Chapter 2

Julian didn't even look at me. He rushed past me into the room, checking to see if I, the intruder, had ruined his precious sanctuary.

Once he saw everything was untouched, he immediately locked the door and reset the passcode right in front of my face.

Done, he turned to me, his eyes blazing with fury.

"Chloe, I hope this is the first and last time!"

Holding back the tears and the pain in my hip, I stood up straight.

"Julian, do you have nothing to explain to me?"

Julian sneered. "What's there to explain? Just because we're married doesn't mean I don't get a right to privacy!"

"Chloe, do you even know what boundaries are?"

My heart sank into a dark, empty pit. "Julian, what do my son and I actually mean to you?"

Julian frowned, giving me that familiar, irritated "here we go again" look.

"Chloe, can you stop making a mountain out of a molehill? Do you have any idea how exhausting and unattractive you are when you act like this?"

I let out a bitter laugh. "Oh? And who is attractive to you then? Vivian?"

Julian’s face went pale. "You saw the painting! Chloe, do you have any respect for privacy at all?!"

I refused to back down. "And what about you, Julian? You lock yourself in this room all day, ignoring me and our son. Do you have any respect for your responsibilities as a father and a husband?"

Julian's face flushed with anger. "You are completely delusional!"

With that, he turned on his heel to leave.

Those words ignited the rage I had suppressed for years.

I stepped in front of him, blocking his path. "Julian! You are not leaving this house until you explain yourself!"

Julian looked down at me with pure disdain. "Explain to you? As if you’d even understand."

"Vivian is the creative director of a major art gallery. She has handled thousands of masterpieces over the years. You're just a housewife, Chloe. How can you even compare to her?"

His words felt like a poisoned arrow piercing right through my heart.

Blinking back tears, I raised my voice. "Julian, we went to the exact same college! I sacrificed my career to take care of you, our son, and this house! Even if you don't love me, you should at least respect my sacrifice! How dare you look down on me!"

Julian let out a mocking laugh. "So what? Look at yourself now. All you do is worry about groceries, dirty diapers, and dinner. You’ve been out of touch with the real world for years. Honestly, I'm the only one who would tolerate you. You should be grateful, Chloe."

My heart shattered. "Julian, do you really not know why I couldn't go back to work?"

Julian sneered. "Whatever the reason, it was your own choice. Stop trying to guilt-trip me."

I stared at him in utter disbelief. I couldn't believe he actually thought this way.

"Julian, when my maternity leave ended and I wanted to go back to work, your parents refused to help. You said you didn't trust strangers to babysit. What was I supposed to do?!"

At the mention of his parents, Julian got even angrier. "Leave my parents out of this! They're old and in poor health. Besides, you're the mother. If you don't take care of the kid, who will?"

"And what about you? Aren't you his father?!"

Julian snapped, "Chloe, stop being hysterical! We had a clear division of labor: I work outside, you take care of the home. Isn't that fair?"

"I work hard all day at my job. In my limited free time, I just want to do what I love. Why do you have to be so incredibly selfish?!"

"I'm selfish?"

I pointed at my own chest, laughing in sheer disbelief.

"Julian, do you hear yourself?"

"Every little thing in this house is done by me. If it weren't for me carrying your weight, where would you get the time to paint, write, and enjoy your peaceful life?"

Julian waved his hand dismissively. "If you don't want to do it, then don't. Stop acting like you're some kind of martyr."

"This is exactly why you can't compare to Vivian. She always focuses on finding solutions instead of constantly whining and complaining."

I wanted to solve problems too. But household chores are a never-ending cycle, not a one-time fix.

From start to finish, he simply refused to see my sacrifice. He refused to acknowledge my value.

Deeply exhausted, I suddenly lost all desire to argue with him.

Suppressing the pain in my chest and the tears in my eyes, I turned around and walked back to my bedroom alone, leaving him standing there. It was the first time I had ever walked away first.

The next morning, I had to pick up my son from my mother’s place.

I got up early, dressed nicely, and made myself a simple breakfast.

A few minutes later, Julian walked out of his study, yawning.

Seeing the empty dining table, his face darkened. "Where's my breakfast?"

I swallowed my last bite of toast and spoke in a cold, professional tone. "The ingredients are in the fridge. If you're hungry, make it yourself."

Julian’s face twisted in anger. "Chloe, are you really going to keep playing these childish games? Do you seriously think I can't survive without you?"

My face remained neutral. I put my plate in the sink, walked right past him, and headed for the door.

Julian yelled behind me, "Fine, Chloe! Go ahead! Just don't come crying to me when you regret this!"

My response was the loud, final thud of the front door closing.

That afternoon, I took my son out to eat.

Around dinner time, Julian actually sent me a Snapchat message—a rare occurrence—asking when we would be back.

I read it but didn't reply. I took my time, enjoying a nice dinner with my son before slowly heading home.

When I carried my son through the front door, I saw Julian sitting at the dining table. He had cooked a nice three-course meal for himself and was eating greedily.

Seeing me walk in, he let out a loud, mocking snort.

I didn't even look at him. I carried my son straight to the bedroom.