Chapter 3

"Joy, actually hearing your voice doesn't give me a headache anymore."

"That means my condition is getting better. Isn't that what we've been hoping for all along?"

Andrew took a few steps closer, his eyes suddenly sharp: "Why do you keep talking about divorce today? Is something bothering you? Or..."

He paused, his voice suddenly rising: "Have you fallen for someone else?"

The accusation came out of nowhere.

It made me want to laugh even more.

Before I could react, Nancy suddenly stood up and said anxiously: "It's all my fault. Joy must be upset because I came today."

Her voice was tearful: "Joy, please don't be mad at me. I'm sorry."

Nancy got up, her steps suddenly quickening as she walked straight toward me.

The next second, her body suddenly tilted backward.

"Ah! Joy, don't!" Nancy screamed.

She fell to the ground, her eyes instantly reddening: "Sister, I promise I won't do it again. Please don't be angry, okay?"

I stood there frozen.

I didn't even touch her.

"Mommy!" Walter screamed and rushed over, pushing me hard.

I couldn't dodge in time, and my body hit the corner of the table.

Sharp pain struck, but I gritted my teeth and didn't make a sound.

Walter and Andrew immediately surrounded Nancy, one holding her arm, the other checking if she was hurt.

The waiter also rushed over to ask if everything was okay.

"Are you alright? Did you hurt yourself anywhere?" Andrew asked nervously.

"Dad, it's her! She bullied Nancy!" Walter pointed at me, his eyes full of anger.

Nancy grabbed Andrew's sleeve and said softly, "Don't blame Joy. I accidentally made her angry. If I hadn't come today, she wouldn't be so upset."

As she spoke, tears fell down her face.

Andrew helped Nancy up, then turned to look at me with cold eyes: "Since you have such a big problem with Nancy and are so dissatisfied with your son, then you should leave. Your son doesn't need you to celebrate his birthday anymore."

He paused, his tone even colder: "But forget about the divorce. You go home and think about what you've done!"

"Dad, let's go to the amusement park!" Walter pulled Andrew's hand. "I don't want to be with her."

The three of them left hand in hand.

Walter suddenly looked up and asked, "Dad, why didn't you marry Nancy?"

Andrew stopped and looked at Nancy, his eyes full of tenderness: "Because I wasn't brave enough back then. My hearing hadn't fully recovered, and I didn't have the guts to go after Nancy."

His voice was soft, but it came through clearly to my ears.

I looked at the food on the table with self-mockery.

I took out my phone and called a lawyer.

"Hello, I'd like to ask about divorce."

After hanging up, I went home to pack my things.

When I found old photos, I saw what Walter looked like as a child.

Back then, he used to smile and run into my arms, call me "Mommy," bring me water when I was sick, kiss my cheek, and promise he'd love me forever.

I don't know when everything changed.

My phone vibrated. It was a post from Nancy.

In the photo, Andrew, Nancy, and Walter were sitting in a Ferris wheel, smiling brightly.

The caption read: "They say people who ride the Ferris wheel together will be together forever."

The first comment was from Andrew's mother: "So beautiful—you and Andrew are perfect together."

Relatives in the family group chat were all discussing it.

"Joy, what's wrong with you?"

"You need to have a second child, then your husband won't stray so easily."

I stared at the screen and typed a line: "Nancy will have one."

Send.

Before long, Andrew came home with our son, furious.

"Are you crazy?!" His voice was full of anger. "Why did you say those things? You knew Nancy was in the group—she's going to be really upset when she sees it. She's already not in a good place emotionally!"

"Why can't I say it?" I asked calmly. "I was just stating facts."

I said sarcastically, "If you have the nerve to do these things, why can't you accept people talking about them?"

Slap!

A crisp sound of a slap echoed in the room.

I covered my face, still processing what happened, when a hard object hit my forehead.

Sharp pain came, and warm liquid flowed down my forehead.

It was blood.

"You bullied Nancy! I hate you forever!" Walter turned and ran downstairs.

Andrew looked at the wound on my forehead, a flash of panic in his eyes, along with fear and unease that even he understood.

But soon, he calmed down again.

After all, I was the one who pursued him, and I was the one who promised to be with him forever.

Back then, he had a hearing impairment and couldn't do many jobs. I was the only one who didn't care about that—I was willing to stick by him and help him through his treatment.

His voice softened a bit: "With the way you treat Nancy, it's no wonder our son doesn't like you." He paused. "Nancy's always been delicate and sickly since she was a kid. She's your sister—can't you try to be a little more understanding?"

I didn't say anything, just wiped the blood from my forehead with a tissue.

Andrew tried to come closer, but I stepped back: "No need."

His hand froze in mid-air, his expression complicated.

"My condition is getting better now, right? I won't be sensitive to your voice anymore. From now on, the three of us can live well together, and I'll keep my distance from Nancy too."

I looked at him and suddenly smiled.

Especially at the hickey on Andrew's neck in the photo Nancy posted.

If this was before I knew the truth, maybe when he said this, I really would have forgiven him.

But now, it's impossible.

I can't accept his years of deception.

And I can't understand why, even at this moment, he still won't come clean about lying to me.

Before the lawyer sent me the agreement, I didn't move out right away. I didn't want to risk slowing things down later just because we weren't living together.

The next morning, Andrew wore a newly bought suit and even sprayed on cologne.

He used to hate it when I wore perfume and didn't like me buying him cologne either. This time, it seemed he had something very important to do.

He straightened his tie in front of the mirror, looking in a good mood.

I knew why—because he was going to Nancy's concert.

He looked at me and said, "Remember to make breakfast for our son."

I sat on the sofa playing games on my phone, not looking up.

"Did you hear me?" Andrew raised his voice. "Walter needs breakfast!"

"Don't want to," I said flatly.

Andrew seemed stunned, as if he didn't expect me to refuse.

Walter ran out of his room, very angry: "Yuck! Bad mommy! I hate you!"

I stared at my phone screen, not even lifting an eyelid.

Andrew pulled Walter out the door, warning me before leaving: "You better have dinner ready when we get back tonight, or my son and I won't talk to you anymore."

He thought this threat would make me give up resisting.

But I just glanced indifferently at the sunlight outside the balcony.

After the door closed, the room was finally quiet.

Half an hour later, the phone suddenly rang.

"Mrs. Bell? I'm calling from the bank." The voice on the other end was polite. "Your husband just came to retrieve a set of jewelry you had stored here. According to our policy, I need to notify you."

My hand holding the phone slowly tightened.

That jewelry was the keepsake my mother left me.

He was taking it out—for whom?