Chapter 2

The next morning, Rachel was out the door at the crack of dawn.

I didn't even need to guess to know she was heading straight back to the hospital to play nurse for Damon.

Not long ago, she had complained to me that her current job was way too exhausting and that she wanted to switch to something less stressful, so she quit.

I hadn't thought twice about it. My salary was more than enough to cover our household expenses, so whether she worked or not didn't make a difference to me.

But ever since she resigned, she had been leaving early and coming home late.

Whenever I asked, she claimed she was job hunting because she didn't want me to carry the financial burden alone.

Looking back now, she wasn't trying to shoulder the burden with me. She was getting IVF treatments at a fertility clinic.

After tidying up the house, I drove over to meet Audrey Sinclair, the attorney I had reached out to earlier.

Unfortunately, once we entered the real world, we drifted apart. It wasn't until she moved back into town a couple of years ago that we finally reconnected.

Audrey was very professional. It didn't take her long to draw up the divorce agreement, and she told me we could make amendments later if I had any additional terms.

But the moment Audrey and I stepped out of the cafe, we ran into Rachel and Damon. They were carrying a mountain of shopping bags. From the looks of it, the bags were filled with baby clothes.

The second she spotted me, Rachel frowned. "Garrett, are you stalking me?"

Then, noticing Audrey standing right beside me, her brow furrowed even deeper. "Who is she?"

Before I could respond, Damon stepped forward and gently caught Rachel's arm.

His eyes darted between Audrey and me, his gaze shifting back and forth suspiciously. Finally, he feigned a look of disapproval.

"Rachel, what are you talking about? Garrett would never stalk us. He's clearly out to meet someone."

Damon was awfully good with words, instantly turning the tables and throwing me under the bus.

Sure enough, the next second, Rachel eyed me with suspicion.

"Garrett Whitaker, you're actually out here seeing other women behind my back?" she hissed. "You better explain to me right now who this bitch is!"

I let out a sharp laugh.

"Rachel, in what capacity are you even demanding answers from me? As my wife?" I asked, completely deadpan. "Because from where I'm standing, you and Damon look a lot more like a married couple. In fact, you're already carrying his kid."

The mall was packed, and the crowd of shoppers immediately stopped in their tracks, their eyes locking onto us.

Rachel's face flushed crimson, and she immediately lashed out at me.

"What are you talking about? Damon is my best friend."

How delusional. I had no desire to stand around bickering with the two of them because it would be pointless.

But the moment I turned on my heel to walk away, Damon's eyes welled with tears, and he grabbed my arm.

"Garrett, you've got it all wrong. Rachel and I are just friends. Look, if it bothers you that much, I can stop seeing her from now on."

He gazed deeply at Rachel as he spoke, as if this were some heartbreaking goodbye scene.

Repulsed, I forcefully ripped my arm from his grip, my voice dropping an octave. "Don't touch me."

The next instant, Damon swayed on his feet and collapsed onto the floor.

Within seconds, his face drained of all color, and he began wheezing, weakly begging Rachel not to blame me.

Rachel let out a piercing shriek, rushing to his side to help him up.

Then, she turned and roared at me at the top of her lungs, "He's sick! How could you put your hands on him? Garrett, I swear to God, if anything happens to Damon, I'll make you pay!"