Chapter 2

This wasn't the first time we'd fought because of Sophia.

Eric and I had been married for five years, together for three before that.

Eight years total. From campus sweethearts to marriage. We used to be the couple everyone envied.

I stuck by him through the tough early days of his business.

We lived in a damp basement apartment and survived on bread for a month.

When his career started taking off, he felt bad about me commuting.

And we were thinking about starting a family.

So I listened to him, quit my promising job.

And settled into being a full-time homemaker.

I thought this was what partnership meant. Supporting each other.

But after Eric's older brother died in a car accident, and Sophia moved here with her kid, relying on us, things slowly started to change.

At first, I genuinely felt sorry for Sophia. A single mom, it couldn't be easy.

I understood Eric wanting to help out more.

But gradually, that "help" started feeling wrong.

Sophia's light bulb broke. She called Eric in the middle of the night.

Without a second thought, he threw on clothes and went.

Her kid got a fever. The first person she called wasn't the doctor. It was Eric.

Eric will spend the whole day running around with the kid, completely forgetting we had plans to see a movie.

I tried hinting at my discomfort.

But Eric would always say, "She's my sister-in-law, a single mom with a kid, it's tough. Can't you be more understanding?"

And that would be the end of it.

The time that hurt the most was our fifth wedding anniversary.

I'd cooked a fancy dinner, lit candles, and then kept waiting for him.

But he cancelled because Sophia said she was feeling down.

He was afraid she might do something stupid.

So he spent the whole evening with her by the river, keeping her company.

I waited until past midnight. The candles burned out, and the food went cold.

All I got was a text: [Sophia's not in a good place. I'll be back late. Go to bed.]

That night, I sat on the sofa, hugging my knees.

I stayed awake until morning.

For the first time, I wondered if this marriage was even worth saving.

But then, I found out I was pregnant.

When Eric heard the news, he was over the moon.

It was like he was the man I fell in love with again.

He spent that whole night padding every sharp corner in the house.

He made me all sorts of soups and tonics.

He even clumsily learned how to give prenatal massages from online videos.

He held me, stroking my still-flat stomach, his voice full of hope. "Jess, we're finally having a baby. I'm going to make you both the happiest people in the world."

Looking into his shining eyes, feeling that long-lost tenderness, all the sharp pain and suspicion seemed to soften temporarily.

I struggled, pushing the unease and hurt deep down.

I told myself, maybe... maybe I should give our years of love one more chance.

And Sophia?

That seemingly fragile woman had endless tricks up her sleeve.

She'd say to me, with red-rimmed eyes, looking pitiful, "Jessica, you're so lucky.

"Eric dotes on you so much. Not like me, I have such a hard life."

At family gatherings, she'd naturally put food on Eric's plate and wipe his sweat.

Acting so intimately, you'd think they were a married couple.

When Eric naturally took care of me, she'd use this half-joking, half-serious tone. "Our Eric has really grown up, knows how to pamper his wife now.

"He used to be so lazy around the house."

Every time, Eric would just laugh it off.

Or give her an awkward look and say, "Sophia, stop teasing me."

He never realized how inappropriate it was.

In fact, he seemed to enjoy that subtle, ambiguous attention.

I tried to talk to Eric, telling him that Sophia's actions and words were making me uncomfortable.

But Eric thought I was being oversensitive, making a big deal out of nothing. "That's just how Sophia is. She's blunt. She doesn't mean any harm. Why bother getting worked up over her?"

Blunt? Doesn't mean any harm?

Staring at the glaring transfer record on my phone screen, I suddenly found it all utterly ridiculous.