The Gallery Waits in Silence

While the system tormented me to the point of collapse, Isaac flirted with his first love.

Days later, on our wedding anniversary, he abandoned me at home for her.

When he returned, he accused me of responding to her provocations.

My heart grew cold, and I found a place to accept the system's erasure.

Isaac lost his mind.

1

I didn't know how much time had passed before I stirred on the floor.

My hand instinctively reached for my stomach.

A week earlier, I had lost my child with Isaac in a miscarriage.

I hadn't had the chance to tell him.

I thought my fainting stemmed from the physical toll of the loss.

Then I saw my phone, a video message waiting.

In the footage, Isaac's gaze drifted somewhere, his mouth open, hesitating without an answer.

I had received this video hours earlier.

The clip began with classmates egging him on, asking if he still had feelings for Ava.

His silence was the answer.

Someone, perhaps recalling Isaac had a wife, stood to brush the question aside.

Isaac, always composed, had been struck speechless.

If I hadn't seen this video, I might have forgotten I was bound to the system's tasks.

My hand slipped, closing the video, revealing text below. "He doesn't love you."

Pointless words.

I walked to the mirror, staring at my bloodless face, my heart gripped tight.

Only if Isaac still loved Ava would the system punish me so harshly.

Ava didn't need to do this.

2

Three years ago, I entered this novel's world.

My arrival was perfectly timed, just after the female lead left the country.

Isaac and Ava had been college sweethearts.

In their final year, during internships, Ava learned of Isaac's family background.

Their love was torn apart, and Ava left for abroad, heartbroken.

I met Isaac at an exhibition by a teacher Jake. Our shared interests brought us close quickly.

Per the plot, we were supposed to end up together.

But I gave him my heart.

One day, Isaac decided our compatibility was love and proposed.

Yet, beyond our shared hobbies, he never cared about what I liked.

We could be a loving couple or strangers sharing a bed.

When Ava returned, he would realize what true love was.

These three years with Isaac made me forget I was just a tool.

The system had warned me that if Isaac loved Ava, I would be erased.

How long did I have?

I lay on the floor, consciousness fading for who knows how long, before I found the strength to stand.

As I did, the door opened. Isaac stepped inside, and a number flashed in my mind.

Seven days.

Only seven days left?

3

When Isaac returned and saw me in the living room, his eyes flickered with unease, quickly masked.

He walked toward me, concern in his gaze. "Sorry, I'm late."

I shook my head.

The smell of alcohol clung to him.

Having just fainted, the scent overwhelmed me, and I frowned.

"Why do you look so pale?" He took my hand, seeming displeased by its coldness.

"My fault for being late. Next time I'm out this late, don't wait up." He shrugged off his suit jacket.

I took it from him. "No, I'm probably just tired."

The thought that I would soon vanish from this world left me melancholic.

"Did you have fun catching up with old classmates?"

"Yeah, I should've brought you along."

"Really?" I thought silently, "Bring me to witness your tenderness toward Ava?

Perhaps because of Ava's presence, Isaac didn't want to say much.

"I'm going to shower." He brushed past me toward the bathroom.

Watching his back, I sensed everything had changed.

No surprise, the female lead's return rendered these three years meaningless.

Mist drifted from the bathroom, making my eyes damp.

Even with only seven days left, I still hoped to make memories with Isaac. "Isaac, Jake's holding another exhibition in three days. Can you come with me?"

Three days from now was our third wedding anniversary.

"Sure."

My mood lifted slightly.

As I went to hang his jacket, something felt off.

From his pocket, I pulled out a lipstick.

Not mine. It could only be Ava's.

I checked my phone. In the minutes since Isaac returned, I had missed another message from Ava. "Surprise in his pocket."

What could I even say to her?

Out of resignation, I typed a reply. "You're too eager."

4

Over the next two days, the system punished me every evening at dinner time.

I guessed boldly that Isaac and Ava were dining together each night.

But I stopped caring.

I just wanted to see the exhibition with Isaac, then find a quiet place to await the system's judgment.

We agreed on three o'clock in the afternoon.

On the day, before heading out, I tied Isaac's tie. "Three o'clock this afternoon, don't forget."

