Chapter 2

After the yacht docked, the driver was waiting onshore.

"Ma'am, should we go pick up your daughter?"

Today was my thirtieth birthday. Noah had booked the whole island ahead of time, saying he wanted the two of us to have some time alone, so I'd dropped our daughter off at my parents' place beforehand.

If I went to get her now, my parents would worry.

At that thought, I shook my head at the driver.

"Just take me home."

I hadn't been home long when Noah came back too.

Seeing me sitting on the sofa, he walked over and crouched down in front of me.

"Everything today was my fault. Don't be angry anymore, okay?"

"I made a reservation at a restaurant. We—"

Before Noah could finish, I cut him off.

"You've discussed my body with other women?"

Noah's eyes flickered for a moment.

A beat later, I heard his low voice.

"Those secretaries are all young girls. I probably overheard them talking about marriage and kids in the office and just went along with them for a few words."

"But how could I ever look down on you?"

I said nothing. I just stared straight at him.

Seven years dating, five years married, twelve whole years side by side, day and night.

But in that instant, I felt like I didn't even recognize him anymore.

I took a deep breath.

"Fire Rosamond."

Noah's troubled expression was exactly the same as the one on the island.

"Rosamond is good at her job. In her two years at the company, she's never made a single mistake at work."

"Emily, don't put me in a hard spot, okay?"

Noah's voice was clearly gentle, but every word chilled me to the bone.

Seeing that I didn't speak, Noah's voice softened even more.

He laid his hand over the back of mine.

"If you really can't stand her, then I'll do my best to keep her out of your sight from now on, okay?"

"We've been together all these years. Don't you still trust me?"

Looking at Noah's familiar face, my nose stung sharply.

Four years ago, when I gave birth to our daughter, I had an amniotic fluid embolism and barely survived—I nearly died on the operating table.

When I woke up in the hospital bed, Noah had held my hand just like this, his eyes red from crying.

"Emily, no more children—let's never have another child, okay? I can't take that kind of risk again."

"As long as you're alive and well, as long as we're together, I don't need anything else."

I believe his tears and his fear back then were real.

I believe his love back then was real too.

Yet now, in just four short years, he's forgotten how afraid he was, and even lets an outsider treat the harm childbirth did to my body as a joke to chat about.

How ridiculous. How ironic.

I forced back the sob rising in my throat.

"Let's go to bed. I'm a little tired."

When I woke up the next day, there was no one beside me.

Noah must have gone to work.

Remembering that my daughter was still at my parents' place, I got up, washed up, and had the driver take me to their house.

Mom looked a little surprised.

"Why are you here to pick up the little one so soon? Did you two get back early today?"

"Have you eaten breakfast yet? We're just about to have some."

My daughter rushed straight into my arms.

"Mommy, you came to get me? Did you have a happy birthday yesterday?"

"Where's Daddy? Why didn't he come to pick me up with you? Lisa misses Daddy."

Looking at my daughter's adorable little face, the sadness in my heart eased a little.

"Daddy went to work. Mommy came to have breakfast with you, Lisa."

After breakfast, worried my parents would notice something was off, I took Lisa home.

But the moment I pushed open the door, I saw someone I loathed sitting on the sofa.

Seeing me come in, Rosamond shot to her feet.

"Mrs. Fox, I've come to apologize to you."