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Chapter 2

Author: Migo111
I stayed in the guest room for seven days.

On the seventh day, I got off work early. When I got home, the light in the entryway was still off.

As I bent down to change my shoes, I spotted a pair I'd never seen before in the shoe cabinet. It was nude pink, brand new, and with not a speck of dust on the soles.

My dark blue slippers had been squeezed to the very bottom layer, with one side stacked on top of the other. I took them out and placed them on the top layer.

But when I came back the next evening, the dark blue slippers were once again back at the bottom, whereas the nude pink pair sat neatly on the top layer, toes pointing outward and perfectly arranged.

In the kitchen cabinet, the coaster embroidered with "Exclusively Lena's" was still there. I pulled it out and set it on the coffee table in the living room.

That evening, when Atticus came back with his briefcase in hand, his tie hanging loosely around his neck, he paused for a moment upon seeing the coaster on the coffee table.

"She embroidered it herself and left a coaster that says 'Exclusively Lena's' in our house?"

He set his briefcase on the couch and loosened his tie. "She's just being childish. Don't take it to heart."

"She's 27 years old," I countered.

That night, as I passed by the study, I noticed the door wasn't fully closed.

Atticus was on the phone, his voice deliberately kept low. "Don't cry, Lena. Charlene is all bark and no bite. She won't really drive you away. I have the final say in this house. You're welcome to come over anytime."

Though I stood outside the study, I heard every word. He said that he had the final say in this house.

I stood in the hallway for a long time, gripping a glass of water in my hand. I did not push the door open.

The next day, a letter appeared on the coffee table. It was a white envelope with red lettering, bearing the Pearson Corporation logo. On the envelope, it was written "For Atticus" in the handwriting of Atticus' grandfather, Anthony Pearson.

When I pulled out the contents, I found a family banquet invitation for the following Saturday at 6:00 pm. The invitees were listed as Atticus Pearson and Elena Stitfall. My name was conspicuously absent.

I laid the invitation in front of Atticus and pointed at that line of text.

"Grandpa must have left your name out by mistake," Atticus said.

"He remembered to write Elena's name but forgot to include your wife's name?"

"Grandpa treats her like his own granddaughter. You know that."

"And what about me?"

He opened his mouth, then turned his head away.

So, I picked up my phone and dialed Anthony's number. "Anthony, it's me, Charlene. What day is the family banquet on again? Atticus mentioned it, but I want to make sure I've got it right."

Anthony chuckled on the other end of the line. "Atticus said you'd be away on a business trip that day, and Lena happens to be free, so she'll go with him. Your business trip won't get in the way, will it?"

The living room was quiet. I could hear Anthony's breathing through the receiver, along with the muffled sound of a news broadcast from his TV.

"I don't have a business trip on that day."

There was a beat of silence on the other end. "Ah, then I must have remembered wrongly. Well, remember to join us, okay? It'll be nice to have the whole family together."

After I hung up, Atticus' expression darkened. "Did you really have to make that call? What must Grandpa think now?"

"Are you worried Anthony will find out you lied, or are you worried about Elena's reputation?"

Atticus fell silent.

I folded the invitation and tucked it back into the envelope. "Take her with you. I'm not going. That spot was always meant for her anyway."

As usual, at 11:00 pm sharp, the phone rang in the living room right on time.

I put on my headphones and turned the volume up as high as it would go. My ears were filled with music, but my mind held only one thought—Atticus had cut me out of the family dinner and given that place to another woman.

My phone screen lit up with a message from Anthony. "Charlene, I've had the kitchen arrange the menu for Saturday according to Lena's tastes. Let me know ahead of time if you have any dietary restrictions."

I did not reply.

The next morning, Atticus sent me a message after he left the house.

"Charlene, I explained the dinner situation to Grandpa. Lena lost her parents when she was young, so they've always asked me to take extra care of her. Can you just… For the sake of her difficult past…"

The glass of water I gripped in my hand was so hot it scorched my fingertips.

Elena had a hard past, so I had to give my place up for her. She had a hard past, so my name wasn't included in the invitation. She had a hard past, so my husband had to talk her to sleep every night at 11:00 pm.

But what about me? Was I not having a hard time in this marriage too?

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