Chapter 2

As Elias blew gently on Jacqueline's hand, he murmured, "Blow, blow—make Mommy's pain go away."

Mom and Dad stood nearby, fussing over her.

With all of them gathered around Jacqueline, I felt more like an outsider than a member of the family.

"It's nothing. I just nicked myself," Jacqueline said softly. "Why are you all making such a fuss? Chloe's only just come home. You should be taking care of her instead."

She looked around the room with a weak little smile. When her eyes met mine, though, there was a flash of triumph in them.

My heart sank.

Only then did they seem to remember I was there.

"Chloe, why don't you go rest for now?" Cole suggested, flashing me an awkward smile. "I'll explain everything tonight."

"Rest where?" I pointed at the master bedroom, my expression cold. "Isn't this my room?"

No one said a word.

"Chloe, just wait a moment," Cole finally said after a long pause. "I'll have Jeremy prepare a guest room for you."

"A guest room?" I stared at him. "In my own home?"

"I can take the guest room," Jacqueline offered.

Cole was about to agree when she placed a hand over her stomach and murmured, almost to herself, "But the doctor said pregnant women need plenty of sunlight. It's good for the baby. I wonder whether the guest room gets enough sun."

The room fell silent.

"Mommy, am I going to have a baby brother or sister?" Elias broke the silence first.

I almost answered him, but then I realized he wasn't talking to me.

'You'll help Mommy take care of the baby, won't you?" Jacqueline nodded, blushing.

"Yes! I'll be the best big brother ever!"

My face grew paler with every word.

"Watch what you say." Cole frowned, only seeming to realize what was happening. "Chloe's still here."

It sounded like a reprimand, but it was impossible to miss how protective he was of Jacqueline.

Mom was the first to object. "What's your problem? Didn't you hear that Jackie's pregnant? If anyone should move out, it's me. Chloe can have my room instead."

It was the first time Mom talked about me like that.

In the past, she and Dad could barely bring themselves to scold me when I made a mistake. But now, just because Jacqueline was pregnant, everyone had taken her side.

And the child she was carrying was my husband's.

Seeing the tears in my eyes, Cole wrapped his arms around me and sighed.

"Chloe, can you put up with this for a few days? Tomorrow, I'll have Jeremy open up the adjoining room and make the guest room larger. I know it's unfair, but please bear with me."

Why should I have to bear with him?

I couldn't understand it. I'd only been gone for a few years, yet somehow everything that had once been mine now belonged to someone else.

My home, my husband, my parents, and even my son—Jacqueline had taken them all from me.

"Don't cry." Cole kissed away the tears at the corner of my eye. "Trust me, okay? I'll handle this."

…

At dinner, I fell silent again when I saw the food on the table. Every dish was loaded with ginger.

When I didn't pick up my fork at all, Cole eagerly served some food onto my plate.

"Chloe, you've only just come home," he said. "Look at how thin you are. You should eat more. You must've suffered so much out there."

"Don't you know ginger makes me throw up?"

Cole froze. A flicker of panic crossed his face as he called for the chef. "Chloe can't eat ginger. Didn't you know that?"

"But you told us Ms. White likes ginger," the chef replied in a small voice. "You said to add extra ginger to every dish."

"That's enough," I interrupted, stopping Cole before he could say anything else. "Don't make things difficult for him. He's only doing his job."

The color drained from Cole's face when he understood what I actually meant.

The rest of the meal passed in silence as I swallowed my tears with every bite.