Chapter 4

Silas bought a bouquet of flowers. As he just reached the cemetery gate, he noticed a flashy sports car parked not far away. That had to be Yvonne.

She spotted him, too and quickly got out of the car, walking over. "Why didn't you let me come with you?"

Silas looked at her steadily. "Didn't you leave in the middle of the night? I never said I was coming here. How did you know I'd be here?"

Yvonne took his hand. "I wasn't feeling well yesterday, and since you were in the bathroom, I went to the hospital by myself. When I got back this morning, I heard Howard say he wanted to come with you to pay respects, so I tagged along."

It was a flawless lie. Silas just gave a noncommittal nod and fell silent.

When he saw the two headstones side by side, a sour ache twisted in Silas's chest. The only people who'd ever truly loved him were gone now.

Howard saw the tears in his eyes and came over, giving his shoulder a gentle pat. "Silas, your parents might be gone, but you've still got Yvonne. She'll always be there for you. You're about to have a kid, and you'll have a new family."

Howard sounded so sure, like he'd already sealed Yvonne and Silas's marriage as a forever deal.

Yvonne jumped in right away, "Yeah, I'll take good care of you and our baby. Don't feel bad."

Hearing Yvonne's words, all Silas felt was bitter irony. She promised to take care of him for a lifetime, not out of love or responsibility, but for another man and her hidden desires.

Silas shoved down all those feelings and stared at his parents' pictures. "Yeah, I'll have a new family." Then he added in his heart, 'But Yvonne won't be part of it. Not anymore.'

After they finished paying their respects, a light drizzle started to fall.

Howard and Silas sat in the back seat while Yvonne drove.

Feeling the heavy silence, Howard started a conversation. "I heard there's a new café downtown. How about we check it out for lunch?"

Yvonne immediately took a turn. "They say the owner is from Parielle, and the coffee's supposed to be really authentic."

Howard replied, "Really? The lattes I had in Parielle..."

Howard and Yvonne kept chatting, from coffee to Parielle vibes, to all the stuff they'd seen lately.

No matter what one said, the other picked it up right away, never letting there be an awkward pause. They were so in sync, like a couple who'd been together for years, with nothing left unsaid between them.

That thought flashed through Silas's mind, and he let out a self-mocking laugh. Howard and Yvonne really had been together for years.

The places they had visited together, the things they had done for each other, and the level of familiarity between them were far beyond what he, as a substitute, could compare to.

When they got to the café, Yvonne automatically handed the menu to Howard.

He took it, about to open it, but then remembered something and passed it to Silas instead. "Silas, I just got back to the country, and I don't know this café well. Why don't you order?"

Silas just picked a few things at random. When the drinks came, Yvonne frowned, "Don't you hate bitter coffee?"

Silas never liked bitter coffee, but Howard did. Silas knew from the very beginning—when it came to the one Yvonne really loved, he never stood a chance.

Howard turned to look at Silas, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. "Silas, you didn't have to order that for me."

Yvonne shot to her feet, wanting to come over and check things out, but ended up bumping into a waiter.

The cart toppled, sending drinks flying everywhere. Instinctively, she stepped in front of Howard, shielding him from the splash.

Silas wasn't so lucky. Scalding hot coffee drenched his legs, and blisters started popping up almost instantly.

His face twisted in agony, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead as the burning pain shot up his leg. He clung to the tablecloth, watching helplessly as Yvonne rushed off with Howard, not even glancing back at him.

In that instant, his heart just hit rock bottom.

The whole place was a mess, and the waiter hurried to help Silas get to safety.

As soon as he stepped outside, he saw Howard and Yvonne in the middle of a heated argument.

"I told you, I'm fine. You should go back and look after Silas," Howard insisted.

"Your hand's all burned and red. Why are you trying to act tough? Let me take you to the hospital first, and then I'll come back for him.

"Howard, why do you always have to be so stubborn? You were freaking out about me getting hurt just now. Admit it. You still care about me, don't you?"

"Does it even matter? Whether I do or not, we're over. You're married to Silas now, and you're carrying his child."

Howard's voice cracked with pain, and Yvonne's eyes instantly filled with tears. "You know it, Howard. No matter what, you'll always mean more to me than he ever could."

Howard was stunned for a moment, about to say something, when he looked up and saw Silas at the entrance.

His eyes widened in a panic he'd never shown before. "Silas, why are you out here?"

Yvonne's heart skipped a beat. She whipped around and saw Silas, pale as a ghost, pass out right there.

She immediately rushed over, helped Silas up, and hurried him off to the hospital.