Chapter 2

Taking a deep breath, I tossed the broken umbrella into the trash outside and slipped off my wet heels.

I looked at Seth and said calmly, "I'm not blaming her. I'm just a little cold."

I stepped past them and headed upstairs barefoot, the freezing floor beneath my feet.

Seth seemed caught off guard.

In the past, whenever something like this happened, I'd argue with him through tears, demanding that he treat me fairly.

He didn't realize that I'd been hurt so deeply that I didn't even want to argue anymore.

After a hot shower, I collapsed onto the bed and closed my eyes, completely exhausted.

In the middle of the night, the rain must have caught up with me. I woke up burning with a fever.

My throat hurt terribly. I reached for my phone and got up to get some water, but I froze the moment I opened the bedroom door.

The living room lights downstairs were still on.

Emma's dog was sprawled on the wool rug, gnawing on a bone.

That rug had been Seth's birthday present from me two years ago. I'd spent six months having an old craftsman overseas make it by hand.

I'd told Seth at the time that the rug was white and would get dirty too easily.

He'd kissed my forehead and promised, "Don't worry. It's a gift from you. I won't let anyone dirty it."

But now, the white wool was covered in grease stains and dog drool.

Seth was sitting at the edge of the rug, looking down at Emma as she played on her phone.

"Seth," Emma said sweetly. "That necklace is so pretty, but there's only one like it in the world. I heard you bought it at auction. Can I borrow it for a day? I'm meeting my friends tomorrow. They'll be so jealous when they see it."

I stood at the turn in the staircase, my heart skipping a beat.

The necklace was called Aurora.

Seth had bought it on my birthday last month, but he'd never given it to me. I thought he was saving it as a wedding present for me.

"It's just a necklace," Seth said casually, his voice indulgent. "If you like it, I'll have my assistant bring it to you tomorrow. You don't need to borrow it. It's yours."

Emma cheered and threw her arms around his neck. "Seth, you're the best! I knew it. Even after you get married, you'd never stop looking out for me, right?"

Seth didn't push her away. He just patted her back and said, "Of course. I promised your brother I'd take care of you for the rest of your life."

What a convenient promise.

Three years ago, Emma's brother, Jamie Lewis, had died in a car crash after saving Seth's life. With his last breath, he'd asked Seth to look after his 18-year-old sister.

From that day on, that promise became a chain around my neck.

Whenever I voiced even the slightest complaint, everyone around me, including Seth, would come down on me.

"Audrey, Emma has no family now. Why do you have to hold a grudge against her?"

"Her brother saved Seth, and she has no one to rely on now. What's wrong with spoiling her a little?"

"If you're going to marry Seth, don't you think you should be a little more understanding?"

I held onto the wall, dragging my weak legs down the stairs.

Hearing my footsteps, Seth looked up.

When he saw my pale face, he immediately frowned. "Why are you up in the middle of the night? What are you doing down here?"

"Getting some water." I walked around the ruined rug and went to the kitchen island.

Seth came over, took the glass from my hand, and filled it with water.

"You look pale. Are you sick?" He reached out to touch my forehead.

I instinctively stepped back, avoiding his hand.