Chapter 2

After washing the dishes, I felt my phone vibrate. It was a message from my brother.

"Finally come to your senses? I'll take care of the paperwork. Come home whenever you're ready."

I stared at the screen and let out a long exhale.

When I heard the faint sound of running water coming from the guest room, I untied my apron and walked back into the master bedroom. Then, I pulled out the suitcase I had thought I'd never need again.

The soundproofing between the rooms was poor. Every now and then, I could hear the muffled sounds of a rocking bed through the wall.

I curled up on the cold floor as a sharp pain tore through my stomach.

With trembling hands, I called Henry. After what seemed like forever, the call finally connected. But to my dismay, Rachel's breathless and coy voice rang out from the other end of the line.

"Henry's in the shower. What do you want?"

She didn't even bother putting on an act anymore. Her smugness was practically seeping through the phone.

I bit down hard on my lip until I tasted blood.

"Put him on the phone… My stomach hurts…" I groaned.

After the sound of rustling, I heard Henry's irritated voice.

"What are you fussing about in the middle of the night, Carol Scott?" he spat impatiently.

In the past, even the slightest furrow of my brow would have been enough to make him check in on me and make sure I was okay. Now, I was in unbearable pain, and he was assuming that I was just making a fuss.

When he hesitated, I heard Rachel's voice in the background.

"Henry, my leg cramped up. It hurts…" she cried.

Upon hearing this, Henry's voice instantly turned cold. "Are you doing this on purpose just because Rachel is here? How bad can your stomach hurt from a simple dinner? Get yourself some medicine. I'm busy right now."

The call ended with a sharp beep.

I used all the strength I could muster to change into a new set of clothes. As I stumbled out of the house, I could hear Rachel's unabashed laughter coming through the crack in the guest-room door.

When I staggered into the hospital, the emergency-room doctor frowned at me.

"Acute gastric bleeding. Where's your family?" he asked.

I flashed him a pale smile. "I don't have anyone. I can handle it myself."

As cold fluids dripped into my vein, I took out my phone and canceled the order for the Green Submariner I'd planned to give Henry as a two-year anniversary gift. Then, I transferred all of my savings into the overseas account Caleb had given me.

My screen lit up again. It was a message from Henry.

"Rach wasn't feeling well, so I went over to check on her. Does your stomach still hurt, baby? I'm sorry I was so harsh with you earlier."

Two years ago, he would feel guilty just for looking at another woman for too long. Now, he had just climbed out of another woman's bed, yet he could still call me "baby" without the slightest hint of shame.

I didn't reply, and I simply put my phone on silent.

…

Once the IV drip procedure was over at dawn, I returned to the home that was now filled with nothing but lies.

Henry was frying eggs in the kitchen. He had an apron around his waist and a perfect smile plastered across his face.

"You're up early, baby. Where did you go?" he asked.

He reached over to hug me, but I stepped aside and avoided his touch.

His hand froze for a moment before he quickly tried to mask his uneasiness. "Why do you look so pale?"

When he stepped closer, I caught the familiar scent of the body wash I'd bought for him. Only now, he also smelled like another woman.

Moments later, the door to the guest room opened, and Rachel stepped out. There was a red mark on her body just above the neckline of her top.

"Morning. Your pajama is so comfortable. Henry said it looks better on me than it does on you," she said provocatively.

"Stop joking around." Henry's expression shifted slightly before he pretended to tell her off.

Then, he lowered his voice and switched to the Southern dialect.

"Have you lost your mind?" he hissed. "Go change!"

"What are you so afraid of? She can't understand us," Rachel pouted and answered in the Southern dialect. "You weren't this harsh with me last night."

"I'm going to take a shower," I declared coldly. I couldn't be bothered to watch their little performance.

I walked straight into the master bedroom and dug a jewelry box out from the bottom of the closet. Inside was a simple silver necklace Henry had given me when he confessed his feelings.

I threw it into the trash along with every other cheap gift he'd given me over the years. Then, I took out my phone and sent Caleb another message.

"Send someone to pick me up as soon as possible, Caleb."