Chapter 1

I could see the countdown on other people's lies.

When someone told the truth, there was nothing above their head. Only lies made a countdown appear.

When I was a child, my father once said, "I'm just working late." The countdown had only two hours left. Two hours later, I saw him outside a downtown hotel with another woman.

My mother said, "We're not getting divorced." That countdown lasted seven days. Then they divorced.

After that, I stopped believing in promises.

Every time I dated someone, I could see exactly how long their promises would last. I was never blindsided by a breakup.

Then I met Adrian Whitmore.

When he told me, "You're the only person I'll ever be responsible for," there was no countdown above his head.

For the first time, I thought I could finally stop being on guard.

But on our seventh wedding anniversary, he told me, "Chloe is just my secretary. There's nothing between us outside of work."

Words slowly appeared above his head.

【COUNTDOWN: 48 MINUTES】

That was when I knew our marriage had begun to rot.

...

By the time I reached the branch office, thirty-seven minutes remained on his lie.

The receptionist smiled as soon as she saw me. "Mrs. Whitmore, are you here to see Mr. Whitmore?"

"He's on the sixteenth floor?"

"In the conference room."

I pushed open the half-closed door.

Chloe was holding a stack of materials for her permanent employment review.

"Mr. Whitmore," she asked quietly, "do you think I'll get to stay?"

"Finish revising the materials first. Don't scare yourself before anything's been decided," Adrian said gently.

At the sound of the door, Chloe looked up and immediately stood.

"Ava, you don't look well. Mr. Whitmore said you have stomach problems. Why did you come all the way to the office?"

I looked at Adrian.

His expression stiffened slightly. "It came up in conversation once."

Words appeared above his head.

【COUNTDOWN: 21 MINUTES】

I didn't ask anything else.

In twenty-one minutes, his version of "it came up in conversation" would become something else.

I vaguely remembered something he'd told me before we got married.

"I don't like bringing my personal life into the office. Especially not by chatting about it with female coworkers."

I glanced at the documents in Chloe's hands.

"Why are you personally revising her application for permanent employment?"

Adrian set down his pen. "Her father used to be my mentor."

"So?"

He opened the file, his tone calm again.

"Before Mr. Bennett died, he asked me to look after her for a while."

"How far does 'look after her' go?"

"Until she completes the employment review process."

There was no countdown.

That really was all he'd promised.

Adrian lowered his head and continued revising the documents. I sat across from him and waited for almost half an hour.

He never volunteered an explanation.

I'd come here planning to tell him that after two years of hard work, I'd finally been offered the position at headquarters.

But when the words reached my lips, I swallowed them.

Chloe's phone rang.

She answered, and the color slowly drained from her face.

"I know, but I'm scared to go get it alone."

She hung up and turned to Adrian.

"Mom wants me to pick up the file Dad left behind today."

Adrian checked the time. "I'll go with you."

I asked, "Why do you need to go?"

"To see Mrs. Bennett and get the file."

"Are you coming home tonight?"

Adrian picked up his car keys. "Of course."

Another line appeared above him.

【COUNTDOWN: 2 HOURS】

There were only five minutes left before the forty-eight-minute countdown reached zero.

Chloe put away her phone, picked up her bag, and headed for the door.

"Mr. Whitmore, my mom wants me to bring the file home today. You promised you'd come with me."

"Yeah. I remember."

At the door, she turned and looked at me.

"If it's inconvenient, I can go by myself. Your wife doesn't come by often. You should stay with her."

"I'll go with you."

Relief crossed her face before she quickly lowered her head.

"Will that upset your wife?"

"Don't overthink it."

He picked up her bag and opened the door for her.

I watched him walk toward her without hesitation, and suddenly I understood.

Between the two of them, I was the one who didn't belong.

Forty-eight minutes.

Exactly.

Chloe's phone rang again.

Mrs. Bennett's voice came through the receiver.

"Adrian, bring Chloe over. The file her father left is still with you. Don't forget to bring it for her."

The office fell silent.

I looked at Adrian.

He didn't deny it.

He simply picked up Chloe's coat and opened the door for her.

The countdown above his head reached zero and disappeared.

Exactly forty-eight minutes.

I looked at him.

"So this is what you meant when you said there was nothing between you except work?"

Adrian stopped.

"Ava, don't twist what I had with my mentor into something it wasn't!"

There was no countdown above that sentence.

He genuinely believed he had nothing to feel guilty about.

Chloe stood by the door and said softly, "Ava, don't be angry."

Adrian glanced back at her.

"Go downstairs and wait for me."

She obediently left.

I stood there and watched him hurry after her.

He'd promised me he'd come home tonight.

The countdown still had two hours left.

I could have waited for him to come back and listened to his explanation.

But suddenly, I didn't want to wait anymore.

I picked up my bag and went downstairs alone.