Chapter 2

Since Richard's heart was not with me, I would leave. Plenty of men were interested in me, and I did not need him.

That night, I drank too much and accidentally ate mango, which I was allergic to. Red rashes broke out all over my skin.

I slept at Emily's place for a long time, and when I finally woke up, I realized my phone had died. I did not think much of it until I got home and saw Richard with bloodshot eyes. His hair was disheveled, and his clothes were wrinkled. He looked like he had not slept all night.

His voice came out raspy. "Where were you last night?"

Seeing his face only made me angrier. "Richard, let's get a divorce."

He did not respond, and his eyes locked on the red marks on my neck. The look in his eyes shifted from anger to something like hurt.

When he said nothing, I ignored him and headed upstairs.

Since his heart belonged to his first love, what was the point of keeping a man who did not love me? The sooner we split, the sooner we would both be free, and the sooner I could find my own happiness.

Since his heart was no longer mine, divorce would be the better option for both of us.

I had not dealt with an allergic reaction in so long, and I did not take any medicine either. By evening, my symptoms grew worse.

Gradually, I felt like I could not breathe. I tried to call for help, but no sound would come out.

Just as despair set in, Richard burst through the door. He called my name frantically and contacted his private doctor.

After the doctor treated me, Richard sat by my bedside with red-rimmed eyes. "You silly. Don't you know how to take care of yourself?"

I mumbled incoherently, "I don't need you to take care of me. Go take care of that person instead."

Richard froze, staring at me with those red eyes. His fists clenched and unclenched. However, when his gaze fell on my chapped lips, he could not help but sigh.

He wrapped me in the blanket and pulled me into his arms. "Who are you talking about?"

I wanted to say he knew perfectly well who, but I had no strength left in me. A thought suddenly occurred to me. Did Richard actually care about me?

Richard reached out to check my temperature. I looked up at him with watery eyes, my face flushed.

The moment he saw me like this, his breathing grew heavy. He quickly pulled his hand back, turning to flee to the bathroom again.

My hopeful heart sank once more.

Before long, he returned and quietly held me. He said in a soft voice, "Sleep, baby. You're not fully recovered yet. I'll stay by your side and watch over you."

I could feel that he was hard as it pressed against my back, but my allergic symptoms were too uncomfortable. I ended up falling into a deep sleep.

Richard took care of me all night, feeding me water from time to time and monitoring my condition closely. When I woke up the next day, I was still in his arms.

He had held me all night?

I noticed the unusual tension in his lower body and could not help but think about it again. He had been hard all night.

Such good equipment, yet it was completely wasted.

My resentment only grew. Even if I was going to leave, I should at least get something out of this marriage first.

I tested the waters. "Richard, I'll give you one more chance. Do you want to try again?"

Richard's breathing quickened behind me, but after waiting for what felt like forever, I heard his hoarse voice. "Valeria, it's not time yet. Can you wait a little longer for me? It's my problem. Don't overthink it."

I looked at Richard, who remained unmoved by me. I changed my clothes and turned to leave.

This marriage was definitely ending.

As I left, my hand accidentally brushed against Richard's. Warm skin met cool softness, and the next second, he grabbed my hand tightly.