Chapter 3

Guilt, panic, and anger flashed through his eyes before settling into defensive rage.

"She’s just an assistant to one of my clients! She has a crush on me, okay? But since she works for a client, I can't just brutally reject her."

"Can you stop being so paranoid? I have to play nice at these dinners. I'm doing all of this for us!"

I took a deep breath, trying to force myself to believe his lies.

But a woman who leaves lipstick-stained napkins in his pocket... was she really just an assistant?

"Then explain the lipstick napkin in your pocket."

He followed my gaze and saw the napkin in my hand.

His face turned incredibly pale.

"She... she couldn't find a trash can, and her dress didn't have pockets. So I just held onto it for her."

It was the most pathetic excuse I had ever heard. But I didn't have the energy to argue.

"Our college reunion is the day after tomorrow," I said quietly. "Are we still going?"

We had graduated from the same university. Afterward, thanks to my advisor's recommendation, I got a research assistant job at a biotech firm. Alex, however, went into sales and marketing because he thought it was a faster way to make money.

He hesitated for a second, then gritted his teeth. "Yes, we're going."

"Who knows? Maybe I can turn some old classmates into clients."

At the reunion, we ran into a lot of familiar faces. Everyone was laughing and reminiscing about the old days.

"Alex was literally the top student in our major. All the professors loved him."

"Right? Back then, we all thought Alex would be running a hedge fund on Wall Street by now."

"Speaking of which, Alex, where are you working these days?"

The smile on Alex’s face froze. "Skyline Technologies."

The classmate looked confused. "Skyline? Never heard of it. What do they do?"

Alex’s expression darkened with embarrassment.

Another classmate saw how awkward things were getting and quickly intervened. "Hey, it's the weekend! No work talk. Let's eat!"

For the rest of the night, Alex sat in silence, staring at his plate.

As we were leaving, Pete walked up and slipped a business card into Alex’s hand.

"Alex, I know how capable you are. If you ever want a referral at Apple, let me know. I can get you an interview."

Alex coldly pushed the card back. "I’m not that desperate yet."

The truth was, with the recent tech downturn, Alex’s company was struggling and rumors of layoffs were everywhere.

But his pride wouldn't let him bow his head to the guy he used to beat in school.

Pete sighed and took the card back.

On the Uber ride home, Alex stared out the window, his jaw clenched tightly.

"It's okay," I whispered, trying to comfort him. "Once the economy gets better, you'll find a much better opportunity."

"At least you still have me. And my manager, Jennifer, said I have a really good chance of getting promoted in the next review."

"Enough!"

He suddenly snapped, raising his voice so loud that the driver glanced at us in the rearview mirror.

"What is your problem, Kate?! Are you mocking me?!"

"So what if you make a little more money than me right now? I’m going to make it big sooner or later! I won’t always be a loser compared to you!"

"And let's not forget, you only got that cozy job because your professor handed it to you on a silver platter. At least I got mine on my own merit!"

I stared at him, completely shocked. I had no idea he harbored so much resentment.

I didn't know he viewed me—and our entire marriage—this way.

"I never meant it like that..."

Suddenly, his phone screen lit up. Marta’s Snapchat bitmoji flashed.

Alex quickly tapped out a reply, his tense shoulders relaxing just a fraction. Then, he looked up at me, cold as ice.

"Whether you meant it or not, you know the truth in your heart."

With that, he barked at the driver to pull over. He got out of the car and slammed the door, leaving me alone in the backseat.

He didn't say where he was going. He didn't say when he'd be back.

I stared at the empty seat beside me, feeling completely hollow.

The driver looked back at me, his voice gentle and sympathetic.

"Are we still going to your address, ma'am?"

I blinked back my tears and found my voice.

"Yes. Please."