Chapter 3
It was as if nothing had happened at the party.
I wasn’t hysterical, nor did I show any concern.
I just lay there, as still as a corpse.
He stood silently by the bed for a long time.
Seeing I still didn’t react, he eventually stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
I knew he was trying to get my attention. He needed me to comfort him, to let him vent his frustrations.
But I was tired of it all.
I slept soundly that night and woke up in a good mood to make myself breakfast.
As I finished cooking, Gabriel emerged from his study, rubbing his temples.
A symptom of his hangover.
Seeing his familiar figure, I couldn’t help but think of last night.
When I returned to the apartment last night, he wasn’t there.
But I felt no worry at all. I just went through my usual bedtime routine.
The bed felt so much more spacious without him in it.
Gabriel hadn’t even sent me a single message after last night, and I felt nothing about it.
In the past, I would have been beside myself with worry, ready to mobilize my entire network to find him.
Did I still want to marry him?
As I pondered this, my phone buzzed with a new picture message.
It was a photo of Rose and Gabriel in bed together.
Along with an ultrasound report showing 16 weeks pregnant.
Oh, so that’s why he didn’t have time to message - he was too busy in bed with his “sister.”
Though shocked, I forced myself to accept the reality.
There had been signs between them for a long time. I should have seen this coming.
After all that flirting under the guise of being “siblings,” it would have been stranger if they hadn’t gone all the way.
I texted Rose back: “Congrats! From rolling in the sheets last night to 16 weeks along already? Your kid must be some kind of superhero.”
Rose replied quickly: “Lily, what are you talking about? Did you even look at the report date?”
“Let me remind you - this was from 5 months ago, the day of your engagement.”
I froze in place, Gabriel’s voice cutting through my thoughts.
“Lily, don’t make the soup too thick. I don’t like it that way.”
“I want some Shanghai-style noodle soup. I don’t have much appetite, something warm would be nice.”
I heard him say this as I bustled around the kitchen.
How laughable. Did he think I was his maid now?
Even maids get days off and a salary. I had nothing.
He couldn’t even keep it in his pants outside, let alone provide any emotional value, yet he expected me to do what exactly?
I ignored him, tossed my phone aside, and sat down to eat my own breakfast.
Gabriel, who had been waiting a while, surprisingly didn’t get angry when he saw I hadn’t made anything for him. Instead, he said:
“I drank too much yesterday and got carried away. It was my last night as a bachelor, don’t be mad.”
I had just finished eating and was loading the dishes into the dishwasher, not really listening to what he was saying.
Seeing I didn’t respond, he repeated himself. I finally looked up at him.
“Oh, why would I be mad? Didn’t you say she’s just like a sister to you?”
He hadn’t expected me to be so nonchalant. Trying to sound casual, he said:
“Right, so don’t overthink it. We’re getting married soon, I promise it won’t happen again.”
“Mhm.”
I finished tidying up and grabbed my bag, ready to head to my studio.
“Lily!” Gabriel called out just as I was about to leave.
“Yes?” I turned back, puzzled.
He looked at me in disbelief: “You’re just… forgiving me like that?”
“What should I do instead?”
“Anyway, I’ve got to go or I’ll be late.”
Men are such strange creatures. He used to get mad when I adamantly refused to let him interact with other women.
Now that I’ve given him the freedom he wanted, he seems upset too.
I really don’t understand.
When I arrived at the studio, everyone was huddled together whispering instead of working as usual.
This unusual behavior piqued my curiosity.
As I approached, I caught snippets of their conversation:
“Do you think Lily knows about this?”
“I bet it was on purpose, to make Lily back down.”
…
I was about to ask what was going on when I heard crying from outside.
I turned to see Gabriel dragging Rose towards me.
Their intimate body language drew stares from my coworkers.
Before I could say anything, Gabriel glared at me furiously.
“Lily, did you do this?!”