Chapter 2

Snow fell quietly as if it had buried everything in the world.

Inside the car, the only voice was Alex’s. “After the marriage, was the household’s financial control always in Keith’s hands? I suggest you first get a clear picture of his assets.”

Kelly tilted her head, puzzled.

Alex continued, “It reminded me of that tech CEO who famously paid himself just a dollar a year. Though Keith wouldn’t go that far—he wouldn’t have started plotting against you the moment you got married.

Kelly nodded quietly. “I’ll look into it. For now, take me to the bank.”

After leaving the bank, Kelly returned home.

The moment she stepped inside, she saw Maya holding a stray dog in her arms.

Keith stood beside her with a towel, wiping the dog’s damp, filthy fur.

Wrapped around the dog was a dark brown scarf.

It was the one Kelly had spent an entire month knitting by hand last year as a New Year’s gift for Keith.

The two of them were chatting and laughing.

It wasn’t until Maya noticed Kelly that she gently tugged at Keith’s sleeve and shifted half her body behind him. “Kelly’s back.”

Keith set down the towel. “You’re home.”

Kelly walked over in silence.

Her gaze fell on the small dog in Maya’s arms, and she curled her lips in mockery. “That thing sure knows how to pick its place.”

Maya’s face flushed red.

She looked at Keith, aggrieved.

Keith’s fingers moved quickly as he explained, [We found it by the roadside. With the snow this heavy, if no one took it in, it would’ve frozen to death this winter. Kelly, you used to like animals.]

Kelly let out a faint, humorless smile. “People change. Come here, I need to talk to you.”

With that, she turned and walked straight into the living room.

Maya pouted slightly and clung to Keith, her voice soft and pleading.

“Kelly still hasn’t forgiven me. She’s still blaming me… Maybe I should take the dog and stay at a hotel. I don’t want you two arguing because of me, and I don’t want to put you in a difficult position.”

Keith casually ruffled the back of her head. “I’ll handle it.”

He followed her into the living room.

Kelly lifted her eyes. “I don’t like Maya. Don’t you know that? And do you not know why Barney is lying in the hospital, unconscious?”

Keith’s expression grew slightly irritated.

He rubbed his temples before signing.

[Kelly, the police already looked into it back then. What happened to Barney wasn’t directly connected to Maya.

[Leaving aside that she was Barney’s girlfriend—even if she were just a friend, anyone would step in if they saw their friend being harassed.

[Barney told her to hide, so she hid in the warehouse. When he ran over, the door wouldn’t open because it was old and broken. That’s why he was beaten into a vegetative state.

[Maya was a victim too. Back then, didn’t you treat her like your own sister? You even told me to take better care of her.

[She was harassed by a neighbor, had nowhere to go, and in this city, she only knew us. Kelly, don’t let baseless hatred cloud your judgment.]

Kelly’s fingertips turned ice-cold.

She tried to smile, but it faltered into something strained. “Does it really have to be this way?”

Keith stepped in front of her and crouched down. [Maya’s already paid for it. Back then, she spent three days and nights out in the snow, praying for Barney. She nearly got frostbite in her legs.]

Right.

How wonderful.

Her brother lost half his life while Maya almost gotten frostbite.

Kelly felt all the strength drain from her body. “Do whatever you want.”

After all, he had already cheated six hundred and sixty-six times.

What difference did this last month make?

But her heart still ached uncontrollably.

Maybe…

Carving out rotten flesh always came with a cost.

Keith took her hand and brought it to his lips, pressing a kiss against it. [I knew my Kelly was the kindest person in the world.]

Kelly pushed him away.

She turned and headed upstairs.

Keith watched her back—thin beneath the knit sweater, her shoulders sharp.

He frowned.

When had she gotten this thin?

He reached out and grabbed her arm.

Kelly turned around.

Keith lowered his gaze, a faint smile on his lips. [Kelly, don’t forget about tonight.]

Maya’s voice chimed in, bright and sweet. “What plans do you have tonight? Weren’t you going to take me to get the dog checked?”

Kelly didn’t want to hear a single word.

She gave a brief nod.

Then she pulled her arm free and walked upstairs.

