Chapter 2

The ramen suddenly tasted stale, and it made me nauseous.

I dumped them into the trash and cooked myself a proper four-course dinner with soup.

From now on, I wanted to take better care of myself too.

By the time Gina came home, it was almost midnight.

Mike was supporting a half-drunk Gina as they walked through the door.

"Perry, Ms. Harlington had a little too much to drink tonight. Please take good care of her."

I reached out for Gina, but she pushed my hand away.

"Go away!"

She turned to face Mike and winked at him flirtatiously. "Mike, have a few more drinks with me."

Mike leaned close and whispered into her ear. "Ms. Harlington, don't rush. I'll have another drink with you tomorrow."

His breath brushed against her ear. She leaned weakly against him.

Her ears were one of her most sensitive spots, and Mike knew exactly how to take advantage of that.

The sight in front of me made my heart ache.

I pulled Gina away from him.

"Mike, you can leave now."

I wrapped an arm around Gina. Her familiar scent made my head spin.

After helping her onto the bed, I looked at her flushed, alluring face from the alcohol.

I lost control and kissed her.

Gina instinctively kissed me back, but then she suddenly opened her eyes. When she realized it was me, she shoved me away.

She seemed to sober up a little, and her expression changed. "What are you doing? I don't feel well today."

With that, she pushed herself up and went into the bathroom.

I sank onto the bed and felt totally numb after Gina shut me down like that.

Ever since Mike became Gina's secretary, she had refused to get close to me.

By the time Gina came out of the shower, most of the alcohol had worn off.

She glanced at the dishes on the table before smiling sarcastically.

"Well, look at you. You made yourself such a nice dinner. I was worried you hadn't eaten, so I brought you some food. Guess I was worried for nothing."

She glanced at a crumpled plastic bag by the door after saying that.

I had assumed it was just a bag of trash she had forgotten to throw away.

When I opened it, I found some cold shrimp and crab inside.

I was allergic to seafood, and I had never eaten these things before.

Gina became impatient when she saw me frown.

"I brought you food out of kindness. Why are you making that face?"

I clenched my fist and said coldly, "I'm allergic to seafood."

Gina glanced at the food in the bag, and an odd expression appeared on her face. She quickly explained, "Mike likes seafood, so that's what we ordered tonight.

"You've already eaten anyway. If you don't want it, just throw it away."

I recalled the time I had accompanied Gina to a business dinner and accidentally eaten a dish containing shrimp.

My entire body became swollen, and I went into shock.

Gina had been furious. She had chewed out the client and specifically instructed everyone around her never to order seafood whenever I was eating with them.

She had once loved me with all her heart, but now, someone else had become the person she cared about.

Gina ignored me and closed the bedroom door. She shut me out.

We had made it through the seven-year itch together, but I never expected our marriage to fall apart at the ten-year mark.

Staring at the closed bedroom door, I fell deep into thought.

Gina and I had been college classmates. We fell in love at first sight at our college's orientation party.

Even back then, Gina had already shown an exceptional talent for business.

While everyone else was busy playing video games and out shopping, she had already started her own business on campus with her sharp business instincts.

By the time we graduated, everyone else was struggling to find a job.

Gina had already founded her own company.

I admired her ambition and supported her quietly from the sidelines.

One day, she complained to me about how difficult it was for a woman to build a career on her own and how she constantly ran into one problem after another.

Without hesitation, I quit my promising job and returned to help her.

I never wanted money or recognition. All I wanted was for her to achieve her dream.