Chapter 2

Andy unbuttoned Daisy's shirt, frowning. "Chloe, the collar on this shirt has stretched out from washing. Why didn't you get Daisy new clothes?"

I tried to speak, but nothing came out.

Andy gave me 1,000 dollars a month.

My in-laws needed medical care every month, and Daisy was going to preschool.

In a city like Beloris, where everything was expensive, one thousand a month barely kept me going. I was struggling to survive.

I'd tried so many times to carefully go over the family finances with Andy.

He'd stare at his screen, barely glancing up, and say, "Yeah, I know. The economy isn't great right now. You understand, right?"

Right then, Andy's phone rang. He glanced at the screen and picked up right away, his voice gentle. "What's up?"

Jane said in a sweet voice, "I got the money. Why did you send an extra 2 thousand this month? Anyway, I bought Tim a new pair of shoes for one thousand, and he's over the moon."

Tim's excited screams came through the phone.

Andy chuckled. "Tim is growing up, and it's tough for you to raise him on your own. The 3 thousand probably wasn't enough, so I'll send 5 thousand from now on."

At that moment, I felt completely disappointed inside. I could barely breathe.

It wasn't that Andy became stingy. He was simply never generous with me.

I remembered how I had almost spent all my savings to cover household expenses, and Daisy was still wearing old, wrinkled clothes.

I felt like I was the biggest fool in the world.

Andy hung up and saw the look on my face. He cleared his throat. "Chloe, Jane has it tough raising her son alone. You're luckier. You've got me to share the burden. Don't take it personally with her."

I glanced down at my shoes. The soles were falling off, but I kept fixing them and still wore them.

It felt ridiculous, and I said, "Andy, your son complains about the one-thousand-dollar shoes, while I'm making that same amount cover a whole family. Don't you think I'm not struggling, too? Why do you never see how hard things are for me?"

Andy frowned right away. "Chloe, don't be so aggressive. It's only a pair of shoes. I also bought you shoes, and they cost 600 dollars. Is that not enough?"

"I don't wear size 6," I replied.

Andy was stunned. "What?"

My shoulders dropped, and I felt drained. "When you buy Jane shoes and grab me a pair, have you ever once remembered I wear size 7?"

Andy stood still, frozen.

At that moment, Daisy's quiet sobs filled the room. "Please don't fight. I don't need new clothes."

She nervously tugged at my shirt.

My nose stung, and my heart softened right away.

Andy cleared his throat. "Hey, Daisy, don't cry. I'm sorry."

He looked at me again. "We're going to my mom's for dinner this afternoon. See how understanding Daisy is? Stop making a scene, okay?"

Daisy reached up and gently stroked my cheek. "Mom, it's okay. You look like a sad little bunny when you cry."

That phrase sounded so familiar. Andy must have taught her that.

When I was pregnant, my morning sickness was really bad, and I couldn't eat or sleep properly.

Andy would look at me with such concern, and whenever I cried, his eyes would well up, too.

He'd gently wipe away my tears, massage my swollen feet, and soothe me with that same phrase.

Back then, I felt genuinely happy, as if all the pain of pregnancy didn't matter anymore.

However, now, when I cried, Andy looked at me with indifference and said, "I'm going out for some fresh air."

A strong, familiar wave of nausea hit me. I felt uneasy and quickly went to get checked.

The results came back fast. The doctor said flatly, "You're six weeks pregnant. Do you want to keep the baby?"

I clenched the report tightly and couldn't find the words.

Andy said he was going out for some fresh air, but he didn't come back for hours.

When I finally got Daisy, who'd finished her IV drip, into the car, I saw Andy laughing at something on his phone.

He saw us and, still amused, closed the video app with a lingering smile.

I remembered that I saw a hairpin accidentally left behind by Jane on the passenger seat last time.

Back then, Andy said in a flat voice, "Sorry, I forgot to deal with it."

And when I happily wore the same hairpin to show him, he frowned. "You're not a kid anymore. Don't do such a stupid thing. It's embarrassing."

It killed my excitement, and I never mentioned it again.

However, that feeling of being treated differently stayed with me, still hurting now.

*****

I heard laughter coming from Marilyn's house. She's my mother-in-law.

The voices sounded familiar, and my heart skipped a beat.

When the door opened, a strong perfume hit me. Jane, with perfectly styled wavy hair, paused when she saw me. She raised an eyebrow. "Hi, Chloe."

I looked at my plain white T-shirt and jeans and turned to Andy. "Why didn't you tell me—"

Before I could finish, Marilyn's face soured. "Does my grandson need your permission to visit me now? Who do you think you are?"

I shook my head, feeling wronged.

Andy clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Jane and I might be divorced, but we're still co-parenting Tim. Don't make such a big deal out of it."

Jane calmly handed Andy the slippers. "Yeah, Chloe, don't overthink it."