Chapter 3

“Yvette, come out. I have asked Lexi and Benjamin to stay with us for a while, to keep you company. What do you think?”

The way Calvin dressed up his words, so righteous and dignified, only made me sick to my stomach.

I stayed silent, refusing to come out. He knocked on the door a few times before finally using the spare key to open the study.

From the hallway, Lexi spoke in a gentle voice, “Yvette, Benjamin’s been too naughty lately, so I thought I’d stay here for a while and let Calvin help me discipline him. If you really do not want me here, I will just leave the child and go back.

“Please do not be mad. I really do not have any other choice. Do not blame me for being such a burden as your sister-in-law.”

Her voice broke into quiet sobs. Calvin wrapped an arm around her shoulders, leaning down to comfort her in that gentle voice of his.

He frowned as he wiped her tears with his fingertips, the other hand possessively cradling the back of her head.

Lexi tilted her face up toward him. Their distance shrank to nothing; their eyes locked in a lingering gaze.

If I had not been standing there, they would have kissed.

“Get out! Both of you! Stop crying at my door and get out!”

I furiously grabbed two books and hurled them at the doorway. By sheer misfortune, one of them hit Lexi squarely on the forehead.

When Calvin saw the mark on her face, he completely lost it.

He strode over, yanked me out from behind the desk, and shoved me in front of Lexi.

“Yvette, apologize to her!”

I froze for a moment, staring blankly into his furious eyes.

Why was he so angry? He was the one who went back on his word.

When I did not answer, Calvin pushed me again. His voice was icy cold, and he kept on reminding me to apologize.

Lexi covered her forehead. Her eyes were red and forced a gentle smile at Calvin.

“Forget it, it does not hurt that much. It is our fault. We did not talk to Yvette first before moving in. That was rude of us. I just did not think…”

Her words trailed off as tears streamed down her face. She looked at Calvin, shaking her head with a forced smile.

Calvin said nothing. He shot me a glance before tending to Lexi’s wound with practiced hands.

After soothing her, he turned to me, speaking in a lecturing tone,

“I should have talked to you first, that is my fault. But we are all family. Now that they are here, what is the harm in letting them stay? Yvette, do you really have to make such a scene?

“Your sister-in-law just thought you were grieving your mom and wanted to keep you company. She meant well.”

“I do not need it! Who knows what her real intentions are!”

“Look at yourself. You are acting like some jealous shrew, imagining things out of thin air! Yvette, I will say this one last time. Apologize!”

I ignored him, turned toward the bedroom, and started packing my bags. He stood by, watching, as minute after minute passed and his patience wore thin.

Then he stormed over, kicked my packed suitcase aside, and under my furious gaze, pulled out his phone and threatened, “Think carefully. If you walk out that door, forget about ever getting your hands on the painting of the Cat Beneath the Blossoms!”

I sucked in a sharp breath. I could not believe he was threatening me with that painting. He knew better than anyone what it meant to me.

My father had been a collector and restorer of calligraphy and paintings. When I was ten, he began restoring The Cat Beneath the Blossoms. I used to sit quietly beside him, watching with fascination. That painting held so many memories of us. However, it was stolen not long after his death.

My hands trembled as I stared at Calvin. “You found it?”

“Yes, so listen to me. Stop talking about divorce, and I will give it to you.”

In the end, I swallowed my pride and apologized to Lexi just for the sake of that painting. I said nothing more about leaving.