Chapter 2

His eyes settled on the words on the cover. Divorce agreement.

He flipped through it page by page, and stopped at the signature line.

"Give me a reason."

"You're in love with Lisa Henson. Isn't that reason enough?"

He froze, then a laugh forced its way out between his teeth.

"So that's what this is."

I didn't understand what he meant.

His gaze dropped to me, and then he tore open the buttons of his shirt.

He lifted me up, and in a spin of the room I landed in the soft bedding.

His face loomed over mine, his kiss trailing down from the tip of my ear.

"Martin Rowe, get off me!"

He pinned my wrists to my sides, his voice thick and rough.

"You want a divorce because of this, don't you?

"Now that I'm giving it to you, what are you putting on an act for?"

It was autumn, and yet I felt cold all over.

Was I that cheap in his eyes?

Three years, and I had never once wronged him. What gave him the right to look down on me like this?

I bit down hard into his shoulder, the taste of rust spreading through my mouth.

He stilled for a moment, then grew only more frenzied.

A long time later, he pressed a cup of warm water into my hand, pulled the curtains open, and stood quietly looking out the window.

The warm water went down my throat, but it tasted bitter, hard to swallow.

Tears the size of beans fell, and quickly blurred my vision.

The ringing of his phone broke the dead silence. The moment he answered, his voice softened.

"Don't move. I'll be right there."

He grabbed his coat and strode toward the door, then stopped halfway, as if only then remembering me.

"I'll have Abigail Fox come up."

Abigail dressed me and helped me into the wheelchair.

I looked over at the spot where Martin had stood, and had her push me toward it.

The balcony had a wide view. From there you could see the coffee shop across the street in a single glance.

Soon Martin appeared, and Lisa came out of the shop and took his arm, in a bright dress, vivid and bold.

I found myself looking down at my own legs. Stay long enough with someone like me, and even the strongest person is bound to get sick, aren't they?

Thinking that, I almost didn't hate him so much anymore.

I picked up the divorce agreement from the table, the one he had flipped through so carelessly, leaving not a single mark on it.

Something inside me was crumbling, bit by bit, until the pain hunched my back without my meaning to.

The past played through my mind scene by scene like an old almanac, and only then did it dawn on me that for three years, it was only I who thought he loved me.

I didn't even like pearls, yet he had gone to any length to buy a royal pearl necklace set and give it to me.

The smell of fish made me want to throw up, yet he was always having his assistant send it over, saying it was good for me.

I had always wanted a child with him. I finally worked out the right timing, and yet every single time he had some reason to put it off.

I wiped the damp from my cheeks, swallowed down the ache, and sent a text.

【Mom, I want to divorce Martin Rowe.】

Soon several business cards were pushed over, followed by a message from my mother-in-law.

【The Rowe family will give you all the compensation you're owed.】

【From here, someone will be assigned to handle things with you.】

The Rowe family had been unhappy with me, their paralyzed daughter-in-law, for a long time. When I asked for a divorce, my in-laws were the happiest of all.

But to keep from damaging their relationship with their son, the condition was that Martin must never know they'd had a hand in it.

Half an hour later, the private investigator sent the first message.

It was a photo of Martin and Lisa at the hospital. When I saw the words obstetrics and gynecology, my heart still twisted hard.

The screen flickered, and the next message came through.

【Lisa Henson is pregnant.】