Chapter 5

Tomorrow was October 15th.

An inexplicable sadness welled up in my heart.

This date seemed very important to me somehow.

But I couldn't remember why.

Seeing my delayed response, Ethan frowned slightly.

"Rachel's been through a lot lately. I want to make her happy."

"You'd better act gracious and not embarrass me."

I nodded mechanically.

After he left, I directly called a home service team.

The old me would never have let others handle such things.

Back when Ethan was just starting out, he was so busy his feet barely touched the ground.

He often skipped meals and frequently suffered from stomach pain.

I felt so bad for him that I, a pampered young lady who'd never lifted a finger, forced myself to learn how to cook.

But Ethan took it for granted and would even complain that the food I brought was cold.

Feeding your sincerity to a dog---this must be what that felt like.

Early the next morning, the house was decorated with flowers.

Rachel smiled sweetly at Ethan.

"Ethan, isn't this cake beautiful? It's my favorite---strawberry flavor!"

Ethan wrapped his arm around her waist affectionately and smiled. "As long as you like it."

Soon after, the guests began arriving.

Rachel sat in the center, accepting everyone's well-wishes.

"Wishing Rachel eternal beauty!"

"Mr. White really is so thoughtful toward Rachel!"

Rachel laughed cheerfully, her eyes drifting toward me in the corner now and then.

"Actually, I have Tara to thank for today being so wonderful."

"Even though we've had some misunderstandings, all these fruits and desserts were personally prepared by her."

Everyone's eyes instantly focused on me, filled with curiosity and mockery.

"So this is Mrs. White? I heard that after her daughter's accident, she fell seriously ill."

"She looks pretty normal, though. How could she..."

Ethan frowned, seemingly not wanting people to pay too much attention to me.

"Alright, let's cut the cake."

The lights dimmed.

Rachel closed her eyes to make a wish, the candlelight illuminating her blissful face.

Just then, the doorbell suddenly rang.

"Who is it? It's so late." Ethan opened the door with some displeasure.

Standing at the door was a delivery person, holding a bouquet of white lilies, a stuffed bear, and a photo of my daughter from when she was alive.

Ethan's face turned iron-dark. "Who told you to deliver these things?!"

The delivery person looked confused, pulling out a receipt to verify.

"That's right. Ms. Tara ordered these from us half a year ago. She said today was her daughter's death anniversary and we absolutely had to deliver them to this address."

The delivery person peered inside as he spoke.

My head began to ache again, my temples throbbing.

I held my head and stepped back, bumping into the wine on the table.

The wine bottle fell to the floor, glass shards flying everywhere.

All the fragmented memories reassembled themselves in that moment.

A red sports car crashed into a guardrail, its front severely deformed.

My daughter lay in a pool of blood, eyes still open, staring fixedly ahead.

And Ethan, the man I'd loved for five years---

Was frantically pulling the alcohol-reeking Rachel from the driver's seat, stuffing her into the passenger seat, then getting into the driver's seat himself.

He turned his head and looked at me as I rushed over, revealing a cruel expression.

"Tara, this was an accident. Nina is already dead."

"But Rachel is still alive. She can't go to prison."

Reality and memory slowly overlapped.

I looked at the white lilies before me, at the festive red balloons filling the room.

My whole body began to tremble, my eyes turning bloodshot.

"Ethan, did you think giving me injections and hypnotizing me would make me forget all this?"

"Impossible! I won't forget that Rachel killed Nina, and you're her accomplice!"