Chapter 2

The travel bag slipped from my hand, and my medical file slid halfway out.

Mom bent down, picked it up, and shoved it into the bottom shelf of the shoe cabinet.

"More tests for headaches and fevers? Leave it there for now. It's bad luck to bring that stuff out today."

The photographer was already setting up his equipment in the living room.

Lily walked over and straightened my crumpled collar.

"Ryan, stop acting like you're the victim. Let Henry have his satisfaction. I'm still coming home with you tonight."

As she spoke, Henry tossed a white suit at my feet. It was the cheapest groomsman's outfit the bridal boutique offered.

"Put it on, Ryan. Don't keep everyone waiting."

Smiling, he pushed open the master bedroom door. The walls were covered with wedding photos of Lily and me. However, every photo had been altered. My face had been cut out and replaced with Henry's.

Beneath one of the frames sat a hotel receipt that showed Lily and Henry as the registered guests. The date was the night I proposed.

That night, Lily had called to say an urgent matter at work had come up. I'd waited alone in the restaurant for four hours. When she finally returned late at night, she hugged me and apologized.

"Ryan, once we're married, I'll make up every minute I've missed."

It turned out that she hadn't been at work. Instead, she had just climbed out of Henry's bed.

The hotel receipt crumpled beneath my tightened grip. Lily reached for it, but I pulled it away.

"When did this start?"

"Don't ask questions that only damage relationships." She lowered her voice. "Henry had just come back and felt insecure. I was only keeping him company."

"You kept him company in a hotel room?"

Sarah snatched the receipt from my hand.

"They're both adults. What's wrong with that? Do you have to assume the worst? If Lily didn't love you, would she have stayed with you for seven years?"

"Seven years?"

Henry leaned against the couch, stroking the wedding ring on his finger.

"During those seven years she was with Ryan, she celebrated my birthday with me every year. She used to complain that Ryan was too clingy, and it was hard for her to get away."

The words were like a punch to my chest.

Ten years ago, I'd been standing in line at a mall, helping Mom buy a birthday cake. Henry had wanted to go look at a display of toys, and I'd told him to wait beside the counter for just three minutes.

When I came back, he was gone. The police searched for an entire year without finding a lead.

Back then, Mom held me while I cried and told me it wasn't my fault. Dad sat beside my bed at night, afraid my guilt would drive me to do something reckless. Sarah had even burned the missing-person flyers.

"No one is allowed to ever bring this up in front of Ryan again."

All that protection had merely been part of a lie, and the ending had already been written.

"When were you found?"

The moment I asked that question, the room fell silent.

Mom immediately stood up and said, "Today is supposed to be a happy day. Why bring up the past?"

"Mom, I just asked when he came back."

"Ryan, don't pressure Mom." Henry's eyes reddened. "It doesn't matter when I came back. It doesn't change the fact that you lost me."

Lily gently wrapped her arms around Henry and comforted him, "It's okay. I'm here."

The ring on his finger reflected the light from her dress. The bright flash hurt my eyes.

I had gone back to the jewelry store five different times to look at that ring. Every time, Lily had told me it was too expensive and that there was no need for an extravagant wedding.

The last time, I leaned on the display counter and joked, "Once I finish this illustration project, the royalty payment will be enough for me to buy it myself."

She tapped my nose and said, "Silly. There's no rush. Someday, I'll get you something even better."

The "something better" she had promised was a plain ring worth less than 200 dollars. Meanwhile, the expensive ring now sat on Henry's finger.

"Take the ring off."

Henry immediately stepped behind Lily. Dad's expression darkened.

"It's just a ring. Are you really going to fight your own brother over it?"

"I bought that ring with my own money."

Before the wedding, Lily had transferred 28 thousand dollars from our joint account, claiming the new house needed renovations. She had promised me every cent would go toward building our future home.

Looking around at all the new furniture and decorations in the house, I realized the money had indeed been spent on the house. The only difference was that I wasn't the groom.

"Shared marital assets are still shared assets, regardless of who bought them."

Lily's voice remained gentle as she continued, "Me giving Henry a sense of security is part of helping you make amends. You always say you love me. Are you really not able to part with a little money?"

My stomach twisted violently. I rushed into the bathroom and dry-heaved for a long time.

When I came back out, I saw that Sarah had opened my travel bag. Medication bottles were neatly lined up on the coffee table.

"Painkillers. Sedatives. Anti-nausea medication."

Henry picked up one of the bottles and said, "Ryan, for someone trying to avoid apologizing, you've certainly come prepared."

"Put that down."

I moved toward him quickly and was hit by a wave of dizziness. I slammed into the corner of the table.

The bottle slipped from his hand. White pills scattered across the floor.

Mom didn't help me up. Instead, she immediately shielded Henry.

"Why are you frightening him?"

"Those are my medications," I answered.

"If you've got a headache, just endure it for a while." Dad glanced at the clock on the wall and said impatiently, "The photographer charges by the hour. Stop wasting time."

Henry crouched down and gathered the pills, his voice gentle. "Ryan, I'll help you."

He returned the pills to the bottle. Then, as he passed the sink, his wrist tilted ever so slightly. The white tablets spilled into the drain as he swiftly turned on the faucet.

Lily saw the whole thing. However, she simply took his hand and gently dried his fingers.

"Don't touch dirty things. Mom can get Ryan another bottle later."