He and the Past, Letting the Memory Go

The day I discovered I was pregnant, my husband, Leon Harber, was so overwhelmed he burst into tears.

He then swept through the city, buying out every baby product he could find, even commissioning a custommade necklace, carved with image of a protective angel to watch over me and our child.

Then he held me, laughing and crying all at once, showering my belly with kisses.

“Cassidy, I’m so happy,” he said, his voice trembling with emotion.

“When this child is born, I’ll give you both the best the world has to offer.”

Watching his tearfilled eyes, I smiled silently.

He didn’t know this child was never meant to be born.

Nor did he know that there would be no future for us.

——

When I went to the hospital for the abortion, a young nurse looked at me with surprise.

“Are you the Mrs. Harber from TV? You’re so beautiful!” the young nurse blurted out in awe.

I stayed silent. Her colleague immediately nudged her with a sharp look.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” the colleague said, lowering her voice. “Mrs. Harber’s in fragile health. She’s been married for five years and only just got pregnant. Mr. Harber treats her like she’s made of glass. There’s no way she’d come to a small hospital like this for an abortion.”

She wasn’t wrong.

Leon loved me. His love was flawless, unconditional.

Since childhood, I had been frail and sickly. After we married, he built an entire hospital just for me.

He brought in the best medical team, dedicated to caring for me alone.

Later, in hopes of bringing me blessings, he opened the hospital to the public for free.

After learning I was pregnant, Leon was overjoyed, grinning from ear to ear. He personally visited a chapel to light candles and offer prayers of gratitude.

Fireworks lit up the entire city, burning brightly through the night.

He bought out all the flowers and baby products in town.

He even lit up a long candle and spent a fortune to acquire a priceless angel necklace to bless and protect my pregnancy.

When he placed the protective angel necklace around my neck, his eyes glistened with joyful tears.

“We’ve finally made it to this day. With you and the baby, my life is complete,” he said.

As he was lost in his happiness, there was no way he ever suspected my true intentions, right?

I had already made up my mind to terminate this pregnancy and disappear from his life forever.

“Ma’am, please sign here,” the nurse’s voice broke through my thoughts.

At that moment, the TV in the room was airing an interview with Leon.

Usually stoic, he was repeatedly brought to tears whenever he mentioned me.

“My wife and I both adore children, but just thinking about the struggles of pregnancy and childbirth makes my heart ache for her…” he said.

“That’s why we’ve decided to have only this one child. Once the baby is born, I’ll transfer all my assets to her and the baby—it’s the least I can do.”

The young nurse watching the screen couldn’t hide the admiration in her eyes.

“Where can you even find a man as amazing as Mr. Harber?” she said, enviously.

“I heard he and his wife were childhood sweethearts. When Mrs. Harber’s family went bankrupt, Mr. Harber ignored everyone’s objections and proposed to her. After their marriage, he gave her everything he had. It’s like something out of a romance novel…”

Hearing those words, my hand froze midsignature.

Years ago, the housekeeper who once cared for me betrayed the Silva Family—my family—bringing about our downfall.

Leon had sworn to me, “There will never be lies or betrayal between us. If I ever break that promise, may I meet a terrible fate.”

To prove his sincerity, he knelt in a torrential downpour for an entire day and night, pleading with his family to accept me.

When he finally succeeded, he was feverish and trembling as he slid a diamond ring onto my finger.

“Cassidy, don’t be afraid. With me here, I’ll shield you from every storm in this world,” he promised.

Leon kept his word, cherishing me like a treasure for five years.

But fate, it seemed, had other plans.

The day I discovered I was pregnant, I received an unexpected message: a sultry photo from his kept woman.

It was then I learned the hospital named after me wasn’t built for me at all—it was meant for her.

All those countless times Leon patiently accompanied me to medical appointments and checkups were nothing more than excuses to see her.

In the early stages of my pregnancy, I was so weak I passed out from vomiting and had to be hooked up to an IV.

Meanwhile, Leon was in the next room, tangled up in a passionate affair with the one and only Myrna Dwayne.

The moment I saw the photo, I understood everything. All the love had vanished.

Then, this child... this child should not be brought into the world amid such betrayal.

After the procedure, while I was still in the hospital for observation, I called my professor.

“Professor, I’ve decided to join the secret research center,” I told him.

“Are you out of your mind?” he replied. “I saw the news about your pregnancy. The research center is located in the Southern part of the continent—it's a tough environment and you'll be cut off from the outside world for the duration. Can you really handle that kind of hardship?”

