Chapter 2
At eleven o'clock that night, Edward finally came home.
He walked in and looked at me, checking if I was crying or making a fuss. I wasn't.
As he changed his shoes, he pulled a red velvet box from his suit pocket and slid it over to me. "Are you still mad at me? I hurried home for you. Look, I got Annie a present."
Inside was a silver bracelet, so thin that it was almost pale, with a scratch near the clasp.
Just a few hours ago, I'd seen it on Grace's feed, lying right next to those gold bracelets. It was the gift from the gold ones.
"Come on, let's put it on Annie," Edward said, reaching for my daughter's hand.
I frowned and snapped his hand away. "Have you seriously forgotten Annie's allergy to silver?"
When she was a month old, she wore a silver pendant once, and her wrist swelled up for three days.
"Those nights, he was the one who carried her to the hospital, eyes red from worry, swearing no one would ever let her wear anything again.
And six months later, he'd already forgotten, like that.
Edward closed the box, forcing a smile. "Sorry, I wasn't thinking. I'll have a pair of gold ones made for her next time, alright?"
He loosened his tie and turned to head for the shower.
"Edward," I watched his back and suddenly spoke up. "Do you remember what you promised me in the prenup?"
I'd been scared of marriage since I was a kid.
My dad was addicted to gambling and drinking. Whenever he lost money, he'd beat my mom. He kept cheating on her, over and over. She couldn't take it anymore and jumped off the sixth floor.
That year, I was twenty, standing outside the ICU, swearing I'd never get married or have kids.
But Edward chased after me for four years, slowly warming my heart.
Before we got married, he signed a prenup. If he ever cheated, he'd give up most of our shared assets and take full responsibility for our child's future expenses.
Edward looked away and pulled me close. "Why are you digging up the past all of a sudden? You know I'd never cheat on you."
He rested his chin on my head, his voice soft like before. "You've been stuck at home lately, letting your mind run wild.
"Once I wrap things up at work, I'll take you out for a break. Let Annie stay with the nanny, and we'll get back to the two of us."
Just as he finished speaking, his phone rang.
As soon as the screen lit up, he hit decline and stepped out onto the balcony to take the call.
Two minutes later, he came out with his car keys in hand. "Something urgent came up at work. I have to head out."
The door closed behind him.
I stood in the empty living room, and suddenly, I didn't even have the strength to ask him anything anymore.
I logged into the company system and put in a transfer request to the Stormport branch, setting my start date three days from now.
I rented an apartment nearby and got a new nanny lined up.
Since he didn't care enough to come home, I wasn't going to sit around waiting for him anymore.