Chapter 2

Sophia continued, "I'm not done talking—don't behave like that in the future. I don't like it. You had the same sour look on your face when I let that male colleague of yours—Tony—hitch a ride last time. Do you realize how mean it makes you look?"

I shot upright and glared at her. "Me? Mean? I told you before that there's bad blood between Tony and me. He was only promoted because he poached my client from me. How am I supposed to face a guy like him with a smile when he shamelessly comes asking for a ride?"

Sophia replied calmly, acting as if she had me all figured out, "See? You're making excuses again. You're not only selfish but very fond of making excuses for yourself nowadays."

I flew into a rage at her words. No longer caring about the presence of outsiders, I asked her harshly, "So, I'm being selfish for asking your colleagues to get out of the car? And I'm making excuses when I ask to go home first because I'm not feeling well and have a stomachache today?

"Get your facts straight. There's no law dictating that I'm obligated to drop your colleagues off after work!"

The car fell into a dead silence.

After a few seconds, Sophia finally replied, "There also isn't any law stating that I must pick my husband up after work, but I still do it anyway. Usually, the husband picks the wife up after work, yet I'm the one driving you home every day. What more do you want?"

I stared disbelievingly at her. "Sophia Young, it was you who told me that you'd pick me up from work every day back when I bought you this car. I didn't put a knife to your throat and force you to do it!"

Sophia sighed and said, "I didn't say I wasn't willing to pick you up from work, but since I'm already driving you home, it makes no difference whether or not I pick up a couple more colleagues along the way."

I didn't want to hear another word from her at the moment.

"Stop the car!" I shouted.

I'd never told her that she couldn't let her colleagues hitch a ride, and I'd never objected to her doing so before either.

I just wanted to get home earlier because I was feeling unwell that day, yet she was reading far too much into it.

I simply couldn't stand the fact that, despite being her husband, I was no more special than the next person in her eyes. In fact, I was always lowest on her list of priorities.

"I want to get off!" I demanded.

Sophia stopped the car by the roadside. I kicked the door open, then turned and walked out into the storm under her stunned gaze.

"Jonathan Graham! Why do you have such a terrible temper?" Sophia yelled after me.

She honked the car horn behind me, but I didn't look back.

I paid double the usual rate to get a taxi to take me home.

After taking a hot shower, I locked the bedroom door from the inside, took both stomach and flu medication, and fell into a deep sleep.

The next day, not only had my stomach not stopped cramping, but it actually felt like there were knives scraping against my insides.

I didn't even have the strength to stand, so I had no choice but to apply for work leave.

After that, I lay groggily in bed until I eventually passed out from the pain.

When I next woke up from the pain, it was already 6:00 pm.

I was drenched in layers of cold sweat, and my temperature was alarmingly high. Additionally, even the slightest movement sent excruciating pain tearing through my lower right abdomen.

This was no simple stomachache!

I shakily picked up my phone and called Sophia to ask if she was done with work. If she had, I would ask her to drive over and send me to the hospital.

After two seconds of silence, Sophia asked with irritation, "Can you just stop? I'm still angry about yesterday, and now you're feigning illness to gain my sympathy?"

I screamed at her, "I'm really sick! Come home and take me to the hospital immediately!"

After a pause, Sophia replied, "I'm afraid I can't. I drove Leo to the kindergarten to pick up his kid. The kindergarten is holding a parent-child event that will be going on for another 30 minutes, and I still have to send them home after it's over."

I was so angry that I felt like smashing my phone on the floor.

"Sophia Young! Who exactly is your husband here, him or me? Why's he more important than me? I'm sick and need to go to the hospital! Are you coming back or not?"

Sophia, clearly angered as well, raised her voice. "You're truly becoming more and more unreasonable! Why's your mind so deep in the gutter? Leo is so much older than me! It's not easy for a man to raise a child, so what's wrong with me helping him out a bit? Can you stop making a fuss over nothing?"

I took a deep breath and pressed a firm hand against my spasming abdomen.

"Fine. I was mistaken. If you come home and send me to the hospital right now, I'll believe that there's nothing between you two."

Sophia sounded even angrier than before when she replied, "Jonathan Graham! Why are you like this now? You can't even tell a convincing lie! You've never had stomach problems before, yet you had to use that as an excuse yesterday. I couldn't even be bothered to call your bluff. I didn't expect you to try the same excuse on me again today."

My stomach was killing me, yet she was still criticizing me.

My grievance washed over me like a wave.

I broke down and screamed into the phone, "Sophia Young, are you coming back or not? If you're not, I'm divorcing you!"

In response, I heard the sound of the call being disconnected.

Before Sophia hung up, I heard a young boy ask, "Ms. Young, are you arguing with someone?"

Sophia replied, "It was just some crazy person who called the wrong number."

I looked into the mirror. The person staring back at me was sickly pale with chapped lips and messy hair.

I really did look like a crazy person.