Chapter 2

"I think I deserve an explanation," I said.

Bowen froze when he saw the photo. After a few seconds of silence, he finally said, "That's my friend's kid. She had something urgent today, so she asked me to fill in for her at the school meeting."

"Which friend? Since when do you have a friend with a kid that old?" I asked, suspicious.

"She just got back to the country not long ago..." he said.

"Then why did you lie to me?" I pressed.

Bowen's expression grew impatient as I kept pushing.

"You're always so sensitive and suspicious. I didn't want to tell you because I knew you'd just overthink it. We're about to get married. Can't you just trust me for once?" he snapped.

I stared at Bowen in silence. We'd been together for four years, and he'd never once lied to me.

Just as we were arguing, his phone rang at the worst possible moment.

I glanced down and saw the caller ID "Tobey".

Before I could answer, Bowen snatched the phone away and hung up, his face still tight with the anger from our argument.

"Just go to bed. I'm heading to the study for a meeting," Bowen said, his voice icy.

The door slammed shut behind him.

I just stood there, dazed for a while, before finally picking up the phone to call Walter.

"Find out what Bowen's been up to lately," I told him.

Walter didn't waste any time.

The next day, a stack of documents had been placed on my desk.

When I saw the name Belle Nehemiah on the file, I was taken aback for a moment. I knew that name.

Bowen and I met at a dinner party five years ago. I was being pestered by some pushy, pot-bellied CEO when Bowen swooped in and rescued me with a dance.

We naturally got to know each other, fell in love, and during our first year together, we both came clean about any exes.

When he talked about Belle, he was so nonchalant that I didn't give it a second thought.

So I never expected that, right before Bowen and I were about to get married, Belle would show up in our lives again.

And this time, she brought a kid with her.

The documents showed that Belle and her son had come back as early as the end of August. They were living in a place owned by Bowen, and Tobey was attending St. Anne's Elementary, which was all personally arranged by Bowen.

Every expense Belle made after returning was charged straight to Bowen's card.

I didn't go straight to Bowen for a confrontation. Instead, at the afternoon project meeting, I led my team to reject his proposal with a three-fifths majority.

After the meeting, Bowen stormed into my office, still seething.

"Amelia, are you throwing a tantrum again..." he started, his tone biting.

But when he caught sight of the documents I'd tossed onto my desk, the rest of his accusation got stuck in his throat.

After that split second of shock, his face darkened with even more anger.

"Did you have someone check up on me?" he demanded.

Just as I was about to speak, a sudden itch hit my throat.

I covered my mouth and coughed a few times, then rasped out, "So, your ex counts as a friend now?"

"I told you, it's nothing. There's really nothing between us. Her parents died a few years back, and she doesn't have anyone in Silverton, so she turned to me for help..." Bowen said, his voice tight.

Looking at Bowen with that annoyed face, I suddenly felt like he was a stranger to me.

He used to be the kind of guy who would act like it was a crisis if I so much as sneezed.

I wasn't feeling well all day, and I kept coughing through the meeting, but the first thing out of Bowen's mouth was asking if I was just being moody.

I was about to say something more, but suddenly, a dizzy spell washed over her...

When I finally woke up, I found myself lying in a hospital bed.

Bowen was sitting by my bedside, going over some files. When he saw me wake up, he set the papers aside and came closer, reaching out to check my forehead.

I remembered our argument right before I fainted, so I turned my face away, dodging his hand.

Bowen froze, sounding annoyed. "Are you still mad?"

Just then, two unexpected visitors showed up in the room. A small figure rushed straight into Bowen's arms.

"Dad! You said you'd take me to the amusement park after school today. I've been waiting for you forever!"

I looked up, and my eyes landed on a woman standing in the doorway, dressed in plain clothes.

She was carrying a fruit basket, a faint smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

Obviously, it was Belle.

"Why is he calling you Dad?" I demanded.

Before Bowen could even process it, Tobey blurted out, "You're the mean woman who took my dad away. Now he can't take me to the amusement park."

Belle rushed over, clapped her hand over Tobey's mouth, and looked down, mumbling an apology to me.