“Then tomorrow our whole team should just take the day off. Chase, is that fine?”

Chase’s voice sounded warm. “Okay. Tonight, you all just need to keep Zaria cheerful and enjoy yourselves. Tomorrow I’ll let everyone take a group day off.”

“Wow, Director Gordon is powerful. Guess this is what it’s like when someone is your family.”

“Stop messing around, quit talking nonsense! If Astraea catches wind of this, I’m doomed. She’s super cold.”

Before I managed to speak, the call cut off by itself.

Cold sweat slid down my spine. Staring at the now-dead phone, I pushed calm into my tone.

“Hubby, I’ll reach home in ten minutes. I already sent you the plate number, right? Wait for me at the entrance.”

As I lowered the phone, my eyes met the driver’s through the rearview mirror.

Thin, slanted eyes held nothing but clear bad intent.

“Miss, this storm’s too strong, the roads are rough. I had to swing around a long way, so the cost…”

I didn’t even dare draw a loud breath. “It’s fine, I’ll hand you another five hundred. We’re close. My husband’s waiting at home. Drop me at the next intersection.”

Right after I stepped out, I didn’t even try to grab my suitcase.

I bolted across the empty, rain-soaked block.

The taxi’s beams stayed locked on me for a long time before finally pulling away.

My knees gave out, and I sank onto the curb, wrapping my arms around myself as my whole frame shook.

I couldn’t tell if the wet on my cheeks came from the storm or from crying.

My screen lit up.

Zaria sent a photo. A guy rinsing off behind fogged bathroom glass.

[Astraea, I asked Chase to head back, but he said the thunder outside might scare me, so he wants to stay with me. Don’t misunderstand.]

Barely five seconds later, Chase’s text arrived. [I need extra hours. Come back alone.]

Both messages sat side by side.

I wiped my face and let out a breathless, quiet laugh.

By the time I reached home, it was already 3 a.m.

My whole frame swung between cold fever.

Propped against the entry cabinet, I stayed still for a long stretch before my phone rang.

Chase’s furious voice crashed into my ear.

“Astraea, if you’re not well, go see someone. Zaria kindly called to ask if you got home, and you dared call her some trashy temptress? You even know she has a weak heart?”

I didn’t answer him. I only said, “Where are you right now?”

He froze for a couple of seconds, then snapped with a mix of shame and anger, “You’re at it again, huh? I already said, I didn’t pick you up because I had extra work at the clinic. You want me to ditch patients for you? How old are you? Can’t you think straight? Stop nagging like some cranky aunt every day. Everything I do, who do you think it helps?”

His annoyance hit its height.

“I’ve repeated this so many times. There’s nothing going on between Zaria and me. Your thoughts are filthy; you twist everything into something dirty. You won’t stop until I admit I slept with her. Is that what you want? Pathetic and clueless, who besides me would even look at you!”

“Because you chose to throw one of your tantrums, I had to stay at the clinic all night soothing Zaria. Think about how you act.”

The flat beep after he hung up echoed through the quiet room, so ridiculous it was almost funny.

I lowered my eyes, staring at my feet, raw and scraped from the long walk.

I quietly laughed.

Three years together.

Cold silence and emotional pressure were his usual ways of dealing with me.

Being the one who cared first, I never dared waste energy on fights or drawn-out stand-offs.

Each time, I swallowed the grievances and stepped back first.

But he never understood that love wears down. When it ran out, it would be gone.

I took two fever tablets.

Then I wrote to the senior who had urged me many times to take overseas roles, and whom I had refused every single time.

[Sister Helena, I’m ready to take the overseas expansion assignment.]

She was thrilled. “I knew it! You’re the type who sees what really counts. With your dual mentors from Dothan, staying in the admin department wastes your skills. Once the overseas work settles in, the director position at the main office will be waiting for you.”

Halfway through, she stopped.

“It’s only… this stretch abroad will last around five years. Aren’t you close to getting married? Your husband….”

“We won’t be getting married.”

After ending the call, I pulled out a suitcase and started sorting.

The cups we painted together.

The charms we tied together at the church.

The things we bought were matching sets.

Every one of them turned into trash, stuffed straight into garbage bags.

During that stretch, Zaria kept texting me.

A photo of a broad hand rubbing her stomach.

[Chase said my tummy aches. He has this special rubbing trick that makes it go away. Astraea, has Chase ever rubbed your tummy before?]

A hot plate of pot pies was shown late at night.

[I offhandedly said I wanted chicken soup, and Chase drove fifty kilometers to buy them for me. Nothing tastes better than chicken soup, and nothing is more fun than Chase, hehe.]

After dragging my suitcase to the trash area and throwing everything out, I blocked her.

There was no sadness.

Only a huge, freeing ease.

By the time Chase came back, it was already noon the next day.

The moment our eyes met, he seemed briefly startled by the makeup I had put on purpose.

Smiling, he walked toward me and reached for my hand.

“Good girl. Since you know you were wrong, come eat. I bought chicken soup for you.”

The cheap plastic box held only a few torn skins.

He rubbed his nose awkwardly.

“I rushed home, so they got shaken apart. Let’s just head out to eat.”

