Chapter 2

I hung up before Philip could answer. I didn't need to hear his response to know it wouldn't be anything nice.

After all, I really had drugged him that night. The icy glare he gave me the next morning had chilled me to the bone.

Even so, I'd naively held on to the hope that if we had another child, maybe there would still be a chance for us.

But now…

I rested a hand on my stomach, feeling like a complete fool.

After a while, I pulled myself out, took a handful of abortion pills, and swallowed them all at once. Thereafter, I texted my lawyer and asked him to draw up the divorce agreement.

Once everything was done, I leaned against the headboard, feeling empty inside.

Philip came home at eleven that night carrying a necklace I'd casually mentioned wanting. He acted as though nothing had happened.

Looking back, he'd actually been treating me incredibly well over the past year. He constantly kept me updated on where he was, took me to every work event, and showered me with expensive gifts.

If I hadn't bumped into him at the clinic a few weeks ago while he was taking Vivian for a prenatal checkup, I would have remained clueless forever. I'd really thought we were falling back in love. It turned out it had all been an elaborate act to protect Vivian.

I was still lost in thought when Philip placed the gift box in front of me.

"I went to Vivian's place this afternoon and took a shower," he said calmly. "I was only there for 30 minutes. You can double-check with your private investigator if you don't believe me.

"After I left, I went straight back to the office and worked late. If you're suspicious, ask the people you've planted in the company.

"On my way home, I picked up that necklace you wanted. The paparazzi you've hired should have already sent you the photos."

Every word he said was cold and guarded, as if he were treading carefully around a monster. Even though he'd already bought off all my people and had them secretly protecting Vivian, he still treated me like a constant threat.

My chest tightened. I couldn't help letting out a bitter laugh. "Is that so?"

If Vivian hadn't added me on the messaging app that afternoon, I might've actually believed him.

I held out my phone. The screen was filled with photos she'd sent me.

In those photos, Philip was cooking in her kitchen, mopping her floors, even awkwardly leaning over to pick out baby clothes.

There were more than 300 photos, taken from every angle, showing a side of him I'd never seen before.

In all the years I'd known him, he'd never lifted a finger around the house. Even when our housekeeper was off, he didn't realize we'd run out of toilet paper until a week had passed.

I stared at those photos for a long time and realized I'd completely lost.

The last photo showed him walking away from Vivian's house. It had been taken just 30 minutes ago.

His lie fell apart on the spot.

When he saw the screen, his eyes widened in shock. He snatched the phone from my hand, grabbed me by the throat, and slammed me against the wall.

"How many times do I have to tell you? Keep your hands off Vivian! Do whatever the hell you want to me, but stay away from her!" he hissed through gritted teeth.

The impact sent a dull pain through my lower abdomen. My face went even paler, but he didn't notice at all.

Seeing how completely he'd lost control, I curled my lips into a mocking smile. "So as long as I leave her alone, I can do whatever I want to you?"

I shoved him away, grabbed a wine bottle from the table, and held it threateningly over his head.

Philip froze for a second, then sighed with relief and closed his eyes.

"Go ahead," he said softly. "Smash it."

When he opened his eyes again, his gaze slid past me, landing somewhere else. He looked utterly exhausted, like he didn't even want to look at me anymore.

"It's not like it's the first time anyway. Just get it out of your system, and leave Vivian alone after that," he added.

I stood frozen, the bottle still raised in my hand. In that instant, everything suddenly felt meaningless.

I set the bottle down and took my phone back from him. The second my fingers touched the screen, his expression changed. He grabbed my wrist and asked furiously, "What are you trying to do to Vivian now?"

His grip was so forceful that I staggered backward and fell hard to the floor. My vision went dark for a moment, and it took a while before I came to my senses.

I looked up at him to see his chest heaving. Fear and shock were written all over his face.

It hit me then just how deeply he loved Vivian. He loved her so much that he was suspicious of my every move, always afraid I was about to hurt her.

I sighed helplessly. "Philip, actually, I'm—"

Just then, the special ringtone he'd set cut me off.

He'd reached out a hand to help me, but it froze in midair. Without a second thought, he turned away and answered the call.

Vivian's tearful voice came through the phone.

Philip's expression darkened instantly. When he looked back at me, his eyes were full of disgust and anger.

"Janet, as long as I'm here, I won't let you lay a finger on Vivian. If you're determined to take this too far, don't blame me for what I do next."

He slammed the door so quickly that I didn't even have a chance to finish what I was saying.

I sat there stunned, feeling a sudden, absurd urge to laugh.

I was going to tell him that the divorce agreement was already drawn up and would be sent over the next morning.

I'd decided to set both him and myself free.

But now, I supposed there was no point in saying any of it.