Chapter 2

Zachary seemed to notice my reaction.

He stopped where he was without coming closer, and asked about my test results.

"Is everything okay? That's great."

"Pregnancy is so tough, once the baby is born, I'll take some time off and we'll go on a trip together."

"Your appetite hasn't been great lately, I'll make you something fresh for dinner tonight."

On the way home, he chattered away.

I responded to each comment.

The car stopped at a red light.

Zachary gripped the steering wheel, his fingers unconsciously fidgeting.

"Honey, I might need to go on a business trip soon."

I turned my head to look at him.

His hand suddenly tightened on the wheel, and he forced a smile.

"To Africa. Once I'm done with work, I'll look for some local folk art pieces for you."

As an antique restoration expert, those things naturally appealed to me.

Zachary knew this - he had always been intimately familiar with my likes, dislikes and habits.

So, it was actually quite strange that he had given me such a flashy necklace for Valentine's Day.

And it turned out to be identical to someone else's.

"When are you leaving?"

"In two days, probably."

My phone buzzed.

I looked up amid the sound of car horns.

The light had suddenly turned green.

The summer heat was intense. A fly crashed into the windshield, its abdominal patterns swirling and tangled.

My stomach churned for no apparent reason.

"Honey, are you alright? Do you want to go to the hospital?"

The car pulled over to the side of the road.

Zachary shielded me from the sun with his body while gently patting my back.

He stared at me with concern, his face full of genuine worry.

"I'll tell the project lead to send someone else. I'll stay home with you."

I looked up and smiled.

"Go ahead, work is more important."

He pressed his lips together without saying more, and pulled out a pack of tissues from his pocket to hand to me.

The texture was soft, with a sweet scent.

"We ran out of the usual ones. I bought these at the convenience store when I stepped out to take the call. Didn't realize they were scented."