Love Fades Without a Trace

The video ended there. Elena walked to the window. Even in the darkness of night, she could vaguely see a car swaying underneath the cover of the trees outside the iron gate.

Tears blurred her vision. Suddenly, she found herself struggling to remember what Aaron was like.

What did the Aaron she'd met ten years ago, fallen in love with seven years, and married three years ago really like? Was he who she thought he was? Or was everything she knew about him just what he wanted her to see?

Perhaps the real Aaron was a scumbag who'd slowly descended into darkness and the mires of life. Elena thought she was his salvation, but all she'd done was make him look better on the outside. She'd made him seem like an ordinary man who was loyal and faithful.

In truth, he was still rotten inside. He'd just hidden it well enough that one could only see past the glossy exterior and discover the decay inside if one peeled back the layers and scrutinized him.

Elena had been stuck in a wonderful dream for the past decade. Now that she'd been roused from her slumber, she realized it had all come to nothing. The foundation upon which she'd built her life had been nothing but lies, bringing her to the verge of a breakdown.

Her chest throbbed painfully, almost as if it was telling her that she'd wasted the past decade on a failure. She couldn't save Aaron or the original Elena, who'd given her a second chance at life.

The anguish she felt was unbearable—she felt like she was going to die. She bent over and curled up against the balcony's railing as she panted for breath.

She bawled her eyes out, leaving them red and swollen. The night passed torturously, and she was in such agony that she didn't notice the rain pouring on her.

When Aaron returned home, he found Elena sprawled on the couch, drenched from head to toe. Her face was red, and she was almost unconscious from her high fever.

"Darling, are you okay?" He ran to her, panicked at the sight of her. He immediately took her to the hospital.

Elena pulled through after some quick rescuing on the doctors' part, but she had to spend a few more days in the hospital due to pneumonia caused by her high fever.

She supposed it was good for her. She only had six days to go before she could leave this world—all she wanted to do was have some peace and quiet in the hospital. She didn't want to go home or have to rack her brains when dealing with someone as fake and fickle-minded as Aaron.

However, it didn't occur to her that Aaron and Mia could come to her.

"Hi there. Would you happen to know where the pediatric department is?"

Elena looked at the sophisticated, beautiful woman before her. Her hair was curled perfectly, and her dress was crimson and fashionable. Yet she had a baby carrier strapped to her front, holding an adorable boy with large eyes.

She immediately recognized the woman to be Mia, with whom she'd communicated virtually for a long time.

Her chest tightened. She shut her eyes before opening them again. "There are plenty of doctors and nurses outside. You should ask them, Ms. Wynn."

"Oh, so you do recognize me, Mrs. Reed." Mia stuck out her chest to bring her son forward. "Take a good look at my baby boy—this is the son I share with Aaron. He's one this year, and he's smart and adorable.

"He's perfect in every way, really. Aaron adores him so much that he didn't just give him a villa and a yacht. He wants to give our baby his company's shares."

Elena patiently waited for her to finish bragging before smiling faintly. "Do you want him to be plagued by the troubles that come with wealth at such a young age?"

Mia's expression shifted. "What's that supposed to mean? You're just jealous of me because you can't have a baby!"

Elena's smile didn't waver. She pointed at her diagnosis report, which hung at the foot of her bed. "Didn't you do your homework before coming? I have pneumonia after getting a high fever from the rain. You do know pneumonia is contagious, right?"

Mia's expression darkened. She hurriedly covered the baby's face and backed away anxiously, almost running into Aaron as he entered the hospital ward.

He instinctively held her. Then, his expression soured when he saw who she was. "What are you doing here?"

In the next second, he remembered that he was in Elena's hospital ward and turned to look at her. As he hurried to her, he said, "I'm sorry, Elena. Was Mia bothering you? She's one of the company's employees, and she's been kicking up a fuss about career opportunities after giving birth.

"She hasn't been getting her way at the company, so she probably came here to ask you to speak up for her. Is that what happened?"

Career opportunities after giving birth? Elena supposed it was considered a form of career advancement since Mia wanted to kick her out of the picture and take over her role as Aaron's wife.

"Well, it is a serious matter." Elena thought about it and held up a hand. "Give me five days. Come back in five days to tell me what you want."

Mia was delighted. She looked at Elena and asked, "Will you help me with this, Mrs. Reed?"

"Of course." Elena smiled sincerely. "Things are tough for all mothers—I can't dismiss your contributions to the company and Aaron just because you've had a child. Give me at most five days, okay? Once I've recovered and been discharged, I'll give you an answer that'll satisfy you."

Mia's eyes glinted nastily. She gave Aaron an alluring look before leaving.

He parted his lips to say something, but Elena beat him to it. "As your wife and the person who helped you establish your empire, it's only natural for me to deal with things that you might not be able to handle.

"Don't worry too much about this and let me rest for a few days. We can talk about it when I'm better, okay?"

Aaron swallowed his words. His gaze was dark and unfathomable as he looked at her. Ultimately, he looked away. "You're the best wife a man could ever have, and it's the biggest honor in my life to have you by my side.

"No matter what happens in the future, I'll always be by your side. Regardless of how tough things get, know that I won't leave you. I'll never forget everything we've been through together."

…

Time passed in the blink of an eye. It was time for Elena to be discharged, and it was also her final day in this world.

Sean called her early in the morning; her words were the same as before. "Deal with my assets as you see fit. All you need to do is ensure the divorce agreement is given to Aaron by the time I've set."

Then, the funeral parlor called her. "Are you sure you want us to send a hearse to your home to collect your body at midnight, Ms. Frost?"

She laughed. "Of course. I'll be dead by then, so my body has to be taken away. You don't want me to rot and stink up the place, do you?"

Aaron entered the hospital ward at that moment and heard her on the phone. He asked, "What are you talking about, darling? Why are you talking about death so early in the morning?"

Startled by his presence, she quickly hung up. Then, she nodded and said, "I won't talk about it anymore, then. I guess I'm just a little glum because of the stroke of bad luck I've experienced lately."

First, she had a stomachache. Then, her period had come. After that, she had a high fever and pneumonia. What was that, if not a stroke of bad luck? To think Aaron was the cause of her bad luck, too.

His heart ached at that, and he pulled her into his arms. "Let's go to Crimson Peak after you've been discharged so we can pray there. I'm going to pray for your health and safety. How about we have a child once you're all better?"