Chapter 4

That night, Nora came down with a high fever. She was so weak and dizzy that she could barely move, not even having the strength to call 911. Elliot hadn't come home, either. All she could do was drag herself out of bed and take some fever medicine with a glass of water, hoping it would help. The medicine took a long time to kick in. Nora collapsed back onto the mattress, burning up and aching all over. She had no idea how much time passed before she finally drifted into a restless, feverish sleep. It was a full day and night before her fever finally broke. As she slowly woke up, still dizzy and exhausted, she finally heard the front door open. Elliot walked in from outside. He didn't look at her or say a word about leaving her out in the rain, instead quietly packing his suitcase. Once he had everything packed, he finally tossed a glance her way. "Claire's not doing well, so I'll be staying with her for a few days. If you need anything, just call me." Seeing him walk away without a second thought, Nora let out a bitter, mocking laugh. Would calling him make a difference? She was right in front of him, sick as a dog, and he still didn't even notice. How could she expect him to come running if she really needed help? The next few days, Elliot didn't come back, and he never called her, not even once. Still, Nora knew his whereabouts like the back of her hand. After all, Claire was obsessed with sharing her daily life on social media. Every day, Nora could see exactly what they were doing—things like Elliot making soup for Claire, peeling shrimp for her, and taking her out to watch fireworks. Nora didn't dwell on what Elliot and Claire were up to every day. Once she recovered, she went to the office and handed in her resignation. "Nora, why are you quitting all of a sudden? Did something happen?" her coworker asked, visibly surprised. Nora shook her head and said, "I've been away for years. It's time I went back home." Her explanation only left her coworkers more puzzled, until one of them finally asked, "What about Dr. Ward? He lives here. If you move back to your hometown, won't that be a long-distance relationship?" Nora froze for a second. Even her coworkers knew how much she loved Elliot, and how she had given up everything to settle down in this unfamiliar city. Everyone knew she was the only one trying in the relationship. Elliot took all her sacrifices for granted and saved his patience and warmth for someone else. Nora shook her head with a faint smile. "It's not a long-distance relationship. I just won't be seeing him again." After tying up her loose ends at work and packing her belongings, Nora lugged her suitcase back to the house. As soon as she opened the door, she saw Elliot and Claire sitting together in the living room. "What's going on?" Elliot looked up in surprise when he saw her with the suitcase. She kept her tone calm, not missing a beat as she lied through her teeth, her face perfectly composed. "My company's moving offices. I just brought my belongings home for now." "Where are they moving to?" Elliot frowned. Before Nora could answer, Claire suddenly jumped in. "Nora, I know I've been a mess since my dad died. I've made a lot of mistakes. Asking Elliot to help me have a baby was completely out of line, but nothing actually happened between us. "Now that my dad's gone, I don't need to have a child anymore. I'm so sorry. Please don't take it to heart." Claire put on a pitiful act. If Nora hadn't seen the screenshots that were clearly meant to provoke her, she might have actually believed her. But now, Nora just didn't have the energy to call Claire out on her little act. She simply nodded and carried her suitcase into the bedroom. She had barely set her things down when she heard her phone ringing, but the sound was coming from the living room. That was when she realized she'd left her phone out there. She was just about to go out and get it when the door suddenly swung open. Elliot stood in the doorway, his face grim, clutching her phone as he stared at her intently. "Who's 'Honey' in your phone contacts?"