Chapter 2

Back home.

I set the divorce papers I'd prepared in the entryway, along with the key.

Back in the bedroom, I was packing when I heard a key turning in the lock at the entryway.

Tristram pushed the door open, his gaze pausing on my face for a moment.

I thought he was going to ask about the diagnosis, but he just looked away and stepped aside to let Gladys come in first.

"Tristram, if I stay here to recover, won't your wife be upset?"

"Maybe I should just stay at a hotel for a few days instead."

"No need!"

Tristram sounded completely sure of himself.

"With me here, you can stay and not worry about a thing."

Only then did he notice the luggage in my hand. He frowned and kicked at it.

"Are you never going to stop?!"

"Still sulking."

Sulking!

He thought I was sulking at him.

In the past, whenever he misunderstood me, I would explain.

But now.

Looking at his accusing face, I suddenly felt so tired.

Facing him.

I didn't want to say one more unnecessary word.

I took a breath and pulled up my suitcase to leave again.

This time, Tristram didn't stop me.

But Gladys blocked the doorway.

"Paulie, don't be angry just yet."

"My lease was up, and Tristram thought I had nowhere to go, so he said I could stay a couple of days until my injury heals, then I'll leave."

"If it bothers you."

She looked at me, and her voice suddenly dropped a lot.

"I'll leave right now, then. I just hope you won't stay mad at Tristram!"

With that, she turned to go.

As she passed by me, her body suddenly lurched to the side, and she crashed to the floor.

"Ah! Paulie, why did you shove me?"

I watched her slumped on the ground, offering no explanation, and instead pointed at the wall lamp.

"I shoved you?"

"Gladys, how about we check the security footage?"

The words had barely left my mouth when Tristram rushed out of the room. He shoved me aside and scooped Gladys up.

His face was twisted, his eyes full of disgust.

"Enough!"

"If you want to leave, call Mom and Dad and tell them it's your own choice to go."

"Don't go dragging my name through the mud in front of them later."

When he reached the entryway, he suddenly stopped.

"Paulette, you'd better think this through."

"If you walk out that door today, it'll be hard to ever get back in."

Right after that, the door slammed shut.

I watched him go and let out a breath.

Even now, he still thought I was throwing a fit.

He didn't know.

After our daughter's accident, Mrs. Acevedo reminded me more than once to have Tristram look at the bills.

It was me who felt that if he saw them, it would make me look petty.

Now I'd figured it out. This wasn't something I should have to bear alone.

I set the ledger on the coffee table.

The page it lay open to was exactly the record from the month our daughter was hospitalized.