Chapter 1
I went into labor early with my daughter and lost a lot of blood.
Two months later, David Turner finally came back from overseas.
He looked worn out, and he held our daughter as if she were the most precious thing in the world.
"David's going to be a complete pushover for this girl," his sister, Chloe Turner, joked.
At the same time, a news notification popped up on my phone.
[David Turner flew abroad for medical treatment, and sources say his son from another relationship is seriously ill.]
His sister looked embarrassed and quickly explained.
"Emily, it has to be a misunderstanding. David was only there for work," she said.
I smiled, and none of it touched me.
"It's fine. It doesn't matter."
It was nothing new.
Six months earlier, David had been sending his ex-girlfriend and her son 300 thousand dollars a month without fail.
By the time he finally came home, I was done waiting.
Outside the door, David was holding Dawn, and he looked over at me.
His face froze, and he pursed his lips tightly.
*****
As soon as I finished speaking, the room changed.
Chloe looked embarrassed.
She glanced toward the door, froze for a second, and then made a fast exit.
David strolled into the room.
I looked at him in surprise.
I had no idea when he had gotten back.
It had been over two months since I last saw him.
Something in me went stiff and uncomfortable.
I didn't know what to say.
All I could come up with was, "Let me hold her."
Dawn was in his arms, her big eyes staring up at me.
I couldn't help but smile.
David spoke up beside me.
"Her name is Dawn?"
"Yeah," I replied.
I played with my daughter for a bit.
I suddenly remembered I hadn't told him our daughter's nickname yet.
Her official name was set ages ago.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that David was still standing there, which surprised me.
"Go do your thing," I said.
David lowered his gaze, his expression unreadable.
I'd gotten used to it being just me and Dawn here.
David suddenly showed up.
It threw me off.
David spoke up again.
"What did you mean by that?"
I paused. "What?"
I hadn't even processed it yet.
David was already frowning.
He said, "Nothing."
Then, he suddenly spoke up.
"You don't have anything you want to ask me?"
I shook my head, holding Dawn's little hand.
"No," I said quietly.
*****
I got up early the next morning to go back to work.
I was planning to return to the office.
My maternity leave was over.
Then Dawn started crying, so I came downstairs a few minutes late.
Surprisingly, David was still here.
He used to leave the house at eight-thirty on the dot.
If I was even a minute late, he was already gone.
He never waited for me.
He must have had something else going on that morning.
I grabbed my breakfast and rushed out the door.
David suddenly called out to me.
"Let's go," he said.
My brows slowly furrowed.
"You're coming with me?"
David's lips twitched. "Yeah."
I didn't want another silent car ride like the night before, so I squeezed my bag strap and turned him down gently.
"No, thanks. I'll drive myself. You go ahead."
David lowered his gaze.
"You haven't driven in a long time. It's not safe."
The housekeeper and the nanny both nodded along with him.
Neither of us moved, and in the end I got into David's car.
Before he could say anything, I shut my eyes and pretended to sleep.
I opened my eyes just as we reached the intersection near the office.
David's jaw tightened.
"Just take me straight there," he said.
"No, no, just drop me off at the usual spot," I replied.
We worked at the same company, and not a single person there knew we were married.
I reached for the car door, but David suddenly grabbed my arm.
"That boy has been given a critical notice more than once. I tried to get back before you went into labor, and then something blew up at the branch office," he said.
"I know. You don't have to explain," I said.
After I gave birth, David had called me.
He had been on his way to the airport when he heard the boy had almost died and Julia Summers was threatening to jump off a building, so he turned around.
I told him it was fine, and my voice came out flat.
He called again later, saying there was a tax issue at the branch office, so he had to stay longer.
I had nearly died on that table, and after that none of it seemed to matter.
I got out of the car quickly.
I didn't catch the dark, complicated look he gave me from inside the car.