Chapter 2

2: 2

2

"Baby, you must be tired after the checkup. Here's ten grand of spending money, use it however you want."

I lay propped against the hospital bed, watching them pass by the door.

Quinton had one hand at Rosamund's waist, a thermos in the other, the two of them laughing as they drifted farther down the hall.

I looked away. Something inside my chest clenched hard.

Quinton didn't text until night.

"Where'd you go? Why aren't you home?"

I answered calmly.

"I'm in the hospital."

The call came a second later, his voice trembling with panic.

"What happened? Why are you in the hospital? What's going on? Why didn't you tell me?"

I drew a slow breath.

"Let's break—"

There was a strange, muffled sound on the other end.

His voice went obviously flustered.

"Something urgent came up at work, I have to go. I'll come see you first thing tomorrow morning."

I listened to the busy tone, gripping the phone, and my mouth twitched.

Then something occurred to me, and I opened the home security app.

I'd had the cameras installed a while back and never once looked at the feed.

The image loaded.

Quinton and Rosamund, lying on the very bed I slept in every night.

The girl nuzzled against his chest, pouting.

"Even now, you still find time to call her?"

Quinton dipped his head and kissed her forehead.

"I hung up, didn't I, you little jealous thing."

The girl laughed and wrapped her arms around him.

"Okay, okay, I'm teasing. Don't worry, I'll get along with her just fine from now on."

The words had barely left her mouth before Quinton pressed her down into the bed.

"Forget about her for now. Let's take care of us."

The kind of sounds that make your face burn came through the phone.

I killed the screen fast.

My stomach heaved, and I grabbed the trash can beside me and threw up.

Right up until I was discharged, Quinton never came to the hospital once.

He only sent a few messages.

"Did you catch a cold, run a fever? Get some rest. Work's been crazy lately, I've got a last-minute business trip."

Work.

Back when we first got together, he was still building his startup.

I couldn't stand watching him go around begging people for investment, so I gave him two million dollars. He held me and swore he'd be good to me for the rest of his life.

All these years, I never checked the company's books, never asked about the profits or losses.

That thought put me in a cab straight to his company.

The moment I reached the front desk, a girl stopped me.

"Who are you looking for?"

"I'm here for Quinton James," I said.

She looked me up and down.

"Do you have an appointment? What are you to Mr. James?"

Another girl leaned out of an office.

"Who's this? Another one who's got her eye on our Mr. James?"

She shook her head, smiling.

"Save yourself the trouble. Our Mr. James has a wife, and they're crazy about each other."

"A good man who loves his wife like that, you snooze you lose."

Just then Quinton and Rosamund came in, laughing together.

The instant he saw me, his whole body froze.

"You... what are you doing here?"

I bit down hard on my lip, looking at him, then at Rosamund beside him.

The next second, I raised my hand and slapped him across the face.

But right after, pain exploded across my own cheek.

Rosamund had slapped me, and she glared at me, furious.

"What do you think you're doing, hitting my husband?"

I held my cheek and looked coldly at the two of them.

"Quinton, we're done."

Then I turned and walked out.

Back at the place we lived, I opened the closet and started packing.

That bed in the bedroom, they'd slept in it. Everything inside it, I didn't want any of it anymore.

The thought that they might have tangled together in every corner of this room made me sick.

The front door was suddenly shoved open.

Quinton rushed in and grabbed my wrist.

"Noreen! Let me explain!"

"There was this one time I went out drinking for work and had too much, and she happened to be working part-time at that place, and I accidentally... took her first time, and after that we just..."

"Rosamund's a sweet, innocent girl. She's pregnant. I can't just abandon her, and I can't abandon my child."

I was so angry I laughed.

"And me? What does that make me to you?"

He shook his head desperately, his eyes going red.

"Noreen, the one I love most is you, of course it is."

"I love you, but I can't let go of her either. Our wedding goes ahead as planned. Everything you're owed, you'll get, down to the last thing."

I remembered what I'd heard that day, him saying he'd get me a fake marriage certificate, and the fury shot straight to my head.

"Don't bother. We're finished."

"And the two million I gave you to start your company, wire it to my account within three days."

His face changed, and he started to say something more.

I turned to go. He grabbed my arm and clung to it, refusing to let go.

Right then his phone buzzed like mad.

A sobbing voice came through.

"Quinton, where are you... my stomach hurts..."

He released me and hurried out.

"Noreen, wait for me to come back. We'll talk this through."

The door shut, and the apartment fell completely silent.

I found a hotel and got a room.

My best friend Maria Gilbert called, and after she heard the whole thing, she cursed him out on the phone for half an hour.

She dragged me out to eat and take my mind off it. I had no appetite, but she pulled me out the door anyway.

The moment we walked into the restaurant, a group of people came toward us.

Quinton was in front, Rosamund on his arm.

Behind her trailed a few friends, all laughing and chatting.

My steps stopped.

Just then, out of nowhere, someone stuck out a foot.

I tripped hard and went down onto the floor.

Maria crouched down fast to help me up, then looked up and glared at the group.

"What is wrong with you people?"

Rosamund covered her mouth and giggled, all innocence.

"Oh no, I'm so sorry, my friend didn't mean it. Are you okay?"

I braced on Maria's hand and got to my feet, my knee stinging fiercely.

Quinton stood beside her, his lips moving, but in the end he said nothing.

Maria said furiously,

"Quinton, you have no shame! How can you be with Noreen and chase after another woman at the same time?"