Chapter 2

When Isabel and Samuel arrived at the Shore residence, he hurried in ahead of her, looking anxious as he made a beeline for Winona's room upstairs.

Isabel felt like her legs were weighed down with lead as she stared at his back. Each step she took was heavy and stiff. Even on the journey there, she'd noticed the concern and anxiety hidden in his grim gaze.

Those feelings weren't because he felt guilty or nervous. She knew because she'd seen the exact look on his face when she'd been admitted to the ER over her period cramps. He was her husband, yet he was concerned for another woman without caring about how she would feel.

Everyone was in Winona's room. Isabel stopped at the door and looked in, greeted by a scene that dealt her a fatal blow.

Winona curled up in Samuel's arms like a broken doll and wept as he patiently stroked her back to soothe her. It was an action that, back in the day, he'd only done to Isabel. Everyone else watched them, seemingly not thinking there was anything wrong with it.

Just then, a tall figure appeared before Isabel. "Come with me."

Cameron grabbed her wrist and pulled her to the study. Once the door was shut, he said, "The doctor said that Winnie's depression has relapsed."

Isabel looked at him indifferently. "The cause?"

"Samuel."

She curled her lip at that. She knew better than anyone whether Winona was actually depressed again. "Samuel and I just registered our marriage today, Cam."

Cameron looked grim. "That's exactly what provoked her. You saw it earlier—Winnie is dependent on Samuel now."

Isabel stared at him, feeling like he was a stranger despite him having doted on her for over two decades. Her eyes reddened, and she asked mockingly, "So, you're saying you want me to give Samuel up?"

"That's not what I mean."

"What do you mean, then?" she cut in coldly. Then, she feigned understanding. "Oh, I know now. You mean that I should generously hand my husband over whenever Winona needs him. I'm the one who made her end up like this, so I have a responsibility to bear, right?"

Cameron grabbed her by the shoulders and said patiently, "Izzy, Winnie is emotionally unstable right now. The doctor said she has suicidal tendencies, and what happened tonight may happen again countless times. Can you bear to make Mom and Dad live with the agony of losing their daughter again?"

He was using those words to guilt-trip her again. She hadn't done anything wrong, so why did they keep forcing her to bear a guilt and burden that wasn't hers?

She'd made a mistake. She shouldn't have softened and caved when making up her mind a second time to leave the Shore family.

Isabel shook Cameron off. "It doesn't matter what I say. You should ask Samuel for his opinion."

His eyes lit up, and his gaze turned affectionate. "As long as you're okay with it, I'll convince Samuel to say yes."

At that moment, the study door flew open. Samuel burst in, looking furious. "I won't do it!"

His objection took Isabel aback.

He strode over to her and snapped, "I'm your husband, Isabel! How can you want to push me to someone else?"

Isabel stared at him blankly for a moment, evidently confused by why he was berating her so matter-of-factly. Wasn't he the one who'd been in such a hurry to gather Winona in his arms and console her?

Before she could say anything, Samuel held her hands tightly and turned to Cameron. He growled, "I treat you like my brother because that's how Izzy thinks of you, but please do not pressure my wife with Winona's condition! Besides, don't you think you're being immoral now?

"Izzy and I just got married today, yet you're already pushing your own sister to me. I've never met a brother who's so eager to make his sister a homewrecker!"

Cameron's expression turned steely. "Watch your mouth, Samuel!"

Samuel's eyes flashed. "I'll do that once you show my wife some respect. It's late, so I should take her home to rest. Goodbye."

After making his stance clear, he took Isabel away, leaving Winona to scream and break down in her room.

Once Isabel settled into the front passenger seat, Samuel buckled her in and gently caressed her face. "Don't be scared. I'm here."

His tone was sincere, and it made her feel safe and secure. He was as protective of her as always; it was as if nothing had changed. For a second, Isabel was confused. She couldn't put the Samuel before her and the Samuel she'd seen on her laptop together.

Amid her turmoil, Samuel suddenly pulled over and turned to her. "Babe, I have to come clean about something."

Isabel's heart sank. She feigned composure as she asked, "What is it?"

"I'm sorry I lied about this, but the call I got earlier was from Winona. She confessed her feelings to me ages ago, but I made sure my rejection was clear each time. Earlier, she threatened to commit suicide if I didn't agree to be with her. I thought she was just saying that—I didn't expect her to be serious," he said, looking guilty.

"I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to be affected by her. I thought she'd give up now that we're married, but…" he trailed off. Then, he wrapped his arms around her and pressed his face to her neck. "She slashed her wrists this time. Who knows what she'll do next? This will seriously affect our lives."

Isabel returned his hug as she calmed down. Just moments ago, she'd been wrestling with her thoughts. But now, she settled on an answer.

Winona was the one who'd gone to extremes to seduce Samuel—she just wanted to see Isabel break down in despair. Samuel hadn't changed at all, and she shouldn't have walked right into Winona's trap.

She would forgive him this once and act like nothing had happened. With that thought in mind, she said, "It's true that Winona has depression, though."

"Let's leave for our honeymoon tomorrow, then. We'll have fun for a few months or so before returning. That should be enough to make her give up and get her depression under control. What do you think?" Samuel asked.

Isabel thought about it. That seemed like a good idea. "Alright. We'll do just that."

…

Later, in the wee hours of the night, Isabel was woken up by the buzzing of her phone. Cameron was calling her. She was about to leave the room to answer the call when she suddenly realized Samuel wasn't in bed with her. She felt his side of the bed to find it cold as ice.

Confused, she decided to answer the phone first. Before she could say anything, Cameron's voice rang out coldly. "Do you know where Samuel is right now?"

That made Isabel's heart race. She immediately left the bedroom to check the foyer. Sure enough, Samuel's shoes were missing.

Cameron laughed mockingly on the other end of the line. "He's lying on Winnie's bed now and holding her while she sleeps, just as he'd do with you. Remember how he snapped at me earlier? He said I was pushing my own sister to be a homewrecker. This is the man you insisted on marrying, Izzy. Are you sure you know him that well?"

Isabel stood there, as still as a statue. She felt like her blood had frozen in her veins.

Cameron's words were like a slap to her face. Samuel had tucked her in and lulled her to sleep before running off to comfort Winona. She'd already chosen to forgive him, yet he'd…

"Do you know how he comforted Winnie?" Cameron was relentless in his bid to make Isabel see Samuel's true colors. "He told her he loved her the most and that he would treat her like a princess for the rest of her life. She asked him to divorce you to be with her, and he hesitated.

"I'm not saying all of this to split you guys up, Izzy. I'm saying this because it's a fact that he's not fully committed to you!"