[6]

Auri let out a long breath—then another. Truly, this past month had drained her in every possible way. She never imagined things could unravel so quickly. Even harder to accept was the fact that she seemed to be facing all of it alone.

“Auri,” Gia called out.

There was no response from the flower shop owner. Since arriving that morning, Auri had looked distant, lost in her own thoughts. More than once, Gia—her assistant—had reminded her to be careful. But still…

“Auri.” This time, Gia raised her voice slightly. “Are you listening to me?”

“Huh? Oh—yes!” Auri blinked, startled. “What is it?”

Gia sighed. “We have our usual order. It’s on Friday. Have you prepared the base for the bouquet?”

It took a moment before Auri processed what she meant—then it clicked. “Ah, right. Ten stems of lilies.” She let out a small laugh. “I’ll get it ready.”

Every Friday, the same customer came in to buy a bouquet of lilies—ten stems, arranged carefully and beautifully. He wasn’t much of a talker, but he always left a generous tip, saying the bouquets from this shop were the best.

It didn’t take long before the customer arrived. A tall man with a solid build, always wearing dark sunglasses, showed up right at ten on the dot. He simply picked up the bouquet that had been prepared for him—and left.

It had been like that for nearly two months now.

“So…” Gia said at last, unable to hold back her curiosity. “What’s really going on with you today?”

Though she worked as Auri’s assistant, Gia was also her closest friend. They’d grown up in the same orphanage. Their bond went far deeper than sisterhood.

“I told you about Anna, didn’t I?” Auri said quietly.

Gia rolled her eyes. “What did she do this time?”

Since the moment she walked away from Ethan at breakfast, Auri's mind had been crowded with too many thoughts. It was no longer just about how she was slowly being pushed aside in that house. There was another possibility now—one was far more frightening. Could it be that …

Anna’s child is …

“Auri? Aren’t you going to answer me? Why have you been spacing out all morning?”

Gia’s voice jolted her back to the present. Auri blinked, startled, her thoughts scattered before she could even respond. Just then, her phone rang. She quickly pulled it out of the drawer. The screen lit up—and Ethan’s name appeared, along with a message.

[My Love: Anna needs to be hospitalized. The doctor says she’s suffering from stress. I’ll stay with her for a while. As for your request, Anna understands and will be leaving our house soon. Is that enough to satisfy you?]

Auri stared at the message, then she laughed.

A laugh that sounded hollow. Painful.

She covered her face with both hands, as if that might stop the tears from spilling again.

“This is insane,” she murmured, ignoring Gia’s worried voice as it called her name again, asking what was wrong.

Auri could no longer respond. She slowly sank to the floor, her chest tightening with pain at Ethan’s message. She buried her head in her knees, wondering why her tears wouldn’t stop, no matter how much she wiped. She tried to take deep breaths, forcing herself to calm down. I need to pull myself together and keep working, she thought. Work won’t let me down.

But Ethan will.

[My Love: I can’t come home yet. Anna still needs intensive care. I’ve asked Ms. Sonia to stay with you. Or would you like my mother to come instead?]

Auri read the message with quiet reluctance. It had been three days since Ethan last came home. Aside from work keeping him busy, he’d also said he needed to stay at the hospital to look after Anna.

Auri didn’t really understand what kind of condition Anna was in that made her husband feel the need to personally stay by her side—while ignoring her entirely. He acted as if their earlier arguments had never happened.

The thought drew a bitter, hollow laugh from her. Her chest tightened, no longer from anger, but from something far more frightening—disappointment slowly turning out distance.

All this time, Auri had believed that no matter what happened, Ethan would always come back to her. That this house, this marriage, was the place they both returned to at the end of the day.

But now, for the first time, she felt as though she was no longer his destination, only a place he stopped by before leaving again. The realization left her sitting still for a long time, staring at her phone without really seeing the screen.

She didn’t want to argue anymore. Didn’t want to ask for explanations that would only end with her feeling guilty for being “too demanding” or “not understanding enough.”

It was better to spend her time at the flower shop, keeping herself calm, making sure her condition stayed stable, making sure nothing went wrong with her pregnancy, and doing her best to appear at peace. She had read somewhere that expectant mothers needed to stay happy. A mother’s emotions could affect her baby.

Almost every message Ethan sent went unanswered.

