Chapter 2

As soon as I got the confirmation, I drove straight to the company building.

I rarely checked in on Marcus Davies, and I didn't come to the office often.

Seven years of marriage, and I’d been by his side as he rose from a broke kid to one of the top names in the business world.

Everyone knew I was the woman he adored.

But his behavior over the past six months perfectly mirrored all the red flags relationship influencers posted online.

It made me suspicious, no matter how much I wanted to deny it.

Suppressing a wave of irritation, I pushed open the office door.

I flipped on the light, only to be greeted by Marcus, kneeling on one knee, a bouquet of flowers in his hand, his eyes full of affection.

"My dear wife, I've been waiting for you."

"You… what are you doing?"

Before I could finish, he smoothly stood up, pulled me into his arms, and rested his chin intimately on my shoulder.

"My wife checking up on me just shows how much she cares. So, of course, I had to give you a surprise! If you checked in every time I worked late, I'd get to see you every day."

"I love you, Happy Valentine's Day."

Looking into his loving eyes, I felt a flicker of emotion, almost swayed.

My doubts began to fade. He put his work aside, and we drove home together.

After Marcus tucked me into bed, he picked up his laptop and went to the living room to continue working.

I had just closed my eyes when my phone vibrated incessantly with new messages.

I picked it up. An adorable animal avatar had sent a string of texts. No contact name, but the messages were pinned to the top.

[Boss Davies, you actually left me alone at the restaurant on Valentine's Day! That’s so ungentlemanly! I'm going to punish you, you have to have dinner with me every night next week!]

[Hehe, by the way, how was that trick I taught you to make your wife happy? You’re such a goofball, if only you were half as smart as me~]

It was Marcus’s phone. He never set a password.

I recognized the sender. It was Tiffany, the intern from his company.

The moment I saw those words, my blood ran cold, freezing in my veins.

It dawned on me, belatedly, that Marcus was never the type to say sweet, romantic things.

Men who cheat often feel guilty towards their current partner, so they subconsciously express love to compensate.

That thought flashed through my mind, and I fought down a wave of nausea, scrolling up frantically.

[Boss, only my warm drink has brown sugar, right? Thank you, my period cramps are gone now~]

[OMG how did you know I love strawberry sundaes, and you even prepared a whole fridge full for me? You’re like an ice cream wizard, I worship you!!]...

Scrolling back through the past six months, Tiffany had been chattering away daily, sharing her favorite songs and food. Marcus, though usually reserved, had responded to every single one of her messages.

Our last chat, on our wedding anniversary, was him telling me he had to work late.

The chat history seemed endless, and my heart felt like it was plunging into a bottomless abyss.

The messages refreshed quickly.

Tiffany sent a voice note, her sweet voice laced with a hint of a sob:

"Boss, I really don't want you to go. If I were a little more stubborn, would you stay tonight? It's my mom's death anniversary today, everyone else is so happy, except for me."

This time, Marcus replied almost instantly, the message syncing from his laptop to his phone:

[Send me your location.]

At the same moment, I heard the hurried sound of a laptop closing outside. Marcus pushed open the door, speaking quickly:

"Bella, something urgent came up at the company. I need to go. Oh, and I'll be working late every night next week, so don't wait up for dinner."

With that, he grabbed his phone and jacket, ready to leave.

I suddenly called out to him, my voice trembling.

"Marcus, can't you not work late tonight?"

But before I could finish, his anxious voice cut me off.

"Alright, why are you acting like a child at our age? I'll come back to you once I'm done, promise. Be good."

Since we got married, Marcus had always prioritized me.

He was always sensitive to my slightest emotional shifts.

If only he had looked closely, he would have seen my tear-filled eyes glistening in the moonlight.

But he left without a second glance.

Thunder rumbled outside. I remained silent for a long time, then opened the long-dormant family SnapChat group and sent a message:

[I want to come home.]