I turned around to see Sean standing at the doorway, staring at me with a dark expression. When I didn’t respond, his gaze shifted to the guy beside me.

Then, he gritted his teeth and demanded, “Andrea, I’m talking to you. I told you to report your schedule to me every hour. Why didn’t you tell me where you were? Or are you feeling guilty? Too afraid to say anything because you’re sneaking around behind my back with another man, are you?”

I glanced at him indifferently.

“Mr. Larson, does who I see have anything to do with you? Instead of sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong, why don’t you go back to your wife, Brittany, and keep her company at karaoke?”

That shut him up instantly.

His brows furrowed as he snapped, clearly annoyed. “What’s with the sarcasm? I went to the karaoke bar with Brit as a show for her parents. We have to pretend we’re in love so they won’t suspect anything. And here I was, trying to make it up to you today. I even canceled all my work and social plans to cook your favorite chili con carne. What a waste of my effort.”

As he spoke, he placed a container on the table. I glanced at the bright red minced meat in there, but seeing it made my stomach churn.

Not this dish again.

At the beginning, I used to think it was his way of showing he cared. I had even felt touched. However, over time, I realized it was nothing more than a lazy routine. Every time he needed me to help Brittany, he would cook that exact dish to appease me.

He was even aware that I had undergone surgery for my stomach and couldn’t eat anything spicy anymore. However, he never bothered to change it. He still made it unbearably spicy, enough to sting the nose.

Coming back to myself, I said coldly, “I’ve eaten. You can save that feast for Brittany.”

Sean didn’t catch the displeasure in my tone. Instead, he seemed to think I had been coaxed like before and quickly got to the point.

“Fine. Actually, I came to ask you something. Brit’s parents are coming over tomorrow to check whether I can take care of her and the baby. If I recall correctly, you’ve studied a lot of parenting books. I need you to help me come up with a plan on how to act like a good husband and father who can take care of a pregnant woman and a newborn. I need to make a good impression on her parents.”

Watching the eagerness on his face, I felt a wave of nausea.

Others might not know, but he did. The reason I had read all those books was that I, too, had once been pregnant and wanted to raise our child with him. However, after the miscarriage, it became something we never spoke of again.

Now, he was asking me to teach him how to be Brittany’s husband and a good father?

I shot back immediately, “Sean, I’m a lawyer, not your nanny. Ask someone else.”

Sean’s eyes widened in disbelief. He clearly hadn’t expected that the same dish that used to win me over so easily would suddenly stop working. His embarrassment then turned into anger, and just as he was about to lash out, his phone rang. It was a call from Brittany.

Whatever she said on the other end made him forget all about yelling at me. Without another word, he turned and hurried out of the private room. Faye and I, on the other hand, drank until well past midnight.

The next morning, after I sobered up, I went home to pack my things and move out. However, the moment I stepped into the yard and saw what was in front of me, I froze.

This little suburban villa was a home with a yard that Sean specifically chose after the law firm started turning a profit, just to satisfy my love of growing flowers, plants, and fruit.

Whenever work exhausted me, I would look at everything I had planted with my own hands. Watching them grow always made the fatigue disappear. When the fruit ripened, Sean and I would sit in the yard together, watching TV shows and eating freshly picked fruit. Those quiet, warm moments were rare.

Now, the strawberries that had just ripened were ripped out by the roots, thrown aside, and trampled into the dirt. The garden beds had also been flattened and replaced with a newly installed hanging swing. The tree I planted two years ago had been cut clean in half, chopped into pieces, and hauled away. Even the orchids I used for decoration were all gone, replaced with bright, showy peonies.

I rushed forward and demanded an explanation from the workers. That was when I found out it was all Sean’s order. Just to please Brittany and her parents, he had erased every trace of my past here and redecorated everything to her preferences. For that, Sean sure was ruthless.

Coming back to my senses, I didn’t stop the workers anymore. I walked straight into the house, only wanting to pack my things and leave as soon as possible. However, as I searched through the cabinets, something suddenly fell to the floor. I followed the sound and saw the wedding ring Sean and I had bought when we first got married.

Back then, he had just started the law firm. Just keeping it afloat had drained all his savings. He couldn’t even afford a wedding, let alone a ring. To save money, we simply registered our marriage and left it at that. Afterward, we even lived in the office. Every day was beans on toast or whatever food we could get from business dinners. By the time the holidays came around, I didn’t even have enough money to buy myself a new winter coat.

He felt endlessly guilty about it, so much so that he gave up his pride to approach a former rival with whom he had once been at loggerheads. Under the influence of alcohol, he knelt before the man, hoping the man would lend him a hand and provide some resources.

