Chapter 3
I had no idea how much time had passed before I finally fell asleep with my head on the table.
Somewhere in the haze between sleep and wakefulness, I thought I heard the sound of the door opening.
I felt someone gently lift me and carry me to the bed. A whisper brushed my ear. "I'm sorry."
But I was just too exhausted to respond.
The next morning, bright sunlight streamed through the narrow gap in the curtains, casting dappled patterns across the room.
When I finally woke up, the spot beside me was empty. The bed was freezing cold, like nobody had been there all night, and my heart just plummeted.
I sat up slowly and rubbed the lingering sleep from my eyes.
With a tiny shred of hope mixed with a load of nerves I could barely hide, I dragged myself downstairs, every step feeling heavier than the last.
Sure enough, a note from Stephen lay on the dining table. It read: [Sweetie, I made breakfast. It's in the pot. Had to head to the office. See you tonight.]
Looking at that all-too-familiar handwriting, my heart churned with a tumult of conflicting emotions.
The entire day at work, I was distracted and out of sorts.
My eyes kept drifting to my phone, desperately hoping for a warm text or a caring call from Stephen.
As evening fell, I dragged my tired body home. The house was just as cold and quiet as I'd left it, with no sign of Stephen's return.
Just as my hope had faded and I was about to fix myself a simple meal, the phone rang.
"Sweetie, I'm so sorry," Stephen's voice came through, filled with helplessness and deep regret.
"What's wrong now?" My heart clenched, a sense of foreboding washing over me.
"Harry needs to stay at the hospital for observation overnight. Susan's too nervous to stay alone with him at the hospital, so I—"
I cut him off, my anger boiling over. "So you're going to be with them again? Stephen, what exactly am I to you?"
"Sweetie, I know this isn't fair to you, but she's struggling to handle this alone with a sick kid," he pleaded, trying to explain.
I asked him angrily, "And what about me? Yesterday was our first wedding anniversary. I was so looking forward to us having a nice, quiet dinner together at home for once. But you were with them. And now tonight, too...?"
I could no longer hold back my emotions, and tears flowed like a broken dam.
"I'm sorry, honey. I swear to you, as soon as Harry gets better, I'll be there for you, completely," Stephen vowed.
"I've heard your promises too many times." With that, I hung up without hesitation and collapsed onto the sofa, feeling completely deflated.
Later that night, thunder began to roll like distant drums.
Bolts of lightning, sharp as swords, sliced ruthlessly across the night sky, as if trying to tear the whole world apart.
I was terrified of thunderstorms. Curled up under my blanket like a frightened kitten, I trembled all over, sweat breaking out on my forehead, barely daring to breathe.
"Stephen, why aren't you here with me?" I murmured to myself, my tears quickly soaking into the pillow.
I didn't know how long the thunder kept rumbling before it finally faded away, but the heaviness in my chest wouldn't budge. It felt like a boulder pressing down on my soul.
Lying there with swollen eyes, I stared blankly into the darkness of the ceiling, my thoughts a tangled mess.
Looking back at my past self from my previous life, I couldn't believe how tolerant I was.
This time, I was totally done with Stephen. No more putting up with any of this, ever again.
It finally dawned on me. His first lover wasn't just overwhelmed. She wanted Stephen by her side.
That pair of scumbags... Well, in this life, I would gladly let them have each other. They deserved each other, and they could stay together forever, far away from me.