Chapter 2

That evening, Liam came back, looking utterly exhausted. I was tending to the wound on my knee. Honestly, I was too tired to even bother, but it looked pretty bad, and even the slightest inflammation could cause me immense pain now.

It could lead to further complications, widespread inflammation. I numbly continued to treat it. I actually hated pain. Every day, falling asleep was a battle.

Since college, I'd suffered from severe anxiety. When it flared up, I'd vomit and suffer from insomnia, my mouth raw with acid after each bout.

Liam glanced at me, then stopped midway to the bathroom to shower. He saw the bloody gash on my knee. "What happened? How did you get this? Can't you be more careful?"

I didn't answer him, just focused on my wound.

I didn't really want to talk to him anymore.

He slowly sat down beside me, reaching out to take the gauze. I looked up, my gaze cold.

"Avery, I'm so sorry! Today was a real accident, please don't be mad at me, okay?" His eyes looked so sincere.

If the truth hadn't been staring me in the face, I would have fallen for that look again.

"Liam, let's get a divorce. I'm just… so tired." I didn't want to look at him, dropping my gaze back to my knee.

As soon as I finished bandaging it, he suddenly pressed against me, pulling me into a tight hug.

Perhaps it was the panic of a guilty man. He squeezed me so tightly, he brushed against my wound.

I hissed, and he slowly released me, kneeling in front of me, looking genuinely remorseful. "Avery, we're going to have so many anniversaries. That word 'divorce'… please don't say it so casually. It hurts."

"Liam, this afternoon was the last bit of dignity I gave you," I said, meeting his eyes, my gaze unblinking.

He froze, then his expression contorted into one of frantic panic.

"Avery, it's not what you think, really. The situation was just too urgent, I had to rush over, but I didn't dare tell you directly. I was just afraid you'd misunderstand, I…"

Liam, for the first time, was stammering.

"Liam, what are you so afraid of? Am I that terrifying? Or is it that you're all afraid I'll bully Selena, and now you're afraid I'll bully you?" I laughed, a bitter, humorless sound.

"Avery, you're too emotional right now. I don't want to argue."

He dodged the question, retreating into the bathroom to shower.

I ignored him, went into the study, and closed the door. The moment it clicked shut, I felt my hands trembling.

I lay in bed, staring wide-eyed at the ceiling. I was perpetually exhausted, but sleep rarely came. I only managed three or four hours a night.

Honestly, I should have realized the truth a long time ago.

Selena was his vibrant red rose, the indelible mark on his heart, the one he could never truly let go of.

When I met Liam, he had already broken up with Selena. He never showed me photos of his ex-girlfriend. All I knew was that the relationship had caused him a lot of pain, but I never knew his ex-girlfriend was Selena.

We both silently agreed not to mention it.

It wasn't until after we officially got married and went home for the winter holidays that Selena happened to be back for the holidays too.

Selena was there that day, and it was the first time I saw Liam panic.

A woman's intuition told me something was terribly wrong.

I wanted to ask Liam about it, but every time I brought it up, he'd cut me off, saying the past wasn't pleasant and only brought unhappiness.

And after the holidays, Selena went abroad to study the violin, which she loved.

My parents even sold our house and moved to the countryside to support her.

I couldn't quite describe the feeling back then. It had always been like this, ever since I was little. Selena could take expensive music lessons, while I couldn't even afford tutoring.

I'll never forget the look on my mom's face when she learned Selena was continuing her studies. She was beaming with pride, saying she never imagined our family would produce a musician.

Liam was beside me then. He squeezed my hand tightly and said, "In my eyes, my wife is the best."

He really was good to me. He let me look at his phone, gave me his bank cards. He was everything you'd read about online, the 'perfect' husband.

I had a poor appetite, so he specifically learned to cook, making me dinner every day after work.

In the evenings, we'd walk hand in hand. Those days were simple and pure. I thought it would last forever.

Then Selena came back. She hadn't become a famous musician. She suffered from severe depression.

Her arms were crisscrossed with scars, self-inflicted with an eyebrow razor. My mom held her, sobbing uncontrollably, a complete wreck.

She came to find me, her face gaunt and pale. "Avery, I regret it. Can you give Liam back to me?"

The whole thing felt utterly absurd. She acted like Liam was just another one of the things I'd always given up for her – like a dress, a toy, a room, or even just a snack.

She was used to me always stepping aside the moment she opened her mouth.

I ignored her, simply thinking she was crazy.

She had been with Liam before; she was the one who told me herself.

I still remember that New Year's Eve, fireworks bursting everywhere. For the first time, she acted really close to me, saying she wanted to watch the fireworks with me, pulling me outside.

Liam stayed inside, playing cards with the older folks.

Selena kept pulling me along, walking endlessly.

***截断点***