Chapter 2

"Babe, is the dress on yet?"

I locked my phone and slipped it into the pocket of my old coat.

My hand lingered on the scar on my stomach for two seconds before I pulled it away.

I pushed the curtain open.

Ethan blinked in surprise when he saw me still wearing my old, faded clothes.

"Why did you take it off? Weren't you obsessing over that mermaid gown for days?"

He set down his coffee cup, walked over, and wrapped an arm around my shoulder with a doting smile.

"Is it too expensive? Don't worry about the price. Your man makes six figures now. I can easily afford a wedding dress."

I took a subtle step back, slipping out of his embrace.

"It doesn't fit."

"How? Is the size wrong?" He frowned and turned to the sales associate. "Did you guys give her the wrong size?"

The sales associate smiled apologetically.

"Mr. Miller, the lady said the design is too complicated. She said it's not practical for doing chores."

Ethan sighed, reaching out to ruffle my hair.

"Silly girl. You're going to be a princess on our wedding day. Who's going to make you do chores?"

He took my hand, his thumb gently rubbing my rough, calloused palm.

"You've worked too hard these past ten years. From now on, you stay home and relax. I'll take care of you."

His eyes were full of sincerity. He looked exactly like the boy who had hugged me tightly and sworn to love me forever when he got his PhD acceptance letter.

If I hadn't seen that post, I probably would have cried tears of gratitude.

I pulled my hand back and shoved it into my pockets.

"I'm tired. I want to go home."

"Alright. We'll go home and rest today. I'll take you to another boutique tomorrow."

As we walked out of the bridal shop, a cold gust of wind hit us.

Ethan took off his cashmere scarf and wrapped it around my neck.

"Cold? Wait here. I'll bring the car around."

He turned and walked toward the parking lot.

I watched his retreating figure. He wore a well-tailored wool coat. He looked tall, handsome, and successful.

Ethan unlocked the car and opened the passenger door for me.

A cup of tea sat in the cup holder.

"Your favorite. Half-sweet, no ice. I grabbed it on the way."

I stared at the cup but didn't touch it.

"I don't drink anymore."

Ethan's hand on the steering wheel paused.

"What's wrong? Is your stomach acting up again?"

He reached into the glove compartment with one hand and took out a bottle of stomach medicine.

"Take two tablets when we get back. I'll take a day off tomorrow to go to the hospital with you for a checkup."

I leaned back against the seat, watching the city lights blur past the window.

"Ethan, do you find me embarrassing?"

Ethan let out a soft chuckle.

"What are you overthinking now? Who would dare call my wife embarrassing?"

He stopped at a red light and turned to look at my face.

"Did you overhear my mom's phone call? Just ignore her. She's old-fashioned."

"I only made it this far because you worked multiple jobs to support me. I will remember your sacrifice for the rest of my life."

Sacrifice.

He called it a sacrifice, not love.

I looked down at my worn fingers.

"You wrote that post, didn't you?"

The light turned green. The car behind us honked.

Ethan stepped on the gas, and the car smoothly crossed the intersection.

"What post?"

His voice was calm, showing no signs of guilt.

"You spend too much time on social media. There are millions of people on Instagram. It's just a coincidence that someone has a similar story."

"What about my medical report?"

The smile finally vanished from Ethan's face.

He pulled the car over to the curb and killed the engine.

"Did you go through my phone?"

I didn't answer. I just stared at him.

Ethan let out a heavy sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"A coworker took my phone and posted that as a joke. We were playing Truth or Dare at lunch."

"You actually believed a stupid prank like that?"

He leaned in, trying to hug me.

"I've already paid the non-refundable deposit for the wedding venue, Ava. How could I possibly want to dump you?"

I lay still in his arms, letting him hold me.

His coat smelled of expensive woody cologne.

I had never owned a bottle of perfume in my life.

Right then, his phone on the dashboard lit up.

A WhatsApp message popped up on the screen:

"Are you coming over tonight? I saved some dessert for you."