Chapter 2

2

I spent the entire night packing my things.

I gathered my clothes, my books, and all the little decorations and paintings I had added to this house over the years.

I used to think I would be the female lead of this home. I poured my heart into decorating it.

Now, those things needed to disappear, just like me.

It rained heavily all night.

Carter didn't come back until the next morning. He was soaking wet, wearing only a white dress shirt.

When he saw me, guilt flashed in his eyes. He gave an awkward smile. "Why didn't you sleep in? You're up so early."

"The morning air is fresh," I replied.

Carter nodded, oblivious to my mood. "Alright, I'm going to take a hot shower first."

"Carter."

"Yeah, what is it, Celine?"

"Last night…"

"Oh, I had to work overtime. The client suddenly dumped some urgent tasks on me. I was busy all night and didn't even have time to eat, I'm exhausted..."

When people lie, they suddenly talk a lot.

They are afraid others won't believe them, so they over-explain details to make their story sound credible.

Carter was exactly this kind of person.

He usually didn't talk much. Even when comforting me, he was always brief and concise.

"I just wanted to ask about your jacket," I said calmly. "You were wearing one when you left last night. Did you leave it at the office?"

Carter visibly let out a sigh of relief and smiled. "Yeah, it's at the office. Don't worry, I'm not cold."

"Oh. Well, go take your shower."

Carter walked over and gently ruffled my hair. "Is my Celine worried about me?"

I tilted my head, dodging his hand.

I quickly stepped away and stood by the window with my back to him. "Hurry up. It's bad to stay in wet clothes."

His hand froze in mid-air. He looked surprised, but then glanced at his dripping shirt and chuckled. "Worried I'll get you wet, huh? Makes sense."

Soon, the sound of running water came from the bathroom.

I never checked Carter's phone. He never felt the need to hide it from me either.

It was just sitting on the coffee table.

Buzz.

The phone vibrated with a new message.

【Selene: Strawberry_Shortcake, did you get home safe?】

【Selene: Thanks for the jacket. It was really warm.】

Was I surprised?

Not really.

When he rushed out in such a flustered panic yesterday, I already had my suspicions.

But guessing is one thing. Seeing it with my own eyes is another.

I used my own phone to search for her account again.

Half an hour ago, she posted a new update.

It was a video.

She was running joyfully in the rain, looking as playful as a fairy.

When she finally stopped, a man wrapped a large jacket tightly around her from behind.

The man's voice carried a tenderness I had never experienced from him.

He said, "Slow down, you're going to catch a cold."

Selene asked him, "I have you, don't I? I'm not afraid of anything."

He chuckled softly and said with pure devotion, "That's right. I'll always be right behind you."

The caption on the video read: 【After all the twists and turns, you were here waiting for me all along.】

Carter pushed the bathroom door open, drying his hair with a towel. "Did my phone ring?"

I pointed at the coffee table. "It vibrated."

Carter practically lunged forward and snatched the phone from my hand.

His grip was terrifyingly strong.

Only after replying to the message did he realize he had lost his composure again.

He explained awkwardly, "The client is rushing me for a file... Did I hurt you?"

"I'm fine," I interrupted him. "You go ahead and work. I'm going out."

Carter chased after me and grabbed my wrist. "Celine, are you mad?"

"No."

I couldn't bring myself to be mad.

I didn't even have the right to be angry.

Out of the corner of his eye, Carter finally noticed the large garbage bags piled in the corner of the living room. "Did you do a deep clean last night? Why is there so much trash?"

"Yeah," I murmured.

Carter smiled. "Okay, leave it. I'll take it downstairs later."

"Carter, did you notice anything missing in the bathroom?"

"…No, I didn't notice." Carter asked, "Are we out of body wash? I'll go buy some."

I just gave a faint nod.

In the bathroom, our towels, toothbrushes, and slippers were all matching couples' sets.

They were placed closely together every single day.

His were blue, and mine were pink.

It was impossible to miss.

But last night, I packed all of my things away. The bathroom only had his set left.

He didn't even notice.

Maybe he was preoccupied, or maybe he never truly cared in the first place.

I didn't want to dig into it anymore.