Isaac looked thoughtful. "I'll wrap up work by noon. It's been three years since Jake's last exhibition here. I wouldn't miss it."

I thought to myself, "It's more than that."

But with my erasure looming, there was no need to remind him.

These past few days, Ava's harassment had been relentless.

With so little time left, I didn't want complications.

Yet unease gnawed at me, a premonition of trouble.

Sure enough, Isaac stopped replying to my messages.

At the same time, the system's punishment mode activated at home.

My gut feeling never lied. Isaac had gone to Ava again.

As I collapsed on the floor, gasping in pain, I checked my phone.

True to form, Ava had messaged me again. This time, it was a photo of Isaac's back.

The background suggested a bedroom.

Well, it was hard not to imagine what they might have done.

Sourness filled my heart, inevitable.

But regret outweighed it.

This wretched system punishment kept me from attending the exhibition before my erasure.

Such a shame. Without a proper goodbye, it felt like I had never been in this world.

5

As the sun sank, the pain in my body finally eased.

I knew this meant Isaac was coming home.

In the bathroom, I splashed water on my face and applied lipstick to look less pale.

By the time Isaac arrived, I sat on the sofa, flipping through a fashion magazine.

His steps were quick, carrying a storm of anger.

But shouldn't I have been the angry one?

He snatched the magazine from my hands, his voice low. "Did you go see her?"

Her, of course, meant Ava.

The question was absurd.

I had only responded to her provocations.

"If you mean your first love, sorry, she contacted me first."

My reply seemed to harden Isaac's assumptions.

Disapproval spilled from his eyes. "I know she messaged you first, but did you have to get people to harass her with calls?"

When he spoke of Ava, his tone softened, almost pleading. "If you're upset, take it out on me. She has depression, she wouldn't..."

"You know she messaged me first?" I repeated uncertainly, then laughed.

Ava's tactics were clumsy, but she was clever enough to know Isaac would defend her unconditionally.

In this relationship, I was the fool. "I didn't do it."

My explanation came out stiffly, but thinking of Isaac breaking our plans, I added sharply, "You've been spending so much time with her, you can't even keep your promises to me."

"Did you have someone investigate me?"

I couldn't exactly mention the system, so I didn't argue.

Isaac took a deep breath, veins bulging on the hand gripping the magazine. "You've disappointed me."

He flung the magazine aside and stormed out, slamming the door.

The room fell silent.

I picked the magazine off the floor, my stomach still faintly aching.

"Isaac, you've disappointed me too."

6

After Isaac left, I packed a few personal items.

Four days remained until the task ended, and I couldn't bear to see him again.

Failed task or not, I still had my dignity.

I blocked Isaac on every account.

I went to a small coastal town, to a modest convenience store I owned.

It was discreet enough that no one would think to look for me.

The current employee, Nora, a junior in college, saw me and her eyes filled with concern. "Zoe, why do you look so pale lately?"

Even a casual acquaintance noticed my condition, yet Isaac never did.

The system's punishments had ravaged me.

But Isaac remained blind to my changes.

I shook my head.

The store had a simple break room, usually for Nora when she couldn't return to campus. Now it served me.

In my final days, I walked the coastline by day and did odd jobs at the store by night.

After I left, Isaac and Ava met more frequently.

Sudden pains struck me often.

Nora witnessed me coughing up blood several times but never dared ask why.

Perhaps she feared hearing something grim.

On the last day, I finally opened up to her. "Nora, I'm dying. There's no cure. These days have been happy, and I hope you won't be scared when it happens. I'm telling you because I'm transferring this store to you. If anyone asks about me, say I died of a sudden illness..."

I paused, weighing my words.

A question exploded in my mind. "What were her last words?"

How pathetic. I imagined Isaac asking this.

But he wouldn't, would he?

I forced a smile. "That's all, Nora. I have nothing else to say."

7

I thought erasure meant vanishing completely.

Instead, the system left me floating in the air.

It said I had to experience true heartbreak to complete the task.

Though prepared, Nora collapsed when she saw my lifeless body.

Per my wishes, she handled the arrangements quickly and scattered my ashes into the sea.

