Chapter 2

Serena smiled demurely. In Kevin's eyes, she was considerate and understanding. But to Henley, it was nothing but blatant provocation.

Isaac's voice sounded from behind Henley. The moment he saw her, the smile on his face vanished.

He asked irritably, "Why are you here? Didn't you say work wouldn't be over until very late?"

Thinking of what he had said on the plane, Henley clenched her hands tightly. Complicated emotions surged uncontrollably in her heart.

She could tell he was annoyed by her presence. In fact, he was resentful that she had disrupted the time they were spending with Serena.

After a brief pause, Henley spoke in a cool, distant voice. "I'm going on a business trip. I just happened to be at the airport. Carry on with what you're doing."

As soon as she finished speaking, she turned around and left without a trace of hesitation.

They could go to the celebration party or Serena's birthday like they wanted. It no longer mattered to her. Soon enough, none of it would have anything to do with her anyway.

Henley returned home alone. All the gifts she had prepared in advance were thrown straight into the trash.

In a daze, her gaze landed on the family portrait hanging in the living room.

When had this once-harmonious family begun to fall apart? Or had she been kept in the dark all along?

She collapsed onto the couch. The scenes from the plane looped endlessly in her mind like a broken record.

After hanging up the call with Edith, she took a quick shower and returned to the bedroom. She lay wide awake in bed the entire night.

At dawn, Kevin came home with Isaac. He was reeking of alcohol. After he came into their room, he stumbled and collapsed beside Henley with his neck covered in what were unmistakably kiss marks.

"Henley, I feel awful," he muttered.

Suppressing the bile rushing up to her throat, Henley turned her head away and avoided his touch.

Noticing her evasiveness, Kevin propped himself up and asked hoarsely, "What's wrong? Did something happen at the company?"

Only matters related to the company could ever sober him up so quickly. Kevin spent lavishly in every aspect of life. Most of his income in recent years had probably gone straight into Serena's pocket. Every time the company closed a deal, he would proactively suggest taking a share of the profits.

Henley stiffened for a moment.

Then, she tested the waters by remarking, "The company's fine. I heard you almost couldn't make it back today."

Kevin froze for a moment before pulling Henley into his arms and saying firmly, "Yes. What scared me the most was that if something had happened to me, what would happen to you and Isaac?"

Truth and lies were mixed seamlessly in his words. He always knew exactly what to say to manipulate her.

Henley smiled faintly, though her hands trembled uncontrollably.

She echoed, "Me and our son? How thoughtful of you to still think about us at the brink of life and death."

She ground out every word through clenched teeth, but Kevin assumed she was just sulking. He tightened his hold on her and leaned his face close to hers with a slight frown.

"Henley, the person I love the most in all my life is you. Our family of three will live a safe and happy life together," he said reassuringly.

Henley let out a short burst of laughter and asked, "If something were to happen to me one day, would you find someone else?"

Kevin sobered up considerably. His gaze was intense, and his eyes full of determination.

"Henley, I swear you'll be my only wife for the rest of my life. Did you hear something from someone? We grew up together. We're childhood sweethearts. What we have can't be compared to anything else."

Henley stared at him deeply. Only after a long while did she look away.

Seeing her expression remained normal, Kevin couldn't fight off his drowsiness any longer. He collapsed onto the bed and fell into a deep sleep.

Henley studied him for a long moment before reaching into his pocket and pulling out something that made her sick to her stomach. She stuffed the triangular piece of fabric back where it came from. She also noticed that his wrinkled suit was sticky and damp to the touch.

Covering her mouth tightly, Henley rushed out of the bedroom. She leaned against the door and gasped for air like a fish out of water.

Her nails dug into her palms. Blood seeped through her fingers and dripped down.

She walked to Isaac's bedroom door and peeked through the crack to look at his sleeping face. Her heart felt as though it were being crushed. She curled up on the couch and spent the night there.

Early the next morning, Henley prepared breakfast like she usually did.

Isaac was surprised when he saw it.

After a moment, as if realizing something, he spoke timidly. "Today's Sunday. I already made plans to go on a day trip with my classmates. Dad can take me. You probably don't have time, right?"

Hearing this, Kevin scolded him in a low voice, "Watch how you talk to your mother."

Isaac lowered his head slightly and poked his pancakes with his fork. The irritation radiating from his little frame was obvious to see.

Henley placed a fried egg onto his plate and said indifferently, "It's fine. Your dad can take you. From now on, I won't interfere with your grades anymore. You're old enough to know right from wrong. If I keep forcing you, I'll just end up being the bad guy."

Isaac looked up abruptly and stared at her in confusion. He watched her intently, as if he was trying to figure out if there was another person underneath her skin.

After a long moment, his smart watch suddenly rang. The sharp sound drew all three of their gazes.

He turned his back and answered the call sneakily.

Serena's voice came through. "Isaac, I've already prepared everything. When are we heading out?"