Chapter 2

I don't remember how I got home. The moment I pushed the door open, my mother and Kerry both crowded in on me.

My mother looked at me, all worry. "Cora, where did you go? Do you want to scare me to death?"

Kerry said nothing. He just took my bag from my hand, easy as always, and handed me a cup of warm water the way he always did.

Such a good performance. If I hadn't found out the truth today, I'd probably still be living inside this fake picture of a happy life.

When Kerry leaned close, I caught that faint scent on him. The same one from the old house. The same one on my mother last week.

My stomach turned over, and I ran to the bathroom, retching and unable to stop, tears spilling down before I could hold them back.

Kerry followed me in at once, a little frantic, rubbing my back gently.

"What's wrong? Why did you get sick so suddenly?" His voice had an edge of worry.

"Don't touch me. You make me sick." My own voice was flat.

Kerry drew in a breath. Something irritable flickered through his eyes, but in the end he pressed it down and spoke gently. "You're imagining things again. Katherine and I ended it a long time ago. If you don't believe me, ask Mom. She's been keeping an eye on me the whole time."

"Back then you were always imagining things, and that's how you got sick. I won't let it happen again. I'll worry."

My mother nodded beside him. "That's right. Kerry did do you wrong before, but he hasn't wronged you in the slightest since. Besides being with you, all Kerry does is work. Other women would envy that. You can't accuse him unfairly."

For all these years, this was what they'd always said. They lied without a flicker of change on their faces, and I actually believed them.

"Is that so?" I asked, smiling.

"Of course it's true." Kerry frowned, a little irritated.

I took out a lip gloss. I'd picked it up at the old house today.

"Then what's this?" I asked.

Kerry suddenly went quiet.

The silence stretched a long time before my mother spoke. "So that's where it went. I couldn't find it. Look at the mess this caused. It's my fault for not putting my things away, making the two of you fight again."

Just like that, I didn't want to ask anything more.

She never once used lip gloss, yet to cover for him she'd tell a lie this clumsy.

I pressed the lip gloss back into her hand and went into my room.

Kerry followed me in and took my hand gently.

"Cora, I know what happened before hurt you badly, but I really haven't done anything to wrong you again."

"Tomorrow I'll spend the whole day with you. I'll take you to that restaurant you've always wanted to try, all right?"

I nodded a little, but there wasn't the smallest trace of happiness on my face.

Kerry finally couldn't hold it in. Forcing his emotions down, he said, "Can you stop treating me like this all the time? All these years I've done everything you asked. When have I ever shortchanged you, in money or anything else? What man would treat you the way I do? Your mother's afraid of upsetting you too, always finding new ways to keep you happy. And you? Can't you show a little sense?"

"Then what kind of attitude should I have? Ask nothing, play dumb, and go along with your act, and that counts as sense?" My tone stayed level.

The silence in the room went on for a long time.

In the end, Kerry shut the bedroom door, leaving behind only one line. "Think it over carefully." And then he was gone.