Chapter 2

I suppressed the faint ache in my chest and forced a cheerful smile.

“Of course not. I’ll move to the west side right away.”

The west side was where Felix and I had first met.

Our first encounter had been almost comical.

The moment we saw each other, we both froze, staring intently at each other’s faces.

That day, he gave me the villa on the west side of town.

He kept me there like his pampered little songbird.

Lying on the bed in that villa, I booked a flight for two days later.

I had decided to return to Boston and visit my late husband’s grave.

The next moment, the entire villa suddenly lost power.

Darkness swallowed everything.

Ever since my husband died, I had been terrified of the dark.

So terrified that my whole body would shake, and I would struggle to breathe.

Without thinking, I called Felix.

In the darkness, the phone rang again and again.

With every ring, my heart pounded harder.

Finally, someone answered.

I immediately said, “Felix, the power is out. Please get someone to come check it…”

I was frantic, but the voice that came through the phone was Vivian’s.

As if she already knew why I was calling, she spoke softly.

“Felix is taking a shower. Do you know why the power went out?

“He said I’m too afraid of you, so he deliberately shut off the power. He wants you to come beg me and let me see you in such a pathetic state. That way, maybe I won’t be so afraid of you anymore…”

She let out a quiet laugh. There was none of the fear she had shown me earlier.

“Yvonne, why don’t you beg me?

“Beg me, and I’ll turn the power back on.”

Darkness surrounded me.

The memories that had always been unbearable to relive began creeping into my mind, one after another.

Cold sweat covered my body as though an invisible hand was squeezing my throat.

After Felix learned how terrified I was of the dark, he had never let me stay in darkness.

Wherever I was, he always made sure the lights were on.

All because of one accidental power outage, when he had seen me struggling to breathe.

But now, he was the one who had deliberately left me in the dark.

My trembling fingers hung up the phone.

I closed my eyes and decided to endure it on my own.

About ten minutes later, I heard the door open.

Felix appeared before me, looking as though he had rushed over.

He immediately turned on the lights himself, and the entire world brightened again.

When he saw me drenched in cold sweat, my eyes unfocused, a flicker of concern crossed his face.

He instinctively stepped forward and lifted me into his arms.

But his words were cold.

“So you’d rather suffer through it alone than swallow your pride and ask for help?

“Vivian kindly asked me to come check on you, but you threatened her? She said you threatened her over the phone, and now she’s too frightened to sleep.”

My senses slowly returned.

“Whatever she tells you, you believe? Why would I need to threaten her?”

Felix stared at me darkly.

“I really spoiled you too much. Vivian would never lie.”

I let out a mocking laugh.

He stood up and spoke calmly.

“I’ve transferred ownership of the villa to Vivian. You’re only staying there temporarily now.

“She can ask you to leave whenever she wants.”

I looked up at him and remained silent for a long time.

When Felix had given me the villa, he had told me,

“You’ll always be the lady of this house. No matter what happens, it will always belong to you.”

I had believed him.

I had carefully decorated every corner.

I had bought matching slippers and matching clothes for the two of us.

I had filled the house with our photographs.

I had truly made that place my home.

And now he was telling me that it no longer belonged to me.

It belonged to another woman.

The word “temporarily” was crueler than anything else.

Fortunately, I would be leaving soon anyway.

I spoke softly.

“It’s your house. You have every right to decide what to do with it. I have no objection.”

Felix didn’t look as pleased as I expected.

The crease between his brows only deepened.