Chapter 2

Silas walked into the law office and handed over the divorce papers he'd already prepared and signed. "I want a divorce," he said.

Three hours later, Silas walked back into his apartment, the divorce papers tucked under his arm.

After taking a day to recover, Silas stared at his ghostly pale face in the mirror, his hands trembling as he headed to the bathroom for a shower.

After a quick rinse, he looked more like himself again. But just thinking about Yvonne made his heart ache all over again.

Wrapped in a blanket on the couch, Silas called the housekeeper and ordered, "Take all the architectural models from the study and send them to auction. Donate whatever you get."

Yvonne, who happened to walk in just then, was stunned. "Silas, why are you suddenly selling all these models?"

Silas lowered his eyes, avoiding her gaze. "I don't like them anymore. Might as well donate them. Maybe it'll bring some blessings for the baby."

Yvonne didn't overthink it. She came over, hugged him gently, and coaxed, "Alright, in a couple of days I'll take you to the home improvement store. You can pick out whatever you like, and we'll slowly fill up the study again, okay?"

Hearing her soothe him like a child, Silas didn't answer. He changed the subject. "Are you done with work?"

"Yeah, I'm done. I know I've been swamped lately and you've been worried about me. For the next week, I'll be home. Will you spend some time with me and the baby?"

As she spoke, she reached for his hand, but Silas's whole body tensed up and he unconsciously leaned away.

Noticing his rejection, Yvonne frowned slightly, just as she was about to ask, Silas's phone suddenly rang.

Seeing it was Andrew calling, Silas picked up.

Andrew asked, "Silas, Howard's back in the country. We're planning a get-together at the studio. Are you coming?"

Silas refused, "I'm really not feeling up to it, so I think I'll pass—"

Before he could finish, Yvonne grabbed the phone and cut in, "We'll be there right on time."

Seeing how quick she was to accept the invitation, Silas felt his chest clench. He couldn't stop himself from remembering the day his father died, when he called her eighty-eight times and no one ever picked up.

He got it now; when Yvonne truly liked someone, she'd never miss a chance to see them. She didn't care about his wishes, or the fact that he was grieving. She just followed her own heart, running toward what she wanted.

After she hung up, Yvonne finally noticed the look on Silas's face and realized she'd just crossed a line.

She took his cold hand and tried to explain. "Silas, you know I haven't been feeling well these days. I just want to get out and walk around a bit.

"Honestly, you could use it too. You can't just stay stuck in your grief. I'll go with you to the studio. We can see some friends, and maybe it'll help you feel a little better."

Silas forced a smile but didn't say anything.

*****

At seven o'clock sharp, Silas and Yvonne arrived at the studio.

Before they walked in, Yvonne handed Silas a gift. "Andrew said you and Howard haven't seen each other in years. It's only polite to bring a gift."

If it had been before, Silas might have thought she was just being considerate. But now, he knew she was only using him as a go-between to give a present to someone she cared about.

He didn't call her out on it. He stepped into the bustling hall with a calm face.

Hearing the commotion, Howard, who'd been chatting with someone, turned and spotted Silas—with Yvonne right beside him, her hand in his.

Howard paused for a second, and then asked uncertainly, "Silas, who's this?"

Silas was at a loss for words, and Yvonne stayed silent, too.

Some colleagues nearby quickly chimed in, "Howard, you've been overseas for three years and missed their wedding. This is Silas's wife, Yvonne Swanson, director at Swanson Investment Group."

Howard actually swayed a little, a flash of shock flickering in his eyes.

But he recovered quickly. He stepped forward, shook Yvonne's hand, and the two of them made small talk, polite and distant, as if they were total strangers meeting for the first time.

Only Silas could sense the invisible, shifting tension that flowed between them.

He handed the gift to Howard and said quietly, "Welcome back, Howard."

"Thanks. I'm just here for a month, then it's back to Parielle for me," Howard replied.

Yvonne's face soured instantly.

Howard just ignored Yvonne, smiling as he unwrapped the gift.

When he saw the beautifully packaged architectural model inside, a look of genuine appreciation flashed in his eyes. "Silas, you really have great taste. I've had my eye on this piece for a long time."

Silas took in both their reactions and said coolly, "Actually, my wife picked it out. She's always had great taste."

During dinner, Yvonne barely touched her own food. Instead, she spent most of the time chatting and busily piling food onto Silas's plate.

Silas's friends and colleagues grinned knowingly, teasing, "Silas, you really hit the jackpot with a wife like her. Look at you two, so lovey-dovey!"

Silas gave a weak smile, staring at the seafood on his plate.

He couldn't stand the smell of seafood. Yvonne used to always remember that, but tonight, it was like she'd forgotten completely.

She kept fussing with the plates and glasses, making sure all the red wine was poured right in front of Howard.

Howard had always been passionate about wine, ever since he was a kid.