Chapter 3
Edward didn't come home until the next morning.
He looked exhausted, but he was in a surprisingly good mood.
I hadn't slept a wink all night.
I just kept scrolling through the cute pics on my phone—the ones we took together on our trips.
When Edward saw me sitting in the living room, he looked totally freaked out.
"Claire, I'm sorry," Edward said, his voice low.
He went on, "Vivian had a bit of an accident yesterday. She just got back, and honestly, she's got no one else here but me.
"It all happened so fast. I didn't get a chance to tell you I wouldn't make it home."
"Seriously, nothing happened between me and her, I swear," he added, trying to reassure me.
I looked up at him, meeting his eyes.
There was a lipstick stain on the collar of his rumpled white shirt.
Edward glanced down and said, "It must have happened when we were ducking out of the rain."
My heart was numb. The pain didn't even register anymore.
Falling from heaven to hell—so this was what it felt like.
Edward stayed home all day.
He was holed up in his study all morning, buried in work.
I caught him on the phone as I passed by.
"Nah, it's no trouble. Just remember to drink some hot chocolate, okay? Don't catch a cold," he said, sounding gentle.
"Me? I'm perfectly fine. But you—even a little chill gets you sneezing nonstop," he teased.
His tone was playful, with that unmistakable doting warmth.
Jealousy was eating me alive.
I hurried away from the study, not wanting to hear any more.
By afternoon, Edward was bustling around in the kitchen.
He whipped up all my favorite dishes and set the candles aglow.
He raised his glass toward me. "Happy two-year anniversary, baby."
"I'll never forget our anniversary again, I promise," he added.
Would we even have another anniversary?
Back then, I could ask Edward if he loved me without a second thought because I was sure he did.
But today, no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't say it.
The word "divorce" was stuck in my throat. It just wouldn't come out.
Losing him would feel like tearing my own soul in two.
And then I remembered the baby I was carrying.
I finally managed to say, "Edward, can you stop seeing Vivian? It hurts me. I can't help feeling jealous."
Edward paused for a moment, then agreed.
"Alright, I promise," he said.
He gave me a helpless, doting smile. "You're my little jealous girl," he teased.
Edward didn't keep his word.
But I wasn't surprised.
I knew his promise that night was just empty words—something he said when he was caught, not something he meant.
He started leaving early and coming back late.
Sometimes, he didn't come home at all.
Rumors about him and Vivian were blowing up all over the internet.
He took drinks for her and made a scene just for her.
He even punched a big shot in the industry on her behalf.
It cost him a deal worth over ten million dollars in profits.
But he didn't seem to care at all.
I heard all the gossip and drama from the news and from our friends, but never from Edward himself.
When he finally came home and saw me looking miserable, he barely even glanced my way.
He didn't try to cheer me up like he used to.
That night, once again, Edward didn't come home.
Out of nowhere, a video of him and his friends popped up on my phone.
"Eddie, all those rumors about you and Vivian are blowing up online. Aren't you afraid Claire might leave you?" one of his friends joked.
Edward leaned back with his legs crossed, a smug grin on his face. "She won't."
He went on, "She spent years chasing after me and finally got to marry me. No way she'd ever leave, even if it killed her."
"But yeah, she's been kinda salty lately, always throwing shade at me at home," he added.
"So why don't you dial it back a little?" a friend asked.
Edward just stayed silent.
Someone else jumped in, "Look, she helped you through rehab, and you took a knife for her. You've paid her back, haven't you?
"If you wanna end things, just do it. Chase your real love.
"You can't let Vivian keep being the other woman forever, right?"
Edward kicked him and snapped, "You don't know shit."
And that was where the video ended.
Soon, messages came through from the same number.
[Edward already paid you back for everything when he took that knife. Stop trying to guilt-trip him into staying.]
[Stop acting like you own him. He was never really yours.]
I knew it was Vivian sending those messages.
She was the one who dumped Edward back then, and now she was acting like I stole what was always hers.
What a joke.
But honestly, I was already planning to leave.
I just couldn't do it all at once.
So I had to start letting go, bit by bit.
I needed to get over Edward.
It was hard.
I'd start with something simple. I wouldn't iron his shirts anymore.