I could vividly remember the night he came back. He was drunk, his shirt was burned with cigarette holes, and there were still faint handprints on his face. However, he didn’t seem to care at all. He just smiled and handed me a diamond ring, saying it was his way of making it up to me before spending the entire night vomiting in the bathroom.

From that day on, I believed Sean loved me with all his heart, and I made up my mind to stand by him and fight alongside him. Alas, I never once had the chance to wear the ring, one he had traded his dignity and pride for. Our relationship had long since fallen apart and was no longer what it once was. I gave the ring one last look before throwing it into the trash and continuing packing.

Come to think of it, it was actually pretty funny. The bedroom was huge, and I spent ages tidying it up, but in the end I couldn’t even fill a suitcase. It was just like our marriage, which existed in name only but was empty inside.

I let out a self-deprecating laugh and dragged my suitcase toward the door. As I passed the corner, the heel of my shoe suddenly snapped. I lost my balance and slammed into the cabinet. In the next second, a dark wooden box fell to the floor, and my expression changed instantly.

That box was the one Sean treasured most. Inside were the belongings his late mother had left behind. All these years, he had never allowed anyone to touch it, nor had he ever opened it in front of anyone. He had even set a password lock on it.

Now, the box had cracked open from the fall, its contents spilling into view. However, with just one glance, I froze where I stood.

There was no precious family heirloom inside the box. Nothing related to his mother, either. Instead, it was filled with photos of Sean and a woman. Some were taken at an amusement park, some were from school, and others were in shopping malls. Every single photo had his handwriting on the back.

“April 10, 2012–After class placements, I met a girl. Her name is Heather. My heart is racing. Is this what falling in love feels like?”

“May 6, 2012–I finally got Heather’s contact. Ahhh… I’m so nervous. How should I even start talking to her?”

“July 16, 2012–It’s summer break at last. Today was my first date with Heather at the amusement park. She looked so beautiful…”

“December 10, 2012–Heather hasn’t been in school. Everyone says she died in an accident, that she was hit by a car. I don’t believe it!”

“December 16, 2012–Today was Heather’s funeral.”

“March 21, 2013–A judgment has been ruled for the case. The murderer hired a top lawyer and was ruled not guilty. He wouldn’t have to suffer a single day in prison…”

“April 5, 2013–Heather, wait for me. When I become a lawyer, I’ll reopen your case.”

After reading everything, I looked back at the woman in the photos.

Her face bore a slight resemblance to both Brittany and me. In that instant, everything became clear. Brittany and I were nothing more than substitutes for a woman named Heather.

Sean had been searching for her shadow in both of us. Even the reason he became a lawyer in the first place was because of her. No wonder he had hidden this box for so many years, never allowing anyone to touch it. However, why should my youth and my life be used to make up for his loss?

I snapped back to my senses, put the box back into the cabinet, and walked away without looking back. There was nothing left in this house worth remembering anymore.

Faye insisted on having one last meal together before I left, and since my flight was in the evening, I didn’t refuse. I took a cab to the restaurant, but the moment I got out of the car, I saw Sean inside a photo studio nearby. Standing beside him were Brittany and her parents. The four of them looked like a real family, smiling warmly as the photographer guided them through poses for a wedding family portrait.

How ironic. I had been married to Sean for seven years, yet we had never taken a single photo together. Even when my mother was on her deathbed, he had rejected her final wish to take one family photo before she passed.

I sneered, and as I turned to leave, our eyes met. His hand, resting on Brittany’s shoulder, jerked. Brittany had also noticed me, but instead of panic, she gave me a provocative smile.

Then, she walked out of the studio, putting on a look of helpless despair, and said with a pout, “Andrea, I know you hate me, but I just want to live. I just don’t want to be looked down on. There’s no need for you to follow me here or come tell my parents everything.”

The moment those words left her mouth, Sean’s expression darkened. He grabbed my arm and dragged me aside, his voice sharp with anger.

“Andrea, we’ve been married for seven years. How did I not realize you were so vicious? She’s just a weak woman trying to live a decent life. What did she do wrong? Do you really have to destroy her future like this?”

I looked at him, the way he twisted right from wrong, and felt nothing but numb. Then, I turned to Brittany and slapped her.

“I came here to meet a friend. I don’t care about your mess. But if you continue spreading lies, don’t blame me for exposing the truth.”

After that, I didn’t even spare her another glance as I turned to leave. However, Sean quickly caught Brittany, his eyes filled with concern.

Then he grabbed me again, his voice low and threatening. “Andrea, how dare you hit her? Get on your knees and apologize right now. Otherwise… I’ll fire you from the law firm and make sure you’re blacklisted from the legal industry. You’ll never find another job in this country.”

Hearing his threat, I sneered and took out my resignation letter, throwing it straight at his face.

“Sorry,” I said. “I’ve resigned. And as for blacklisting me, you can go ahead and try, Mr. Larson.”