Chapter 2

By the end of the night, Lina had piled up a small mountain of gifts she’d carefully hand-picked. I only bothered to choose one random item just to get it over with.

Marco watched me with anticipation as I unwrapped it. Inside was a ruby necklace.

He let out a low whistle. “You never disappoint me. Out of all these gifts, you picked the most valuable one right away.”

Instantly, the smug look on Lina’s face disappeared, replaced by jealousy simmering in her eyes.

She pouted and tugged on Marco’s arm. “Marco, I want that necklace too. Can I trade all of my gifts for the one Aurora picked?”

I said nothing. I just looked at him quietly. After three years of marriage, I suddenly wanted to know, in that moment, whether I meant more to him than Lina did.

Marco hesitated for a few seconds. Then, he reached over and took the necklace from my hands.

“Aurora, Lina’s eighteenth birthday is a significant one. Let her have it just this once, okay? If you fancy this ruby necklace, I’ll get you an even bigger one next time.”

It was the first time Marco chose another woman over me when faced with a choice.

“It’s fine.” I pulled away from his arms, my voice cold. “I only want something one-of-a-kind. If you’ve given it to someone else, I don’t want it anymore.”

I walked away under his startled gaze.

That night, Marco sent me a larger ruby necklace. Finding it ironic, I turned around and tossed it straight into the pool.

Lina, on the other hand, jumped in immediately after it. She splashed around as if desperately searching, even though the pool water was crystal clear and the ruby was visible at a glance. She pretended not to see it, feeling around in exaggeration. Only when Marco came rushing over did she finally grab the necklace and climb out, dripping wet.

Shivering as if she were freezing, she held the necklace out to me with trembling hands.

“Are you mad at me, Aurora? I don’t want the necklace anymore. You can have both. Please don’t be angry with Marco.”

Her white dress was soaked through, and faint red bled through the fabric. Marco’s expression turned terrifying. His face darkened instantly as he ripped off his jacket and wrapped it around her.

“Are you out of your mind, jumping into water like that when you’re on your menstrual cycle?” he scolded, voice low with anger. “It’s cold, and you’ve had severe cramps since you were a teenager!”

Lina’s face was pale as she collapsed weakly into his arms, choking back sobs.

“Marco, don’t be mad at me. I just didn’t want you and Aurora to fight. It pains me to see you frown.”

Marco’s eyes softened instantly, full of distress. The look he gave me carried blame.

“Aurora, Lina’s still just a kid. Why are you taking things so seriously?”

With that, he scooped her up into his arms and carried her straight to the hospital.

I remained where I stood, a dull ache spreading through my abdomen. Lina might be my cousin, but Marco knew her menstrual cycle perfectly and that she had painful cramps. Meanwhile, he had completely forgotten that I was also on my menstrual cycle and that my cramps were even worse.

Later that night, Lina posted on social media.

[It feels so good to be loved. Just a small cramp, and he rented out the entire hospital for me and kept me warm all night.]

Attached was a live photo—a pair of large hands gently holding hers, practiced and familiar. My chest tightened. He used to do the same for me during my cycle, but now that person was Lina.

My stomach twisted harder, sweat running down my back as I curled up with my blanket. I finally drifted to sleep deep into the night, only to be jolted awake by loud shouting outside.

“Fire! The greenhouse is on fire! Hurry!”

The greenhouse housed thousands of rare plants from all over the world, plants Marco once gathered for me, one by one. I had spent years caring for them.

My heart dropped. I threw on a coat and ran outside. However, the moment I stepped out the door, a white blur slammed into me, sending me tumbling down the staircase.

When I woke again, I was lying in a hospital bed. Marco sat beside me, bloodshot eyes full of anxiety.

The moment I opened my eyes, he grabbed my hand and said, “The doctor said your foot is slightly fractured. Does it hurt? You can’t get out of bed for a while.”

“The greenhouse…” I tried to sit up, but the pain forced me back. Hence, I stared at him, hoping for a miracle.

Marco hesitated, avoiding my gaze. “It’s gone. It was burned down. If you like it, I’ll build you another one.”

Before I could respond, a nurse rushed into the room.

“Don Vitale, Ms. Lina is complaining of a pain in her stomach, but she won’t let us examine her. Should you come take a look?”

Marco froze before immediately letting go of my hand and standing up.

“Aurora, Lina’s been pampered by her parents all her life. I’d better check on her before she gives the nurses trouble. Get some rest. I’ll be back soon.”

Then, he hurried out the door without looking back.

As bitterness welled up inside me, my phone vibrated. It was a video message from Lina.

In the video, she was snuggled in Marco’s arms, crying softly. “Marco, it’s all my fault. Clumsy me cut my hand on a leaf while picking a gift. If I hadn’t gotten hurt, you wouldn’t have burned down the greenhouse for me, and Aurora wouldn’t have gotten hurt.”

Marco stroked her head affectionately, his voice low and relaxed. “It’s just a greenhouse. You’re my woman. I won’t let anything hurt you, not even a plant.”

There, the video ended.

A bitter laugh escaped my lips. He once told me that if I loved studying plants, he’d bring me the rarest ones from all over the world. Now, because of one tiny scratch on Lina’s hand, he burned down the thing I loved most.

My heart went cold.