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I accidentally dropped my keys onto the wooden floor. The metal made a sharp, clinking noise.

That warm, perfect scene instantly shattered. My son frantically tried to cover the cut-up family photo on the table. Liam’s smile vanished, and he immediately returned to his usual cold, distant, and annoyed demeanor.

I understood they were waiting for me to get angry. In the past, I had cried and made a fuss countless times because of Sarah’s constant, boundary-crossing presence in our home. But honestly, I felt absolutely nothing. There was nothing left in my heart to be sad about.

I averted my gaze and calmly walked past them, not bothering to say a word. I poured a glass of water in the kitchen and drank it as if nothing had happened.

Liam was stunned for a moment. He walked into the kitchen, his brow furrowed. “Are you hungry? I can make you a bowl of noodles,” he offered awkwardly.

If it were before, if he had just been willing to compromise a little, I would definitely have seized the opportunity and thanked him. Because, in truth, I had been longing to eat a meal cooked by him for years. But I understood his true intentions now. Those outward words of concern were actually just a way to change the subject, afraid I would turn around and yell at Sarah.

“I’m not hungry,” I replied casually. “I just drank enough water.”

In the living room, Sarah didn’t understand the tension. Her voice was full of fake innocence as she stood up. “Liam, it’s getting late. I should probably go look for a hotel.”

My son immediately rushed over, hugging her legs tightly, crying loudly. “No! Mom, you’re so mean! You just came back and chased Auntie Sarah away! You should be kicked out of the house! I want Auntie to stay here!”

A lump formed in my chest, a mixture of sharp pain and difficulty breathing. The child I had almost died giving birth to treated me like a parasite.

Liam held his car keys, his dark eyes lingering on Sarah, clearly reluctant to let her leave out into the cold night.

See? I thought to myself. I am the superfluous, unwanted person in this house.

I took a deep breath, forcing out a faint, genuine smile. “Sarah, you can stay. You can even keep staying in my room.”

Sarah was stunned. Even Liam, usually so calm and unreadable, showed a fleeting look of deep surprise in his eyes. Only my son jumped for joy. “Really?! That’s great!”

Liam’s eyes flickered for a moment. He looked at me closely, finally realizing that my energy was completely different. I wasn’t fighting anymore.

“It’s alright,” I smiled calmly at him. “I just got a new job. I won’t be staying in this house anymore.”

Chapter 3: The Departure

The next morning, Liam went to the military base. Sarah took my son to the park. The house was completely empty.

I didn’t pack any bags. I didn’t take any clothes. Where I was going, I wouldn’t need them. I just changed into a simple, clean outfit, neatly combed my hair, and looked at myself in the hallway mirror. If I had to leave this life behind, I should leave looking my best.

Before I left, I walked into the kitchen. I placed two things on the dining room table.

One was a divorce petition, already signed by me.

The second was a large, sealed packet of traditional herbal medicine. Liam’s father, General Hayes, suffered from severe chest pains from an old war injury. For years, I was the only one who researched and sourced the rare herbs to ease his pain. Father Hayes was the only person in this family who ever truly cared for me. I left the detailed prescription on the table so Liam could continue making it for his father.

I took one last look at the house. I walked out the front door and closed it softly behind me.

A sleek, black government vehicle silently stopped in front of the gate. The project director stepped out, opening the back door for me.

“Comrade Hazel,” the director said, his voice filled with profound respect. “Your new codename is Red Falcon. Welcome to the Orion Directive. From now on, you are one of us.”

The moment I stepped into the car, a completely different world separated me from the life I once knew. The car drove for a long time, disappearing into the tranquil, classified mountains where the city lights no longer shone.

From now on, there was no one named Hazel in this world.

Chapter 4: The Ghost in the System

When Liam and my son returned to the house that evening, it was dark and freezing.

“Mom!” Leo whined, dropping his backpack. “I’m hungry! I want dinner!”

Liam walked into the kitchen, annoyed. But the stove was cold. There was no hot meal waiting. Instead, he saw the signed divorce papers and the packet of medicine sitting on the table.

Liam frowned slightly, a vague, dark premonition creeping into his heart. He reached out and gently touched the kitchen counter. There was a thin layer of dust. Clearly, no one had been home all day.

A vague, thick fear began to envelop him. He suddenly remembered something. He had promised to take me to the movies today, but he had forgotten because Sarah wanted to go to the park. Could that be why I was angry and left?

Liam muttered to himself and began to search the entire house. From the guest bedroom to the storage room, he searched everywhere but couldn’t find any trace of me. My clothes were still in the closet. My toothbrush was still in the bathroom.

He pulled out his phone and frantically called my number.

The number you have dialed is no longer in service.

One day passed. Then two days. At first, Liam tried to maintain his calm, arrogant demeanor, assuming I was just throwing a childish tantrum at a hotel. But by the fourth day, genuine, suffocating panic set in.

The military base kept calling, urging him to return to his elite unit. But Liam refused. He would rather violate strict military discipline than leave the city. He needed to find me.

Finally, Liam rushed to the city police station, his handsome face pale and exhausted.

“I need to report a missing person,” Liam frantically told the detective at the desk. “I suspect my wife has been kidnapped.”

The detective opened his computer. “What is your wife’s name, sir? How old is she? What is her ID number?”

“Hazel,” Liam said quickly. “Her name is Hazel. She’s twenty-eight.”

The police officer typed the name into the national database. He frowned, clicking his mouse a few times. He looked up at Liam, his eyes full of suspicion.

“Sir, are you feeling well?” the officer asked slowly. “There is absolutely no one named Hazel in the national system.”

Liam slammed his heavy fist on the table, his voice hoarse. “Look again! My name is Captain Liam! We have been married for seven years! She is my wife!”

The police officer shook his head and sighed, turning the monitor around so Liam could see.

“Captain, your official marital status is listed as ‘Single.’ There is no marriage certificate on file. And no citizen named Hazel exists in this country.”

The atmosphere in the room immediately became thick and terrifying. Liam stood completely frozen, his once strong, muscular legs feeling like jelly.

Could it be that his entire life was a hallucination? He had a son. His son was real. Yet his marriage had suddenly vanished like a dream. It was as if the woman who gave him a kidney, the woman who cooked his meals and loved him unconditionally, had never existed at all.

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