Chapter 3

James didn't get home until eleven that night. He came in with a cake and a massive bouquet of roses in his arms. He set them down on the table. "These are for you."

I sprang to my feet and quickly moved to the side.

James's brows knitted together. "Emma, who are you trying to fool with this act?"

"I'm allergic to pollen," I replied.

Surprise flickered across his face, but he quickly recovered. "Why didn't you say so earlier?"

"Because..."

Suddenly, his phone rang. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of the screen. It was Sophie.

I watched his back disappear into the study. I let out a sigh, laughing at myself. That was because you never once gave me anything.

I accepted Sophie's friend request. [Emma, thanks for booking the restaurant. James and I enjoyed ourselves.] Sophie's message popped up almost instantly.

[It's fine.] I opened her feed and blanked for a moment. She was beaming, holding the same bouquet of roses. In front of her was the more elaborate cake I'd ordered for James.

I glanced down at the table. The cheap cream cake James brought home was already sagging at one corner. "Maria, please clean it up."

After his shower, James sat down next to me. "The day after tomorrow, I want to have a dinner party at home for my team."

I turned to look at him. "But I thought you didn't like..."

James gave a helpless smile, but it was clearly a doting one. "Sophie thinks that as a director, I should get closer to the team. I've been thinking that maybe it's good to change things up sometimes."

After a moment, I hid the feelings in my eyes. "Do you need me to prepare anything?"

"No." James hesitated for a second, then handed me his credit card. "The day after tomorrow, you can go out and have fun with your friends. It's all on me."

I idly rubbed the card in my hands. "Okay."

My calm reaction made James uneasy for a moment, but soon he was filled with joy. "That's my girl."

He pulled me into his arms, leaning in to kiss my forehead. I instinctively pulled away. "Don't forget to take down the wedding photos."

James looked a bit annoyed, but as soon as he heard me, his focus shifted. "I won't forget."

Those four words wrapped around my heart like barbed wire, cutting deep. But soon, all I felt was numbness.

*****

Late that night, I got back home. The only thing left was Sophie's high heels by the door.

In the kitchen, James was still scrubbing dishes, while Sophie hung around, cracking jokes to cheer him up. Actually, we had a dishwasher.

"Emma, you're back?" Sophie was the first to notice me.

James immediately turned to look at me. I caught the moment his smile faltered.

"I won't bother you two any longer." Sophie made a show of picking up her bag, as if she was about to head out.

James had just started to say "no" when my voice cut him off and drowned him out. "It's fine, I'll go to my room."

Suddenly, a wave of nausea hit me. I rushed to the bathroom.

Sophie hesitated for a second. "James, does Emma throw up like this often?"

James straightened up, trying to remember if Emma had been sick recently. He couldn't think of anything. He quickly gave up, sounding casual. "It's nothing serious, don't worry about it."

Sophie let out a quiet sigh of relief, her smile lighting up again. "Okay."

*****

Today was the day of my surgery. The doctor glanced up at me. "You came alone?"

I nodded.

She let out a heavy sigh. "Go on in."