Chapter 3

3

Silas went silent after hearing my words, slowly drinking a glass of water.

His expression was heavy as he stared at the floor, saying nothing.

After a long silence, he suddenly smashed the glass against the ground, as if venting some internal rage.

I watched him, finding the display pathetic.

I knew Silas had always wanted a child.

But I hadn't been able to conceive for years.

Now that we finally had one, he had essentially killed it himself.

Silas looked at me, though it was unclear if he was comforting me or himself. "Maybe it's for the best. We aren't ready to be parents right now. Once we both calm down, we can have another one."

I stared him down. "Since you love Janessa so much, why don't you let her have your baby instead?"

Silas scowled. "Why do you keep dragging her into this? How many times do I have to tell you she's just a sister? Can you stop being so dramatic?"

That line again.

I had heard it so many times over the last few years I wanted to vomit.

In the past, I tried to convince myself to believe him. I tried to view Janessa as just a sister.

But the truth was, I was just lying to myself.

I wasn't going to lie anymore.

"It doesn't matter if you sign the papers or not. I'll file with the court. This marriage is over."

Without giving him another glance, I turned and walked out.

...

I owned a small condo from before our marriage. I had refused to sell it even when I gave Silas my savings to start his business.

Now, it was my only sanctuary.

Silas didn't contact me for several days after I demanded the divorce.

I was busy job hunting and hadn't had time to follow up on the legal filings.

One day, after an interview, I came home to find Silas in my kitchen.

He was actually wearing an apron, cooking dinner.

I remembered how he used to cook for me all the time before we got married.

Even if he had to work late, he'd come home to feed me first before heading back to the office.

I used to tell him not to work so hard, but he'd just say he loved me too much to feel tired.

But after the wedding, everything changed.

I couldn't pinpoint when he stopped caring, but his affection had turned into mere obligation.

He would stay out for days. He'd go on business trips for weeks without calling once.

Even when I was sick, he'd claim he was too busy to look after me.

Once, I was hospitalized for a week, and he didn't visit a single time.

When I finally got home, he complained that I wasn't there to cook for him.

Seeing him busy in the kitchen now felt like a fever dream from another life.

Silas looked back and gave me a small smile. "You're back. Come taste this. See if I've still got it."

I didn't move. My eyes were fixed on the cake on the table.

Noticing my gaze, Silas quickly added, "We didn't get to eat cake on our anniversary. I'm making it up to you. I drove all the way across town to get your favorite."

I looked down at my phone.

A notification showed that Janessa had just posted on her Instagram.

In her photo, she was holding a cake identical to the one on my table.

Her caption read: "Silas went all the way across town to buy me my favorite strawberry cake after work! Too bad the doctor said I can't have sweets today. Silas will have to eat it for me~"