Slowly, I pulled it out.

Then opened the lid.

The first thing I saw was an ultrasound photograph.

The one she had taken at the hospital.

My fingers paused.

Slowly, I picked it up and stared at the blurry image.

The baby was still small, making it difficult to make out any clear details, yet I found myself unable to look away.

A strange feeling settled in my chest.

My child.

Our child.

A dull ache settled in my chest.

I traced the edge of the photograph with my thumb before carefully placing it aside.

That was when I noticed there were more things inside the box.

A folded document.

A paper bag.

A bracelet.

Several notes.

And a small gift box.

None of them looked valuable.

If anything, they seemed strangely ordinary.

I frowned.

Why would Alicia keep things like these?

Curiosity got the better of me.

I reached for the folded document first.

It turned out to be a copy of her final high school results.

Distinctions.

Every single subject.

I wasn’t surprised.

Alicia had always been intelligent.

Even back then, everyone knew she excelled academically.

What confused me was why she would keep this here after so many years.

Then I noticed a handwritten note attached at the bottom.

"I finally did it. I got the distinctions just like him."

My brows knitted together.

Him?

Who was she talking about?

I turned the paper over, searching for more clues.

There was nothing.

Just that single sentence.

For some reason, I couldn’t stop staring at it.

Whoever this person was, they must have been important enough for Alicia to preserve this memory all these years.

I slowly set it aside and picked up the next item.

A paper bag.

It looked old but had been preserved carefully.

I unfolded it.

"Delight Bakery."

I frowned.

Why would Alicia keep a bakery paper bag?

Then I noticed another note.

"He got me cookies. It’s the first time he got me something, and it was so thoughtful..."

I stared at the sentence.

Again.

The same person.

The same "he."

Who was he?

And why would Alicia keep a paper bag because of him?

I couldn’t understand it.

The bag itself held no value.

Yet she had kept it safe for years.

Almost as if it was precious.

A strange feeling settled in my chest.

I set it aside and reached for the bracelet.

The moment I saw it, I froze.

I knew this bracelet.

A blue and gold bracelet.

After our wedding, Nana had handed it to me and insisted I give it to Alicia.

At the time, I didn’t want to.

I thought it should belong to Lilian.

But Nana had refused to listen.

In the end, I gave it to Alicia.

I remembered thinking she didn’t deserve it.

My grip tightened unconsciously.

Then my eyes fell on the note attached to it.

"His first gift to me after our wedding."

The room suddenly became quiet.

My gaze shifted between the bracelet and the note.

A strange thought crossed my mind.

Then another.

And another.

The bakery bag.

The school results.

The bracelet.

Could it be...

No.

That didn’t make sense.

I frowned deeply.

Back then, Alicia and I barely interacted.

We rarely spoke unless it was necessary.

So why would she keep these things?

Why would she treasure them?

I looked at the bakery bag again.

Then suddenly, a memory surfaced.

Cookies.

The day I bought cookies for Lilian.

I had ended up giving them to Alicia instead.

My eyes widened slightly.

I looked back at the note.

Then at the bracelet.

Then at the school results.

A strange feeling began spreading through my chest.

Confusion.

Shock.

Disbelief.

What exactly was I missing?

My gaze slowly drifted to the final item in the box.

A small gift box.

My fingers hesitated before opening it.

Then I froze. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Inside was a pregnancy test strip.

Two faint red lines.

For a moment, I couldn’t move.

I simply stared at it.

Then realization struck.

This must have been from months ago.

The night she waited for me.

The night I returned from my business trip.

The night I found her asleep on the couch.

I remembered it clearly.

Lilian had just returned to the city.

Everyone wanted to celebrate.

I chose to accompany them.

I came home late.

Far too late.

Back then, I never wondered why Alicia had fallen asleep on the couch, because she often sat there to wait for me.

I never suspected there was another reason for that night.

I never cared enough to find out.

My hand trembled as I held the test strip.

Was she planning to tell me that night?

Was she waiting for me to come home so she could share the news?

I closed my eyes.

The very next day, I handed her the divorce agreement.

A bitter laugh escaped my lips.

What have I done?

I slowly lowered my head.

The box rested on my lap.

The pregnancy test in my hand.

The ultrasound beside me.

The bracelet.

The bakery bag.

The school results.

None of it made complete sense yet.

But one thing was becoming painfully clear.

Somewhere along the way, I had missed countless things about Alicia.

Things she never said.

Things I never noticed.

Things that had obviously meant the world to her.

And now she was gone.

Gone before I could even understand them.

Third Person POV

Alexander sat alone, drowning in grief.

He had come here searching for answers, but instead, all he found was confusion—layer upon layer of it. The closet that once felt ordinary now felt suffocating, as though the walls themselves were closing in on him.

He sat on the floor in silence, his mind completely blurred.

The next morning, he woke with a dull ache in his neck.

He had fallen asleep leaning against the cabinets in the walk-in closet. His head throbbed heavily, and the harsh morning sunlight only made it worse. For a moment, he remained still, waiting for his eyes to adjust.

Then slowly, he pushed himself up and stood.

He moved into the bathroom, took a quick shower, and changed into fresh clothes.

Just as he stepped out, a knock came at the door.

"Sir, are you awake?" Maria’s voice called.

"Yes," he replied.

"Your breakfast is ready. I noticed you didn’t have dinner last night."

"I’m coming."

Maria had been the only one trying to keep things together in her own quiet way. Over the past few days, she had done everything she could to make life at least slightly bearable for him—even though there was very little she could actually fix.

Alexander descended the stairs and reached the dining table.

A small variety of food had been prepared, more than enough for one person.

He sat down.

Maria served him silently, watching him carefully. He barely ate these days, and it worried her more than she knew how to express.

"You don’t look very well, sir," she said gently. "You should take care of yourself."

"I’m fine, Maria. You don’t have to worry," he replied without looking up.

"Alright... just finish your meal."

She hesitated for a moment, then noticed him press his fingers against his temple.

Her brows furrowed immediately.

"Sir... do you have a headache? Should I get you painkillers?"

"No, it’s okay. I just need rest," he said quietly.

Maria didn’t argue this time. Instead, she walked away and returned moments later with painkillers, placing them beside his plate.

"Take this when you’re done," she said firmly.

Alexander glanced at the tablets, then gave a small nod.

He knew better than to argue with her tone.

She turned to leave while his eyes drifted to the empty chair across from him...