Chapter 2

"Wait until I've had the vasectomy, okay?"

I closed my eyes, not answering.

The sound of water resumed its pitter-patter in the bathroom.

I buried my head under the covers, leaving just a small gap, allowing my suppressed sobs to slowly escape.

Dashiell coaxed me to sleep.

He held me, just like when we first got married, possessively.

But thinking about how his embrace had also been occupied by someone else.

I felt a wave of nausea.

Until the sudden ring of a cell phone broke the silence.

Dashiell immediately cut it off.

He tentatively waved his hand in front of my face, then called out softly twice.

Believing I was in deep sleep, he walked to the balcony.

I followed quietly, barefoot, my heart racing, unsure if it was from nervousness or sadness.

Dashiell stood on the balcony, expertly puffing on a cigarette.

In the quiet night, the coquettish voice on the other end of the phone was clearly audible.

"Dashiell, it's already past midnight."

"I'm already wearing the gift you gave me. Are you really so heartless not to come unwrap it?"

In that moment, I keenly noticed.

He muttered under his breath, "a little temptress".

Then he threw on the coat from the couch, not even returning to the bedroom, and grabbed his car keys before heading downstairs.My feet felt ice-cold, and my heart sank as if plunging into a frozen lake. Without hesitation, I threw on my coat and headed out the door.

I hailed a taxi and gave the address of the hotel that Dashiell frequently booked through his shopping app.

I had looked up the hotel in advance.

To my surprise, I unexpectedly caught a glimpse of the two of them in the service reviews.

Melody was smiling at the camera, flashing a peace sign.

Dashiell, wearing a bathrobe, had his arm around her without a care in the world.

The review read: The bed was soft, the privacy was excellent, and no matter how loud you were, the neighbors couldn't hear a thing.

The streets were eerily empty in the early hours of the morning.

The driver remained silent, speeding through the city.

As we arrived at the hotel, I saw Dashiell's car pulling into the parking lot.

I had just stepped out of the taxi when he emerged from the lot.

To be honest, my attempt at hiding wasn't particularly clever.

If he had just looked up, he would have spotted me immediately.

My mind raced, trying to decide whether to confront him outright or continue the charade.

But then, Dashiell extended his arms.

A petite figure immediately leaped into his embrace, like a canary returning to its nest.

Even from a distance, I could hear their giggles and laughter.

The next moment, they were locked in a passionate kiss.

Trembling, I gripped my phone, watching the couple in the video. So, it turns out he could be this bold and unabashed for the sake of love.Thirty-year-old Dashiell now resembled a green boy, disregarding decorum and maturity.

I stood there dumbfounded, the wind blowing a chill across my face.

Even though the two had entered the hotel, my phone continued recording nothing but empty light.

I couldn't snap out of it for a long while.

Fifteen minutes later, I received a message from Dashiell.

"Darling, something urgent came up at work. I'll have to pull an all-nighter and probably won't be home until tomorrow morning."

"Don't miss me too much if you wake up in the middle of the night. Love you."

A tear dropped onto my phone screen.

I didn't sleep a wink all night.

True to his word, Dashiell walked in at exactly 8 AM, carrying my favorite breakfast.

There were dark circles under his eyes.

I asked nonchalantly, "Didn't sleep all night?"

Dashiell complained with feigned annoyance, "Don't even mention it. That secretary is so stupid, can't learn no matter how much I teach her."

I couldn't help but think to myself.

Teach what?

But I didn't voice the question.

Dashiell started packing his suitcase again, explaining to me, "The project's been approved. I need to go on a business trip out of town."

"Darling, why don't you catch up on some sleep after breakfast?"

"You look exhausted too."

"In a couple of days, our daughter will be back from my parents' place, and we won't have a chance to be lazy anymore."I slowly nodded: "Okay."

After he left, I rushed to the bathroom.

I spent the whole night throwing up, but even pressing my stomach to the bottom only produced a bit of bile.

Looking at him truly made me feel sick to my stomach.