What Separates Me and You

Lewis had just sat at the dining table when he received the text.

After instructing the helpers to lay out the table, Nancy smiled as she served Lewis some food. "Eat up, Lewis. You've lost so much weight recently." That remark wasn't part of her pleasantry. Lewis had indeed lost a few pounds, his clothes evidently looking larger on him now.

Lewis glanced at his phone and abruptly rose. "Something came up. I'll get going."

Nancy's hands froze mid-air. Standing up, she hurriedly put down her cutlery and asked, "Is it something urgent? Can't you leave after the meal?"

"I'll join you next time." At that, he grabbed his coat on the chair and strode out of the house.

"Lewis!" Nancy looked frantic, but he never looked back once though she kept calling him.

When he was finally out of her line of sight, Nancy swept all the dishes onto the floor in wrath, sending everything on the table crashing to the floor and shattering into pieces. Even so, Lewis didn't return to her.

Indeed, the crack in their relationship had grown immensely, so much so that it was hard for them to keep up a peaceful façade.

Nancy flopped back into her chair and wept uncontrollably into her hands.

Meanwhile, Josephine was in the car, looking out the window. She wanted to remember the roads they passed, but the heavy rain obscured her line of sight.

Looking down at her phone, she realized Lewis hadn't replied.

She shifted her gaze to Quintin, whose eyes were focused on the road.

She bit her lip, feeling the urge to cry as fear built up within. Tears welled up in her eyes.

It wasn't long before Quintin stopped the car. After approximately 40 minutes, he drove into a high-end residential area and parked in the parking lot.

Getting out, he smiled as he said, "Come on down. You're soaked. Come with me to get a change of clothes, or you'll fall sick."

Josephine didn't budge from her seat.

After a pause, Quintin clutched the car door and looked at her, baffled. "Josephine, what's wrong?"

Under the dim light, he saw the tears in her eyes and grew bewildered. "D-Don't cry. I'm not going to do anything to you. Although we're legally married, I won't make you do things you're reluctant to." Her tears fell at his words.

Why on earth did he keep insisting that they were legally married?

Josephine turned her misty eyes that were full of resentment toward him. The man was startled. "W-Why are you looking at me like this?"

Josephine signed, "Who are you?"

Quintin was stunned once again. Scrutinizing her expression, he searched for signs of jest only to realize she wasn't joking. Did she really not recognize him anymore? "Josephine, are you playing a trick on me? Have you really forgotten who I am?"

Doubts budded within Josephine when she sensed the urgency in his voice.

She raised a hand to wipe away her tears. Then, she looked carefully at Quintin. Nevertheless, she couldn't find him anywhere in her memories.

Suddenly, Josephine thought of Seth and what he said in the cemetery. She didn't recognize Seth back then, and neither could she remember Mrs. Larson when she returned.

Thinking back, she had met so many strangers recently who apparently knew her.

Josephine's eyes flashed. Her sobbing gradually ceased, and she couldn't help but size up Quintin again.

Quintin reached out and held her wrist. "Oh, well. I don't care whether or not you're faking memory loss, but you have to come up with me now to get a fresh change of clothes. I'll be cursed if you get sick from this."

Josephine was still in a state of confusion. She followed Quintin like a puppet as he pulled her along.

She only snapped to her senses after they entered the elevator, went upstairs, and into the room.

Seth had already brought her a set of clothes. "Here. I coincidentally saw these when I went out a few days ago. I thought they suited you, so I bought them. Go on and change into them; they're clean." Josephine accepted the clothes and placed them on the sofa. Then, she took off her coat, sweater, and thermal shirt.

Quintin had just fetched himself some water and taken a sip when he looked back and saw Josephine almost completely undressed. He spluttered and choked.

He covered his mouth and hacked his lungs out.

Josephine instinctively looked up, puzzled.

"Y-You..."Quintin looked at her strangely and continued, "Have you always been so unwary?"

Josephine heard him and, holding the hems of her trousers, was unsure if she should continue undressing.

Holding his forehead, Quintin resisted the urge to look at her and went to the kitchen. "I'll get you some ginger tea."

Josephine continued changing after he went to the kitchen. She doffed her wet clothes and put on the ones Quintin gave her.

They fitted nicely, confirming her suspicions that she and Quintin knew each other.

She brought her soaked clothes to the bathroom and went to the kitchen.

Still in his wet sweater, Quintin was preparing ginger tea for Josephine.

He heard footsteps and turned to look at her. He smiled with satisfaction when he noticed the clothes fit her perfectly. "I was right. You look fabulous in these."

Josephine looked down at herself. Her clothes matched Quintin's a white sweater and a pair of white culottes. Weren't these ordinary everyday clothes?

Quintin turned off the stove and poured her a cup of tea. The cup was burning hot. He held his earlobes as he said, "Nope. It's too hot. Let it sit for a while." As he spoke, he put on a mitten and brought the cup to the living room.

Josephine followed him. She was full of questions, but he hadn't stopped moving about since just now.

After placing the cup on the table, Quintin went to his room and changed his clothes. He returned to Josephine with a smile.

She pressed her lips tightly. She was still slightly inimical toward Quintin.

"Don't just stand there. Take a seat." Quintin beckoned, after which only Josephine sat at the dining table.

Josephine signed, "Do you know me?"

Quintin's smile turned stiff. He stared silently at her for several moments, his expression turning sullen. "Do you not remember me?" Quintin asked back.

She shook her head, looking at him like he was a total stranger.

"What happened to you? Have you lost your memory?"

Josephine signed, "I don't know. I don't recognize you."

Quintin scratched his head, baffled. "How could you have forgotten about me all of a sudden? Did Lewis do something to you?"

Josephine sprung up from her seat and glared at him.

Quintin paused. "What is it?"

She signed indignantly, "You're not allowed to speak ill of him."

His eyes widened as he stared at her in shock. He couldn't imagine what would've triggered such an enormous change in her during their few weeks apart.

Then, he recalled how she changed her clothes right before him without feeling the need to do it in private. Finally, he sensed something off. "Josephine, you—" He was about to say something when the doorbell rang.

Quintin swallowed his remaining words.

No one could've known about this residence of his. Who could be ringing the doorbell at this hour? Quintin ignored the doorbell, but it rang again when he was about to continue his previous question. Huffily, he stood and went to the door. "Who's at the door at this hour?"