Chapter 4

Offering no rebuttal, Autumn stared at the faint mark on her ring finger. “This imprint looks awful. I should have removed the ring sooner,” she sighed.

Olivia, sensing Autumn’s seriousness, realized this was different. Autumn's attitude was better than before, though Olivia wasn't entirely convinced. Still, she resisted the urge to mock her, managing only, “Your so-called love isn’t even worth a decent meal to me.”

Autumn simply replied, “Then let’s go. I’ll treat you.”

Olivia, showing no inclination to move, raised a skeptical eyebrow. “My time is precious. Tell me exactly what you want, and I’ll see if it’s worth my while.”

Autumn looked at her wordlessly for a moment. “I want to rewrite my stalled thesis. I need to use your lab to process some data.” The industry was evolving rapidly, requiring significant adjustments.

Autumn hadn’t dared to mention this over the phone; she'd felt hesitant. Knowing Olivia, she expected a scolding for wasting time. After all, had she not married, she would have published her paper years ago, during university.

Olivia, unsurprisingly, regarded her with a curious stare. “Is this a whim?”

“I’m serious,” Autumn insisted.

Olivia scrutinized her. Active in the field, she knew Averpark University’s Luther had attracted significant attention from tech companies for his research. Few knew Autumn had solved his problem three years prior, possessing the complete Lugi-X, a large language model, within her company. She was the sole developer; any of the technical hurdles she’d overcome would have stalled an entire lab. Autumn was, undoubtedly, the most gifted genius Olivia had ever encountered. Yet, this genius was a hopeless romantic, leaving the field to marry and become a tea-serving secretary. Olivia couldn't comprehend such a waste of talent.

“You’ve been out of the field for three years. Are you sure your thesis still holds value?”

“I’ll make adjustments. Once Professor Beck is available, I’ll confirm the research direction with her. If she approves, I’ll continue,” Autumn replied. But her mentor's availability was uncertain.

“Then you’ve got a long wait. She’s fully committed to national research projects and won’t be back anytime soon.”

“I can wait,” Autumn said calmly. No longer consumed by Damien, time was her most abundant resource.

Olivia paused, aware that even after years away, Autumn's work was beyond her ability to critique. A genius's world was often incomprehensible. “Fine. I’ll have that meal with you,” she conceded. Olivia possessed a sharp tongue, but a softer heart than she let on. Her apparent reluctance was an act; otherwise, she wouldn't be there.

Autumn chuckled. “Thank you for your time, Ms. Clements.”

Barry, shopping with his newly minted influencer girlfriend, spotted a familiar face. He tried to follow, but she was gone. He entered a jewelry store, letting his girlfriend browse while he inquired about Autumn. The more he learned, the more excited he became. Damien had lied! If Autumn had truly returned to him, why sell her wedding ring? He decided to rally his friends.

That night, Damien arrived as the group was already enjoying drinks. Barry announced loudly, “Hey, guys, guess what? Autumn sold her wedding ring. What’s her game?” They often teased Autumn; initially, they worried about Damien's reaction, fearing even a frown would silence them, but their concern was unfounded.

Damien remained unfazed. Even their jokes elicited no response. But tonight, before anyone else spoke, he calmly stated, “She’s putting on a show for me.” Scott had relayed Autumn's café conversation verbatim. He was surprised, but like Scott, believed Autumn was reacting to the loss of her child. Selling the ring was part of her performance.

“A show, huh? That sounds like Autumn,” someone commented.

“That trick won’t work on Damien, though. He hasn’t worn his wedding ring since the wedding,” another chimed in.

Barry scoffed. “Oh, he’s definitely worn it on certain occasions. There’s no way he’d dare to not wear it in front of Mr. Caldwell Senior…”

Damien glared at him.

Barry quickly corrected himself. “Yeah, yeah—of course he’s never worn it! Not even once!”

Damien's expression softened slightly. Barry's lips twitched. “Anyway, I saw Autumn go into a different jewelry store afterward. Maybe she was buying matching rings for you. Would you wear them?”

Damien ignored him. A flicker of warmth appeared in his eyes as he fidgeted with his fingers. His usual coldness and restraint were broken by this rare gentleness. Barry noticed Damien texting Emilia, the screen quickly going dark. Damien looked up, clearly displeased. “You called me here for this nonsense?”

Barry realized that even a month's absence wouldn't faze Damien. Autumn's antics were meaningless without his care, robbing Barry of his anticipated entertainment. Barry clicked his tongue. “Well, I may not have won, but you lost first. You owe me a meal.” He referred to their bet.

Damien agreed. “Just tell me when.”

“Emilia’s birthday is coming up. Let’s do it then. It’ll be more festive.”

Damien replied, “Even if you hadn’t asked, I was going to invite you anyway.”

“Oh? So you already had it planned. How thoughtful.”

Damien's feelings were always plainly evident. Barry remembered Autumn's birthday had been a month prior. Damien had been drinking with them that night. Autumn had called, but he'd been too drunk to answer, so Barry had picked up. Her first words: “Are you still busy? My birthday’s already over.” It was 1:00 AM.

Barry said, “It’s me. Sorry, Damien’s drunk. Uh… Happy birthday.”

Autumn remained silent for a moment, calmly accepting her husband's forgetfulness. Without complaint, she simply asked Barry to look after Damien. Barry had considered Autumn a master of emotional restraint.

In the early hours of the morning, Damien returned from Barry's gathering. Passing the living room, he glanced at the couch, expecting Autumn, but she was gone. Upstairs, the guest room, farthest from the master bedroom, was dark. A day had passed, and she still hadn't returned. Unfazed, Damien went to the master bedroom.

It was Monday. He finished washing and went downstairs. Rosetta bustled about, preparing a lavish breakfast. Though not particularly hungry, he sat down. Rosetta sighed in relief. The past two days without Autumn had been difficult. Damien, well-mannered, never lashed out at staff, but his presence was intimidating.

“Mr. Caldwell, please take your time,” Rosetta said. Her cooking, while not bad, paled in comparison to Autumn's. Damien already missed Autumn's breakfasts, even after only two days. “Did she call you?”

Rosetta, turning to leave, was startled. “W-What?”

Damien's brow furrowed, frightening Rosetta further. She recovered, answering, “No!”

Damien's frown deepened. “Not even once?”