Chapter 2

I couldn't believe he would want to send me back in. I didn't want to go back to the psychiatric facility. I couldn't go back to that hellhole!

I shot to my feet and was just about to run after them when Alex seized my arm. I couldn't think straight anymore. Tears blurred my vision, and I couldn't even tell which direction I was facing. "Please," I begged. "I want to go home! I'll go home."

Alex let out a heavy sigh, his brows knitting together. "Alright. I'll take you home."

The scenery outside the car window blurred past. It wasn't until we were on the way back that I finally started to calm down.

Phoebe had returned to the country three years ago. I'd already known about her long before that.

Howard and Phoebe had grown up together. After graduating from college, she went abroad to further her studies, but Howard couldn't follow her because his family business had run into trouble. Hence, he had no choice but to stay and study locally.

I graduated with Howard, worked alongside him, and helped him take over his family business, going through countless struggles together. Things only started looking up for his family's company after I successfully helped secure several major deals with well-known companies.

I had always thought Phoebe was nothing more than a fleeting childhood crush of Howard's—just some silly puppy love that could never compare to the years Howard and I had spent building a life together, side by side, through thick and thin.

But the moment she came back, Howard immediately turned on me.

"Yvette, Pheebs studied abroad and has a stronger background than you. She's more suited for the director role, especially now that our projects are dealing with foreign companies.

"Why don't you stay home and be a full-time housewife? If you really want to work, you could help her as her secretary."

As he said that, he kept gauging my reaction. When he noticed my reluctance, he tried to comfort me.

"I'm just looking out for you. Being a housewife isn't a bad thing, you know; there are so many people who wish they could have a soft life."

I cut him off coldly. "The project with Equinox Trading Co. is something I poured my heart into. I'm not giving it up."

He fell silent and didn't press the matter. But I failed to notice the look in his eyes—the darkness hiding behind his silence.

During the next executive meeting, someone showed up with two medication certificates, claiming I had depression and bipolar disorder and was unfit to keep working. I desperately hoped Howard would come to my defense.

Little did I know that he would turn out to be the final nail in the coffin. "It's okay, Yve. I'll get you the best treatment. I'll arrange for you to stay at the best psychiatric facility. In the meantime, Ms. Larson will take charge of the company's projects."

He was the one who had me sent to that place. His voice still echoed in my mind. "I believe Ms. Larson will bring even more value to the company."

In the end, I was no match for his first love.

…

Alex took me home, but no matter how many times I tried, I couldn't get the password right. In the end, Alex had to unlock it for me.

Everything in the house looked familiar… and yet it all felt foreign. There were a few pieces of clothing scattered on the couch—some were Howard's, but some were clearly Phoebe's.

There were leftovers on the table that the housekeeper hadn't cleaned up yet, along with two sets of used dinnerware. The plates had little cartoon animals—one with a kitten and the other a puppy—facing each other. Even the cutlery was a matching couple's set.

It was obvious that another woman had made herself at home here while I had been gone for the past three years.

I was about to head to the master bedroom when Alex stepped in front of me. He chose his words carefully like he was tiptoeing on glass. "Mrs. Armstrong… Mr. Armstrong said it'd be better for you to stay in the guest room for now.

"Once the housekeeper's done tidying up, you can move into the master bedroom. It'll be more comfortable that way."

I couldn't believe that I had to sleep in the guest room in my own house. It made me wonder who the real lady of this house was.

My face burned with humiliation. This wasn't home anymore. And I never wanted to come back.