Chapter 3

By the time I got to my in-laws' house, dinner was already on the table.

Chloe wasn't back yet. She had texted her parents telling me to eat first.

The atmosphere around the dining table was stifling.

Near the end of the meal, Chloe's parents exchanged nervous glances. Her mother, Martha, looked at me timidly. "Ethan... you and Chloe... are you two..."

Her voice broke into a choked sob before she could finish.

I quickly forced a comforting smile. "It's fine, Mom. I went to see the doctor today. Chloe and I are going to get through this."

"Really?"

"Yes, I promise."

Only after I nodded did Martha's tears subside.

Chloe didn't come home until past midnight.

She looked surprisingly energized, even chatting animatedly about drama at her office—something she hadn't done in months.

When I stepped out of the bathroom after washing up, she wrapped her arms around me from behind. "You've worked so hard taking care of me lately, honey."

For a brief second, it felt like everything was back to normal.

If she hadn't shoved me away the moment I tried to cuddle her in bed, the night might have ended peacefully.

"I'm tired. Just go to sleep." The warmth on Chloe's face vanished instantly, replaced by a wall of ice.

She shoved me away with pure disgust, turning her back to me.

A surge of frustration flared in my chest, but then I remembered my diagnosis.

I took a deep breath and told myself: *Take it slow. One step at a time.*

Waiting until Chloe was breathing evenly, I quietly slipped out of bed, swallowed my medication, and went to sleep.

The next morning, a bloodcurdling scream jolted me awake.

I opened my eyes to see Chloe staring at me, her eyes wide with terror and rage.

"What happened?"

Chloe was shaking violently from head to toe. "If you didn't want to be with me, you could have just said so! Why humiliate me like this?!"

Sobbing hysterically, she grabbed her purse and ran out.

By the time I threw on some clothes and walked into the living room, Chloe was already gone.

Sitting on the couch were her parents, staring at me with profound disappointment.

Meeting their accusatory glares, I threw my hands up in defeat. "What did I do?!"

The two elders exchanged a heavy look before Martha sighed deeply. "Ethan... how could you cheat on my daughter with an intern from your company?"

Martha shoved my unlocked phone into my hands.

When I looked down and saw the flirty, explicit SnapChat messages between my account and the new girl at the office, my hands shook so violently the phone clattered to the floor.

I raised my hand, swearing frantically, "No! This wasn't me! I don't even know that intern's full name! I have no idea when she was even added to my contacts!"

Neither of them believed a single word.

"Ethan, we know Chloe has been difficult lately, but cheating is unforgivable."

"She's fragile right now! How could you do this to our daughter?!"

They took turns berating me, every word cutting like glass.