I pulled my hand away.

“Probably no time today. I’m having dinner with my girl friends.”

He froze, his voice jumping up. “You dressed so nicely and even did your makeup, wasn’t it for me?”

I stared at him, completely lost. “Didn’t you say I look awful when I dress up? Why would I dress up for you?”

I clicked my tongue in frustration, slid around him, snatched my bag, and headed outside.

Chase always complained when I wore bold colors, saying they made me look cheap and immature.

Anything shorter than the knee was “trying to lure people.”

If I put on makeup, he laughed at me, saying I was “painting over my age.”

He especially disliked it when I spent time with girlfriends.

For years, to please him, I cut down my social life and packed away the dresses I loved.

I wore bland, loose office outfits each day, bare-faced, riding to work like someone twice my age.

All this while I hadn’t even turned thirty.

Meanwhile, at the company, Zaria turned her uniform into a tight skirt, wore full makeup, curled her hair into big waves, and he praised her for “having spark” and being “eager in her job.”

It was then I understood.

When someone was biased, nothing you did was right.

Luckily, I no longer had to worry about what he thought.

When my girl friends heard I was dumping Chase and heading overseas, they were stunned.

They knew too well how pathetic I used to act around him.

When they realized I was finally waking up, they almost set off fireworks

They took turns cursing at him; apparently, they’d disliked him for ages.

To send me off right, we finished one round of drinks, then hit a karaoke room, staying out until two in the morning.

When I came home, Chase hadn’t gone to sleep.

He sat on the sofa with a dark expression. “Why didn’t you answer your phone?”

I replied lightly, “Maybe I didn’t notice it.”

His expression turned even worse. “Astraea, I haven’t eaten anything yet.”

I slid through a silly clip a friend sent and nodded with no real focus.

“Then order takeout. At this hour, the rider should get here quickly.”

Once he couldn’t keep it in anymore, his voice got louder, with a bit of a wronged tone.

“My stomach acts up… I can’t eat takeout.”

I finally looked up from my phone, irritation plain in my eyes.

“Then make something yourself. There are ingredients in the fridge. I’m worn out, can you stop fussing at me like some old woman?”

He froze, thrown off, the color in his face slowly fading.

I didn’t bother giving him another look.

I picked up clean clothes and walked straight into the bathroom.

When I came back out, two bowls of thick, strange-looking noodles waited on the table.

Chase had grown used to how I cared for him; his taste was picky to an extreme.

A bit too much salt or oil and he’d claim his stomach hurt.

For years, I simmered gentle broth for him every few days. I personally made all his meals, never missing one.

Yet he used my effort carelessly, carrying the dishes I made with effort to hand to Zaria or even dropping them off for the stray dogs near the hospital.

He turned into the generous “Brother Chase,” and Zaria became the “sweet angel.”

Only I ended up as the sad joke.

When he saw me walk out, Chase quickly stood, forcing his expression to soften.

“Astraea, I made noodles. Want to eat together?”

I shook my head. “I’m not hungry. You eat it. I’m going to rest.”

He blocked me at the bedroom doorway.

“I noticed the fever pills on the table. Are you running a fever?”

I avoided the hand he lifted to touch my forehead.

“It’s nothing serious. I already took medicine.”

Before, whenever I had the slightest discomfort, I would purposely mention it and act spoiled, just to get a bit more care from him.

Now I avoided his touch like it was something dangerous.

Chase stood stunned, a slow panic tightening in his chest.

He caught my hand.

“Yesterday… I spoke too harshly. Zaria had a hard childhood, you know. I just feel bad for her, so I look after her more. I only think of her as a younger sister….”

Before he finished, I cut him off in a calm, mild way, “I get it. Don’t worry. I was too hardheaded before. I won’t act like that anymore.”

My sudden composure caught him completely unprepared.

“That’s not what I’m trying to say. You’re my fiancée. If you don’t like me getting close to another woman, it just means you care. I’ll be more careful from now on.”

So he did know I hated seeing him close to other women. Yet he kept doing it.

I yawned, looking sleepy.

“Hmm, I understand. She’s your apprentice. It’s normal for you to look after her. I won’t bring it up again. I’m really sleepy. Can I rest now?”

He sighed and leaned in as if to hug me.

I tensed and instantly blocked the door.

“I’m truly tired now. Go sleep in the guest room.”

Avoiding his cold look, I shut the door.

For the first time in a long while, I slept well. When I woke up, Chase still hadn’t gone to work.

The table was full of breakfast.

Usually by this hour, he and Zaria would’ve already shared several morning selfies.

That was strange.

“Astraea, you’re up? Come try breakfast, I grabbed all your favorites.”

I sat down and was about to bite into the chicken, but suddenly recalled something and asked just to confirm. “This… I’m okay to eat this, right?”

His tall frame paused in an instant.

He obviously also recalled, a year earlier, Zaria had stomach trouble from cold drinks, so she wasn’t allowed greasy food.

I ate chicken next to her, and she instantly cried softly. “Astraea, you know my body is weak, and I can’t eat oily food… why did you tease me on purpose? Do you hate me that much?”

He remembered it clearly. And so did I.