I sent him my miscarriage report to show I was determined.

The professor stayed silent for a long moment.

“Are you… sure about this? Has Leon agreed?”

Once, I had hesitated to leave Leon, unable to part from him.

Now, it was Leon who had made the choice for me.

I said with absolute seriousness, “I don’t need his approval. After all these years of living in luxury as a wealthy wife, it’s time to contribute to society.”

“I have only one request: permanently erase my identity, so that no one in this world can ever find me.”

Death is but a moment, but to forget someone takes a lifetime.

I don’t want him dead. I want him to live the rest of his life in regret.

“Alright, Cassidy, you haven’t disappointed me. Take care of yourself and wait for my news.”

After exchanging a few pleasantries, he hung up.

It was then that I noticed the string of messages on my phone.

“Dear, I bought a pair of protective necklace—perfect for you and the baby.”

“I’ve also reserved a package for us. Once the baby’s born, we’ll take a family portrait together.”

“Are you feeling unwell? Why haven’t you replied? Should I cancel my meetings and come keep you company?”

When I didn't reply to his messages, Leon called me over a dozen times.

Among the endless sweet words and concern, there was also a video from Myrna, filled with affectionate moments.

I went through all the messages, turned off my phone and removed the protective angel necklace from my neck before walking out alone.

On my way, I bumped into Leon, who had been frantically searching for me.

As soon as he saw me, he rushed over and pulled me into an anxious embrace.

"Where have you been? You didn't reply to any messages—do you know how worried I was?"

"I'm just frustrated, needed some space, my phone ran out of battery and I turned it off," I replied.

I slightly turned my head, pretending not to notice the undone buttons on Leon’s shirt and the hickey on his neck.

He sighed in relief and pulled me toward the car.

"I realize I messed up and I deeply regret not spending more time with you. An urgent meeting at work came up that I couldn’t avoid, but I know that’s no excuse. I promise I’ll make it up to you and ensure this doesn’t happen again."

What kind of meeting required you to undo your shirt?

I stayed silent and Leon pulled a large bouquet of blooming lilies from the trunk.

"For you. A gift to make up for it," he said.

The lilies at the flower shop near Riverside Hospital are the most beautiful.

Every time Leon passes by, he brings me a bouquet.

I once thought this was his way of showing his love for me.

But now, looking back, it feels more like a guilty compensation after an affair.

Suddenly, I remembered the video Myrna just sent me.

Her body marked with signs of intimacy.

"Don't think that just because you managed to steal him from me once, you've won. I have plenty of ways to keep him around. Just wait and see."

I didn’t know what tricks Myrna had up her sleeve.

I just thought Leon was acting really strange.

He’d worry about my safety when I didn’t reply to his messages.

After getting undressed, he would suppress his desire, leave his lover and come find me.

But at the same time, he hid the truth from me, secretly building a luxurious place for his mistress, where they spent their days tangled in passion.

In that moment, I suddenly realized how unfamiliar the man I had loved for over a decade had become.

Noticing my silence, Leon grew visibly anxious.

"Dear, I truly know I was wrong. If you're still angry, would you hit me? Please don't let it affect your health—it could hurt the baby..."

Leon gently took my hand and pressed it to his face.

The image of him and Myrna, entwined in each other's arms, kissing and touching, suddenly flashed in my mind. Overcome with revulsion, I jerked my hand away and began to gag, unable to hold back the urge to vomit.

I knew Leon was a clean freak, but in that moment, without a second thought, he reached out to catch my vomit.

Luckily, I hadn’t eaten much these past few days, so nothing came up. Still, the nausea and discomfort made tears well up in my eyes.

Through my teary vision, I looked at Leon.

I believed, at this moment, the concern in his eyes was genuine. But the video of him cheating with Myrna was real, too.

I subtly distanced myself from Leon, curling up in the passenger seat, doing my best to suppress the pain and sadness swelling inside me.

"Let's go home." Leon’s eyes were red with worry as he bent down to fasten my seatbelt.

He thought I hadn’t noticed, but I saw him subtly push the stockings in the corner of the car deeper into the seat.

The mix of cigarette smoke and his cologne was so nauseating, I almost vomited again.

I rolled down the window, turning my gaze to the passing scenery outside.

Suddenly, it struck me that my relationship with Leon was like the view outside the window—beautiful and dazzling to look at, but ultimately, nothing stays.

