Chapter 2
I didn't confront Peter right away.
I didn't call Emily either.
There was something I wanted to do first.
I opened the food delivery app on my iPad, because Peter's account was still signed in there.
I went to his recent orders.
October 8, a kids' meal, a pepper steak, and a shrimp plate.
The delivery address was Apartment 1803, Building 7, Golden Oaks.
October 5, two iced coffees and a fruit cup.
It went to the same address.
October 3, diapers and milk.
That order went to the same address too.
I kept scrolling.
The address had been showing up since January of 2023.
That was almost two years of deliveries.
I looked up the complex.
It sat three subway stops from our house.
The next day at noon, I took the afternoon off.
I had taken a half day off from work.
I rode the subway out to Golden Oaks.
The complex was small, and Building 7 stood at the back of the lot.
I didn't go upstairs.
I stood near a bench in the courtyard and pretended to wait for someone.
I waited for twenty minutes.
The unit door swung open.
A woman stepped outside.
She was holding a little boy by the hand.
The boy wore a puffy blue jacket.
He looked to be around three years old.
He had a round face.
His eyes were set wide apart.
They were exactly like Peter's.
The woman bent down to talk to him.
"Lucas, slow down," she said.
She had called him Lucas.
Lucas Bennett was the name on my policy.
She looked up.
I got a clear look at her face.
It was Emily.
She was thinner than the last time I had seen her, her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and she wore a gray coat.
She didn't notice me.
She led Lucas toward the entrance of the complex.
Then there was the way Lucas walked.
His feet turned out a little with every step.
Peter walked exactly the same way.
I sat on the bench without moving.
They walked right past me.
They passed within fifteen feet of me.
Emily was talking to him. "Daddy's picking us up for dinner in a little bit, okay?"
Lucas replied, "Okay!"
The word landed somewhere under my ribs.
Daddy was coming to pick them up for dinner.
Peter was meeting a client again that day.
I sat on the bench and watched them walk away.
The wind was strong.
My hands were cold.
But my mind was crystal clear.
My phone buzzed.
It was a message from Emily on WeChat.
Emily: [Sunny, have you been busy lately? Let's grab dinner this weekend. It's been ages!]
She added a smiley face at the end.
I stared at the message.
Five seconds passed.
Then I replied: [Sure, see you this weekend.]