The question made Lisa flinch. She hadn’t been expecting him to ask her that.After all, he had been so in love with her, he should be happy they were finally getting married. She’d been the one reminding him about the marriage, yet now she couldn’t understand the look in his eyes.It wasn’t joy. It was disgust.Tedmond leaned back, the corner of his lips twitching faintly, not in a smile, but something close to mockery.“You were a mistake once,” he said coldly. “I won’t repeat it.”He picked up his cup again, his eyes distant and bored. “If you’re done embarrassing yourself,” he said softly, “you can leave.”Lisa’s breath hitched. For a second, she thought she saw something flicker in his gaze, but no, it was gone before she could name it.Tedmond took another slow sip, his eyes never leaving hers.“Next time you want to play wife,” he murmured, his voice edged with quiet derision, “try not to look so desperate.”Her fingers curled tightly on her lap, her face burning with humilia

Tedmond didn’t need to say anything to her.Words would accomplish nothing.Lisa’s desperation, her anger, her threats, none of it mattered anymore. He only wanted to leave, to escape the tension that had been choking them for far too long.His strides were measured, deliberate, cutting through the parking lot with calm precision. He ignored her calls, her shouts, the sharp click of her heels echoing behind him.Every step brought him closer to Hino and Neil, the only company that didn’t demand anything from him, at least not yet.She stumbled after him as he kept walking, his pace steady, his silence heavier than any insult.“Why are you doing this?!” she yelled, frustration mixing with panic. “Tedmond!”He reached his car, unlocked it, and was about to open the door when she rushed in front of him, blocking his path. Her hair was a mess now, her breathing ragged, but she stood firm, eyes wide with desperation.“Fine,” she said breathlessly. “You don’t want to listen? Then you’re no

Tedmond made his way into the hospital, a calm look on his face. Though he had heard about the accident that happened to Max and Maxine, he felt nothing.It wasn’t like he was close enough to them to feel anything.After all, they had never cared about him when he had been sick; they hadn’t helped him when he was struggling, not even with a single visit or call.So why had he even come here?He paused at the entrance of the corridor, his eyes flicking toward the direction of their ward. The faint smell of disinfectant and the distant hum of machines filled the air, but none of it stirred him.He wasn’t the one who got them into an accident. He wasn’t the one responsible for their pain. So why was he here, walking into their mess as if he owed them something?Maybe curiosity. Maybe a habit. Or maybe just a part of him still wanted to see how broken they looked now, when fate finally decided to treat them the way they once treated him.His lips curved slightly, not into a smile, but