Chapter 2
I felt that the Actors' Academy owed George an award.
George noticed I wasn't feeling well.
He made soup for me.
After dinner, as always, George headed to his study.
Meanwhile, I went back to my room to get some rest.
Before bed, George pulled me into his arms and gently pressed his lips to my forehead.
The next morning, like always, George reminded the nanny to take good care of me before he left for work.
Once he left, I went into his study.
He always said he needed absolute concentration when he was working and couldn't stand being disturbed.
Because I trusted him so much, I never had any doubts about him.
I never suspected him since he worked from home and stayed by my side all the time when I was sick.
Of course, he was well aware of my unconditional trust in him.
His computer didn't even have a password, no security, nothing. It was wide open.
All his search history was about Westin.
It was a city of romance and water.
I opened his chat app.
The latest message was from last night.
Andrea had sent a photo showing her bare back.
George replied: [It's raining today, so make sure to dress warmly.
[If you get sick, it'll break my heart.]
Scrolling up, I saw nothing but sample pictures George had sent.
It had everything from big things like wardrobes for the room, to tiny stuff like bowls and forks.
Most of it was a parade of fancy rain boots and umbrellas,
There were all kinds of dresses he picked out just because Andrea liked them.
Andrea would try every single one on and upload the pics online.
George never failed to leave a comment underneath.
He wrote: [To me, you're the most beautiful.]
Their conversations seemed endless, like they could go on forever.
Every day, Andrea shared stories about her life in Westin.
George always responded to every single message she sent.
I could almost picture George working at his desk while texting Andrea.
Together, they shared every little detail of their lives.
They weren't even in the same city, yet it was as if they were actually living together, sharing every bit of their lives.
My hands were shaking so much I could barely control them.
I didn't have the guts to keep looking.
I shut the computer off.
I signed myself up to volunteer as a teacher in a village in a remote area.
I had dated George for four years.
I decided to trade those four years for just four days.
I'd use those four days to say goodbye.
That would be enough.
That night, I just lay there, wide awake.
Sleep was never going to happen.
The next day, George brought me some medicine for my pregnancy.
He said it would make me feel a lot better.
My heart skipped a beat.
I stared at the medicine, fixated, not blinking once.
George shifted uneasily under my stare. "Lisa, don't you like it?"
I reached out and took it without showing any emotion.
I said, "I feel so blessed to have such a great husband.
"George, could you serve it for me? I promise I will finish all of it."
He paused for a second, then went to the kitchen.
This child belonged to him as well.
Since he didn't want it, then he should be the one to let it go.
If it was going to hurt, we would both feel it.
He didn't love me.
At least, this child partly belonged to him.
George soon came out of the kitchen.
Without a second thought, I took the spoon.
And just like that, I downed the medicine in one go.
I flashed him a sweet smile.
"You're amazing, honey. I'm sure our baby will feel every bit of your fatherly love," I said.
The medicine was sweet.
But my heart was unbearably bitter.
The ache in my chest made it hard to breathe.
I felt sorry for my baby.
George didn't love me.
He didn't want our baby to stay.
After finishing it, I showed George the empty bowl, making sure he saw it.
"It's really sweet. How many times a day should I take it? For our baby, I'll make sure to drink it every time," I told him.
There was a barely noticeable flicker of guilt in George's eyes as he answered, "Three times a day."
I gave him a sincere smile. "Alright."
Maybe my unconditional trust really got to him.
Or maybe it was the only bit of guilt he ever felt.
He said, "You don't have to drink it if you don't want to."
I answered, "If it's from you, I'll drink it.
"Because I love you."
He almost ran out like he couldn't get away fast enough.
I stopped him in his tracks.
I asked, "George, do you love me?"
He turned back and gave me a small nod, almost like it was all he could manage.
I realized that was probably the biggest concession he'd ever make for me.
Now that I thought about it, he had never actually said he loved me out loud.
I flashed him a smile as bright as a flower. "Go on, you'll be late for work."
After he left, I started gathering up my things around the house.
Everything he gave me was pricey, but it never felt like he actually cared.
His secretary picked out every single item.
But for Andrea, even a pair of socks got his full attention.
None of those items felt like mine.
I went back to home.
The only thing I took with me was a necklace containing the ashes of my parents and brother.
Suddenly, my phone rang.
It was George.
George's voice came through, "Lisa, did you go back home?"
I let the nanny know when I left.
"It's been ages since I last went back, so I kind of missed it," I replied.
George's voice was gentle, trying to be thoughtful.
"Should I come back and stay with you?" he asked.
My voice was emotionless. "I want to be alone here today."
George said, "If you feel unwell, let me know right away."
I hung up the phone.
Suddenly, I remembered how whenever Andrea's voice sounded just a bit off in a message, George would freak out and immediately want to rush off to her, like nothing else mattered.
Whether someone loved a person or not, it was always painfully obvious.
That night, for some reason, I slept soundly in my own home.
When I woke up, it was already past ten.
Unlike before, my phone was dead silent. There was not a single message.
George hadn't even tried to reach me.
It was like he'd gone cold on me overnight.
Even though I knew the truth, in that moment, my heart still hurt so much I could barely breathe.
After I got myself ready, I headed to the office.
Before I left, I needed to hear his answer straight from him.
George used to bring me to the office all the time, so everyone knew me.
But today, something felt off.
The receptionist looked nervous when she saw me, almost like she didn't know what to do.
As soon as I got in the elevator, she grabbed the phone and called the CEO's office as she hurried away.
Apparently, I beat them to it.
Someone whispered, "We need to handle this person with extra care today. The CEO went all the way to the airport himself to bring her back.
"Word is, she's the CEO's crush. He treats her like she's his prized possession."