Chapter 2

2.

I silenced the call immediately.

Seraphina noticed that my window had a clear view of the spot where she had just been kissing Caleb.

A flash of guilt crossed her face.

She composed herself quickly and asked tentatively, "Honey, why are you still up?"

When I heard that pet name, I knew for sure.

Seraphina only called me "honey" when she felt guilty or needed a favor.

I didn't answer her. I just asked how Caleb was doing.

She hesitated before speaking.

"He's fine. Just a kid throwing a tantrum. I'm his attending physician, so I couldn't just ignore him."

She realized her mistake as soon as the words left her mouth.

"Caleb hit his head, I..."

"No need to explain. I don't care."

I cut her off before she could stack another lie on top of the first.

Seraphina frowned at my response.

"What do you mean you don't care? What could Caleb and I possibly be doing? You know I hate clingy people."

I chuckled at her defensive outburst.

"You hate him so much, yet you keep seeing him, right?"

Her face froze. She mumbled a yes.

Then, she pointed at my phone, which was still vibrating.

"Who's calling you this late?"

I glanced at it and dismissed it as a telemarketer.

She didn't believe me and tried to grab the phone.

I blocked her hand.

She narrowed her eyes, her voice dripping with annoyance.

"Are you hiding something from me?"

I replied flatly, "I'm an attorney. My phone is full of client privacy."

She opened her mouth to argue but found no words.

I didn't look at her again. I walked out of the room to take the call.

As soon as I picked up, an excited female voice came through the speaker.

"Bennett, are you really agreeing to be our lead counsel?"

"Did you finally leave Seraphina?"

"Are you ready to be with me?"

Vivienne's voice was so loud and enthusiastic that my ears started ringing.

Vivienne had invited me to join her family's firm a long time ago.

I had always refused because of Seraphina.

After her many attempts, I told her I'd only join her firm if I got a divorce.

Back then, Vivienne had sighed and called me a hopeless romantic.

All our friends thought Seraphina and I were the perfect couple.

Seraphina had even given up her family inheritance to become a regular doctor just to be with me.

I never imagined she would have a change of heart.

Vivienne's voice snapped me back to the present.

"Yeah. I'm getting a divorce."

The line went quiet. Vivienne's tone became serious.

"Did something happen?"

"I'll tell you when I see you," I said calmly.

"One week. I'll be there in a week."

Seraphina stepped out of the room just as I said that.

She asked suspiciously who I was meeting in a week.

I told Vivienne I had to go and turned to Seraphina.

"Just a client meeting."

She didn't push it. She wrapped her arms around my waist and softened her voice.

"Bennett, I was just stressed this afternoon. I signed that waiver because I didn't want to owe Caleb anything."

"You understand that, right?"

Looking at her, I believed that was her original intention.

She probably didn't even realize that her heart had already wandered away from me.

I smiled thinly.

"I understand. I'm tired. I'm going to sleep."

Seeing that I was exhausted, she hurried me back to bed.

"It's my fault. A patient needs rest, and I'm here picking fights over nothing."

Her guilt looked genuine, which made her actions even harder to reconcile.

I looked down to hide the sadness in my eyes.

One more week, and this would all be over.