Chapter 2

2.

I pulled my lips into a self-deprecating smirk, fighting back the urge to break down.

“Don’t worry. That will never happen.”

Seeing me actually walk away, Vivian hissed a curse under her breath.

I tuned it out and picked up my pace.

It was not until I was inside a taxi, leaving the airport far behind, that I finally let out a ragged breath.

Watching the scenery blur past the window, my mind drifted back into the past.

Vivian and I met in college.

We were in the same department, though I was a year ahead of her.

I had been the model straight-A student.

Before meeting her, my life revolved around eating, sleeping, and spending every waking hour in the lab.

It was a quiet, monotonous routine.

Later, my advisor took on a new batch of freshmen, and Vivian became my junior.

She was gorgeous, the undisputed department sweetheart.

Guys lined up across campus just for a chance to talk to her.

Her grades, however, were an absolute disaster.

Our professor was notoriously strict. If a student failed, they had one makeup exam.

Fail that, and they had to repeat the entire year.

That was how Vivian entered my world.

After failing her first midterm, she begged me to tutor her for the retake.

I was annoyed at first, but she was bubbly and sweet.

Looking at her pretty face, I simply could not stay mad.

One tutoring session led to another, and we became close friends.

Eventually, wanting no regrets in my youth, I gathered the courage to ask her out.

I assumed she would turn me down and hand me a polite rejection.

Instead, she agreed on the spot and even kissed me first.

With my tutoring, her grades improved dramatically.

Everyone around us praised us as the golden couple.

I will not deny that our early days were filled with genuine happiness.

After graduation, I wanted to find a job right away, but she urged me to get my master’s degree.

So she waited two more years for me.

I once swore to treat her right for the rest of my life.

And I truly lived up to that promise.

After marriage, I handed over my paychecks and bowed to her every wish.

Soon, we welcomed our little girl.

Yet our peaceful life shattered the moment our neighbor stepped in.

Ever since Darren lost his wife, he grew closer and closer to Vivian.

Arguments and cold wars started between Vivian and me.

Every single time, I was the one who compromised and apologized.

I thought my daughter would at least stand by my side, but reality dealt me a crushing blow today.

I had tried to hold our family together, but it only backfired.

My wife and daughter were convinced I was a petty, jealous man who could not stand seeing our neighbor happy.

I could not understand it. I was her husband. I was Molly’s father.

Why did they treat me like this?

Compared to me, the four of them looked far more like a real family.

I had become an outsider watching them live their blissful life.

This time, I was completely awake. And I was ready to let go for good.

The taxi pulled up in front of the hotel, yet I was still staring blankly out the window.

“Sir?” The driver called out several times before I snapped back.

I forced a tight smile into the rearview mirror. “Sorry about that. I’m getting out now.”

After paying the fare, I handed him a generous hundred-dollar tip.

The driver beamed. “Thank you so much! Happy New Year, man!”

My hand froze on the door handle before I managed a faint smile. “Happy New Year.”