Chapter 2

The drones arranged themselves to spell out a message.

[Love like we're young, no matter the cost.]

I pictured Claire, far away, probably moved enough to cover her mouth, overwhelmed by emotion.

The dazzling fireworks lit up half the city, leaving me alone in the shadows.

I took a few steps forward, stepping into the glow cast by the fireworks.

This was the warmth my husband had created for another woman.

I borrowed a sliver of that light, interlaced my fingers, gazing up at the sky ablaze with fireworks.

"Merry Christmas, Anna," I whispered to myself.

Back at the cold, empty villa, I sank into the couch and called my best friend, Megan Young.

Her gentle voice floated through the phone.

"Short on money again? How much do you need this time?" she asked softly.

I felt my eyes burn with tears.

Whenever Edward rejected my important financial requests, Megan always had my back and picked up the tab for me.

I shook my head.

"No, that's not it. Are you guys still hiring at your company?" I asked.

There was a long silence on the other end, lasting a full five seconds.

Then Megan finally spoke, sounding completely stunned.

"Wait, are you really coming back? Did you finally change your mind?" she asked.

"Yeah, I have," I said.

Megan and I started our own company right after graduation.

When our business was booming, Edward came to talk business with us.

He was also the guy I'd secretly had a crush on since college.

Those days felt like a dream. After we sealed the deal, he gave me a ride back to the office. As I was getting out of the car and walking away, he suddenly called out to me.

"How about you stop working?" he called out.

I chuckled, "So if I quit, are you gonna take care of me?"

"I will," he said, not missing a beat.

Megan had told me more than once that a woman should never give up her career, especially now that our company was on the rise.

She kept telling me about how our company would blow up, how I'd be worth millions, and all the incredible things waiting for us.

But back then, I just blushed.

I said, "I wouldn't mind being a housewife for him."

I handed all my shares over to Megan and devoted myself completely to being Edward's supportive wife.

But time after time, I was left abandoned, with no one to turn to.

"Of course we do." Megan's voice trembled, sounding like she was about to cry.

"You're really serious, right? You're not just mad at him or saying this to vent, are you?"

I chuckled softly. "I swear."

"I want to set up a branch overseas, and I need someone like you, a real trailblazer. Will you go abroad with me?" she asked.

"Of course," I replied.

"That's awesome. You need to take the language test as soon as you can. I'll be right there with you. Next month, we're outta here," she said.

After I hung up, I pulled out my old, dust-covered language testing practice books.

I was supposed to take the test a long time ago, but meeting Edward threw everything off.

My Sylvian skills were nothing special, so I had to buckle down and get to work right away.

Still feeling weak after my surgery, I sat in the study wrapped up in a blanket, trying to figure out how to write those essay sentences.

Before I knew it, I'd dozed off with my head on the desk.

Half-asleep, I thought I heard some noises outside the door.

"Anna's not gonna be mad at me for bringing you home, right?" Claire's voice drifted in.

Then came Edward's voice, a little slurred from drinking.

"She won't be mad. She'll just end up crying and begging me not to leave her," Edward slurred, sounding tipsy.

"Edward, careful," Claire called out.

Suddenly, a shout rang out, and the study door slammed open, snapping me out of my drowsy haze.

Edward was slumped against Claire, her arm supporting him as the smell of alcohol hung in the air.

Edward glanced up and spotted me sitting at the desk.

"You're back?" I asked.

I rubbed my eyes and let out a yawn.

Claire suddenly let go of Edward, looking panicked.

"Sorry, Anna. Edward's super drunk. There were no cars around, so I had to bring him back myself," she blurted out.

"Oh, thanks," I said.

I didn't bother asking where Edward's driver was. Instead, I gave a small, wry smile and reached out to take her hand.

"Your hands are freezing. Must've been tough getting him home," I said.

Claire froze, caught off guard.

Even Edward frowned.

"Anna, what's with the sarcasm?" he asked.

"Huh? I'm not being sarcastic," I said, acting casual.

"Anna, I swear I didn't mean to," Claire said, her voice shaky.

Claire suddenly started crying.

"If you're mad, just blame me, okay? Please, don't let this mess things up between you and Edward," she sobbed.

I handed Claire a hot water bottle.

"Here, hold onto this. Don't want you catching a chill," I said.

Claire fell silent, clutching the hot water bottle tighter, her eyes holding a hint of blame as she looked at me.

I walked off toward my bedroom, not bothering with further conversation.

"If you don't mind, you can stay in the guest room tonight. I'm tired, so I won't keep you two company. Goodnight," I said.

With that, I walked into the bedroom and closed the door behind me.

Outside my bedroom door, Edward and Claire just stood there, frozen in place.