Chapter 3

Serena had no idea how long she'd been drifting through the night. All she knew was that by the time she finally made it home, the streetlights had all gone out.

She opened the door to the living room. The lights switched on, sudden and bright, and there he was—a face she knew too well.

Jacob hurried over, his expression etched with what looked like genuine worry.

Before Serena could snap out of it, he pulled her into a tight hug.

"Serena, where have you been?" he asked, his voice thick with worry.

"I called you a million times. Why didn't you answer? Did you want to scare me out of my wits?" he went on.

Serena instinctively lifted her head, finding herself staring into Jacob's bright, familiar eyes.

That face—so familiar, so loving—now just made her want to turn away in disgust. She couldn't understand how something that once felt so safe could suddenly make her skin crawl.

She wanted to demand answers, wanted to shout, "Jacob, why did you marry someone else? Why are you having a child with her?" But the words just burned inside her, never making it past her lips.

In the end, all that came out was silence. She swallowed everything she wanted to say, letting it die in her throat.

"It's nothing. I was just catching up with a friend and lost track of time," Serena replied, her voice flat and distant.

It was already late, and after being out in the rain, she couldn't help but shiver.

Seeing her like that, Jacob immediately scooped her up in a princess carry and rushed her toward the bedroom.

He dug through the closet, found a hair dryer, and turned it to the warmest setting.

Then he knelt beside her, his fingers carefully working through her damp, tangled hair as the warm air blew gently over her.

"Whenever it's late, or you're somewhere far, just call me. I'll come pick you up," Jacob said softly.

Hearing his gentle promise, Serena tried to swallow her bitterness and hide her hurt, but her tears betrayed her and spilled down her cheeks.

Seeing her tear-streaked face, he frowned in concern. He pulled her into his arms, holding her tight and murmuring comfort.

"Hey, what's all this, dummy? Why are you crying all of a sudden? Don't tell me you're actually touched by what I said," Jacob teased, his voice gentle and playful.

He gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze, and when their eyes met, his warm gaze was nothing but genuine.

"If you're really that touched, then your punishment is to stay by my side forever," he joked, his voice warm and playful.

There was a time when Serena had dreamed of spending forever with him, of being together for all eternity.

But now, that was impossible. She knew the man standing in front of her was no longer the boy who once loved her with all his heart.

Wanting to leave with at least a little dignity, Serena lied to Jacob for the first time. She forced a calm smile and said quietly, "Okay," even though her heart was breaking inside.

Worried Serena might catch a cold, Jacob went straight to the kitchen and started making her hot chocolate.

For a moment, she felt like she was looking at the Jacob from five years ago.

Back then, he didn't even know how to turn on the stove.

But for her sake, he secretly signed up for cooking lessons, just so he could prepare healthy meals for her and ease her stomach pains.

Serena had always been fragile, prone to catching colds, so Jacob went to the renowned café nearby and paid a significant sum to learn their recipe for hot chocolate.

He memorized each step—the precise blend of cocoa, the temperature of the milk, the touch of spice—until he could recreate it perfectly at home.

Back in their kitchen, he would carefully heat the mixture, stirring gently, making sure it was just warm enough to comfort her on chilly nights.

She just couldn't wrap her head around it. How could someone who used to love her so deeply just stop?

Jacob carefully brought the hot chocolate over and set it down in front of Serena.

He blew on it twice, just to make sure it wouldn't burn her.

Right then, his phone rang in his pocket. Looking flustered, he hurried over to the window and answered with a few hushed words.

When he returned, he paused, seeming to weigh what to say.

"Serena, I'm sorry, but there's an emergency at work. I have to go," he said, his voice a little shaky.

Serena stared at him, her eyes locked on his ears. He used to be so easy to read. Whenever he lied, his ears would always turn bright red.

But tonight, they didn't change at all. Serena gave a bitter little smile to herself.

Just moments ago, she'd seen the caller name pop up on his phone. It was Cecilia.

She knew full well Jacob wasn't heading to the office. He was off to meet Cecilia.

Serena didn't even have the energy to confront him. She just nodded numbly, too tired to care.

As she watched Jacob's car pull away through the window, Serena felt a bitter unwillingness gnawing at her heart.

She had to see it with her own eyes. Was Jacob really choosing another woman over her?

She called a cab and, almost masochistically, followed after him, unable to stop herself even though it hurt.