Chapter 2
“Mommy, Daddy he…”
As soon as she answered, Leo’s tearful voice came through.
But before he could finish, Chloe interrupted him coolly. “Leo, Mommy really can’t help it. Please stop calling. Daddy is pitiful, but Mommy is working hard too, earning money, trying to pay off the family debts, and buy you new action figures.”
Chloe said these words without a hint of shame, her face perfectly composed.
Before, I used to pity her. Now, I just felt utterly foolish.
I’d been married for eight years, and I never knew the person sharing my bed was such a masterful actress.
Leo cried. “I don’t want action figures! I don’t want anything! Mommy, just come home!”
Chloe sounded annoyed. “Leo, why are you being so unreasonable? Do you want to see Mommy get beaten to death by creditors because she can’t pay her debts?”
“I don’t want to…”
“Then be a good boy. Daddy will wake up in a couple of hours. Take good care of him. I can’t come home tonight. Tell Daddy for me.”
Just as she finished speaking, a doctor emerged from the operating room.
Chloe didn’t wait to hear what else Leo had to say. She hurriedly hung up and rushed to the doctor.
Upon learning the surgery was a success, she let out a sigh of profound relief.
She fussed over Ryan, taking care of his every need.
Fearing muscle atrophy from his long confinement, the impatient Chloe spent forty minutes massaging Ryan’s legs. Worried the IV fluid was too cold, she personally warmed the tube with her hands. When Ryan complained his little toe was cramping, the usually fastidious Chloe didn’t hesitate, gently massaging it for him.
In my memory, she had always been careless. She couldn’t even take proper care of Leo; she once almost fed our son laundry detergent instead of formula.
This was the first time I had ever seen her so meticulous.
Those in love always recover quickly. In less than two days, Ryan was able to get out of bed and walk around.
Chloe, seeing the good weather, took him to a nearby park.
During their rest, Chloe left for two minutes. When she returned, her hands were behind her back, and she smiled mysteriously. “To reward brave little Ryan for completing his surgery, Big Sister Chloe has a gift for him.”
With that, she presented the items she’d been hiding behind her back to Ryan, like she was showing off a prize.
They were samples of wedding dresses and suits.
Ryan’s eyes widened in surprise.
Chloe winked playfully. “I specially picked out the most expensive package. Once you’ve fully recovered at the end of this month, we’ll go take our wedding photos. What do you think?”
Ryan was about to nod, then seemed to remember something. His eyes flickered, and his gaze darkened. “Aren’t you afraid Liam will find out?”
At the mention of my name, the smile on Chloe’s face froze. “Let’s not mention anyone else right now.”
“Besides, I’m already married to him. It’s just taking wedding photos. Surely he won’t make a big fuss over such a small thing.”
Ryan’s lips curved into a smile. “Chloe, you’ve done so much for me. I’m really touched.”
He stood up, gazing at Chloe with an alluring intensity, slowly leaning closer. The air crackled with an unspoken tension, an almost palpable heat that made my heart race.
I understood what they were about to do next.
My heart throbbed, a dull ache like a knife twisting inside me.
“Mommy!” Just then, Leo’s voice came from nearby.
Chloe snapped back to reality, hastily pulling away from Ryan, casting a guilty glance in the direction of the voice.
Seeing Leo, my heart felt tightly squeezed.
His clothes were stained and tattered, his beautiful eyes swollen like walnuts, veined with angry red.
My death had clearly been a massive shock to him. He wasn’t focused on Chloe and Ryan’s actions just now. When he saw Chloe, he rushed into her arms, his voice hoarse and dry. “Mommy, I finally found you.”
“Daddy’s dead. He bled a lot. He won’t move, and he won’t talk to me…”
He wanted to cry, but his tears had run dry. In the end, only a hoarse, ugly sound escaped him.
Hearing his words, Chloe paused.
Ryan, beside them, laughed. “Leo, is it? Don’t worry too much. Your dad just had surgery and was given anesthesia, so he can’t move. He’s probably just too tired to talk. He’s not dead.”
Then, he patted Leo’s head. “What a cute little boy.”
Leo dodged his hand, looking at him blankly.
A child might not understand all the nuances, but with Chloe and Ryan together here, Leo clearly sensed something was wrong. He pointed at Ryan, angrily asking Chloe, “Mommy, who is he? Why are you with him?”
Chloe gave a forced laugh. “He’s Mommy’s friend.”
Leo challenged her. “So, Mommy’s been with him all these days? Does Mommy spend so much time with a friend?”
Chloe was speechless.
Ryan struggled to take a couple of steps, gasping for breath. “Chloe, maybe you should go back with the child first. Liam really needs someone to take care of him.”
Leo was too young to catch the hidden meaning. Hearing this, he hastily grabbed Chloe’s hand. “Mommy, come back with me to see Daddy, Daddy…”
Before Leo could finish, Chloe pulled her hand away. “No, Leo. Mommy’s friend still needs care. You go back by yourself for now.”
“Mommy will give you money. You can buy the action figures you like, okay?”
With that, Chloe, just like she used to dismiss Leo, pulled out a card from her bag and offered it to him.
Leo froze. “Mommy, didn’t we run out of money?”
Chloe’s hand, poised to offer the card, froze mid-air.
Leo looked at her with an unfamiliar gaze, slowly stepping back.
Perhaps it was then that he noticed Chloe, who had been dressing more simply for months, was now in a vibrant, glamorous dress, looking so radiant he barely recognized her. He also saw Chloe supporting Ryan, and beside them, a thick wedding photo album.
“Mommy, do you not love Daddy and me anymore?” After a long moment, Leo asked, his voice strained.
Chloe fell silent for a moment, as if she wanted to say something.
But Leo seemed to understand everything. He turned and ran, sprinting away, as if he couldn’t bear to hear that terrible final answer.
Chloe instinctively wanted to chase after him, but Ryan held her wrist. “Don’t worry, Chloe. He’s young; if you explain it to him later, he’ll understand.”
Chloe pressed her lips together. Finally, looking at the struggling Ryan, she didn’t pursue Leo.
Perhaps fearing Leo would tell me, Chloe made time to call me several times when she got back. But each time, the calls went unanswered, automatically hanging up.
She frowned slightly, typing out a message: “Leo must have told you everything, but it’s not what you think. Please pick up, let’s talk properly.”
I didn’t know what she wanted to talk about.
Perhaps even she didn’t know, because after typing the message, she deleted it, word by word.
After a long silence, she returned to Ryan’s room. “I need to go home tomorrow. You rest well here for now.”