Chapter 2

I yanked my hand out of his grip, my face cold. I said, "Thinking about me? Then why did you remember to buy Jessica a Porsche worth millions, but couldn't even bother to get me a birthday gift?"

His expression turned stormy. He snapped, "Lillian, will you ever drop this? Yeah, I gave her a sports car. She's stuck with me for years, through thick and thin. Can't I show her some gratitude?"

I stared at him, bitterness flooding my chest, like someone had their hands wrapped tight around my throat.

I said, "Matthew, she's been your assistant for four years, but I've been your wife for eight. You spend our money on a luxury car for her as a thank-you, but you won't spend a dime on me? Not even a birthday gift?"

Matthew shot back, furious, "So now you're counting every penny? Money really does go to people's heads. You're just a housewife. What would you even do with a sports car? Would you ever drive it?

"I'm done talking. Keep this up, and maybe we shouldn't bother staying together."

After eight years as his wife, he still never understood. It was never about the birthday present or the luxury car; what really mattered to me was the way he treated me.

Our marriage was crumbling, barely holding together, and he wasn't even willing to lift a finger to save it.

Just then, his phone rang awkwardly, cutting through the tension.

As soon as he answered, all his anger melted away, and his voice became unbelievably gentle. He asked, "Jessica, what's wrong?"

Jessica's sobs came through the phone, broken and shaky. She said, "Matthew, I was driving home and accidentally hit a tree while turning. My stomach hurts so much, I'm so scared."

Matthew's face went pale. He said, "Just wait for me. I'm coming right now." Without a second thought, without even sparing me a glance or an explanation, he bolted out the door.

I was left behind, abandoned on the spot, my mind a total blank. I just sat there, staring into nothing, completely numb.

Before I could even wrap my head around what just happened, two texts popped up from a number I didn't recognize.

The first was a screenshot of Jessica and Matthew chatting on WhatsApp.

The second was a pregnancy report showing Jessica was three months pregnant, with a note underneath.

The note read: [This is our first baby. Matthew got me a Porsche and even bought me a villa to celebrate.

[Lillian, tonight Matthew's staying with our baby and me at the villa. Guess you'll be celebrating your birthday alone.]

The moment I saw that pregnancy report, my eyes widened in shock. It felt like my heart was being hacked apart with a blunt knife, the pain so intense that my legs just gave out, and I collapsed to the floor.

I could only imagine how pale and shattered I must look right now.

Every minute, every second of this birthday felt like torture, dragging on endlessly.

Soon, a message from Matthew popped up on WhatsApp.

He texted: [Something came up at the studio and I need to go meet someone, so I won't be home tonight. Sorry, I missed your birthday. I know I owe you.

[There's a party tomorrow, and I'll make it up to you with a gift after it's over. Don't be mad, okay? Try to get some sleep.]

Looking at those texts, I felt nothing but cold emptiness. I let out a sad, hollow laugh, thinking back to everything I'd been through with Matthew.

Matthew and I were college classmates. I fell for him from day one, but he didn't give me a second glance at first.

At the time, his dad died in a construction accident, and his mom was in the hospital with severe kidney failure, desperately needing money for a transplant.

I couldn't stand seeing Matthew go through all that, so I quietly paid off all his mom's hospital bills and even found the best doctor around to help her out.

To protect his pride, I told him it was money I'd managed to collect from some donations.

When he frowned and asked why I did all that, I finally worked up the nerve to confess. I said, "I really like you! Please, don't feel pressured or think you owe me anything.

"I'm doing this because I want to, not because I expect anything in return."

Matthew went quiet for a moment, then said, "I've already signed with a management company. To keep my fans happy, we'd have to keep our relationship under wraps. Doesn't that bother you? Lillian, you're amazing, but I really don't have much to offer you."

Back then, I was head over heels for him, totally blind to everything else. I said, "As long as I can be with you, I'd go through anything. Matthew, I'll wait for you to fall for me. Will you give me a chance?"

Matthew stayed quiet for what felt like forever, but in the end, he said yes.

After we started dating, I pulled every string I could behind his back, throwing all my family's resources into helping him. Thanks to me, he became a Grammy-winning singer before he even turned thirty.

At first, even if we weren't super close, he still treated me decently and looked out for me.

While he was grinding for his career, I was always there for him: shielding him from endless rounds of drinks, throwing up on the sidewalk in the middle of the night, and even ending up in the hospital with a bleeding ulcer.

Back then, Matthew squeezed my hand, his face full of concern. He said, "Lillian, let's get married. I swear I'll make it big, I'll be successful. Even if I can't love you, I promise I'll never hurt you."

I was so moved, my heart overflowing with hope and happiness as I married him.