Until one day, a single message came—one that finally forced her to make a firm decision.

She had to. No matter what happened, even if Ethan got angry with her, Auri no longer cared.

Auri wanted Anna to leave the house. As soon as possible.

Anna is coming home today. That was what Ethan had told her.

And sure enough, less than two hours after that message, Anna arrived. Her face looked bright, healthier and more cheerful than before.

“I’m sorry for worrying you, Auri,” Anna said with a wide smile. “Ethan told me you were concerned about me.” She set a cake box down on the table.

“Let’s just say that’s true,” Auri replied quietly. “Where’s Ethan?”

Anna studied for a moment. “Didn’t you know? Ethan has meetings all day today. One of his employees picked me up.” She walked into the kitchen to grab something. “If you think Ethan is always by my side, I think you’ve misunderstood.”

Auri returned the look without enthusiasm.

“Ethan’s been extremely busy dealing with his business rival. You know RedFashion, right? He’s really been overwhelmed by the owner of that group.” Anna carefully opened the cake box, slicing into the buttery dessert with slow, deliberate movements.

“How do you know about that?” Auri asked.

Anna let out a small laugh. “Don’t you know how close we are? Ethan talks to me about a lot of things, Auri—even about his business. That’s why I know how difficult things have been for him at work.” She looked at Auri again. “Or… didn’t you know that?”

Auri fell silent. Her hands were clenched tightly. Friends? Just how close were they, really?

“Relax, Auri. I’m not taking anything from you. Truly.” Anna slid the plate aside. “Ethan just needs someone to talk to, and it just so happens that I’m there. Besides, we studied in the same field. I suppose some of my advice is useful to him. Maybe if you could do that too, Ethan would tell you in detail what’s going on with his company.”

She handed Auri a plate with a slice of cake. “Come on, let’s eat together.”

When Auri didn’t respond, Anna continued lightly, “Oh, come on. I really want us to have a good relationship. I’ll be packing tomorrow. I’ve already found a decent place to stay. You should be happy, right?”

Anna smiled broadly. “Do you doubt my intentions?” She picked up a slice of the cake and took a bite. “See? There’s nothing to worry about.”

Auri still didn’t respond.

“Oh, I think Ethan will be home soon,” Anna added after glancing at her phone.

Auri couldn’t help thinking—so Ethan even updates Anna while he’s on his way home? Not her. How remarkable their friendship truly was.

“You’re really leaving tomorrow?” Auri asked, needing to be sure.

“Yes, of course. Ethan said a lot to me while I was in the hospital—about your feelings, and about our babies. I know I’ve caused you both so much trouble. I really shouldn’t stay here any longer.” Anna offered again, almost casually, “Should I make some tea to go with the cake?”

“No need,” Auri replied. She took a small breath before finally taking a bite of the cake—just a little.

“Well? Is it good?” Anna asked eagerly.

A few seconds passed after the cake touched Auri’s tongue. At first, it was sweet and soft. Then, suddenly, a burning sensation surged up her throat. Her chest tightened without warning, as if something were crushing her from the inside.

“I—” Auri set down her fork. Her breathing turned shallow. “This….”

She swayed, struggling not to collapse. Her vision blurred. Her head spun.

“Auri!” Anna cried out. “What’s wrong? What’s happening to you?”

“This…” Auri tried to speak, though every word felt impossibly heavy. “What kind of cake is this?”

Just then, she saw Ethan enter the house. He immediately broke into a run when he spotted Auri slumping against the dining chair.

“What’s going on?” Ethan demanded, rushing to her side and carefully supporting her unsteady body.

Before Auri could answer, her strength gave out even more. Her abdomen tightened painfully. “My stomach, Ethan,” she whispered.

“Anna, can you explain what happened to Auri?”

“I—I don’t know,” Anna said, genuinely panicked. “We were eating cake together, Ethan. I ate it too, but why is Auri like this? I don’t understand.”

Auri’s breathing grew more labored. “The cake… Ethan…” she managed to say through the haze.

“What about the cake?” Ethan’s panic deepened.

“It’s a peanut cake, Ethan,” Anna said, trembling. “Does… does Auri not eat peanuts?”

The moment those words left Anna’s mouth, Auri could no longer hold on. Darkness rushed in, thick and suffocating. She collapsed unconsciously in Ethan’s arms.

“Auri!”