Chapter 2

I watched Elias gently lay the tipsy Vivian onto the couch and use a warm cloth to wipe her face.

"...You're pregnant; you shouldn't be drinking so much," he murmured softly, echoing the way he used to chide her for not paying attention in school back in the day.

Whether Vivian heard him or not, she muttered something about a headache.

Elias chuckled softly, lifting her up and placing his long fingers on her forehead. He applied gentle pressure, massaging from her forehead to her temples and behind her ears.

It was such a tender scene that my heart seemed to stop for a few seconds, only to start pounding wildly again.

For a moment, I felt completely disoriented.

Back then, we had just graduated college. Elias's grandmother had passed away, and Vivian's parents disapproved of their relationship due to Elias's financial situation, pushing her into an arranged marriage.

Those were tough times, and I was the one who stayed by Elias's side, helping him through it, step by step. Six months later, he accepted my confession.

Eventually, he decided to start a business, which meant frequent meetings and social drinking. I would wipe his face, brew coffee for his hangovers, and look after him through the night.

The next day, with dark circles under my eyes and exhaustion written all over my face, Elias would look at me for a long time before sighing and letting me rest my head on his lap, massaging me.

I was both surprised and delighted, feeling spoiled by his gentle touch. I jokingly said, "Elias, you can't give massages like this to anyone else, okay?"

I regretted it as soon as I said it, and just as I was about to take it back, I heard Elias softly laugh above me, "Alright."

He said "alright" back then.

But.

Of course, how could Vivian be considered "just anyone"?

I had just become an exception for Elias suddenly, while Vivian had always been his favorite from the very beginning.