Chapter 6

Estelle felt that with all these little details, she should've noticed sooner.

There were even more clues about Wallace and Celeste's relationship.

The lucky charm Estelle got for Wallace had somehow been swapped out for a cute, cartoonish one. It was the kind Celeste liked. There was even a blanket in the glove compartment, but Estelle never needed it.

Estelle rubbed at her puffy eyes and stared out the window. There wasn't even a hint of breeze in the air, yet her eyes just burned even worse.

Suddenly, the car screeched to a halt. Estelle was jerked forward, helpless to stop herself.

Just before everything went black, she clearly saw Wallace's hand reaching for Celeste.

When Estelle finally opened her eyes again, a sharp pain stabbed through her calf, and she could feel warm blood seeping out. She struggled to stand, but her body refused to cooperate. She was completely drained of strength.

They were in the middle of nowhere, and the driver who hit them had already vanished without a trace.

"Estelle, are you okay?" Wallace called out.

Thanks to the airbag, Wallace was mostly fine. He just had a small scrape on his forehead. He got to his feet amid the wreckage and made his way over to Estelle.

Just as his hand was about to reach Estelle, Celeste let out a cry of pain nearby.

For a split second, Wallace hesitated.

That single moment of hesitation, because of another woman. felt like a knife slicing straight through Estelle's heart. She knew that since Wallace had chosen to betray her, it could only mean he truly loved Celeste.

Estelle could understand Wallace covering for Celeste, buying her a diamond ring, and even sleeping with her.

But what she could never forgive was that, when her life was at stake, Wallace still hesitated.

Estelle suddenly remembered their second year together. They'd just moved out of that damp, leaky basement into a decent place. To celebrate, she went out to buy some flowers. On her way back, she nearly got hit by a car.

Wallace was waiting for her across the street and saw it all happen.

That was the first time she'd ever seen him look so scared and devastated. His arms trembled as he pulled her into a hug, and he said, "Thank God you're okay, Estelle.

"If something happened to you, I don't know what I'd do. I promise, I'll always keep you safe. I could never handle seeing you get hurt right in front of me."

His tearful promise from back then still echoed in her ears, but now, Wallace just stared at her, silent and distant.

"I'm sorry, Estelle," he said.

Then he turned his back on her and went to Celeste.

Estelle's vision blurred with tears as she sprawled face-down on the ground, utterly exhausted.

Wallace's old promise echoed in her mind, raw and haunting. "I'll never let anything happen to you."

Estelle was devastated that Wallace failed to keep his promise.

When Estelle came to in the hospital, the first thing she saw was Wallace sitting at her bedside, quietly peeling an apple for her.

Wallace had been peeling the apple in one long, curling strip, but as soon as Estelle shifted, the peel snapped. She knew right away that his nerves were shot.

"Don't you think you owe me an explanation?" Estelle rasped.

Her voice was rough and broken, her throat still raw from everything she'd been through.

Wallace glanced at her, totally calm. "Celeste is pregnant. She's your best friend. I was just protecting her because of you."

Estelle just froze, not even sure which part hurt the most.

Her best friend was having her husband's baby, and he was leaving her behind, all while claiming it was for her.

Estelle stared at Wallace, suddenly feeling like he was a complete stranger. She'd never imagined the person she shared a bed with could lie to her with such a straight face.

A sarcastic smile played at her lips. When she finally spoke, all she tasted was bitterness. "She's pregnant? Why am I the last to know?"

"We were planning to surprise you." A voice suddenly rang out.

Estelle turned toward the door and saw Celeste walking in.

Estelle looked Celeste up and down. Aside from a tiny Band-Aid wrapped around her finger, there wasn't a single scratch on her. Yet, over something so minor, Wallace had left Estelle behind while her calf was bleeding out.

"Estelle, I was actually planning to tell you soon," Celeste said as she walked over and sat down at the edge of the bed.

Wallace casually stood up and gave his seat to her.