Chapter 2

After hanging up, I started packing my things. The apartment felt empty, as if most of it had disappeared in an instant.

Then it hit me. Shaun's company was about to go public.

He'd been so busy lately. He barely stayed here anymore.

And Elaine, his secretary, was always with him. Eating together. Working late. Staying over every single day.

It made me uneasy. But every time I brought it up, Shaun would just look at me seriously and say, "Sylvia, Elaine helps me a lot at work. Can you not be so narrow-minded?"

So I hid all my worries and doubts deep inside.

Even when I saw them together, acting like no one else existed. Even when everyone at his company said they'd make a perfect couple.

I swallowed it all because I couldn't bear to leave him.

To me, Shaun was the only light in my dark world.

The year we got together, my mom passed away. Not long after, my dad brought his old flame home and married her.

Life at home just kept getting worse. Dad only cared about the son of his true love, and he saw me as a constant reminder that he'd betrayed his true love. He couldn't stand to look at me.

Back then, I felt like I was living in hell.

Just when I was about to break down and thought about ending it all, Shaun showed up.

He took my hand and said, "Sylvia, be with me. I'll give you a real home."

And that's how I ended up with him.

The second year we were together, my name somehow got left off the study abroad list. Shaun was even more anxious than I was. He ran around, asking everyone if there was any way to fix it.

There was a professor who thought highly of me and offered to help.

But Shaun looked so reluctant. So I turned the professor down.

The professor told me, "You'll regret this."

But seeing Shaun so happy, I felt zero regret.

All I ever wanted was a love that was truly mine.

But at some point, without me even realizing it, that love stopped being just mine.

Maybe it was when I was stuck in the hospital with appendicitis, lying there all alone, while Shaun was out with Elaine, watching the moon.

Maybe it was on the anniversary of my mom's death, when he left me behind to go watch a movie with her.

Or maybe it was when I lost the baby. He just said, "It's gone. That's it. Just be more careful next time."

And right after that, he took Elaine skiing, all because she had a bad dream.

Just one more chance. If he messed up again, I was done.

If he left me alone one more time, I'd walk away for real. No more second chances.

*****

When Shaun finally got home, I was just about to dig into some pasta in broth.

He saw me acting like nothing was wrong and suddenly looked annoyed.

He pressed his lips and asked, with irritation in his voice, "Didn't I tell you to wait for me at the bridal shop? Why didn't you stay? You didn't even let me know. I ended up going there for nothing."

I took a bite without even looking up. "Why would I bother telling you?"

He saw how indifferent I was. Annoyance flickered in his eyes.

He sat at the other end of the table, his arms crossed, studying me.

After a long pause, he finally spoke, "I've always been the one buying Elaine's pajamas. If I don't pick them out for her, she won't sleep.

"I didn't mean to lie about working overtime. I just didn't want to mess up such an important day for you."

I gave him a strained smile.

I didn't push back like I used to. That caught him off guard.

He looked at me, his mouth slightly open, like he wanted to say something but couldn't find the words.

I cut him off. "Yeah, I know. You two have always been close.

"If there was anything going on between you and Elaine, I wouldn't even be in the picture."

I didn't think saying that would make him lose his temper.

He snapped at me, his voice full of anger, "Sylvia, why are you giving me attitude?"

I gave him a puzzled look.

All I did was toss his own words back at him. And now he was acting like I was the one being snarky.

But honestly, I really wasn't trying to give him attitude.

I stared right into his eyes, and he couldn't meet my gaze. He turned his head away, guilt written all over his face.

Just then, Elaine strutted in. She grabbed Shaun's arm and pressed herself against him, her full breasts pushed right up against his side.

She shot me an annoyed glare, like I was the one causing drama.

She even pinched his ear, and the way they were all over each other made me sick.

She turned to me and said, "Sylvia, the company's about to go public, and we're all crazy busy. Shaun squeezed out time for your engagement just to cater to your ridiculous need for security. Isn't that enough?

"If you're mad he bought me pajamas, just say so. Why do you have to be so dramatic?"

I tuned out everything she said. My eyes landed on her neck, where an obvious hickey practically screamed for attention.

Then I looked at Shaun. He had one too, right on his throat.

Their faces were flushed, and the way they gazed at each other, all gooey and lovesick, honestly made me want to gag.

What else was there to figure out?

If anything, now that I understood, it just made me feel even more sick to my stomach.

I cut Elaine off, my gaze locked on their intertwined fingers. "Seriously, what kind of relationship do you have, where he's picking out your pajamas? And how close do you have to be to end up sleeping together?"

As soon as I said that, Shaun snapped. He grabbed the pasta and hurled it at me.

I threw up my hands to block it, but the scalding broth still splattered all over me.

It burned like hell.

When he saw me like that, misery written all over my face, his face twisted with regret.

Elaine suddenly chimed in, "Sylvia, if you really hate me that much, fine. I'll leave.

"But not until Shaun's company goes public. I don't want him to deal with all that stress alone."

Hearing that, Shaun glared at me with obvious annoyance and said coldly, "Why can't you just act like an adult for once? Be sensible, like Elaine."