Chapter 2

2

Chelsea and I met through a setup, and it was love at first sight for me.

Back then, I had no idea she had just ended things with her first love.

I did not even know they still worked at the same company.

I pursued her relentlessly, driving her to and from work every day and catering to her every need.

The day I prepared a bouquet to confess my feelings, I pulled up to her office and saw her arguing with a man.

She had always seemed gentle, and I had never seen her lose her temper with anyone before.

Without thinking, I rushed over to defend her, but the moment she saw me, she suddenly calmed down.

She left with me that day and accepted my confession.

Six months into dating, we tied the knot.

At the time, I had no clue that marrying me was just an impulsive rebound for her.

Only after the wedding did I learn that the man was Ian, her first love.

Finding that out made me feel deeply unsettled.

After all, having your wife work in the exact same department as her ex was a recipe for disaster.

I was constantly worried old flames would reignite.

Yet every time Chelsea mentioned Ian, she gritted her teeth in apparent disgust.

"Ian and I are sworn enemies now. There is no way we could ever get back together, so please stop worrying."

Her breakup with Ian had indeed been messy.

Afterward, she constantly complained to me about how Ian stole her sales leads or tried to sabotage her at work.

Back then, I genuinely believed they despised each other.

I even comforted her, telling her not to stoop to his level. In the end, I was the biggest fool of all.

We had been married for five years, and she went on business trips almost every single month.

I never doubted her once, but now the truth felt like a vicious slap across my face.

Right then, the door clicked open.

Ian rushed into the room, looking visibly anxious.

Chelsea immediately stepped forward. "Why are you here?"

"Are you alright? You did not reply to my text, and I was worried something happened, so I rushed over."

Hearing his concern, a sweet, faint smile appeared on Chelsea's face.

"I am fine. Go back and get some rest."

I watched their sickening little dynamic with a mocking glare.

"Is this what you call a regular coworker?"

"Which regular coworker has a keycard to your hotel room? You could at least come up with a believable lie, Chelsea."

Before Chelsea could make another excuse, our daughter walked out of the bedroom, rubbing her eyes.

"Daddy, Mommy, what are you doing?"

Annie held onto the hem of her pajamas, looking small and hesitant, which shattered my heart even more.

I could not understand why Chelsea chose betrayal when we had such a peaceful home.

Chelsea rushed over and scooped our daughter into her arms.

"Mommy and Daddy are just talking. Did you wake up, sweetheart?"

She tried to play the role of a devoted mother.

In reality, she had never cared much about our daughter.

Understanding how demanding her job was and how hard she worked for promotions, I took care of almost everything for Annie myself.

Because of this, Annie had always been a little afraid of her. Whenever Chelsea was home, our daughter walked on eggshells, barely daring to speak loudly.

I brought Annie on this trip hoping to help them bond.

I never imagined Chelsea truly harbored no love for our child.

I certainly never imagined she had told Ian that if it were not for Annie, she would have divorced me long ago.

She had texted him: "Living with a man I do not love is a fate worse than death."

Still half-asleep, Annie did not answer Chelsea.

Just then, Ian stepped forward and stroked our daughter's cheek.

"Hey there, Annie. Do you still remember Uncle Ian?"

Annie blinked groggily and nodded.

"Uncle Ian."

It turned out Chelsea had already introduced our daughter to her lover behind my back.

Taking a deep breath, I pulled Annie out of Chelsea's arms.

Knowing what Chelsea and Ian had done on that very bed made the air in the room feel filthy.

I carried our daughter and stormed toward the door.

Chelsea hurried after me.

"Babe, where are you going?"

No matter how furious I was, I refused to scream at her in front of our daughter.

I ignored her completely, shook off her hand, went downstairs, and booked a separate room.

The drive had been exhausting, and my only priority was letting Annie rest.

My plan was to take Annie back home first thing in the morning, leaving the two of them free to carry on their sordid affair.

Chelsea trailed behind me, rambling with excuses that sounded like nails on a chalkboard.

Once inside the new room, I finally shut the door and blocked her out.

As if sensing something was wrong, Annie gripped my hand tightly the entire night.

After lulling her back to sleep, I lay awake staring at the ceiling until dawn.

Divorce was the only answer; I refused to swallow this humiliation.

Yet looking at my daughter's innocent little face, my heart broke into a million pieces.