Chapter 5

Just then, the phone rang. It was Stephen.

"Gina, I'll be back in about an hour. We really need to talk," he said, his voice sounding urgent.

I took a deep breath, trying hard to stay calm, and replied coldly, "There's nothing to talk about. I'm tired."

"Don't be like that, honey. Just give me a chance to explain," he pleaded, a hint of desperation in his voice.

I stayed silent for a moment, emotions churning inside me, and in the end, I hung up without another word.

When we finally met, I remember Stephen looked worn out and guilty, his eyes bloodshot.

He said, "Darling, I know I was wrong. Susan came back to Baycrest with the kid. Her parents are elderly and need help. She's going through a hard time, so I stepped in to support her."

He continued, "From now on, I'll do my best to come home after work. We can cook together, spend more time with each other."

I looked at him, my eyes full of doubt and hesitation. I asked, "Can I even trust you anymore?"

"Please, give me one more chance. I'll prove it to you with my actions," Stephen said, gripping my hand tightly, his gaze firm and sincere.

Back then, I didn't know whether I should give him another chance. The future felt overwhelmingly uncertain.

Thinking about it now, in my previous life, I still foolishly held out hope for him. I couldn't bear to divorce him and kept giving him chances.

But not in this life. This time, I was no longer lost, and I wouldn't be giving him any more chances.

I checked the time. It was almost nine.

Without crying or making a scene, I warmed up the hearty dinner I'd prepared and sat down to eat by myself.

This time around, I was going to love myself.

A short while later, my phone buzzed with a text. I didn't even look.

I knew, just like last time, it was from Susan.

A few minutes later, the phone rang. I glanced at the screen. Sure enough, it was Stephen.

I declined the call outright, finished my meal, changed into my pajamas, and went to take a shower.

After my shower, I picked up my phone and noticed Stephen had called over a dozen times.

I turned it off completely and lay down in bed to sleep.

It wasn't long before I heard the sound of a key turning in the lock, followed by Stephen's anxious voice calling my name.

I pulled the covers over my head and kept sleeping.

It was only when he opened the bedroom door, turned on the light, and saw me lying in bed that he finally stopped calling for me.

"Why didn't you answer your phone? I thought something happened to you," he said, sounding worried.

When I didn't respond, he hesitated for a moment, then changed into his sleepwear and went to wash up.

Soon, a faint, clean scent of mint drifted toward me. He climbed gently into bed, lying down beside me, and his hand moved to wrap around my waist.

Deliberately, I shifted closer to the edge of the mattress, moving just out of his reach.

Unfazed, he brushed my hair and said, "I'm sorry... It's just that Susan—"

I'd heard it all too many times before. Cutting him off, I replied calmly, "I know. You've said the same thing hundreds of times.

"You don't need to tell me anything about her from now on. That's between the two of you. I'm trying to sleep. Please don't disturb me."

Stephen paused, caught off guard, then tried to win me over. "Gina, don't be upset, okay? Tomorrow night, I'll take you to the Regent Bay Hotel for dinner to make up for missing your birthday today."

I didn't answer. I knew perfectly well he'd still end up at the hospital tomorrow, keeping that woman and her child company.

When I stayed silent, a flicker of panic seemed to stir inside him.

He rushed to say, "I know I messed up. Please, just give me one more chance."

His words just made me sick. I sat up and said, "Stephen, I'm not angry. You don't need to apologize. I'm tired. Can we just sleep quietly?"

He froze, as if sensing something was different, but still replied uneasily, "Okay... sleep well. I'll make you breakfast in the morning."

I didn't respond. As I lay back down, I shifted even farther toward the edge of the bed, putting as much space between us as possible, as if he were nothing more than air.

I'd finally let him go. I wasn't going to let my sadness show like I used to.

Now that my heart was dead, I couldn't care less about him and his precious Susan. The only sadness left was for myself, for all the time I wasted thinking I wasn't enough.