Chapter 2
If I didn't sign it, Charles might be in danger.
But I knew a car accident like this wasn't enough to actually kill Charles.
At worst, he'd end up a vegetable, maybe paralyzed or something.
The pen hovered over the paper, and for a moment, I almost went with my gut and refused.
But then I glanced down at the wedding date.
I reconsidered, and ticked the box to agree to the surgery.
No matter what, I had to save him first. If he ended up a vegetable, clueless about everything, it wouldn't make me feel any better.
I wanted him to feel the pain—not just in his body, but in his mind and every part of his life.
With my plan set, I sat back down on the bench and kept digging through all the secrets I never knew about.
The more I read, the more my heart ached.
How did I fall for such a scumbag?
For ten years, through dating and marriage, he was so stingy that he never even bought me a single cup of coffee.
When we were long-distance, I felt bad for him, thinking he was saving on meals just to take the train to see me, so I kept sending him thousands at a time from my own living expenses.
And what did he do?
For ten years, he lied to me, saying his company never gave him a single year-end bonus, but turns out he was handing it all over to Vivian and his son Tommy behind my back.
On our anniversaries, he always claimed he was too exhausted and never bothered to show up for me.
Turns out, all that time, he was jet-setting around with Vivian and Tommy.
On those nights when he said he was stuck at work, I pitifully waited with dinner laid out, all the way past 1 AM.
Now I get why he always came home complaining his stomach hurt and he just couldn't eat.
He always said it was all for work, that he had to booze it up with clients to earn a living.
Turns out, every single time, he was actually having dinner with Vivian.
It felt like my heart was being ripped apart, and I couldn't stop myself from giving a bitter smile.
I took screenshots of their chat logs on my phone, scrolling through them again and again.
I decided to call Albert, my brother. Back then, he was dead set against me being with Charles.
But I was so blinded by what I thought was love that I listened to Charles and convinced myself Albert was just being way too macho.
I completely cut off all contact with Albert.
Albert just shot me a cold look and tossed his business card at me.
He said, "One day, you'll regret this. When you do, just come back to me. I'll always be here."
I never thought that day would come so soon.
My nose prickled as I called him. Albert didn't ask for an explanation.
He said, "You've been out of the design game for ten years. You sure you still got it?"
I smiled softly and said, "I'm sure. Just three more days, Albert. After that, I'm leaving him for good."
After I hung up, Charles had just finished his surgery and came out of the hospital room.
The moment he spotted me, his face flashed with guilt. He shuffled closer, testing the waters.
"Stella, did you see anything when you came?" he asked.
I knew exactly what he meant. He was talking about getting caught being intimate with Vivian.
But if I exposed him now, how could I deliver the big revenge I had planned for Charles? Secretly digging my nails into my palm, I put on an innocent and confused act.
I said, "No, I didn't see anything. Honey, what are you talking about?
"I was just cooking at home when I heard about your accident. I rushed over here as fast as I could. I was so worried about you."
Looking at Charles, I was ready to put on an act, maybe even squeeze out a few tears to sell it.
But I didn't have to fake it at all.
He looked at me with such relief, as if he thought he'd gotten away with it.
My chest tightened, and the tears just spilled out.
Charles just thought I was crying out of concern for him, so he acted all considerate and gently touched my head.
He tried to reassure me. "It's nothing, just a minor injury."
Then he added, "Actually, Vivian was just passing by and ended up in the crash as well.
"Wouldn't it be nice if you made her some soup and brought it over? That's what good friends do."
I almost snorted. Passing by and getting caught up in it? He really managed to make sneaking around in the car sound so pure and innocent.
Charles really did love Vivian, didn't he?
Why doesn't he care about me at all?
He knew perfectly well I'd been pulling ten straight night shifts, rushing to get all my work done for our wedding this weekend.
Without letting it show, I slipped out of Charles's arms.
He looked a little surprised and then added, "Besides the soup, don't forget about the wedding this weekend."
I raised an eyebrow, still not sure what he was getting at, when Charles put on a sorry face and kept talking.
He said, "Look at me, I'm such a mess right now. I can barely move.
"Why don't you go pick out your wedding dress on your own? I'll be here in the hospital, keeping Vivian company while I recover."