Jericho let out a breath, like that was all it took to ease his nerves.

"You’re so silly," he said, brushing my hair back. "You’re the best gift I could ever ask for. Come here, look what I got you."

He pulled out a velvet box and opened it with a little flourish. A diamond ring sparkled inside and he gently slipped it onto my finger.

I recognized it right away. It was the one I paused at during the exhibition a while back. I hadn’t even said anything, just stared for a moment longer than I should have.

Then the doorbell rang.

It was the driver who had dropped me off earlier. She was holding the gift box I had purposely left behind in the back seat. Inside was the tie I had spent weeks planning.

Last month, I flew all the way to Meciland, found a well-known craftsman and paid a ridiculous amount to have it made. Hand-stitched, initials embroidered, mine and his.

It was supposed to be special. But by the time I got home today, it didn’t feel like it mattered anymore. So I left it.

Jericho took the box from the driver and smiled, then handed her 10 thousand dollars like it was nothing.

She blinked, stunned.

"My wife was upset she lost this," Jericho said. "I’d spend a million if it made her happy again."

The driver looked at me, wide-eyed and a little envious. "You’re lucky, ma’am. He remembers your anniversary, spoils you and actually cares how you feel.

“My husband? Always out gambling or chasing some other woman. Doesn’t even know what day it is."

I glanced at Jericho and for the briefest moment, I saw it, guilt, flickering in his eyes like he knew.

I took my time before going into the bedroom. I needed a second. Maybe two.

However, the room was spotless. Everything was put back perfectly, dressing table neat, no water marks on the window ledge and not a single trace of perfume in the air.

It was like nothing had happened.

Except the wedding photo on the wall. It was tilted, just a little. That was where it happened, where he had pushed Margot against the wall earlier.

Jericho came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, his movements slow and careful. His chin rested on my shoulder.

He was being sweet, gentle, like always. But my chest felt tight. I couldn’t breathe. Everything I saw earlier kept playing in my head on a loop. The way he looked at her. The way he touched her.

With her, he was completely different. Excited. Aggressive. Alive in a way I hadn’t seen in years.

And suddenly, I wasn’t sure if I was sad… or just done pretending.

I shoved him away without thinking, my chest tight and sweat gathering at my hairline.

Jericho froze. "Baby, what’s going on with you today? How am I supposed to leave for a business trip tomorrow if you’re like this?"

His concern seemed real. But just hours ago, those same eyes were staring at someone else, hungry, focused, lit up in ways I hadn't seen in years.

I couldn’t stop the memory from crashing back. Margot, flushed and wide-eyed, lying in his arms like she belonged there. "Mr. Greene, are you going to my graduation tomorrow? My friends really want to meet my boyfriend."

Jericho lit a cigarette, the corners of his mouth curling. "I’ll be there. You’ve still gotta wear that gown for me, right?"

Margot had blushed all the way to her ears and buried her face in his chest.

"Reina? Reina?" His voice snapped me back to the room, to the man still holding onto his mask of concern.

I met his eyes and asked softly, "Why don’t you stay home with me tomorrow?"

That caught him off guard. He blinked like he didn’t recognize me. After a beat, he said, "The client I’m meeting is kind of a big deal. But how about the day after tomorrow? I’ll come back early. We’ll spend the whole evening together."

I looked down so he wouldn’t see the bitterness in my eyes. "Okay."

‘But you're not going to find me the day after tomorrow’, I thought. Not the day after. Not ever again.

While he went to take a shower, his phone buzzed on the nightstand. Callum.

I almost laughed. Jericho always acted like he was above Callum, said he partied too hard, had no respect for women.

Even walked out of a private dinner once when Callum brought in a group of girls, slamming the door behind him like some noble man who couldn’t be tempted.

And yet here we were.

Lately, they had been in touch more than usual. I didn’t know what I was thinking, I just reached out and tapped “Answer.”

"Mr. Greene!" Margot’s sweet, breathy voice came through the line.

I froze. My whole body went cold. So that was it. All those nights Callum supposedly needed him, Jericho was with her.

And every time he came home at dawn, slipping into bed like nothing happened… it was right after he had left hers.

I used to feel sorry for him. I would tell him to get more rest, offer to cook.

Then, he would smile, kiss my forehead and say, "No matter how tired I am, I still wanna make breakfast and take you to work, baby."

He said that. He actually said that, knowing what he was doing.

Margot said "Hello?" again, sounding unsure now. Then she must’ve realized something. She stopped talking.

A moment later, the voice on the line changed. It was Callum. "Hi, this is Callum. Is Mr. Greene there?"

I swallowed. "He’s in the shower. Did you need something?"

"Not really," Callum replied, all casual. "I picked up a nice bottle of wine at an auction. Just wanted to invite him to try it. If he’s tied up, we can do it another time."

"He’s not. I’ll come with him after his shower," I said, like it was nothing.

Callum didn’t reply right away. The silence was awkward. When he finally spoke again, his voice had lost its usual smoothness.

Jericho stepped out of the bathroom right then, towel around his neck, water still dripping from his hair. He looked surprised when I told him Callum wanted to hang out.

I looked up at him, all wide-eyed. "What? Is it weird if I tag along?"

He blinked, then quickly pulled me into a hug. "Baby, what are you saying? I’d love for you to come."

Before we headed out, he even put on the tie I gave him, said he wanted to show it off. I glanced toward the dressing mirror while he fixed it. The glass had a long, thin crack through it. Yesterday, it was fine.

