Third person's POV
Derek had no way of knowing how long Tabitha cried silently after that sentence.
At the cozy candlelit dinner, Derek lit the birthday candles for Kyrian.
Tabitha sang the birthday song with him. And Kyrian, with hands clasped, made a wish with utmost seriousness.
"What did you wish for?" Tabitha asked softly.
Kyrian smiled sweetly, "If I tell you, it won't come true."
His wish was for his mother to get better soon and for his parents to always be by his side.
The candlelight flickered gently in the breeze. And Derek, gazing at Tabitha's tender face, wished in his heart that this moment could last forever.
Kyrian laughed so joyfully, reminding Derek of his own third birthday when he had silently vowed never to let his son follow in his footsteps. He would give everything to love Tabitha and Kyrian.
Tabitha's smile tonight was particularly radiant as she indulged Kyrian's playfulness and laughed with him.
Moreover, she unusually shared a bed with Derek tonight, with Kyrian sleeping between them.
Tabitha suddenly said, "If that child were still alive, would it be just like now?"
Derek wanted to explain. But Tabitha didn't believe that Kyrian was her child at all.
"Tabitha..."
"These past few days, I've been very happy, as if there were no conflicts between us. Actually, it's good that the child is not here. Or he might suffer in this world because of me."
Tonight, Tabitha spoke a lot, and Derek was mostly listening.
Her speech was slow. But Derek felt an inexplicable panic. A fear of losing Tabitha lingered in his heart.
It wasn't until the deep of night when Kyrian had long fallen asleep, that Tabitha kissed his little face.
Kyrian snuggled into her arms, mumbling, "Mommy."
She gently caressed Kyrian's face. Her gaze was a bit dizzy, seemingly lost in thought.
Derek, filled with unease, didn't fall asleep until the second half of the night. However, Tabitha stayed awake all night. Her mind was racing with countless images from her life.
Her first half of life had its brilliant moments and tragic experiences.
Finally, as dawn approached, she gently released her hold on Kyrian.
At that moment, Derek had just fallen asleep and was in the deepest slumber.
Tabitha carefully got out of bed and put on her shoes.
This time, there was no trace of reluctance, no looking back.
Having made her decision from the start, she would not turn back. She decided to bid farewell to the self that always hesitated.
Over the past few days, she had familiarized herself with the layout, and now she slowly slid down the exhaust pipe next to the terrace.
Her disguise had been impeccable. To others, she struggled even to walk. But little did they know it was all a deliberate act only for Derek.
She took off her shoes and placed them on a reef. She then removed the wedding ring from her finger.
Despite being plagued by a severe illness, at this moment, she felt a long-lost sense of freedom and joy, free from any entanglements and constraints.
Tabitha was like a bird that had finally broken free from its cage, or a butterfly that had emerged from its cocoon.
Tabitha walked step by step toward the ocean.
Derek had only slept for three hours when he suddenly woke up. In one glance, Kyrian was still in his arms, but Tabitha was nowhere to be found.
Looking around, the bathroom was empty.
Derek immediately got out of bed and rushed around, calling out, "Tabitha, Tabitha, where are you?"
He searched every corner of the villa but found no trace of her. Rolf also said he hadn't seen Tabitha leave.
"Alpha Derek, don't worry. Tabitha is so weak. She couldn't have run away. Unless..."
Everyone thought of the terrible possibility. Considering what she said last night unless she chose suicide.
Derek didn't stop for a moment and rushed towards the terrace. Looking down, he saw only cliffs and no figures.
Rolf also thought it was impossible. If Tabitha jumped from here, she would land on the rocks below. If she wanted to go to the beach, she would have to go down. But how could her frail body manage that?
Derek had already climbed over, driven by a strong sense of foreboding.
The words Tabitha spoke last night seemed like a final summation of her life.
The sea wind howled in his face as he raced towards the coastline, nearly stumbling several times.
When he arrived at the beach in a state of desperation, Derek saw only a pair of white shoes and a letter on the rock. A wedding ring on the envelope was shining dazzlingly in the sunlight.