Chapter 2
Before dawn, I kicked Mary out of the kitchen and decided to make breakfast for Edward myself.
Not once did I ever make him breakfast when we were married.
But now, three years after the divorce, there I was, up before sunrise, whipping up a fancy breakfast.
I bet Edward would have been moved by this.
Just as I finished setting the food on the table, Edward came downstairs, looking sharp, and acted like I was invisible.
He headed straight for the door.
I hurried to block his way.
"Edward, you're not leaving for work until you eat what I made," I said.
Edward gave me a sarcastic look.
"With your mess of a cooking, I'm afraid I'll get poisoned," he said.
That was before.
Now, I even managed to get certified as a chef.
When he wouldn't move, I grabbed his sleeve and tried to pull him over to the table.
But Edward stood his ground, not budging an inch no matter how hard I pulled.
Still, he didn't walk away.
Noticing his subtle nod, I quickly hurried over and scooped up a bowl of chicken soup.
The aroma was mouthwatering, filling the whole kitchen.
But before I could bring it over to Edward, the front door swung open.
"Mr. Sterling, I brought you some breakfast. It's gotten a little cold, so let me heat it up for you," Anna called out as she stepped inside.
She didn't even notice I was there.
She walked straight into the kitchen.
Clearly, this was nothing new for her.
"No need, I already made breakfast for Edward. Ms. Ford, you can eat your own," I said, grinning as I lifted the bowl of chicken soup.
Anna stopped dead in her tracks when she saw me.
Her eyes went wide with fear, like she was genuinely terrified of me.
She forced a shaky smile.
"Mrs. Sterling, you're back?" she said.
Her voice quivered, and for a moment, she even forgot to call me by the right name.
By the time Anna realized her slip, I flashed Edward a flirtatious glance and jumped in before she could recover.
"No big deal. Who knows, maybe I'll be Mrs. Sterling again in a few days," I said, grinning with confidence.
Edward shot me a look, probably worried I'd bully Anna.
"Come on, Anna. Let's skip breakfast and go," he said.
I stood in the doorway holding the soup bowl in one hand, and with the other, I raised the spoon right up to Edward's lips, daring him to take a sip.
He wasn't getting past me unless he drank it.
I was ready to keep this up as long as it took.
But just then, the side effects of my meds kicked in.
My hand started shaking uncontrollably.
The hot soup splashed onto the back of my hand, leaving a painful red mark.
Afraid they'd catch on, I mustered the last bit of strength I had and forced myself to move.
I stepped aside, letting them pass.
Edward, who'd been in such a hurry to leave, suddenly snatched the bowl of soup from my hand.
He downed it in one go.
*****
After that day I saw Anna, she never came by again.
I discreetly asked Mary.
She told me Anna would sometimes drop off breakfast for Edward, but she never stayed the night.
It didn't seem like they were a couple.
But that couldn't be right.
Anna had been by Edward's side ever since she graduated from college.
Ten years, and not a single boyfriend.
No way I'd believe she didn't like him.
Back then, Edward was willing to divorce me just to protect Anna's reputation.
He was absolutely crazy for her.
Maybe Anna just couldn't stand the thought of me having lived here before.
Or maybe they've got a secret place somewhere outside.
If that had been true, then camping out here wouldn't have done a thing to mess with their relationship.
No way. I needed to go check out his office.
I would just use bringing him lunch as an excuse.
I had Mary whip up a few dishes, packed them in a lunchbox, and headed straight to Edward's office.
The security guard at the door didn't recognize me, so I called Edward.
He was probably in a meeting.
He hung up on me before I could even finish.
But just a few minutes later,
Anna came out in a crisp white business suit.
This time, it felt like I was stepping onto her turf.
She looked smug.
"Ms. Lane, Mr. Sterling is busy. If you need anything, just tell me," she said, acting all high and mighty.
Did Edward send her out here to kick me out?
I bet she threw a fit after seeing me crash at his place.
And just like that, Edward had her show off right in front of me.
I flashed her a smile.
"Ms. Ford, if Edward really liked you, why hasn't he married you? When he confessed to me, we got hitched within a month," I said.
Yeah, I was totally trying to stir up trouble between them.
Anna was practically trained by Edward himself.
She could hide her feelings just as well as he could.
She didn't get riled up at all.
"Ms. Lane, I don't think you have any right to meddle in my business with Mr. Sterling," she said.
She totally shut me down. I was left speechless.
Since I couldn't win with words, I just had to get tough.
While they weren't paying attention, I bolted straight into the office.
In the end, Edward had to come down and get me himself.
Once we were in the elevator, he didn't even spare me a glance.
He only cared about Anna, who was standing right next to him.
"You're not hurt, are you?" he asked.
Anna shook her head, looking genuinely touched, then flashed me a subtle, taunting smile.
She was provoking me again.
Since no one was paying me any attention, I just started a conversation myself.
"Edward, is this elevator just for you?" I asked.
When I took the elevator up earlier, there was a sign that said "CEO Only."
But Anna just used it herself.
"I'm a bit frail, so Mr. Sterling feels sorry for me and doesn't want me squeezing in with the other employees. That's why only the two of us are allowed to use it," Anna said.
She was practically oozing smugness.
Edward didn't say a word, but I caught that tiny crease forming between his brows.