Jericho saw it too. His jaw tightened just a little.

He turned to say something, but I didn’t give him the chance. I just looked away, opened the door and walked out like everything was fine.

As soon as I sat down in the passenger seat, I felt something under me. I reached down and pulled it out; a small, square plastic wrapper.

Jericho glanced over, stunned for a second. Then he quickly covered it up with a scoff. "Seriously? Callum must've borrowed my car again to hook up with someone."

He snatched it from my hand and tossed it into the center console like it was no big deal. Like it wasn’t his.

Back then, I probably would’ve believed him without question. That was how he got away with lying to me so many times.

I didn’t bother arguing. I just turned my head and stared out the window, not wanting to see his fake reactions anymore.

Jericho reached into the backseat and grabbed a blanket, gently laying it over me. "Try to get some rest. I’ll wake you when we get there."

The blanket was warm, soft, even kind of comforting, but I still felt frozen to the bone.

When we pulled up to Callum’s place, the party was already in full swing. A bunch of rich kids were lounging around, drinking, laughing, passing the mic to whoever wanted to sing next.

And there she was—Margot. Draped across Callum’s lap like it was her throne.

Her arm was lazily looped around his shoulders and as she moved, I caught a glimpse of the faint purple marks on her skin.

One of the guys whistled. "Damn, didn’t know you were into that rough stuff, Firth."

Callum laughed awkwardly and just shrugged it off.

Jericho looked away, his face unreadable, but his jaw tightened. His eyes narrowed slightly and his lips were pressed together.

I knew that look. That was his quiet, simmering anger, the kind he wore when he lost a bid on a rare piece he wanted at an auction.

Except this time, I had a feeling it had nothing to do with collectibles.

Margot didn’t even acknowledge us. She just raised her glass, took a slow sip, then leaned in and poured the rest into Callum’s mouth like we weren’t even there.

Callum looked nervous, a little thrown off.

Jericho’s hand around mine tensed. Then, without warning, he pulled me into his arms and kissed me hard.

I just stood there, stunned. He was seriously using me to get back at her. That thought lit a fire in my chest. My whole body felt hot with anger.

A second later, I heard glass shatter. Jericho let go and I turned just in time to see Margot storming upstairs, eyes red.

Callum gave a sheepish grin. "Sorry, sorry. My girlfriend’s hand slipped. Everyone, please, carry on."

But Jericho clearly wasn’t in the mood anymore. He just sat there, quiet, staring at where she disappeared, lips pressed into a thin line.

The party kept going, the music too loud, the chatter too fake. Jericho barely touched his drink. Eventually, Callum came over and nudged him. "Wanna head upstairs for a quick chat?"

Jericho nodded, then picked up a few small cakes and put them in front of me. "Baby, I’ve gotta take care of something real quick," he said, brushing my hair gently. "Wait here for me, okay?"

I nodded.

They left and he walked ahead without even checking if Callum was keeping up. He was clearly in a rush.

I didn’t wait. Instead, I texted him, told him a friend happened to be nearby and I was catching a ride home.

He replied with a dry "OK." That was it. Back home, I sat on the couch all night, not sleeping, just staring at the dark.

Morning crept in. I heard the front door and there Jericho was, looking surprised to see me awake. He froze for a second, then instinctively reached up to fasten the top button of his shirt, trying to hide the fresh scratch marks on his chest.

I acted like I didn’t see.

He handed me a neatly packed takeout bag and said, voice a little tight, "I’ve got a packed day ahead. Leaving soon for Hollistar. Didn’t get a chance to make you breakfast."

The second he left, I tossed the food straight into the trash, didn’t even open it. I walked up to the top floor window and looked out.

Margot was already there, waiting by his car.

They had barely been apart five minutes and there they were, kissing like they couldn’t stand another second away from each other.

Out of nowhere, Jericho pulled away from Margot, like something just clicked in his head. He grabbed his phone, tapped a few times and sent a message.

A second later, my phone buzzed.

I picked it up and a message from Jericho came. [Hun, the soup is very hot, eat slowly.]

The phone slipped from my hand and hit the floor with a loud thud.

I felt sick. Tears rushed up before I could stop them. I bent over and started dry heaving, the kind that comes from your gut when your heart just shatters out of nowhere.

I didn’t even know how long I stayed like that. At some point, another message came in.

It was from a burner number—Margot’s. She had sent a video. I shouldn’t have clicked on it. But I did.

The footage showed that same upstairs room in Callum’s house. Jericho was in it, undoing his tie and looping it around Margot’s wrists like it was routine.

She giggled, holding up her hands. "Hey, isn’t this the tie Reina gave you? What if it gets dirty…"

He shut her up with a kiss before she could finish the sentence.

I watched, numb, as the video played on. At the end, Jericho was already dressed again, completely calm. He reached out, tapped her cheek and said, "Don’t pull that kind of trick again. It’s childish."

Then came the kicker. "And next time, don’t aim at Callum. He doesn’t have the balls to touch my girls."

Margot clung to him, all flirty smiles, pressing her body against his. "So what if it’s childish? You’re still jealous, right?"

He didn’t deny it. Then, as if the timing couldn’t get worse, she dropped her voice and said, "Mr. Greene… please. Let me keep the baby. I can’t go through with the abortion."

Her voice cracked just a little. "I know I’ll never be your wife. I don’t expect that. I just want to be someone you remember. Even if it’s only once in a while."