Chapter 3

Since it was time to turn in for the night, Logan intended to grab his blanket and take it with him.

That was when it hit him—in the last few months, he'd rarely spent the night in my room. He'd moved his bedding into Bianca's room ages ago so he could keep her company and lull her to sleep.

Logan looked a little awkward as he withdrew his hand and scurried out.

Just then, I received a message on my work phone. "A major traffic accident has occurred on Construction Road. All employees from the relevant traffic and urban development departments are required to report back for an emergency meeting."

Logan had taken a week's leave on my behalf so I could recover from my abortion. I was under no obligation to work overtime tonight. But I felt so suffocated under this roof that I decided to throw on some clothes, grab my bag, and head to the office to clear my head.

As it turned out, roadwork was underway on Construction Road. A large truck had failed to notice the warning signs and driven onto the freshly paved section, causing it to collapse. The road caved in over a stretch of several hundred yards, and the truck driver died at the scene.

My superior was livid and berated everyone in the conference room. "Who on earth is in charge of the roadwork schedule? Who's in charge of the warning signs? Why has it taken nearly four months to repair such a short stretch of road, and it's still not finished? Why aren't the warning signs visible to drivers at night?"

I wasn't responsible for that stretch of road, so I let my thoughts wander, twirling a pen between my fingers. Yet the moment I heard that the repairs had been going on for four months, I suddenly remembered something.

According to the phone call I'd received from Bianca, she'd gotten into that car accident while she was taking Logan's grandmother, Susan Archer, to the farmers' market in the eastern suburbs.

Mrs. Archer Senior had wandered off on her own and was almost struck by a heavy truck. Bianca had pushed her out of the way in the nick of time, only to lose her legs.

There was something that didn't add up, though. The farmers' market was in the city, where large trucks weren't allowed on most roads. Construction Road was the sole exception. Yet, it had already been under construction two months ago...

When these thoughts lined up in my head, I quietly asked my colleague, Kenneth Wilder, "Could you find some time to check whether any trucks took the roads leading to the farmers' market in the eastern suburbs on March 20?"

Kenneth nodded. "Leave it to me."

By the time I got off work, it was already the middle of the night. Instead of going home, I spent the night at the house my late mother had left me. Now, all I wanted was to study abroad, stay away from all this mess, and get as far away from Logan as possible.

Hence, I booted up my laptop and organized the documents I needed to study overseas. While I was at it, I also emailed my resignation letter to my superior.

Then, I sank into bed. For the first time in forever, I slept like a baby.

…

The following day, when I returned home, I found Bianca on my bed in a white nightdress that barely covered her buttocks. Her cheeks were flushed, and her body was twisted like a pretzel. A bashful smile played on her lips.

The moment she saw me, she let out a shrill squeal, clutching the edge of the blanket tightly.

Her hands trembled slightly as she said, "My bad, Violet. I kept having nightmares when I slept in that room last night, so Logan allowed me to sleep in this bed. He thinks something about that room is making me uneasy, so I'm afraid I'll have to sleep in this room from now on."

Her voice dropped to a whisper, and she feigned innocence. Yet, I still caught a triumphant glint in her eyes.

This was Logan's and my marital home. Apart from the memories Logan and I had made here, the house itself was cold and lifeless, so I didn't mind letting her have it.

However, the blanket she had draped over herself was one Mom had painstakingly sewn for my wedding, stitch by stitch, while she was still alive. She'd made it with so much love, yet this woman had sullied it.

I felt sick to my stomach and snatched the blanket off Bianca. "I don't care if you stay here, but can you at least use a new blanket?"