Chapter 2
I stood quietly by the door.
Out of nowhere, I felt this urge to storm in and ask.
Is this even my home anymore?
But then, Lily tugged at my hand, her stomach growling loud enough for me to hear.
She whispered, "Mom, I'm hungry. Where are we going to eat?"
Looking at Lily's sweet, innocent face, I took a deep breath and scooped her up into my arms.
What am I even doing?
How could I let Lily go hungry, so she could watch me and Charles fight like crazy?
I couldn't bring myself to do that.
So I found a restaurant, and after Lily had eaten her fill, I didn't rush to head back home.
Why bother going back so soon?
To wash the dishes Emily and Sam left in the sink after dinner?
Or to clean up the mess they made on the couch?
There was a new animated movie out that all the kids were raving about.
Lily and I went to see it together.
Only after that did we head home.
As I was trying to flag down a cab by the roadside, I happened to spot Charles's car.
Emily was sitting in the passenger seat.
They were waiting at a red light, chatting about something.
Both of them were smiling, looking pretty happy.
Honestly, seeing them laughing and joking together really stung.
The past few years had been tough, with all the stress of starting a business.
Charles barely smiled anymore, even now that the company was finally stable.
He'd gotten good at hiding his feelings, even at home, even around me.
But now, those eyes finally show what he really felt. It was like getting stabbed right in the heart.
Turns out, he hadn't learned to hide his feelings.
He'd learned to hide them from me.
By the time Charles got home, it was already past ten.
Emily's place wasn't far from ours. A half-hour drive, tops.
But it had been two hours since I'd seen him.
Charles glanced at Lily, who was fast asleep.
Then he pushed open the bedroom door.
I was lying in bed, my back to him, but I could feel his gaze burning into me.
His deep voice sounded right by my ear. "Olivia, I know you're not asleep. Let's talk."
I stopped pretending.
Some things can't be ignored.
If you don't clear the air, they'll keep weighing you down, making you miserable.