Chapter 2

Nathan didn't notice my silence. He carried the cat into the kitchen to rinse the frozen melon.

Suddenly, his phone buzzed on the counter. I picked it up without thinking and saw a message from Chloe. Almost like a reflex, I clicked it open.

"I'll be back tomorrow to pick up Milo. Thank you so much for taking care of him. Let me treat you to dinner!"

I scrolled up. The chat history left me breathless. I couldn't believe these texts came from Nathan.

"Your train is at 2:00 PM tomorrow. Make sure to set an alarm for noon so you don't oversleep. I checked the distance—it's a 20-minute drive to the station. That'll leave you enough time to grab lunch."

"I just sent an Uber Eats order to your hotel with some local specialties. You can bring them home to your family. I know how busy the event is, and you won't have time to shop."

"You always sleep poorly in hotels. I had a bouquet of lilies and some fresh apples delivered to your room. Keeping them by your bed helps with sleep."

Chloe had replied:

"Nathan, you're so thoughtful. Your wife must be so lucky."

"I'm actually a little jealous of her. Living in romance and care every single day."

Nathan replied:

"You're my student, and you're representing our school at this competition. Of course I have to look after you."

There were countless other messages.

Every single one was filled with his attentiveness and concern.

Tears welled up and splashed onto the screen.

Nathan had never been this thoughtful with me.

He never mapped out my travel routes. He never bought me flowers without me begging.

This gentle, detailed care—planning every little thing down to the minute—was something I had never experienced in our entire marriage.

The kitchen faucet turned off. I quickly locked the phone and put it back down.

Nathan dried the melon carefully and placed it beneath the cat.

"He really loves it. Guess the internet didn't lie."

He walked over, picked up his phone, and typed a reply to Chloe.

"Chloe's coming tomorrow to get the cat. Let's take her out to dinner."

"Let's just eat at home,"

I interrupted.

"I haven't met Chloe yet. You always said she's your brightest student. It'd be nice to get to know her."

Nathan paused, then nodded.

"Sure. I'll ask her."

I wanted to see this woman.

The woman who received the tenderness Nathan claimed he was incapable of giving.

Early the next morning, I went out for groceries.

Chloe had agreed to come over for dinner, and Nathan insisted on cooking himself.

He specifically told me to go to the supermarket across town to buy a specific brand of steak that Chloe loved.

After buying the groceries, I realized the ice cream parlor I'd been craving for months was right next door.

Since I was already there, I stepped inside and ordered a vanilla cone.

As the cashier handed it to me, she glanced at my grocery bag.

"You love that steak brand too? What a coincidence! We have a regular who always buys that exact steak next door and then comes here for ice cream."

I paused, asking instinctively,

"What flavor does he usually buy?"

The cashier thought for a moment.

"A bit of everything. But never vanilla, I think."

My breath hitched.

It was Nathan.

Every time he drove across town to "get me ice cream," he hadn't made the trip for me at all. He had gone there to buy steak for Chloe, and picked up ice cream for me as an afterthought.