Chapter 2

A cold feeling started at my feet and washed over my whole body.

It wasn't the AC.

It was because behind that closed door was a place even I, his wife, rarely got to enter. And now, a young woman had just walked right in.

All because Oscar broke his own rules for her.

At last, the door swung open.

Amelia stepped out holding a payment slip, her cheeks flushed and her eyes clear. There was absolutely no sign of the "terrible pain" she'd complained about earlier. She even skipped over to the payment window.

As she passed me, she shot me a look full of smug triumph, almost daring me to react.

Oscar came out right after, his face back to its usual cold, distant look, like that little exception never even happened.

He glanced at me, sounding strictly professional.

He said, "I'm almost out of work. Is your checkup done? I've got a few more patients to see, but once I'm finished, I'll drive you home. It's pouring outside, so getting a cab is tough."

I didn't want to say a single word. The crushing disappointment and the ridiculous feeling of betrayal made my throat feel tight.

Wordlessly, I trailed after Oscar into his break room and sat there, waiting for him.

Every minute I waited felt like a century.

The break room still lingered with a faint trace of jasmine perfume, the same scent Amelia had on earlier.

I stared at the stack of perfectly organized files on Oscar's desk and the no-smoking sign beside them, and suddenly remembered that argument we had a month ago.

Back then, I'd just gotten over my morning sickness, and my cravings were out of control.

When I went to see Oscar, I was worried his neat freak tendencies couldn't stand any strong smells, so I picked the mildest lemonade I could find.

I barely took a sip in his office before he gave me a cold stare and said, "Winona, this isn't a café. The smell lingers for hours and could affect my judgment of patients.

"Don't bring food or drinks into the office again."

It was only one sip, yet he used such a severe, icy phrase like "affect my judgment."

And now, Amelia, this "intern," not only broke his rule of not accepting female students but also cut in line, taking up valuable clinic time just for a "stomachache"?

And that jasmine perfume lingering in the office, didn't that affect his so-called "professional judgment" too?

When Oscar finally came back after seeing his last patients, I was standing by the window, staring out at the rain that was coming down in sheets, almost like a solid wall of water.

Oscar said quietly, "Let's go."

He picked up his car keys. "My car's in the underground garage, so we won't have to get wet."

We walked in silence.

The underground garage felt damp, the rain seeping in from outside.

Oscar's black SUV sat in the empty parking space, looking cold and unyielding.

When we reached the car, Oscar didn't unlock it right away. He looked over at the passenger side, his brow creasing a bit.

I followed his gaze, and my heart dropped completely.

The passenger door opened, and Amelia leaned out, her face a mix of surprise and apology.

She said, "Mrs. Moore? Oh, I'm so sorry. Mr. Moore saw I couldn't get a cab and the rain was pouring, so he offered to drop me off.

"Mr. Moore, maybe I should just sit in the back?" she offered, pretending to unbuckle her seatbelt.

But Oscar immediately unlocked the back door and said to me, "Get in."

Then he turned to Amelia, his voice softer, with a touch of reassurance he probably didn't even realize.

Oscar's voice softened. "Don't worry about it. Stay where you are. It's quite wet out here."

Amelia put on her best innocent act, murmuring an apology as she settled back in her seat. But the look in her eyes was pure, undisguised triumph.

Cradling my pregnant belly, I forced myself to twist and squeeze into the back seat.

The car started up and glided smoothly out of the underground garage.

Outside, the world was swallowed by a wall of rain and the deafening roar of thunder.

The car kept out of the storm, but it couldn't block out the eerie silence inside.

Oscar finally broke the silence, his voice calm. "Amy's place is kind of tricky to get to, so we'll drop her off first."

I didn't say a word. Any last shred of hope I had was gone.

Normally, it was just a ten-minute drive from the hospital to our place.

But Amelia's apartment was in the complete opposite direction. This was no small detour. It was way off course.

The rain streamed down the windows, washing away the city's outline until everything outside looked like a watercolor blur.

I watched the two in front, their backs to me.

Amelia seemed chilly, wrapping her arms around herself.

Oscar immediately reached over and adjusted the temperature for the passenger side, turning up the heat.

She whispered something, and he turned his head just a bit, giving her a small smile as he answered softly.

Oscar's low whisper to Amelia stabbed at my ears like needles.

The warm air from the AC, mixed with her jasmine perfume, kept wafting back to me in the rear seat.

Thanks to my pregnancy, every whiff made my stomach twist even worse.

Without thinking, I cracked the window open just a sliver.

The cold, wet air, sharp with the smell of rain, rushed in, hitting me all at once.