Chapter 2
As soon as I stepped out, two tall, broad-shouldered bodyguards immediately fell in behind me.
"You don't need to follow me," I said, keeping my voice cool.
They kept walking, replying quietly, "Mr. Lane's orders."
I didn't bother arguing, just let them trail after me.
I kept replaying the past in my mind, over and over.
Every single morning, from six to seven-thirty. A full hour and a half.
For the first time, I found myself really wondering where Richard actually went every morning.
I walked slowly along the route Richard had always taken, retracing his steps.
Turning left as I stepped outside, I passed the old bakery that had been closed for renovations for quite some time.
Moving forward, I soon reached Cloud Salon.
It was a well-known salon, discreet, expensive, and strictly members-only.
I walked in, leaving the bodyguards outside as they were held back at the entrance.
After my facial, I was led to the makeup and hair section next to the changing room.
There was a tall woman with bronzed skin getting her hair done.
When she saw me, she flashed a bright smile and gave me a cheerful wave.
"What a coincidence." she said.
It was Lily Smith.
She was the driver's daughter.
Richard didn't even know she existed until he turned eighteen.
He burst into the school, completely losing it.
He slapped Lily right across the face, not holding back at all.
Lily dropped out of school and almost tried to kill herself.
The whole thing blew up, and the school was about to sue Richard.
In the end, it was me who told my parents about what happened.
They sent Lily off to a vocational school in another city.
That finally managed to put a lid on the whole mess.
When Richard found out, he looked at me with an icy stare I'd never seen before.
He blamed me.
I felt awful, but I didn't regret it.
Ever since I was a kid, I'd always dreamed of having a big family.
I wanted to name my first child Autumn, then the others Winter, Spring, and Summer.
I couldn't let Richard end up with a criminal record.
That would be bad for our future children.
Richard never really gave Lily a break.
After she graduated from vocational school, she kept losing every job for no apparent reason.
In the end.
She had no choice but to join Lane Corp.
She was assigned to the worst, most exhausting position there.
I told him there was no point in dragging things out like this, but he said he wanted payback.
Back then, I was still in school. One day, I found some time to visit him at the office.
One time, I went to the office to see him and caught Lily accidentally spilling coffee on his suit.
Richard's face turned stormy, and he instinctively slapped her across the face.
Lily held her cheek, kept her head down, and didn't say a single word.
I quickly slipped some money into her hand.
"Mr. Lane is having a rough day. Don't let it get to you," I said.
She took the money without saying a word.
I let out a sigh of relief.
As long as she took the money, I figured she'd keep quiet.
She probably wouldn't go to the police.
That night, Richard didn't come home.
On the phone, his voice was hoarse.
"Don't wait up for me. I've been drinking, and I'm a wreck tonight. I don't want you to see me at my worst," he said.
I sat alone by the window, gazing into the darkness outside. In my heart, I kept going over the past again and again.
I hadn't done anything wrong.
The next morning, Richard walked in, smelling strongly of alcohol.
His eyes were bloodshot, and he looked completely worn out.
He came over and pulled me into a tight embrace, his hot tears soaking my shoulder.
"I can't forget... Every time I close my eyes, all I see is my family covered in blood... I can't," Richard said, his voice trembling.
It took him a long time before he could get the words out.
"I fired her. That's enough. Let's stop hurting each other," he finally said.
Later, I heard that Lily had moved on to another company.
With her time at Lane Corp under her belt, word was she was doing pretty well for herself.
But I never expected her to become so successful.
After all, this salon required a six-figure membership fee to get in.
Lily reached up and tucked her hair behind her ear.
To my surprise, her hair was almost the exact same length as mine.
It fell in the same way, with the same curve, just like mine.
Even the little curl at the ends matched mine perfectly.
"Mrs. Lane," Lily said.
"What a coincidence," she added.
I snapped out of my thoughts.
"What?" I asked.
"Looks like we've got matching hairstyles," Lily said.
I smiled too.
"Yeah, what a coincidence," I said.
After I left Cloud Salon, the bodyguards were gone.
I sat in a café, zoning out.
I didn't go home, and I didn't reply to anyone.
It wasn't until seven that night.
A black Maybach pulled up outside the café.
The door opened.
Richard stepped out.
He was dressed in a sharp suit, and I suddenly remembered, there was a gala tonight.
He didn't blame me for forgetting about the gala.
He walked over and gently tucked a stray lock of hair behind my ear.
"Are you cold?" he asked.
I shook my head.
He nodded.
"Good," he said.
He turned and took a look around the café.
Within minutes, the café had emptied out until it was the two of us.
Richard placed the gift box on the table and sat across from me.
"Why don't you change into your dress?" he asked.
"Aren't you going to ask where I've been?" I asked.
Richard met my gaze.
"If you don't want to talk about it, I won't ask," he said.
After I changed into the dress, he gently adjusted the hem for me.
"It looks perfect on you," he said.