Chapter 2

I hadn't been home in so long that I felt nervous standing at the door, hesitating to knock.

When my mother called for my birthday yesterday, I lied and said everything was fine. I even told her Joseph and George had celebrated with me.

"Yvette?" a voice called from behind me.

I turned to find my father standing there, grocery bags in hand.

He looked surprised at first, and then broke into a wide grin. "You should have told us you were coming. Don't stand out here. Let's get in."

He quickly opened the door, guided me in, and called out to my mother, "Honey, Yvette is home!"

The familiar warmth of home washed over me, thawing out my once-frozen heart.

My mother bustled over with a bright grin. "Your father was just saying yesterday how we haven't celebrated your birthday in ages. Today, we'll make up for it.

"You always loved your father's spaghetti. He had this amazing talent—every single strand stayed perfect."

My father's spaghetti was always my favorite birthday treat. He had once made it for George too.

But George only took a few bites before pushing the plate away, complaining that they tasted way too plain.

I immediately corrected his poor manners. Though he muttered an apology, he never wanted to visit us again after that day.

George had been such a sweet and innocent child, but that version of him gradually disappeared over time.

Maybe it all started when he noticed how Joseph disregarded me. Since he idolized his father, he started copying that behavior to earn his father's approval.

Eventually, he saw me as just an unimportant housewife who had married into a better family.

My father whipped up a feast, and my mother even ordered a special birthday cake for me.

Every dish was made just how I liked it, with careful attention to my dietary needs and allergies.

I was on the verge of tears several times during the meal, and only stopped eating when I was completely full.

Yesterday was a whole different story—I cooked up a big dinner by myself, reheating it over and over as I waited alone for Joseph and George. But all I got in the end was a mango cake way past midnight.

I nestled into my mother's arms and murmured that I wasn't going back tonight.

She touched my wrist, where the red marks still lingered, and said gently, "You've had a hard time, haven't you?"

I felt a lump rise in my throat and kept quiet.

My mother just sighed, not pressing me. "Wherever your father and I are," she said, "that's your home. It will always be your safe place.

"If things get hard, just come home. We may not have much, but you'll always be our precious girl."

Hearing that, I couldn't hold back anymore. I buried myself in my mother's shoulder and sobbed my heart out.

I stayed at my parents' place for a few days to clear my head. When I finally felt ready, I returned to the home I shared with Joseph.

As I stepped inside, I noticed we had company.

Eunice Jensen, Joseph's first love, was sitting in the living room playing a board game with my son George in such a gentle manner.

Joseph stood nearby, holding a coffee cup and watching them with a soft smile.

The three of them looked like a perfect family, while I seemed like the intruder.

Their cheerful mood vanished the moment they saw me.

Joseph was the first to speak, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I thought you'd never come back."

George just stared at me, his face cold and distant.

Eunice looked a little flustered as she explained, "Hi, Yvette. I just came by to spend some time with George."

I managed a soft smile. "No worries. Feel free to visit whenever you like."

After a moment's pause, I looked over at Joseph and calmly asked, "Have you given any thought to the divorce?"

Joseph's expression darkened as he studied me for a long moment before asking in a meaningful tone, "You really want this divorce?"

I countered, "Or would you prefer that Ms. Jensen continues to stand between us indefinitely without any clear definition of her role?"

Eunice's face went sheet-white at my words.

Joseph's expression grew serious as well.

I met his eyes steadily, certain that he'd meet my request this time.

I knew all too well how important Eunice was to him. They had been childhood friends who later dated for two years. Then she suddenly went abroad after her family's troubles and completely disappeared from his life.

Joseph had spent ages trying to find her, and only let go when it became clear there was no hope, though he was never truly willing to move on.

When he met me, our relationship progressed smoothly from dating to marriage.

But then I discovered he'd been secretly keeping pictures of Eunice, which led to a devastating argument between us when I confronted him.

He had said with a cruel smirk, "I wouldn't have noticed you if you hadn't resembled her. Yvette, if Eunice had been here, you would never have gotten close to me."

And then, Eunice did come back.

While he didn't completely avoid me as he'd threatened, his attitude toward me grew colder with each passing day.

He started meeting up with her more and more often.

I never knew exactly how far their relationship had progressed.

Back then, I told myself that for our son's sake, I could tolerate Joseph's betrayal and turn a blind eye to their relationship.

All I wanted was to give our son a complete family, but I eventually realized how ridiculous that idea was when I saw how little my son valued me as his mother.

He warmed right up to Eunice and treated her with far more respect than he'd ever shown me.

It made sense why he preferred Eunice. She came from a well-off family and had recently returned from abroad. She was the one Joseph truly loved and always treated George with gentle kindness without ever trying to control him.

George was a very status-conscious child. I should've recognized that when he scorned my parents' modest home and complained about the spaghetti being too bland.

In our family, Joseph was the one who could satisfy George's need for status, which meant George would follow wherever Joseph's attention went.

I'd only returned today to pack up my stuff. Getting a divorce was no small thing, and I knew Joseph valued his reputation too much to agree to it easily.

While he typically ignored my feelings, having Eunice present today might make everything proceed much more smoothly.

Joseph stayed silent for a long while, watching me with a warning look in his eyes.

My voice sharpened as I challenged him, "What, is Ms. Jensen not worthy enough to be your wife, or are you trying to say you actually love me more than her?"

I held his gaze steadily, "If that's truly your position, then I won't be giving up my role as Mrs. Yates for anyone."

Hearing this, Eunice bit her lip until it turned white. She bowed her head, tears falling silently to the floor in a display of heartbreaking vulnerability.

George immediately rushed to comfort her, offering a tissue while saying, "Eunice, please don't be sad." Then he shot me a hostile glare as if Eunice were his real mother.

"Dad, just divorce her already. She always creates drama and will just end up begging you to take her back later," George said, full of scorn.