Chapter 2

Back when we covered breaking news and shot on location together, she fondly called me her star, saying I would always be the guiding light of her life. Yet now, in less than a decade, every vow had turned into a lie.

Before I even had a chance to make Lily a bottle, she rolled over and nearly tumbled off the sofa. I lunged forward and caught her just in time, but the sudden move startled Sarah.

“Harry! Do you have to spy on me all the time? Don’t you get sick of it?”

When she turned around and saw Lily nearly hitting the floor and my swollen, sprained ankle, she instantly went silent.

Mark’s provocative voice echoed through the phone speakers. “Come on, Harry, you used to be a star reporter yourself. Don’t you know how to respect people’s privacy? I’m not even fully dressed here!”

I sneered. So he knew he shouldn’t be seen looking like that.

“Let me give you a piece of advice,” Mark continued. “A woman is like sand in your palm. The tighter you squeeze, the faster she slips away.”

Empowered by Mark’s backing, Sarah suddenly found her courage again. “Harry, you know how angry I can get. If you ever spy on me again–”

I cut her off indifferently. “Don’t worry, it will never happen again.”

I had resolved to get a divorce. How could there possibly be a next time?

“Come to the station tomorrow at ten,” Sarah said. “I’ll take you to see the director to apply for your return to work.”

I knew this was her way of making it up to me for not starting a fight. Coincidentally, I had a few things I wanted to say to the news director as well, so I agreed.

The next morning, my mother-in-law picked up Lily to take care of her, and I arrived at the station building by nine-thirty.

Since I didn’t have a keycard, I had to wait for Sarah to return from her field shoot to bring me upstairs. However, she didn’t pick up any of my calls.

I gave a self-deprecating laugh. There was a time when she used to answer my calls on the first ring. I couldn’t even pinpoint when she began taking forever to pick up or simply declining my calls altogether.

Perhaps she thought a stay-at-home dad couldn’t possibly have anything important to say. Or perhaps only Mark was on her mind.

After I waited downstairs for a full hour, Sarah and Mark finally appeared. His blue tie matched the blue scarf around her neck, a subtle, unspoken sign of their secret intimacy.

I glanced sideways, catching my reflection in the glass wall: unkempt and with stubble covering my face. I couldn’t help but frown at the sight.

While I was lost in thought, the two of them walked into the building, laughing and chatting. Still without a keycard, I anxiously dialed Sarah’s phone again, only to be rejected once more.

Mark turned to ask her, “Who is it?”

Sarah gently smoothed down a strand of Mark’s hair that had been ruffled by the wind, smiling as she replied, “It’s just a scam call.”

I stood outside in the freezing wind for a long time before a familiar former colleague finally bumped into me and brought me upstairs.

When I met with the news director, he expressed his regrets. The show I used to host before taking my long sabbatical—a program dedicated to helping abused women and children—had been taken over by Mark.

Worst of all, the audience now only recognized Mark as the face of the show. He even subtly suggested I needed to fix up my personal appearance before he could assign me any new work.

I forced a smile on my face. Underneath my sleeves, however, my fists were clenched, and the veins were bulging on my forearms.

Feeling disconsolate, I walked into the recording studio, where Sarah and Mark had just finished broadcasting a news segment about domestic violence. Mark had delivered his commentary with such emotion that his eyes reddened with tears. Even the crew at the control board were visibly moved.

Sarah stared at his profile, with a mix of adoration and tenderness. However, when Sarah turned her head and saw me, her delicate brows instantly furrowed into a tight knot.

“What are you doing here?”

Before I could speak, Mark strode over and offered me a casual smile. “Hey, Harry, long time no see. How did you age so fast?”

As Sarah walked over, Mark naturally slid his arm around her waist.

He glanced at me with disgust and added, “Even if you’re just a stay-at-home dad taking care of a kid, you should groom yourself better to avoid grossing people out.”