Evan stirred and slowly opened his eyes.
The scene before him instantly chased away any lingering drowsiness, causing him to lean back in surprise.
Standing at the edge of the bed was a figure akin to Sadako from a horror film.
Zoe came to her senses and stepped back a pace. When he recognized the disheveled, ghostly pale figure as Zoe, he jolted upright, his brows knitting in dissatisfaction, veins bulging on his forehead, clearly startled.
She remained silent, still staring at him intently. Evan’s nostrils flared as he breathed heavily, glaring at her before flicking on the bedside lamp with a snap. "Are you crazy?"
Irritated, he grabbed a cigarette from the nightstand and lit it, his face still bearing the marks of shock. Who wouldn't be frightened by such a scene in the dead of night?
Zoe began to cough at the smell of smoke.
Evan watched her coldly, breaking into a mocking smile. "Too bored during the day? Sleepping too much during the day and not sleepy at night?"
Yes, too bored. She covered her mouth, her brows furrowed.
The smell of smoke was unbearable, and he knew she detested it, which was why he never smoked in front of her before.
But the past was the past, and pondering over it was pointless.
His gaze was too mocking, too cold, and Zoe felt a prickling pain spread across her chest like needles.
"Go to sleep," she finally said nothing, moving her already numb feet around the bed to the other side, lifting the corner of the quilt and lying down.
Evan tilted his head to look at her, curling his lip as he took a few deep drags of his cigarette before stubbing it out in the ashtray.
The urge for another cigarette overwhelmed him, and he lit up again. Zoe couldn't help but cough, her throat itching.
"Can you stop smoking?" Her voice broke through, punctuated by another cough.
Evan looked at her again,unhappily replying, "No, can't stand it? Then go sleep outside."
Zoe's heart tightened. She sat up, gave him a light glance, and without a word, got up and walked out.
He watched her slender figure retreat, his face darkening.
This woman had lately taken on the appearance of a lifeless, resentful wife, a sight that irked him, making him reluctant to return home.
The door clicked shut. Evan withdrew his gaze, irritably extinguishing the cigarette and turning off the lamp.
Zoe's eyes were rimmed red as she moved to another room. For some reason, the colder she got, the more her stomach cramped. She reached out to press against it, biting her lip.
Tossing and turning, she decided to get a checkup tomorrow.
She mulled over their deteriorating relationship. Last month, she cooked dinner, waiting for him to return, but he claimed to be busy with many engagements.
All she could do was respond with a disappointed 'oh' and say no more.
One day, passing by a restaurant on her way to buy groceries in the afternoon, she saw through the glass Evan dining with a beautifully made-up, attractive woman, chatting and laughing.
At that moment, Zoe's nails dug into her flesh, drawing blood. And another time, when she wanted to see his phone, not to investigate anything, Evan barked at her.
She immediately dropped the phone and rushed to the bathroom, sobbing uncontrollably.
There were countless other instances where he had let her down.
What had gone wrong? She racked her brain, tugging at her hair until it was a mess.
Tears betrayed her, streaming down her cheeks. Zoe, Zoe, how pathetic are you? She regretted it, truly.
