All Chapters of The Quiet End of Us: Chapter 21 - Chapter 25

Henley held the ring tightly to his chest as if still holding onto Joanna.The spring breeze finally warmed his frozen body, and long-suppressed emotions began to resurface.When he finally returned home, he leaned against the wall and broke down in tears. It had been too long—far too long.He had thought he would never find it again, but the universe had shown him mercy, giving him hope once more.The ring was mostly intact, though a small section had corroded, losing its original luster.Following an online tutorial, Henley painstakingly repaired the ring. His right hand, now a lifeless appendage, was useless, so he had to practice using his left.The flame from the alcohol lamp often singed his fingers as he struggled to control the direction. No matter how much it hurt, though, he gripped the ring tightly, refusing to lose it again.-After half a month of work, the ring was restored to its former glory.For the first time in a long while, Henley put on clean clothes and l

The video continued to play on the screen.Joanna's face remained calm as she gazed into the camera, as though she could peer through time and space to look into Henley's eyes."I know you cheated on me when I was at my weakest," she said."At first, I couldn't understand why you would do that. But eventually, I figured it out."Because you're hypocritical, cowardly, selfish, and cold-hearted, just like your violent, woman-beating father. You're one of the most unforgivable bastards in this world," she spat.Every word seemed to drain Joanna's remaining strength.After speaking, she started coughing violently, her palms soon covered in blood.Henley couldn't stop trembling.Why had he cheated? Maybe it started with Addison's deliberate seduction and provocation, but gradually, he became immersed, unable to extricate himself.It was because he could never fully forget that dark, horrific night—the bloodstained walls and the screams of a woman.Those memories were like curses,

Henley instinctively dodged, but the knife left a cut on his left shoulder.Blood poured from the wound, but his right arm was completely immobile. He could only press against the wall to try to stem the bleeding.Seeing that she had failed to kill him, Sophie raised the knife and charged again.Despite using all her strength, she was elderly and exhausted from two days without food. She had already spent all her energy smashing the window moments earlier.After Henley delivered a hard kick, she fell heavily to the floor, and the knife flew several meters away.Henley seized the opportunity to struggle and try to escape. But after only a few steps, Sophie grabbed his neck from behind."You killed my daughter! Give me back my daughter's life!" she screamed, her arms trembling with rage, her face twisted in fury.Henley fought desperately, finally prying her wrist free just before he lost consciousness from lack of air. But as he tried to move forward, he suddenly felt something t