Once we got home, I made an excuse that I wasn’t feeling well and didn’t speak to Leon again.

Leon had the housekeeper make me some nourishing soup and sat on the sofa, flipping through a pregnancy book.

Ever since I got pregnant, Leon had gone from being the aloof CEO to being a nervous, doting husband.

He wouldn’t let me do anything—blowdry my hair or bend down to pick something up.

Pregnancy tips, postpartum recovery plans—he had filled the entire book with notes.

The housekeeper couldn’t help but tease, "Men like Leon are rare to find."

"He's already this nervous just from the pregnancy. When the baby’s born, he’ll probably pick stars from the sky for his wife."

At these words, Leon suddenly turned to look at me.

"It’s no big deal. You don’t have to wait until the baby’s born. If you want, I can contact someone right now to buy you a star."

Then, Leon made a few calls to some friends.

After about half an hour of busy talking, he sat down next to me with a smile. "All set. Tomorrow night, I’ll take you to a private stargazing experience."

I had no interest in it, but Leon was genuinely excited. He even turned down a multimilliondollar contract and took me to the planetarium.

The whole way there, he kept emphasizing how unique this star was.

"Dear, you’ve been so down lately. I know pregnancy is tough, but I can’t share the burden with you, so all I can do is these little things to make you happy."

He continued, "Don’t worry, once this little troublemaker is born, I’ll make sure to take care of him for you!"

Leon gently held my cold hand, gazing lovingly at my belly.

He hadn’t figure out what was going on.

The little life he had been hoping for had already died because of betrayal.

As night fell, Leon and I arrived at the planetarium.

The director greeted us warmly, but when he saw me, an awkward expression flickered across his face.

Leon didn’t notice anything amiss and happily began to show me around.

"Look, the discovery date of this star just happens to be the same as our wedding day."

"This is fate, a bond written in the stars. We’re made for each other. This star is yours, a symbol of our love. Our relationship will be as eternal and unchanging as this star…"

As Leon was speaking, his phone chimed with a message. He glanced at it quickly before immediately turning the phone face down.

What he didn’t know was that the same photo had also been sent to me by Myrna. It was a sexy black stockings, redbottomed heels.

[Do you think he’d rather accompany you to watch the stars, or would he prefer to join me under the starry sky and unlock some new positions?]

I glanced up at Leon. The faint, almost imperceptible smile on his lips already gave me the answer.

Sure enough, the next moment, he looked up. "Sorry, dear, there’s an urgent matter at the company. The director will keep you company while I handle it. I promise I’ll be back in two hours."

Leon tried to kiss my forehead. I subtly pushed him away. "Work comes first."

After Leon left, I declined the planetarium director's kind offer and wandered around on my own.

The display was filled with various models and photos of stars.

As I entered the main hall, something caught my eye—a star with a particularly unusual name.

"Seraphina"

Next to it was a highdefinition photo, showing a pair of hands, fingers tightly intertwined. On the large, knobby hand was a wedding ring—the exact same style as mine.

The caption beside it, "Unique, eternal, unchanging," felt especially ironic.

My heart lurched, the sharp pain almost making me collapse. Before I could even process the heartbreak, Myrna eagerly sent me a video.

A RollsRoyce with a starry sky roof, paired with glaring redbottomed heels. Myrna was lounging in the passenger seat, her dress hiked up, revealing far too much.

My hand gripped the phone tightly, tears streaming down my face, one after another.

This car was a birthday gift I had given to Leon. He loved it so much that he spent a fortune to have the starry sky roof customized, adding our initials on it.

He had said, "The stars will witness our love."

But now, the stars bear witness to his betrayal.

Myrna smugly sent me a message.

[He said it's especially thrilling here, like he's doing it right in front of you. I suggested we go to his place next time and try it while you're asleep. Guess what he said? Hahaha, you might want to keep one eye open when you sleep from now on.]

I wanted to block Myrna’s number, but my hand shook so much I couldn’t get it done.

In the end, I just slumped against the wall, numbly watching the video repeat itself over and over.

After what felt like a thousand times, Leon finally returned. He was startled by the sight of my tearstreaked face.

"Why are you crying? Who hurt you? I’ll make them regret it!" Leon stood protectively in front of me, his tall figure nearly unchanged from when he was younger.

Back then, when thugs bullied me, he’d take on ten of them without hesitation, throwing his life away to defend me.

Even when I had a broken leg, I never got so much as a scratch. But now, the same person who once risked everything to protect me has become the one who hurts me the most.

