] Bertha quietly read through the messages. Meanwhile, Luna was getting impatient. She was not only provoking Bertha, but she was also starting to send her all of her pictures with Simon. She took them in places that were filled with memories of Bertha’s time together with him. While Simon remained in the pictures, the woman had changed, and the things they did were shameful. [Bertha, I can’t believe you can still keep your composure. Have you not seen enough?] Bertha turned off the screen, and her tears fell all over the phone. At some point in time, she had started crying. She gritted her teeth and wiped away her tears. Even so, she still could not heal her wounded heart. ‘Simon, how could you?! ‘You said that you would be with me forever and that you would never betray me, but all of your promises are just lies!’ Chapter 7 On the day she recovered, Bertha did not see Simon. During the course of twenty-four hours, he only sent her one message. [Bertha, I’ve contacted a doctor from abroad to install man-made cochleas into your ears.] She did not answer because Luna had sent her another photo last night. It was a photo of her getting a consultation at the Gynaecology Department. Simon had personally paid for the consultation. [Bertha, my morning sickness was horrible yesterday, and Simon was incredibly worried. I’ll ask him to keep you company tomorrow.] She could sense just how smug Luna was just from those words alone. Bertha ignored them and just packed up. Meanwhile, she confirmed the procedure for her fake death with the person on the other end of the phone. Over the past few days, Luna had uploaded posts that only Bertha could see at a set hour each day. There were photos of Simon putting a ring on her finger, one of Simon designing a wedding dress for her, and a photo of them making love in a sea of flowers. Despite that, Luna was the first one to lose her patience. In her exasperation, she sent a message over to demand a response. [Can you really keep your cool that well, Bertha?! What are you, the reincarnation of patience?! I’m already pregnant with Simon’s baby. Once I give birth, I’m going to chase you out of our family! I’m going to make you homeless!] When Bertha saw this, she suddenly laughed. She never had a family to begin with. Simon was the one who had forced her into one. She was going to return it all to him. Three days before her fake death, Bertha went to a lawyer to come up with a draft for her divorce with Simon. Two days before her fake death, Bertha organized the videos she had recorded and the photos she had collected. Then, she put them all into the pen drive. She also set things up so that it would play on the day of their fourth anniversary. She wanted to give Simon a unique present. The person from the fake death agency called her once they received the pen drive. “Ms. Marsh, take this as an add-on for your services. We will play the contents of the pen drive two days later, and we will make sure that Simon Zimmer watches everything in it. We will also destroy all of your personal information at the same time. Thank you for choosing our services, and we wish you a happy new life.” She could not hear any emotion from the cold, mechanical voice. Yet, for the first time in days, Bertha finally smiled in relief. She was finally going to be free. “Thank you for the gift.” Right then, Simon opened the door and came in. “What gift?” She turned around. There he was, her husband who had disappeared for a week. Noticing that Simon had not realized she had made a call, she smiled. Fortunately, she had lowered her phone when she uttered her final sentence. So, he probably thought that she was only sending a voice message. “It’s nothing. A roommate from my time at university sent me some specialties from her place.” Simon did not ask any further questions and hugged her. “It’s been so long since we last saw each other, and you’ve become thinner. I’ve been abroad over the past few days, and I’ve hired a medical team that’s perfect for you. They’ll be installing those man-made cochleas for you.” He placed his chin on her shoulder and took a whiff of her scent. However, Bertha remembered the photo of him making love to Luna in the sea of flowers. She found him disgusting and pushed him away. “You just got back. You should take a shower.” Simon patted her head dotingly and signed excitedly, “In another two days, you can hear my voice again. During our anniversary, I want you to listen as I serenade you.” Bertha smiled. “Sure. I look forward to it.” Simon’s eyes lit up. He wanted to take a shower and make love to Bertha when his phone suddenly rang. Outside, Bertha heard Simon answer his phone in the bathroom, and she could hear Luna’s name clearly. Just as she expected, three minutes later, Simon rushed out while his hair was still wet. “Bertha, my team from abroad has been detained by customs…” he signed anxiously. Bertha waved nonchalantly. “Go on. You shouldn’t delay anything of importance.” However, she could clearly hear Luna screaming in pain through the phone. Simon had not actually hung up. After a moment of hesitation, he chose to leave in the end. Once Simon disappeared from her sight, Bertha returned to her room and brought out the luggage bag she had packed up a long time ago. Honestly, if Simon had stayed for even a moment longer and returned to their bedroom, he would have noticed something. The spots where Bertha’s belongings were supposed to be were already empty. Unfortunately for Simon, he had not slept in their bedroom for a long time. Her luggage bag was not big. Meanwhile, the maids who were supposed to work at night had been transferred to other places with the excuse that Simon did not like it when others bothered them at night. The maids could only stay during the day. After Bertha entered the car, the view of the house gradually became smaller and blurrier before it disappeared, just like the thread binding her with Simon. Before her plane took off, she imagined an eighteen-year-old Simon standing in front of her. He was full of life as he stood among the crowd of people. “Bertha, fly off. You have to be happy.” The engine roared, and she looked away as the plane flew into the sky.