Chapter 2

Bianca was cursing my one and only darling daughter.

Mila went silent, fear written all over her face, and started to tremble.

Jonathan shot Mila a look that screamed, "You had it coming," his face twisted with disdain.

I pulled Mila into my arms, gently patting her back to let her know she was safe.

I glanced over at Felix, who was completely absorbed in his game, not even bothering to look up.

It was like nothing that happened here had anything to do with him.

Something inside me snapped.

With a steady hand, I wiped Mila's tears away, scooped her up, and headed out.

I glanced around at everyone and everything in that living room. I had given them years of care and tolerance, but it all seemed like a bad joke to me.

"Felix, we're getting divorced next Monday. You and your family need to be out of my house by then," I said.

Bianca tried to block my way, still wanting to say something.

But when she met my icy stare, she froze for a second.

By the time she snapped out of it, I was already out the door with Mila in my arms.

It was a breezy October night.

I hugged Mila tightly, holding her as if I'd never let anything hurt her again.

She was my daughter, and I would never let her go through something like this ever again.

The next morning, Felix was waiting for me in the underground parking lot of my office, holding breakfast.

He handed me a limp, greasy donut.

"Honey, Mom didn't mean it. She's been exhausted lately with Jonathan's wedding coming up. Bear with it a little longer, okay?" Felix said.

I gave him a cold, mocking smile and didn't even bother to take the donut he was offering.

"Felix, your mom said Mila was nothing but a money drain. What does that have to do with her being tired?" I shot back.

Felix tried to grab my hand, but I pulled away.

Felix said, "Mom wants a grandson. If you agreed to have a second child, she wouldn't treat Mila this way. Back in our hometown, not having a grandson is something everyone laughs at. Try to see things from her perspective."

Try to see things from her perspective? To understand her for targeting my daughter?

Felix saw I was silent and pushed the donut toward me again, ignoring my reaction.

I flicked it out of his hand, sending it straight to the ground.

"We made it clear from the beginning that Mila would be our only child. And I hate greasy stuff, especially donuts," I said, my voice icy.

I watched as Felix bent down, picked up the donut, and brushed it off.

His hands were already greasy, his hair was a mess, his beard unshaven, and his clothes were rumpled and mismatched.

He looked like a total slob.

I had no idea when the Felix who used to be so neat and sharp turned into this mess.

We first met at the mall, where he jumped in to help me get my wallet back from a thief. Later, I bumped into him again at the university library, and we got together.

Back then, Felix was bright and ambitious, always handsome and willing to do anything for me. We got married right after college, and had Mila soon after.

After Mila was born, Felix felt sorry for me having to work and look after Mila at the same time, so he invited his parents to move in and help out.

At the start of last year, Jonathan came to crash for a few days, but never left.

Our cozy little family of three turned into a mess, day in and day out.

Felix, clearly impatient, grabbed the donut and started munching on it without a second thought.

"Greasy is what makes it tasty. Your stomach's nothing like everyone else's," Felix grumbled as he tore open the bag and took a big bite, still muttering, "Smells amazing."

Back in college, I loved the croissants from the bakery near campus, but I always complained they were too buttery. Felix actually went halfway across the city to find a place that made croissants that weren't so rich, all for me.

It turned out that a lot of things had changed long ago. I just never realized it.

"Felix, don't forget about the divorce on Monday," I said, not wanting to waste another second on him. I was ready to walk away.

Felix tried to grab me with his greasy hands, but I pulled away.

"And make sure you're out of my house by Monday. Otherwise, I'll have to call the cops for trespassing," I added coldly.

When Felix caught the look of disgust in my eyes, it finally hit him. I wasn't making a fuss. I was set on divorcing him for real.

He tossed the donut aside and, to my surprise, dropped to his knees right in front of me.

"Honey, I messed up. Please don't be angry. We don't need another kid, alright? I'll talk to Mom and get her to be nicer to Mila," he begged.

I shot him a cold, mocking smile. Right now, he was nothing but a pathetic clown in my eyes.

He still had absolutely no idea why I was so angry.

Did he really not get it? Or did he never give a damn about this family in the first place?

I walked right past Felix, not even sparing him a glance, and stepped into the elevator.

When I got off work that evening, Felix was leaning against my car, totally absorbed in his phone game.

The game was so loud, he didn't even notice me walking up.

It wasn't until I unlocked my car that Felix finally put his phone away and looked up at me.