Without a body, my soul felt impossibly light.

A powerful force pulled me, and after a moment of disorientation, I found myself beside Isaac.

Four days had passed, and he looked well.

He sat behind his desk, the picture of a stern, polished professional.

His phone rang abruptly. It was his grandmother.

"Hey, Grandma."

"Isaac, don't forget to come home for dinner tomorrow."

"I won't."

"And bring Zoe along."

At the mention of my name, Isaac's fingers, tapping on the desk, froze.

"Sure."

He didn't tell her about our fight.

After hanging up, he opened our chat.

For the first time in a while, I saw messages from him.

"Running away from home?"

"You blocked me?"

"When are you coming back? I'll pick you up."

"You only took a few clothes. I know you don't really want to leave."

Each message was marked with a red exclamation point.

I gave a bitter laugh.

I took so little because I only had days left.

Isaac typed a few more words. "Come home for dinner tomorrow."

When he sent it, another exclamation point appeared.

Irritation flashed across his face. He slammed the phone onto the desk.

Then he covered his face with both hands.

8

He couldn't reach me.

Somehow, Ava learned about the family gathering.

Years ago, their relationship hadn't been approved, but she had met his family.

This time, she asked to visit as an old classmate.

Isaac didn't object.

His grandmother, expecting me with a warm smile, stiffened when she saw Ava.

Her gaze slid past Ava to Isaac. "Where's Zoe?"

"She's busy." Isaac lied smoothly, shifting attention to Ava.

Ava stepped forward, offering a small gift. "I bought this handmade craft for you abroad."

"Thanks, but no need to go to such expense. Keep it for your own grandma." Isaac's grandmother didn't spare Ava's feelings.

Ava's smile faltered. Isaac frowned. "Grandma, it's just a kind gesture."

His grandmother shoved the gift into Isaac's hands. "Then you take it. Come with me."

Isaac followed her to the study. "Grandma, I know you don't like Ava, but we're not together anymore. Can you..."

As he defended Ava, his grandmother cut him off. "Where's Zoe?"

Isaac hesitated. "She couldn't come."

"Couldn't come? Her phone's off-what's going on?"

Isaac's gaze darted aside.

"Is it because of Ava? Did you two fight?"

"No." Isaac paused, then said firmly, "She's upset and left, but don't worry. She'll come back when she calms down."

"What?" His grandmother, already elderly, clutched her chest, breathing heavily.

When Isaac reached to steady her, she summoned her strength and slapped his left cheek.

"How can I not worry when she's gone? You heartless! Your wife's missing, and you're this calm? What kind of cold-blooded man are you?"

9

Isaac finally started looking for me.

That day, his left cheek still red, he didn't stay for dinner.

Ava, after dropping off her gift, left quickly, barely warming a seat.

Watching Isaac's dejected figure, I found it both amusing and heartbreaking.

Three years as husband and wife, and he only searched for me under pressure.

His people tracked me down quickly.

After getting the report, he calmly finished his work before driving to find me.

In the car, his face was dark, fingers clenched, as if bottling up his emotions.

I thought if he saw me, he'd scold me thoroughly.

Good thing I was already erased.

The drive to the coastal town took two hours.

When they reached the convenience store, Nora was about to close up.

Seeing the group, she paused, then guessed their purpose. "Looking for Zoe?"

Isaac's lips tightened impatiently. He sighed. "Tell her to come out."

Confirming his intent, Nora's cautious demeanor flipped entirely.

Perhaps she had seen my despair and pieced together what I'd been through.

She sized Isaac up with hostility. "Sorry, Zoe can't come out."

"I don't want to argue with a woman. Just get her."

How disgusting, picking on a young girl. I fumed nearby, but Nora didn't back down.

She crossed her arms. "You really want to see Zoe?"

Isaac stayed silent.

"She's not here."

His expression hardened. "Then where?"

Nora stepped outside. The store sat by the sea, the salty breeze sharp at the door.

She pointed toward the ocean. "Her ashes are in the sea. Go find them yourself."

Isaac had just turned to look where she pointed when her words hit. His face crumpled, utterly unprepared.