Chapter 3

Five years.

I'd thought five years of marriage, if it didn't earn his love, would at least earn his respect.

But I had overestimated myself.

I wanted to ask him.

To ask him how he could utter such cruel words.

To ask him what I had ever done wrong to be tormented by him like this.

I opened my mouth, but my throat felt glued shut.

I lowered my eyes, my voice hoarse.

"I'll have the divorce papers drafted."

Daniel walked past me towards the kitchen.

"I'm very tired today, I don't want to argue with you."

Watching Daniel roll up his sleeves in the kitchen, I turned and went back to the bedroom.

Listening to the sounds from the kitchen outside.

A bitterness swelled in my heart.

Daniel was meticulously clean, almost to a fault, and never cooked.

Only now did I realize that even his meticulous habits could be selective.

I wiped away the tears from my eyes. I didn't have time for sadness now.

This month, besides the divorce, there were many things to do.

I picked up a pen and paper, pondering what tasks I needed to complete.

After these were done...

I wanted to see the ocean.

A Caribbean island in winter must be so warm.

Leaving while basking in the sunshine there, it wouldn't be painful.

Thinking this, I managed a rare smile.

As I closed my notebook, Daniel's voice came from outside.

"I won't be back tonight."

It was then I remembered my medical report was still out there.

I rushed out, colliding directly with Daniel.

He stared at my face, scrutinizing me.

"What's the rush?"

I feigned composure, grabbing my bag.

"Nothing, just getting my bag."

Daniel pressed on. "Are you sure it's nothing?"

He clearly felt I was acting unusually strange today.

I met his gaze. "Aren't you going to take porridge to your girlfriend?"

Stunned into silence, Daniel turned, grabbed his coat, and headed for the door.

"I told you, there's nothing between Victoria and me."

After he left, I finally exhaled.

Daniel was a man who cared deeply about appearances.

If he knew I was sick, he would definitely refuse to divorce for the sake of his reputation.

Our apartment was near St. Jude's Medical Center.

But I hadn't gone there for my check-up.

Because Daniel was a surgical doctor at St. Jude's.

And Victoria, whom he'd introduced, had been working in pediatrics there this year.

Daniel didn't like me coming to the Medical Center to see him.

To avoid bothering Daniel, I chose to go to County General Hospital, ten miles away.

But thinking about it now.

Even if I'd had my check-up at St. Jude's.

Daniel probably wouldn't have noticed anyway.

Very few people at the hospital knew about our relationship.

I carefully hid the report.

I couldn't let anything become an obstacle to the divorce.

It was very late, and I curled up in bed, exhausted.

Tomorrow, I still had to go back to the Campbell family home.

The Campbell estate wasn't far.

Only an hour's drive from where Daniel and I lived.

After marriage, except for holidays, I rarely went home.

I gazed at the neatly trimmed yard in front of me and pressed the doorbell.

I was here today to retrieve my grandmother's jade pendant.