5#05

5

Rick's attentiveness was merely a result of his guilty conscience, a weak attempt to make amends for his unfaithfulness. After each instance of cheating, he would shower Wanda with attention.

These messages often arrived at unusual times during the night. Perhaps they were sent while he smoked after his infidelity, or maybe...

The idea made Wanda feel intensely nauseous. She rushed to the restroom and emptied her stomach until she felt completely exhausted.

Upon exiting the bathroom, she found Ben had completed his meal and was waiting patiently near the exit.

Spotting her, he instinctively reached for her hand. "Mom, we need to leave soon or I'll be tardy for school."

Wanda pulled away and said indifferently, "Jane will take you today. I'm exhausted."

"But Mom, I want you to take me," Ben implored. "Please."

"No, I'm too tired," she responded harshly and callously.

Her cruel rejection left Ben stunned into silence. He couldn't comprehend why his usually accommodating mother had become so cold towards him. He swallowed his words, fighting back tears.

Jean, observing from nearby, noticed Wanda's foul mood. She wisely ushered Ben out of the house.

Wanda lacked the energy to soothe her son's hurt feelings.

At the reception, the clerk hesitated, looking up to verify Wanda's identity with evident disbelief. However, she quickly concealed her surprise and directed Wanda to Room 302 for paperwork.

Inside, a masked individual confirmed details with her, including the timing and method of her demise.

After her firm responses, the man reiterated solemnly, "Once you sign, there's no going back. In a week, Wanda will no longer exist."

Wanda nodded. With a steady hand, she signed her name. She then handed over her long-worn sandalwood bracelet, stating, "If I'm to die, let's make it believable."

The bracelet held deep meaning. Following Ben's birth, Wanda had fallen into an unexplained coma. Desperate, Eric, despite his atheism, had journeyed to Tibet. He endured harsh cold, kneeling every three steps to pray for her recovery.

His dedication had moved her then, prompting her vow to never remove the bracelet, even in death. Now, ironically, she was fulfilling that promise.

As she departed, she overheard gossip from reception, "They say Mr. Gordon adores Mrs. Gordon completely. Yet here she is, arranging a fake death."

"It shows even seemingly perfect marriages can be miserable behind closed doors."

"I can't believe I once admired their love story. Turns out it was all false."

Wanda didn't linger to hear more. Perhaps Eric had genuinely loved her at some point in their seven-year marriage. But for him, love was transient.

Leaving the center, Wanda entered a nearby shopping complex, hoping to distract herself.

However, fate was unkind. Unexpectedly, she encountered Ben, who should have been at kindergarten. He was with Eric and Christina, the three walking together like a real family.

Wanda stood paralyzed, her mind blank.

It wasn't until Christina noticed her that reality set in.

"Mrs. Gordon, what brings you here?" She feigned surprise, quickly approaching Wanda on her high heels. Her face showed no trace of guilt at being caught in an affair.

"Please don't misinterpret," she continued with rehearsed innocence. "Mr. Gordon was just being helpful. I recently landed a role as a mother, and he thought spending time with Ben would help me prepare."

"If you're upset, blame me. It's my fault, not theirs. Mr. Gordon and Ben are entirely innocent," she added.