Chapter 2

Henry rushed out the door, his foot catching on the plastic feed sack Hale had left by the entrance.

"Crack."

The dry walnuts and peanuts inside crunched loudly under his heel.

In his impatience, he kicked over the jar of farm eggs too.

Clear egg whites and golden yolks spilled all over the floor, leaving a mess.

Henry frowned, giving the mess a look of utter disdain. "I told you not to bring this junk. It's worthless and cluttering up the place."

I kept my voice steady. "It's not junk. Hale rode seven hours on a bus to bring it here himself."

Henry didn't even look at me when he heard my voice. "Since you're back, clean this up now."

Without another glance, he walked off, protectively guiding another woman and her child, leaving me behind like I didn't even exist.

The room fell silent, leaving nothing but shards of glass and egg yolk smeared all over the floor.

The sticky mess was enough to make anyone lose their patience.

What a joke.

I rubbed my six-month pregnant belly, lost in thought.

Back then, Dr. Lawson was only a medical intern.

He'd always smile and claim that nothing tasted better than those homemade snacks.

Seven years ago, after earning my master's in pharmacy, I had job offers from hospital pharmacies and professional labs piling up on my desk.

But without a second thought, I chose to become a pharmaceutical sales rep, spending my days hustling through hospital corridors.

I wanted to make money, and I wanted it fast.

The first time I met Dr. Lawson was during a break in a case discussion one afternoon.

I sat at the edge of the room, watching the senior pharmaceutical sales reps cozy up to the doctors and hype up their products.

But when the attending physician asked for specific data, they scrambled to check their files.

That was my chance. I handed the manual to the attending physician. "Here's a rundown of previous prescriptions used in the hospital, plus data from multi-center trials.

"I've also put together how well these meds fit our department's common cases, along with all the compliance standards. I'll help the team track medication usage, and I can set up the procedures and paperwork, no problem."

The attending physician looked up at me with approval, and even Dr. Lawson, who'd been keeping his head down, finally met my gaze.

When our eyes met, I gave him my brightest smile.

He froze for a moment, his ears turning red as he ducked his head in embarrassment.

That day, he chased after me and took the walnuts right out of my hand.

He looked at me with a longing in his eyes, not bothering to hide it. "Isabel Summers, right? You're already so smart. You don't need to be any smarter."

He weighed the nuts in his hand, a sly smile curling at his lips. "Let me savor this little piece of heaven."

After that, whenever he saw me at the hospital, he'd reach into my pocket and take the walnuts and peanuts, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Later, at my only friend's wedding, Dr. Lawson snatched the bouquet and proposed to me right then and there.

He pulled out some walnuts from his pocket, saying he'd spent more than ten hours on a round trip bus ride to bring them from my family home.

He said, "I know you've been putting on a brave face, and I can see how lonely and tired you are in this huge city. Marry me. With me, you won't have to fake it anymore, and you'll never be alone again."

That day, I was truly shaken.

After going it alone for so many years, I thought maybe someone had finally seen my loneliness and understood what I was going through.

It was that moment that helped me survive countless uncomfortable times that followed.

At his class reunion, he let his friends mock me for being a pharmaceutical sales rep, never once stepping in to defend me.

When I met his family, he stood by and let them look down on me, throwing shade and making snide comments without saying a word in my defense.

I kept telling myself I was being too insecure, too sensitive, and blowing things out of proportion.

My colleagues, friends, and family all kept telling me the same thing.

They said he came from a good family and had a great job, so it's only natural he'd be a bit arrogant.

They told me I was marrying up, at least it looked good on paper.

"Get married, and everything will sort itself out," they said.

"Have a kid, and all your problems will magically disappear," they said.

But today, not even I could talk myself into believing it anymore.

Could things ever really get better?

Just now, Dr. Lawson was so caught up smashing the things Hale brought, so busy rushing off to the hospital with the kid of the woman he's always thinking about.

He didn't even spare me a single glance.

Would having a kid really change someone like him?

Is a marriage that only looks good from the outside really worth anything?