Chapter 2

2.

The living room fell into a suffocating silence.

Rosalind stared at me, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"You don't care? If it bothers you, I'll tell them to be more careful next time."

She reached for her phone, looking at me as if begging me to get angry.

I just watched her, saying nothing.

Why should I care anymore?

Why would I waste my energy on a losing battle?

The old me would have screamed and tried to scrub that mark off her skin until it was raw.

But now, I didn't even care about Rosalind herself, let alone some love bite.

I pushed her hand away and stood up.

"Go take a shower. I'm going to bed," I said.

The sound of the shower started shortly after I reached the bedroom.

Outside the window, the sky was turning pitch black.

Thunder rattled the glass, followed by a blinding flash of lightning.

A moment later, the covers were pulled back and a warm body pressed against my back.

"How are you feeling? Is the pain better?" Rosalind whispered.

I touched my burning forehead, feeling delirious.

"I'm burning up. Can you take me to the―"

I didn't get to finish the word "hospital."

Jayden's special ringtone cut through the room again.

On the other end, Jayden sounded absolutely terrified.

"Rose, the power went out at my place. I don't have a flashlight or candles, and my phone is dying. Can you bring some over?"

He added, "If it's too much trouble, never mind."

Rosalind was out of bed before the call even ended.

She started dressing in the dark, not even glancing at me.

She didn't even bother to pull the covers back over my shivering body.

She used the same excuse she had used a hundred times before.

"Jayden has a file I need for my meeting tomorrow morning. I have to go grab it."

She rushed out the door as if she was afraid I would try to stop her.

I pulled the blanket over my head and eventually drifted into a feverish sleep.

When I woke up in the middle of the night, she still wasn't back.

I forced myself to the kitchen and swallowed some fever reducers.

By dawn, my temperature finally started to drop.

Rosalind didn't return until the sun was up.

She looked at the empty dining table and frowned.

"Caden, where's my breakfast?"

She knew I was sick, yet her first communication wasn't a check-in.

It was an order to have food ready for her.

For years, I had lived for her messages.

I used to reply within seconds, terrified of missing a single word from her.

This time, I saw her text, but I chose to ignore it.

She wasn't expecting me to look at her with such indifference.

"Didn't Jayden keep you for breakfast? You guys should have just eaten together before heading to the office," I remarked.

Rosalind looked angry.

She gripped a plastic bag tightly and tossed it onto the table.

"I bought you more medicine," she said, her tone like she was doing me a massive favor.

I took a sip of my coffee and didn't look up.

"Keep it. I'm fine now."

I grabbed my bag to head to work.

Rosalind suddenly offered to drive me.

I declined, reaching for my own car keys.

She stepped in front of the door, blocking my path.

She gave a cold laugh.

"Caden, stop it. I only stayed at Jayden's for a little bit last night. I came home, didn't I? Are you seriously this jealous?"

I looked her in the eye. "I'm not jealous."

To her, this was just another performance to get her attention.

She grabbed my arm, her nails digging into my skin.

"Liars go to hell, Caden. You're just a bitter, pathetic loser with a fragile ego."

I smiled. It didn't even hurt.

I had heard those words so many times before.

She loved watching me break down and act like a madman after she insulted me.

But this time, I gave her nothing.

I walked into the elevator and pressed the button.

As the doors closed, I looked at her and grinned.

"Believe whatever makes you feel better. Sometimes a bad impression is the only way to be remembered forever."