Chapter 2
Henry stood there in a sharp suit, a pink lunchbox in his right hand, motionless and silent in the doorway.
His face was as pale as a sheet, and faint red veins showed in his piercing eyes.
The corner of my mouth twitched with awkwardness, but inside, I let out a long sigh of relief.
Honestly, I'm glad he heard it.
Now I don't have to rack my brain for an excuse to bring up divorce anymore.
Henry's eyes landed on me, full of complicated emotions.
He gave my advisor a quick nod, then, before I could react, grabbed my wrist without saying a word.
I tried to pull away, but I couldn't break free.
He was way stronger than me, and he hauled me from the third floor all the way down to the parking lot.
He shoved me into the passenger seat and locked the door behind me.
I stared at the red mark on my wrist, yanking a pack of wet wipes from my bag and scrubbing at it like my life depended on it.
Henry fixed his gaze on me, taking in my distant look, his voice low and rough. "Emily, you have to believe me. It's always been innocent between me and Vivian. I can explain everything."
I kept my eyes down, scrubbing at my wrist, not sparing him a single glance.
An explanation too late is like expired medicine. It wouldn't cure anything, but it would poison my stomach.
Henry, seeing I was ignoring him, reached out and tried to spin me around by the shoulder.
Then, the car's Bluetooth suddenly chimed, and Vivian's name popped up on the screen, bold and clear.
Henry froze for a moment, then shot me a glance and, in a fluster, hit the decline button.
I didn't go off on him like I did last year, confronting him in a hysterical mess, because there was no point anymore.
*****
A year ago, on the Thanksgiving Day.
My mom was on her way to drop off some Flaky Pork Pastry for Henry when she got into a wreck.
The accident happened a mere 1,600 feet from Henry's office building.
The driver who caused the accident took off, and in the end, it was a good-hearted passerby who stepped in and called 911 for help.
When I got the news, I rushed straight to the hospital, but by the time I arrived, my mom was already in the ICU.
My dad had died of a heart attack three years ago, and I couldn't even imagine what I'd do if I lost my mom too.
I was freaking out, totally at a loss, dialing Henry's number over and over.
But every time, all I got was that annoying busy tone.
Three hours later, the light above the operating room finally went out.
The doctor came out with an apologetic look and gave me a slow shake of the head.
Grief crashed over me, and everything went black. I passed out right there.
When I came to, my lower abdomen was hit with these hollow, stabbing cramps. It felt like someone had gouged out a chunk of my flesh.
The nurse, her face full of sympathy, told me, "Ms. Brooks, you had a miscarriage."
My mind went completely blank.
In a single day, I lost my mom and my baby, one after another.
And yet, no matter how desperately I tried, I couldn't reach my husband.
Barely able to stand after surgery, I had to take care of everything for my mom's funeral all on my own.
On the fifth day, after the funeral, I sat in the back of a taxi dressed head-to-toe in black, heading home.
The car radio blared on.
"Breaking news: Henry Carter, CEO of NovaTech Solutions, and Vivian Lane, GM of SummitCorp, were seen together in the Arctic, taking in the Northern Lights. These former business rivals, now vacationing side by side. Gossip is flying."