Chapter 3

Friends chattered and asked questions, while Faye fell silent for a few seconds, her tone filled with bitterness.

"Because he's the best man in the world, and I'm not good enough for him. He shouldn't be bound by marriage or trapped at home as a house husband. He's meant to shine brightly."

Faye spoke with deep affection, her words particularly moving.

"Then aren't you afraid that giving such a nice gift to Dashiell will make your husband angry if he finds out?"

Faye let out a cold laugh, speaking with absolute certainty: "He wouldn't dare. He can't live without me. He listens to everything I say."

After she finished, her girlfriends started teasing her again, asking her to share her methods for making her husband utterly devoted.

In that instant, my whole body froze. It felt like something inside my heart shattered. I couldn't believe that the girl who once had a smile as beautiful as flowers was now saying the most venomous words, destroying what I thought was a genuine friendship between us.

I clenched my teeth with all my might to keep the tears from falling. My self-esteem and my love were crushed by Faye at that moment, never to be pieced back together again.I had always thought Faye had never been in a relationship before, which was why she was so clueless and her gift choices were absolutely terrible. I never held it against her, though. I even nursed her mother back to health, used my savings from the past few years to put her siblings through school, and helped her start her business. Little did I know, it was all an act. She simply didn't want to put any effort into our relationship. She just didn't love me.

My face turned pale. Never before had I felt so powerless. I realized that deep down, I already knew the answer about this marriage and her true feelings.

I composed myself and turned the doorknob. The moment I entered, the entire room fell silent. The expressions on everyone's faces were a sight to behold, and I found it all ironically amusing.

"Hey,Faye's Husband here! Come sit next to Faye. We were just talking about you, and here you are!"

Her friends were the first to react, greeting me with exaggerated smiles.

Faye sat there with a twinkle in her eye, quietly waiting for me to join her. I forced a smile that wasn't too shabby and strode over to sit beside her.

"What took you so long? Everyone's been waiting for ages."

Looking at her face, for the first time, I felt utterly disgusted.

"Got stuck in traffic. Who knew Valentine's Day was such a big deal, with so many people celebrating together."

I grinned, but there was a mocking undercurrent to my tone. Who spends Valentine's Day in a seedy karaoke joint? The whole scene made me nauseous.

"What's wrong with you today? Are you upset?" Faye had never heard me use such a harsh tone. She furrowed her brow and asked coolly, "Don't you like the gift?"

I shuddered, suppressing the anger in my eyes, and tilted my head with a dazzling smile. "Oh, I like it. I just don't understand why you gave it to me."

Faye missed the subtext in my words and continued to gloat. "Well, of course, it's to make you feel secure about being my little househusband. That's how we'll keep our home harmonious."

Harmonious with you? Who wants that? My temple throbbed as I deliberately turned my head away to compose myself.

"Mr. Winters, are you giving me the cold shoulder? Why are you acting so indifferent towards me?"

Faye frowned in displeasure. She had no idea I'd already seen both gifts, nor could she have imagined the courier's colossal blunder. Naturally, she was unhappy with my attitude.

"How could I be mad at you? I just think it's all moving too fast. You're putting a lot of pressure on me," I forced a smile.

Only then did Faye's expression soften into a satisfied smile. She gently caressed my face. "It's okay, I believe..."