Chapter 2

After Emmy's funeral, I watched the black smoke rise from the crematorium. The pain went bone-deep.

The staff told me to stay strong. But losing Emmy carved a wound in my heart that would never heal.

My quiet class group chat suddenly exploded with notifications.

I opened it and saw everyone sharing a police promo video featuring David and Claire.

Once someone in the comments revealed they were a couple, the video shot to the top of trending—most heartwarming couple.

Everyone in the group congratulated them on finally making it official after all these years.

One comment: [David's so patient. Just marry gorgeous Claire already!]

Another: [Claire's been on the job six months and already cracked several major cases. She's going to break David's record! They're perfect together!]

Six months and she'd solved cases no one else could?

I laughed bitterly.

I remembered all the times David came home bleeding, fresh wounds still open.

I'd thought he was doing it for Emmy and me, for a better life. I'd worry about him and beg him not to push himself so hard.

He'd just get annoyed. "Mind your own business."

But then I heard that Claire, brand new to the force, was already cracking major cases that had stumped everyone else.

I clearly remembered those exact case files on David's desk, back when he'd work until he passed out.

So, every time David came home bleeding and risking his life, it was for her. Not for our daughter or me.

Tears streamed down my face as I watched everyone congratulate them.

If I'd known, I never would've fallen for David like a moth to a flame.

Back at the police academy, David and Claire were the famous power couple.

I was just the invisible junior who admired David from afar, always trying to measure up.

Claire was dramatic. David was endlessly patient with her, letting her do whatever she wanted.

Our classmates joked that if Claire wanted the stars, David would move heaven and earth to bring them down.

Then, suddenly, Claire said she couldn't stand how boring police school was and dropped out.

David lost it. He took a whole year off to search for her everywhere.

He came back a broken man, with all his former spark vanished.

I was sad, but also—selfishly—a little happy. Maybe he'd finally notice me.

I did everything to get close to him. Helped him catch up on classes, brought him notes, and made him nutritious food.

He never showed he cared, but I didn't give up.

After years of trying, it finally happened one snowy winter—David actually accepted the scarf I'd knitted for him.

He stopped me in that cold tone, asking me to put it on him.

I stood on my tiptoes to wrap it around his neck. As I finished, David suddenly leaned down and kissed me, snowflakes swirling around us.

However, after we got together, David treated me like a stranger.

He made me keep our relationship secret.

Our wedding was just a quick city hall visit—no ceremony, no family, nothing.

It felt so lonely. Like my desperate love for David was my crazy delusion.

A year after we married, I got pregnant. Holding my baby girl, I kept thinking David would love me more now.

I kept wishing our family of three could be happy, like those little figures in a snow globe.

Emmy grew up so fast. One day, she asked, "Mommy, why doesn't Daddy ever spend my birthday with me?"

It cut deep. Yeah, why?

For years, I lied to myself, thinking David was just swamped with work and that was why he ignored us.

But when I learned he was risking his life to make things easier for Claire, I couldn't fool myself anymore. He never loved Emmy. Or me.

I'd seen David love Claire with his whole heart. What he felt for me was never love.

Emmy wiped my tears and whispered not to be sad.

With the birthday candles flickering, I hugged her tight, my heart aching but grateful.

As long as Emmy was here, I could endure anything, even living without David's love. She was my whole world.

But because David blocked me at every turn, I lost the only person I truly loved.

I had no idea how to keep living.

Every bit of love I had for David was gone.