I fought back tears, taking a long moment before I could speak.

"It's nothing... I just really love the gift you gave me."

I added, "In return, I want to prepare a surprise for you. You’ll get it in a few days."

Finally, Leon seemed to relax, gently wiping the tears from the corner of my eye.

"Don't say such silly things. As long as you're happy, I'll do anything for you." He smiled, "Since you love stars so much, I’ll have someone build you a planetarium."

He continued, "When the baby is born, we’ll sit under the starry sky and tell him the story of our love, as sweet and everlasting as the stars."

The light of the stars could travel through billions of lightyears.

Our love couldn’t withstand the test of time.

Leon’s eyes were filled with dreams of the future, but he didn’t notice I was staring coldly at the message from my professor.

"Dear Cassidy, congratulations on being accepted into the Veridian Research Group. We depart tomorrow at noon. Please review the information carefully. Once you sign the nondisclosure agreement, your current identity will be deactivated. You will be untraceable for the next three years."

Without hesitation, I signed my name.

It wouldn't be just three years. In the next ten, twenty years, I would disappear completely from Leon’s world.

At this period of my life, I would never return to anywhere closer to him, not even after I die.

Leon could choose to leave me and run to Myrna. I, too, could choose to leave him and head toward the vast, endless plains.

My professor urged me to hurry and pack my belongings.

Then, as I looked around the villa, filled with memories, I found I didn’t want to take anything with me.

I woke up early, gave the housekeeper the day off and spent two hours making breakfast myself.

When Leon got up, he immediately rushed over to me, snatching the spatula from my hand.

"Where’s the maid? Why are you cooking?"

I told him, "She’s resting. Today is your birthday and I wanted to spend it with just you."

Leon froze for a moment and to my surprise, his eyes welled up with emotion.

"Ever since you got pregnant, just the smell of cooking oil makes you feel sick. If anyone should be cooking, it should be me."

He said, "Sweetheart, just go sit on the couch. Let me take care of everything today. My biggest birthday wish is that my wife is happy every single day."

If it weren’t for the photo Myrna sent me,

At that moment, I would have felt like the happiest woman in the world.

But sadly…

I sighed quietly and handed Leon his phone. "A message just came through."

Leon looked a bit nervous. When he saw my uncertain expression, he finally let out a relieved breath.

"You're the best, my Dear. You never mess with my phone's privacy."

He thought so highly of me, yet he also thought I was foolish and naive.

Last night, after he fell asleep, I went through every message and record on his phone. He took advantage of my trust, blatantly pinning Myrna's contact to the top.

In the purchase history, there were endless items—lingerie, toys, all sorts. Records of hotels, the office and the car too. Then, my birthday, our anniversary.

Myrna would just send a message and Leon would show up on time, every time.

What struck me the most was a message Leon sent to Myrna on the day I found out I was pregnant.

[Stop the meds. Let's get you pregnant soon. I can make Cassidy accept your child, so our kid and the child from her can accompany each other. You've been doing great. As long as you don’t cause trouble in front of Cassidy, I can give you everything you want.]

Leon really did love children. Yet, the children he loved weren’t just the one growing inside me.

I couldn’t bring myself to recall the heartwrenching pain of last night.

I forced myself to remain calm, but my hands kept trembling. I was terrified Leon would notice something was wrong, but his focus was entirely on his phone.

"Today’s the day for your pregnancy test results. The hospital reminded me to take you early, so I’ll head over first. You stay here and rest, I’ll be back soon."

"Will you come back?"

Leon smiled and patted my head. "Don’t say such silly things. Today’s an important day and I want to spend it with the person I love most."

"When I get back, don’t forget to open your gift," I said as I pointed to the beautifully wrapped gift box on the coffee table.

Soon after Leon left, I received a new message from Myrna.

[I'm pregnant. Your biggest advantage is gone. In the end, it will be me who wins.]

I replied with a smiley face and placed the phone next to the gift box. I thought to myself, Leon would surely have an unforgettable birthday with Myrna by his side.

Meanwhile... me...

I glanced at the clock and walked briskly towards the mysterious car without a license plate parked downstairs.

As the car drove past the hospital, I saw Leon’s RollsRoyce. He seemed to sense something and rolled down the window, glancing in my direction.

My professor asked if I wanted to go down and say a final goodbye.

I simply shook my head in response.

From then on, the stars still shone brightly. But Cassidy would no longer exist in this world.