Chapter 2

At first, I tried my best to keep up, copying every move. And Gordon stood at the door, smiling as he watched me.

"Look at you, almost like a proper housewife," Gordon said.

I forced a slight smile, but my heart was filled with bitterness.

To me, being called a "proper housewife" felt like an invisible chain around my neck.

I had told Gordon before that I didn't want him to call me that.

And he had sworn to me, all serious, "Babe, you're free with me. I'd never tie you down."

But now, he seemed to have forgotten what he had said.

My thoughts were drifting off, but before I could go any further, Cassidy's sudden scream yanked me back to reality.

The soup in the pot had completely boiled away, and the burnt smell was everywhere.

Cassidy's scream startled me so much that my hand jerked and I accidentally brushed my finger against the hot pot. Instantly, my skin turned red.

Gordon hurried in, yanked Cassidy out of the kitchen, killed the stove, and immediately came over to check my hand.

Gordon frowned, saying, "Seriously? You burned yourself that badly? Look, that's a blister—we're getting you to the hospital."

Frowning, he grabbed my hand and held it under running water to cool the burn.

Before I could say anything at all, Gordon was dragging me toward the garage.

His sudden concern warmed my heart for just a second, but when I opened the passenger door, I spotted a pair of white pantyhose lying on the seat.

Gordon's gaze landed on the pantyhose too. A flash of embarrassment crossed his face before he crumpled them up and tossed them into the back seat.

Then he said dismissively, "Cassidy's pantyhose got wet, so she took them off and left them here. She just forgot to take them with her."

I smirked, my voice tinged with sarcasm. "Really? You two must be pretty tight, huh?"

Gordon pressed his lips tightly together and remained silent.

I snorted coldly and urged him to start driving.

The car was speeding down the road, steady as ever, but halfway to the hospital, Gordon's phone suddenly rang.

He slammed on the brakes, bringing the car to a sudden stop at the roadside.

Not even trying to hide anything, Gordon hit the speaker.

Cassidy's voice, clearly distressed and trembling, came through. "Mr. Fisher, the faucet at home just burst. Water's running everywhere, and I can't turn it off. What should I do?"

Gordon's expression shifted, and without missing a beat, he unlocked the doors, urging me to get out.

The burn on my hand was throbbing with a piercing pain. Hearing this, I couldn't help but clench my jaw and frown.

"Gordon, can't you just call someone to handle it? Why do you have to go yourself?" I snapped.

Gordon shot me an annoyed look, clearly losing his patience.

He said, "Cassidy's home alone. She has no idea how to deal with this. If the whole place gets soaked, or she ends up hurt, how can I not worry?"

With that, Gordon couldn't wait any longer. He shoved the car door open and practically pushed me out.

I stood there in the cold, watching him drive away without a second thought. All I felt was how utterly pathetic it was.

Back then, Gordon would never have left me behind like this.

The road was empty, and I gritted my teeth against the pain, forcing myself to walk one step at a time toward the hospital.

When I finally made it to the registration counter, I said quietly, "I need to schedule an abortion."

The abortion procedure was done quickly.

I regained consciousness half an hour later.

My phone buzzed on the bedside table. It was Gordon calling.

"Sweetheart, did the nurse treat your hand yet?" Gordon asked.

I moved my hand and realized the nurse had taken care of it.

I mumbled, "Yeah."

Gordon sighed with relief on the other end, then continued. "It's nothing now—Cassidy just couldn't figure it out. I shut off the main valve, and that fixed everything.

"Luckily, it wasn't a big deal. If something serious happened, I didn't want you to worry."

I just pulled a weak smile, keeping quiet.

If he was really worried about me, how could he have left me alone to go back?

In his heart, I simply didn't matter anymore.

I cleared my throat, voice totally flat. "Anything else? If not, I'll hang up."

Before I could hang up, Gordon suddenly called my name, sounding pretty casual.

He said, "Since you're at the hospital anyway, could you pick up some vitamins for Cassidy? I saw the bottle on her bedside table was totally empty."

My heart clenched tight, like something sharp had stabbed me deep. I snapped, voice sharp with accusation. "Gordon, how do you even know Cassidy's vitamins on her bedside table were all gone?"