Chapter 2

Dazed, I returned to his apartment. My mom texted me:

"So, did Dan freak out when he heard you're pregnant?"

I took a deep breath, swallowed the bitterness in my throat, and calmly replied:

"Not yet, I just got to his apartment, haven't told him."

The apartment door opened from the outside. It was Dan, who had returned.

Our eyes met. His expression faltered for a few seconds, then quickly regained composure.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming? I would've picked you up at the airport."

My expression was flat. "Wanted to surprise you."

He smiled, walking over and gently rubbing my hair. "I would never let you do that."

"Flying must be exhausting, right? It's just a birthday, you shouldn't have to deal with jet lag."

Dan was about to say more, but his phone rang.

As he looked down to reply, his eyes held the familiar tenderness and patience I knew so well.

Then he looked apologetic. "Too bad I have a client meeting tonight. My darling will have to be lonely."

Before I could say anything, he pulled a piece of clothing from the closet.

I instantly understood.

He'd come back for the personal item the other woman had forgotten.

This apartment, which he temporarily used for overseas business trips, was a place I had decorated for him little by little, whenever I had a spare moment.

I'd taken a week off work for it, even losing a major client.

But now, the vase I'd spent half an afternoon finding, and then personally brought from home, was gone.

Even the photo of us stuck on the fridge had disappeared.

A sharp, damp chill seeped into my core, just like the rain soaking my clothes.

I abruptly stood up, dragging my suitcase towards the door.

Dan followed me. "Are you mad?"

He put his arm around my shoulder from behind. "The apartment isn't cleaned up. I'll book you a five-star hotel nearby."

"I promise, I'll spend the entire day with you tomorrow, okay?"

As usual, he leaned in to kiss me.

A strange citrus scent, unfamiliar to me, filled my nostrils.

It was her scent.

I turned my face away. Dan didn't seem to notice, and rushed off.

By the elevator, a creep whistled at me, his gaze sticky.

"How much? If he doesn't want you, I'll take you."

"He has a girlfriend, I've seen her. You're so beautiful, why stoop so low?"

"All the neighbors know them. He was so head-over-heels, he wouldn't even let his girlfriend walk a step, often carrying her home from the parking garage sometimes. She always looked so happy."

He suddenly grabbed my waist, grinning, and leaned in to kiss me.

By instinct, I stomped hard on his foot.

While he cried out in pain, I pulled my suitcase and escaped through the emergency exit.

Even when I stumbled and fell, I didn't dare stop to check for scraped knees. I scrambled up and ran down the stairs.

I headed straight to the airport, sitting numbly in the departure lounge.

I couldn't understand. Why was Dan cheating again?

For the first two years of our marriage, I often had nightmares.

In them, Dan was naked, embracing a stranger.

I always woke up crying.

He would hold me, soothing me over and over.

"It's all my fault, I made my darling sad."

He changed all his electronic device passwords to my birthday and introduced me as his wife at every public event.

He always told me what he did and who he met every day.

Even when he had to stay overnight for a business trip, he would leave FaceTime on all night, falling asleep to the sound of my breathing.

We were both carefully rebuilding that trust.

When did it all start to unravel?

Vaguely remembering the woman's name, I opened Ins and searched.

It took only a minute to find her among the many accounts with the same name.

Only because her profile picture was taken in Dan's office back home.