Chapter 3

When Silas pushed the door open, I quickly shut my laptop.

He frowned. "Why are you so flustered?"

I shook my head. "It's nothing."

Silas walked over and planted a light kiss on my forehead. "I'm going to take Cady home first. If there's anything we need to talk about, we'll talk when I get back."

Before I could even get a word in, he was already striding out of the bedroom.

By the time I chased out after him, he was already helping Cassidy out the front door.

So I went back to the room and started packing my things.

After five years together, I found that I couldn't even fill a single suitcase with my belongings. Most of the things in the house belonged to Silas, and they were mostly things I had bought for him. When it came to myself, I had been excessively thrifty.

I took the debit card for our joint account where we kept our wedding fund out of my wallet and set it on the nightstand. The account had been opened under Silas' name, so it was time to return it to its rightful owner.

I waited at home all evening, but Silas never returned. However, I figured some things needed to be said in person, so I texted him. "When are you coming back? I need to talk to you."

It took over ten minutes for him to reply. "Cady's foot is hurting badly and she can't walk, so I'll be staying the night to take care of her. Don't worry, I'll be sleeping on the couch."

A sudden chill settled over my heart, and I no longer felt like replying.

…

The next day, I went to my usual shift at the cafe. It was my last day on the job. Once my shift ended, I wrapped up my handover.

That was when my phone rang with a call from Silas' father, Patrick Culburn. Silas' parents had come to Elmsworth, but they couldn't reach him, so Patrick had called me instead.

"Whitney, Flora's sick. We're at Elmsworth General Hospital. Tell that rascal to get over here right away."

After ending the call, I tried calling Silas' phone, but it went unanswered. I tried calling Cassidy as well and got the same result. In the end, I took a cab straight to Cassidy's place.

I used the spare key to let myself in, only to find the living room empty. The only sounds came from the bathroom.

"Silas, can you be gentler? You're going to scratch my scalp raw!"

Silas' carefree laughter echoed through the house. "Got it. I'll try to be gentler."

"Are you doing this on purpose? Do you use this much force when you wash Whitney's hair too?"

"Whitney is nowhere as spoiled as you are. She can wash her own hair just fine."

Standing at the doorway, I felt my heart aching fiercely. Even the tips of my fingers trembled as I reached out to push the bathroom door open. "Silas, your parents are trying to reach you."

My sudden appearance made Silas freeze.

Cassidy, who was sitting on a stool, avoided my gaze.

"Just a minute. Let me rinse the shampoo out of Cady's hair first," Silas said, picking up the showerhead and rinsing out Cady's hair.

I walked out and sat on the couch after mumbling a quick, "Okay."

The bathroom fell silent, and I heard no more laughter or teasing coming from inside.

Five minutes later, Silas and Cassidy came out. He grabbed a hairdryer and began drying her hair first.

I just sat there quietly, waiting. It brought back memories of how things used to be between Silas and me.

Every time after I was done washing my hair, Silas would drop whatever he was doing, whether it was gaming or work, and blow-dry my hair for me without hesitation.