Keith frowned, watching her disappear around the corner before finally looking away.

Then he said to Maya, “There’s an auction in the city tomorrow. My cousin, Nadia Parsons, is the lead planner. She’s hosting tonight and wants everyone at the club to show support.”

Maya said, “I want to go too.”

A trace of displeasure appeared between Keith’s brows. “That’s not appropriate.”

Maya stomped her foot and huffed, pouting. “Then I’ll just go drink at the club by myself!”

With that, she ran out, still holding the dog.

Keith didn’t bother stopping her.

He sat in the living room, replaying Kelly’s behavior in his mind.

Something about her felt off today.

Could it be that she found out about him and Maya?

Impossible.

If that were the case, Kelly would’ve caused a scene long ago.

Keith rubbed his temples irritably, figuring it was probably because he hadn’t gone with her to visit her father’s grave today.

At worst, he’d just bid on a few extra pieces of jewelry for her at tomorrow’s auction.

Kelly didn’t come downstairs until evening.

Seeing that Keith was the only one in the living room, she felt like the air had cleared a little. “Can we go?”

Keith nodded quickly.

He went up a few steps to meet her, helping her down, then eagerly picked up her white coat and draped it over her shoulders. [It’s snowing. It’s freezing outside—wear more, don’t catch a cold.]

Kelly let him hold her hand and guide her into the car all the way to the club.

After greeting Nadia, she slipped into her usual spot, a quiet corner, and sat down.

She sipped her juice in small, measured sips and watched the others sing and joke around.

After several rounds of drinks, Nadia suddenly remembered her grandmother’s instructions.

She quietly took a pill from her pocket, dropped it into a glass of sparkling wine, and carried it over to Kelly.

Kelly accepted it.

Nadia gestured clumsily in sign language. [You have to support me at the auction tomorrow, okay? Let me toast you. This is just sparkling wine, very low alcohol.]

Kelly smiled and nodded.

Nadia was one of the few in the family who had treated her well. Kelly cherished that.

She clinked glasses with her and drank it in one go.

Out of the corner of her eye, Nadia glanced over and finally let out a quiet breath of relief.

At least she hadn’t let her grandmother down.

Once her grandmother got her great-grandchild, she’d have done her part.

Among those present was one of Keith’s friends, Eddy Oliver.

He had stepped out for a while.

When he came back, he dropped heavily into the seat beside Keith.

He lowered his voice and said, “What’s going on? You’ve got your wife here, and your side piece is causing a scene. I just saw some guy making a big romantic move on Maya out in the main room.”

After saying that, Eddy glanced at Kelly.

Keith’s expression remained blank.

He didn’t say a word.

The fingers gripping his glass turned pale at the knuckles.

Eddy continued, “Anyway, your wife can’t hear anything. Just make something up to smooth her over and go check on your new girl?”

Keith set down his glass and turned to Kelly. [Kelly, I need to step out to take a call. I’ll be right back. Wait for me, okay?]

Kelly nodded.

She watched as he hurried off, his steps quick and urgent.

Eddy was soon dragged away to play cards.

As always, they ignored Kelly.

So not a single person noticed when she left the private room.

The pounding music hit her ears as she walked into the main hall, hands covering them.

She stopped behind the crowd that had gathered to watch.

And with her own eyes, she saw Keith kick over the entire confession setup.

The man who had been confessing flew into a rage. “Who the hell are you? What gives you the right?”

Keith’s gaze turned sharp, heavy with pressure as he looked at Maya. “Tell him who I am.”

Maya stubbornly stepped toward the man. “I don’t know this man…”

Before she could finish, Keith grabbed her arm and yanked her back in front of him.

His hands cupped her face, and he kissed her—hard, punishing, full of heat—drawing a wave of shocked screams from the crowd.

Kelly took out her phone and recorded the scene.

If the person Keith cheated with weren’t Maya, she wouldn’t have hated him this much.

But since it was, he’d have no one to blame but himself when she took everything from him—when she sent him crashing at the very moment his company went public, its value soaring, just as he stood on the brink of having it all.

What kind of expression would he have then?

Kelly wiped away the tear at the corner of her eye.

For the first time, she found herself looking forward to it.