Three Strikes to Goodbye

There were seven more days until Tobey's discharge.

When I went home to pack, the moment I stepped through the door, I saw Lila sitting on the couch, eating dessert.

Hearing the noise, Caleb emerged from the kitchen. He was wearing an apron and holding a spatula, clearly in the middle of cooking.

I remembered Tobey's third birthday. He had wanted both of us to make a birthday cake with him, but Caleb had refused, saying he never cooked. Tobey had sulked over it for days.

Yet now, Caleb seemed to be enjoying cooking for Lila quite a lot.

He walked over. "Sienna, the hospital's too noisy and not conducive to Lila's recovery, so I brought her home. You don't mind, do you?"

I shook my head and headed upstairs. Caleb followed and continued, "I knew you would understand. Don't worry. I'll have Lila stay in the guest room farthest from ours. She won't disturb you."

Suddenly, Lila yelled from downstairs, "Caleb! The food's burning!"

He responded right away and ran back downstairs.

Keeping my composure, I stepped into the main bedroom. I thought nothing Caleb did for Lila would surprise me anymore—until I found a bra there that wasn't mine.

"Oh! You found it!" Lila exclaimed, suddenly appearing in the bedroom.

She plucked the bra from my hand and said, "Thank you for finding my bra, Sienna. This one was personally picked out for me by Ca—by a good friend. With how thoughtful Caleb is, I'm sure you've had a similar experience too, right?"

Lila's cheeks were rosy, and her eyes were bright. She looked nothing like a sick patient.

Of course, I knew who that "good friend" was, but I said nothing and only smiled.

Lila, however, wasn't ready to leave just yet. She continued, "You and Caleb have been married for so many years, and your relationship is still going strong. You must have some secret to keeping your marriage fresh. Please, share it with me, Ms. Hart. I'd love to learn."

Lila's words were undoubtedly a slap in the face, but Caleb's voice cut in right then, interrupting our tense exchange.

"Sienna, do you remember where the limited-edition Arachnids vinyl is? Lila was feeling bored during her recovery, so I thought I'd lend it to her."

The Arachnids were my favorite band, and that limited-edition vinyl had been a gift from Caleb when he first confessed his love for me.

I treasured it and had kept it carefully stored all these years.

There were plenty of other records in the house. I didn't believe for a second he was unaware of what that vinyl meant to us.

While I was hesitating, Lila said softly, "Caleb, it's fine if Ms. Hart isn't willing to lend it out. I remember I had to go through so many connections before I managed to buy it and give it to you. I'm honored that Ms. Hart likes it so much."

Caleb's eyes darted around, but he didn't correct her.

The record I treasured so much… had actually been a gift from Lila. A wave of revulsion rose in me.

"Why wouldn't I be willing?" I said, pretending to be nonchalant. "I just couldn't remember where I put it for a moment. There's nothing wrong with you wanting your own stuff back, Ms. Monroe. Of course, I'll return it to its rightful owner."

Without looking at Caleb, I walked straight to the study, retrieved the record, and handed it to Lila.

"You don't have any family around anymore, Ms. Monroe, so be sure to ask Caleb if you need anything. Also, since this record means so much to you, take good care of it. Don't give it away so easily again."

Lila didn't move, and it was Caleb who took the record instead. "Lila hasn't fully recovered yet, and the doctor said she shouldn't overexert herself. I'll hold on to it."

I smiled and nodded, then turned and started to pack Tobey's clothes as if there were no one else around.

Caleb and Lila went downstairs to eat, and he even enthusiastically invited me to join them.

I declined.

Later, Caleb came back to look for me, feeling uneasy. He grabbed my arm and asked, "What's going on with you today, Sienna? You usually snap at Lila whenever you talk to her, but you're so… nice to her today. Are you still mad?"

I turned to look at him.

Caleb had taken good care of himself and still looked as handsome as he'd been in his 20s with his broad shoulders, narrow waist, and striking features.

Yet, just looking at him now made me feel a mixture of hatred and disgust.

"What's wrong with you? This is our house, Caleb. Isn't it normal to be nice to a guest? If you don't like it, I can go pick a fight with her right now."

Hearing this, Caleb finally relaxed. He gave a few more reassurances before rushing downstairs.

I had to admit, his acting was getting better and better.

If it hadn't been for what Lila whispered to me right before she left, I might almost have believed that they really were just friends.

"Ms. Hart, the bedding you chose truly is comfortable," she had said.

She was taunting me. Relentlessly.

She had left the bra here on purpose. She wanted to make sure I knew about her affair with Caleb.

My fingertips went cold. I felt like every moment I'd spent with him had been a mistake, and I wanted nothing more than to get as far away from him as possible.

I pulled out a stack of documents from the bottom shelf. Among them were things that guaranteed I could walk away, which were also the things that made it so easy for Caleb to trust me—two copies of our divorce agreements, already signed.