Chapter 5

The atmosphere was at a standstill. Liam took two long strides forward.

“Mr. Qi seems to have a lot of animosity towards me. Do you think there’s a problem with our partnership?”

Julian, who had been about to speak, closed his mouth again, his brow furrowed with confusion.

“Partnership?”

I scoffed at his confusion.

“Julian, you really are a diligent husband, aren’t you? You truly haven’t cared about the company at all these past few days?”

Liam “kindly” explained the reason for our meeting.

Watching Julian’s face go from angry red to pale green, Liam’s eyes flickered with disdain and scorn.

I was in no mood to deal with whatever he was thinking. I got straight into my car.

Liam understood and followed, leaving Julian standing alone.

After that, Julian came home, while I was busy dealing with company affairs.

No matter how he tried to win me over, I ignored him.

Everyone’s patience has a breaking point.

I dragged my exhausted body home, met by a cloud of cigarette smoke. I hated the smell of smoke.

Julian occasionally smoked, but he always avoided me when he did, and he’d air himself out before coming near me.

The room was dim, with small points of light near the sofa.

I turned on the light, still intending to ignore him as before.

A weary, tired voice came from behind me, a mix of surrender and coercion.

“Let’s talk.”

An unavoidable conversation.

I checked my watch and said, “Ten minutes. I need to sleep. I have an early start tomorrow.”

Julian paused at my words, then let out an enigmatic chuckle.

“Now talking to you is on a timer? When did we become like this?”

I replied:

“Since your love letter.”

Julian was silent for a while, then said,

“Yes, that love letter was for Chloe, but I haven't had feelings for her for a long time. Why don’t you believe me?”

No feelings? If there were no feelings, why did that conversation at the class reunion happen? Was I imagining it?

I inwardly sighed at Julian’s growing ability to lie through his teeth.

I turned to meet his gaze, like an invisible struggle for dominance.

Neither of us would back down until we were both wounded.

“So, is an explanation really so hard? Wasn’t it *you* who kept running away!? Do you dare to ask yourself if you truly had no ulterior motives?”

“When I tried to explain to you, what were *you* doing? Weren’t you busy chatting with Liam?”

“That was business. I don’t have as much free time as you do.”

“Business? Does business require meeting and chatting every day? Fine, you had no ulterior motives. But what about him?”

“You should sort out your own mess first. Everything I do is for the company. Oh, right, it’s *my* company, not yours. You, of course, don’t care about its development!”

“Did you go abroad that year after we got married because of him?”

I didn't understand what that had to do with that year – a year I didn’t want to revisit.

I don't remember when that night ended.

I only remember countless hurtful words exchanged between us. Our bodies were still there, but our hearts had already crumbled, and love had rotted.

After his outburst, I dreamed all night.

I didn't sleep well. Waking up, I checked my phone for messages.

Among the work emails, one stood out.

Unknown sender:

[It’s Chloe. Let’s meet and clear things up.]

I swiped away the message and replied to my work emails.

It was business as usual: reviewing documents, attending meetings, communicating.

It wasn't until dusk approached that I pulled out my lipstick and reapplied some color to my lips.

When I arrived at the meeting spot Chloe had chosen, I found she was already there.