Chapter 4

Days passed, and Cody still hadn't come home. He only sent a brief text, saying he would be away on a business trip for a few days. Whitney knew he was with Yvette, so she didn't bother replying. Once upon a time, if she went five minutes without replying, he would call frantically and search high and low for her. Now, even silence didn't seem to bother him. Whitney stayed in the hospital for a few days to recover. On the day she was discharged, she happened to pass by her college campus. On impulse, she parked and went in for a walk. As she strolled down the tree-lined path, it felt like she had slipped back in time. "Whit, slow down!" That teenager's voice from her memories still echoed in her ears. Back then, Cody would always be chasing behind her, clutching her forgotten textbooks or her favorite bubble tea. Sunlight would filter through the leaves, dancing across his youthful face. Whitney wandered until she reached the lecture halls. Suddenly, a familiar burst of laughter snapped her back to reality. She looked up and spotted two familiar figures in the distance. Cody, dressed casually, was walking hand in hand with Yvette. The two of them laughed and chatted as they strolled through the campus. He looked so young and relaxed—nothing like the cold, polished Mr. Larson everyone knew. Female students passing by turned their heads, whispering about the stunning "campus couple". When curious classmates asked about them, Yvette would blush and say that Cody was her boyfriend. And he never corrected her. He drank her favorite bubble tea with her, fixed her messy bangs, and even offered to attend class with her. However, Yvette turned him down. "You don't have to. That class is super boring. Don't you have an important meeting?" Cody raised a brow. "And who was the one begging me in bed last night to come meet your roommates as your boyfriend today?" He leaned in and whispered something in her ear, which made her face turn bright red. "But—" Yvette still tried to refuse. "No buts." Cody cut her off, looking at her gently. "Work can wait. You're graduating soon. There won't be many chances left for me to sit in class with you." He paused for a moment, and a smile tugged at his lips. It was the kind of smile Whitney hadn't seen in a long time. "And when I'm with you, I feel like I'm young again. Like I can be myself." The words struck Whitney like a blade, slicing deep into her chest. She finally understood why Cody had fallen for Yvette. This young woman gave him something marriage had slowly drained from him—freedom and youth. Whitney turned away with a bitter smile, ready to leave, only to run straight into Yvette, who had gone back to her dorm to grab something. The moment Yvette saw Whitney, her face paled. Her tone was laced with nervousness as she said, "Ms. Scott, why are you here? Mr. Larson just dropped me off for class. Please don't misunderstand." But there was nothing left for Whitney to misunderstand. She shook her head and said she was just visiting the campus, then turned to leave without another word. But Yvette chased after her, wanting to explain. Just as she opened her mouth, she saw a flowerpot falling from a classroom window. Without thinking, she shoved Whitney out of the way. The next moment, Yvette collapsed to the ground. Blood streamed from her forehead, pooling rapidly beneath her. Whitney was frozen in shock. Her hands trembled as she reached for her phone to call 911. However, she was shoved aside by Cody, who had raced over like a madman. A sharp, stinging pain shot through her scraped arm. When she looked up, she met Cody's eyes, which were dark with restrained anger. He seemed to be holding himself back, but there was still a trace of fury in his voice. "Whit, I've told you again and again that Yvette and I just have a business arrangement. I pay her, and she'll give me a child. Why can't you trust me? Why follow me here and cause trouble for her? Are you happy now?" After all their years together, this was the first time Cody had ever turned on her for someone else. Her mind went blank. She wanted to explain, but he had already scooped Yvette into his arms and stormed off. Whitney stood frozen for a few seconds before rushing after them. She was just in time to see Cody run red lights like a man possessed, desperately rushing Yvette to the ER. When the nurse said the blood bank was running low, he immediately rolled up his sleeve, ready to donate his own blood. Whitney watched him from outside the room. He kept his eyes locked on the operating room's door as the nurse drew his blood. After 600 ml, the nurse paused, saying that it was for his own safety. She told him to either contact someone with the same blood type to donate more blood or wait two hours for it to be transferred from another hospital. Upon hearing that, Cody completely lost it. His voice turned sharp. "Wait? Yvvy doesn't have time to wait! I don't want to lose even a minute. Keep going!" "But she still needs at least 1,000 ml. If you keep donating, your own life could be at risk—" "I don't care! I just want her safe! If anything happens to her, I'll make sure everyone pays the price!" The nurse flinched. She was too scared to argue, so she inserted the needle again. Bag after bag of blood was rushed to the operating room. Cody's face grew paler and paler until he finally passed out. At that moment, news came from the operating room. The surgery had been a success. Whitney's tightly wound nerves finally relaxed, and only then did she escort Cody to a ward. Even unconscious, his brows were tightly furrowed, and he kept murmuring Yvette's name. A bitter ache spread through Whitney's chest. She sat with him all night. When morning came, she received a call from the immigration agency she had contacted earlier. She stepped out of the room to take it, confirming the details with the staff on the other end. "Yes, I'll be leaving in about five days—" Before she could finish, the door behind her slammed open. She turned around, only to have Cody grab her hand tightly. His voice was laced with a panic she had never heard from him before. "Leaving? Whit, where are you going?"