Love Has Become an Empty Memory

The attached photo showed Luke holding Seraphine close, his gaze fixed on her as if she were the most precious thing in the world.

Daphne took a deep breath and dialed his number.

It rang for a long time before he picked up. "What's wrong, Daphne?" His voice was hoarse, as if he had been busy with something.

"Are you coming home tonight?"

"Luke, don't..."

Suddenly, a soft, sultry voice drifted through the receiver, rich with teasing intimacy.

Daphne froze, nausea rising in waves.

There was a brief, fumbling silence before Luke shifted the phone away, his tone suddenly uneasy. "I'll probably be working late. Don't wait up."

And then he hung up.

Daphne forced herself to drink several gulps of water, but the nausea wouldn't fade. She rushed to the bathroom and dry-heaved until the sickness finally dulled to a distant ache.

In all the time they had been together, Luke had barely touched her. She had never seen him lose control around her.

Now, she understood.

It was never about restraint. It was about who he was with. And she sure wasn't Seraphine.

The rest of the day, she scrolled through social media like someone picking at an open wound, watching Luke wash Seraphine's hair, fold her clothes, cook her lunch—all the little things he used to dismiss as too troublesome to do for Daphne.

Then there was the amusement park. The Ferris wheel. The kiss at its highest point.

"They say if you kiss when the Ferris wheel reaches the top, you'll stay together forever."

Daphne saved the photos. She thought, 'Luke, fine. I wish you two a lifetime together. May you never be apart.'

He didn't come home until noon the next day.

There was guilt in his eyes, barely concealed under a layer of practiced nonchalance. "Daphne, you don't look well. Did you not sleep last night?" He reached out to hold her, but she sidestepped him.

The thought of where his arms had been just hours ago made her stomach churn.

Her silence weighed heavily between them. Luke looked at her, an inexplicable tightness pressing against his chest. She was right in front of him, but she had never felt farther away.

"Daphne, I know I've been neglecting you because of work. Our anniversary is coming up. I swear, I'll make it up to you. Let's celebrate properly, okay?"

Daphne forced a smile. "Okay."

Luke visibly relaxed, not bothering to think any further.

When the day arrived, he was in an uncharacteristically good mood, making conversation on the way to the restaurant, coaxing her into laughter. It was a beautiful and romantic French place.

Just as they had placed their orders, his phone rang.

The name on the screen made his brows crease.

He hesitated for only a moment before saying, "Daphne, I need to take this."

She nodded. She already knew who that was.

Not long after, he returned, wearing an expression of conflicted remorse. "Daphne, I'm so sorry. An executive from the company is making a surprise visit. I have to go back and handle it..."

"Okay." She cut him off before he could finish his excuse.

Luke blinked, momentarily speechless.

"Work is important," she said gently. "You're doing this for our future. I understand."

Relief washed over his face, gratitude even. "You're the best, Daphne. I promise I'll make it up to you next time."

'There won't be a next time, Luke,' Daphne thought.

She sat alone, eating the cake she had ordered in advance. When her tears fell, they landed in the frosting. She took a bite.

Bitter. Salty. Not sweet at all.

Afterward, she started packing.

She called a courier service to send off the things she had accumulated over five years. Clothes, books, stuffed animals, blankets—bags and bags filled with them, all going to the orphanage.

She also gathered the gifts she and Luke had exchanged on holidays and anniversaries, stuffing them into a separate box for donation.

Not a single item was a couple's set because Luke had always refused.

"Daphne, I'm too old for that kind of thing. Couple sets are for kids. Don't make me do it, okay?"

She had believed him. Until she saw the photos.

Photos of matching hats, matching gloves, matching backpacks...

With Seraphine, he didn't seem to mind at all.

She was signing for the courier when Luke came home.

He glanced at the packages in the truck. "Daphne, what are these?"