Chapter 3
Neon lights flickered past the car window as I followed Richard to the dinner party.
He had his arm around my waist, his expression as calm as ever.
But it was only when someone brought up my name that his eyes would soften.
Halfway through the party.
A lady at the table smiled.
"Chairman Lane, Mrs. Lane," she asked, "you've been married for so many years. How do you still seem so in love?"
Richard set down his glass.
He answered without even thinking.
"Because I'm lucky," Richard said.
He had said those same words many times before.
It sounded almost rehearsed.
Yet somehow, it also felt sincere.
"I hope the two of you have a baby soon," the lady said with a smile.
Richard nodded slightly, a soft smile playing at his lips.
A long time ago, we had a child.
But he made me end the pregnancy with Autumn.
He had plenty of reasons.
The company was getting off the ground.
I hadn't graduated yet.
There would be other chances for children later.
Six years have gone by, and I can barely remember all the reasons he gave me.
All I remember is that he didn't want my Autumn.
I cried, I begged.
We argued over and over.
Then one time, I broke down and started bleeding.
The baby was gone.
When I woke up, Richard was sitting by my hospital bed.
His eyes were red.
He hadn't slept all night.
When he saw me wake up, he reached out to touch me, but stopped himself.
Only after a long while did he finally speak, his voice barely above a whisper.
"I'm sorry," Richard whispered.
My parents told me to forgive him.
They said I hadn't even graduated yet, and having a kid right then wasn't practical.
They said there'd be plenty of time to have kids in the future.
After I recovered a bit, Richard did everything he could to marry me.
But after that, I never got pregnant again.
Sometimes, I would wake up in the middle of the night.
I would think about it too.
If Autumn were still here.
He would be six this year, old enough to run and jump.
He'd be calling me "Mom."
At night, as I lay in bed, he'd wrap his arms around me from behind.
His breath would brush against my ear.
It was like all those years before.
I used to stay at home all the time, hardly ever going out.
But now, I'm always out and about, sometimes with bodyguards, sometimes on my own.
I kept changing things around at home and even dyed my hair a new color.
I didn't even know why I was doing it.
Susan said I was just feeling insecure.
But no matter how much I messed around, Richard let me do whatever I wanted.
His daily routine never changed.
At 6 AM, he'd head out for a run.
By 7:30, he'd bring back croissant. He'd wash up and join me at the table.
At 8:30, he'd head off to the office.
I sat there, spaced out, in the house I'd rearranged yet again.
On TV, a multi-billion-dollar signing ceremony was being broadcast live.
The camera swept by in a blur, flashing past the long table, stacks of documents, and both teams of representatives.
Richard sat at the head of the table, his pen gliding across the paper with effortless precision. Not a single muscle in his face twitched, he was cool, collected, and completely in control.
After signing the last line, he set down his pen, didn't even glance at the contract, and picked up his phone, tapping away on the screen like it was the most natural thing in the world.