Chapter 1

Ethan Cole was holding Lily's little coat.

We had taken her back to my hometown when she was six months old.

One of the older relatives told him about an old custom: if parents went door to door collecting scraps of fabric from many households and sewed them into the lining of a child's winter coat, a blessing coat, it would bring the child health and a long life.

My hand was still injured then.

I couldn't do delicate needlework.

I lowered my eyes, disappointed.

Then I shook my head at him.

"It's okay.

"Even without the coat, I'll protect Lily and make sure she grows up safe."

That night, Ethan drove out through the snow.

He bought an entire carload of gifts and visited house after house, exchanging them for small pieces of cloth.

The CEO of Cole Group sat in a dim country room and stitched the lining by hand, one piece at a time.

Back then, I still believed our marriage might be saved.

Now Ethan silently helped Lily into the little coat.

He really was different from before.

When I first met him, Ethan was notorious for never staying with one woman for long.

On one business trip alone, his assistant returned with three suitcases of skincare products meant for different girlfriends.

But now he knew to test Lily's milk against the inside of his wrist.

He curled her tiny fingers carefully when dressing her.

Once, when she developed a low fever, neither I nor Gail, her nanny, noticed right away.

Ethan did.

He ended an online meeting immediately and drove her to the hospital himself.

These were the things I once prayed for.

Now that I had them, I didn't want them anymore.

After Lily was dressed, I stepped back, leaving half an arm's length between us.

Ethan frowned.

His voice was low.

"Jenna, how long are you going to keep punishing me?

"Are we going to spend the rest of our lives doing this to each other?"

I lowered my eyes.

"I'm not trying to punish you."

His brows tightened.

He couldn't understand how the woman who once tore herself apart just to keep him had suddenly become so calm.

"If you're angry, say it.

"Yell at me.

"Blame me.

"Keeping everything inside will make you sick."

I shook my head, and I didn't understand him either.

"I'm not angry.

"I'm not holding anything in.

"I was too impulsive before.

"I won't make scenes anymore.

"And I won't go after Summer or hurt her again.

"You don't have to worry."

Ethan's eyes were bloodshot.

"Jenna, you weren't like this before.

"Are you still punishing me for what happened six months ago?"