The next day, I arrived at the office early. No matter how tangled my personal life felt, work couldn’t afford delays. For too long, I’d been running late, caught up in managing Erik’s needs. My early arrival raised the supervisor’s eyebrows.

After the morning meeting, she called me into her office.

“Alyce, there's an opportunity to work at one of our overseas branches. Are you interested?” she began, her tone careful. “I’ve always valued your skills, but I was concerned about…”

Before she could finish, I nodded. “I’d be grateful for the opportunity. Thank you.”

Surprised, she blinked, pausing. “I noticed you threw out a bouquet last night. Did you have a fight with your husband?”

I gave a slight smile, shaking my head.

A fight? No. Erik never argues with me.

He always looked at me with that indulgent expression, like I was a child throwing a pointless tantrum. My phone vibrated twice, and I glanced down to see it was a call from Erik.

His voice was gentle, but there was an edge of displeasure. "Busy today? Why did you leave without making breakfast?"

He paused. “Yesterday was our wedding anniversary, and I got you a gift.”

“Oh?” I asked, masking my curiosity. “What gift?”

“A small box in my coat pocket—a ring.” I heard him fumble through his pockets, muttering, “Strange, it’s not here.”

Then, almost as if realizing something, he quickly added, “It must’ve fallen out in the car. I’ll get you another one.”

A bitter smile tugged at my lips. In yesterday’s photo, Polly had been wearing a ring on her hand. So, even my anniversary gift needed a test run by his childhood sweetheart?

“No need; I forgot to get you anything anyway.”

“Alyce? Are you upset? I really did buy you a gift.”

“Yeah,” I replied, my tone flat.

I replied softly, "If there's nothing else, I'll hang up now. I’m busy with work."

Since that day, my relationship with Erik had cooled into an uneasy calm.

A few days later, his mother invited me over for dinner—something that had never happened before. She’d always looked down on me, seeing only Polly as the rightful daughter-in-law. Still, I decided not to refuse.

When I arrived by taxi, Erik’s mother was directing his friends to set the table. As soon as she saw me, a hush fell over the room, and someone muttered, “Why invite her? She won’t let Erik drink with us.”

Ignoring the comment, I took a seat. Shortly after, Erik arrived—with Polly by his side.

I noticed Polly had removed the ring from her hand. She moved casually into the kitchen, chatting warmly with his mother as if she belonged there.

Then, Erik sat down beside me and pulled out the ring, holding it up proudly as if it were something precious. Without a hint of hesitation, he looked at me and lied smoothly, “I told you—it was in the car the whole time.”

Oblivious to my reaction, Erik took my hand and slipped the ring onto my finger. I looked down at it, a faint sense of disgust rising within me. How many times had he lied to me with such ease?

From the kitchen, I overheard his mother calling out, her voice warm and indulgent. "Oh, Polly, let Alyce handle these things. You're a guest here—how could I let you do this?"

Polly, clinging to her arm, replied with a soft smile. "Auntie, I missed you."

"Missed me, did you?" Erik’s mother teased, casting a quick glance in my direction before pulling Polly closer. "Then why don’t you visit me more often? I was beginning to think you’d forgotten all about Erik and me."

Turning to me, she added with feigned innocence, "Oh, Alyce, have I properly introduced Polly? She’s my adopted daughter, Erik’s dear sister. You really shouldn’t worry about their closeness—it’s perfectly natural! In fact, there's no need to keep tabs on Erik when he goes out. Don’t you trust Erik?"

She stood before me, a subtle command lacing her voice. "Yes, Alyce, you’re always checking up on me. It makes me feel uncomfortable, you know? We’re all decent people here; none of us are dragging Erik into trouble."

Colin Allen, one of Erik’s closest friends and an ardent supporter of his "perfect match" with Polly, chimed in smugly, "Besides, we’re just getting our company off the ground. Long nights are part of the deal, right? Polly even ended up in the hospital after drinking with a client! And if those two ever had feelings for each other, they would’ve been together ages ago. No need to worry, Alyce."

My eyes narrowed. What company? What start-up?

Wasn't Erik doing well in his stable job? Since when was he part of a "start-up"?

Realizing he’d said too much, Colin instantly fell silent, exchanging uneasy glances with the others as the room went quiet.

The meal felt flavorless, and a heavy silence settled over the table after the earlier confrontation.

Once we finished eating, the rain began to pour outside. Erik approached me cautiously. “Alyce, it’s not safe for Polly to go home alone. Why don’t you stay here with Mom for a bit? I’ll drop her off and come back for you.”

I nodded, watching him intently. He hesitated, as if searching for the right words, but ultimately he just squeezed my hand before letting go and escorting Polly out.

As they walked away, I turned on my phone and ordered a ride home, ignoring Erik’s mother’s insistence for me to stay. The rain poured down around me, and I felt utterly exposed and embarrassed.

Suddenly, I felt a warm presence beside me. Erik returned, breathless and soaked, wrapping me in his arms. “I’m sorry, Alyce. I shouldn’t have put you in this position.”

“It’s just that Polly has a child,” he continued, his voice softening. “I brought her here, so I felt responsible for making sure she got home safely.”

“Why didn’t you just wait at your mom’s house?” he added, a hint of complaint creeping into his tone.

I looked at him earnestly. “Are you the only one who can take her home?”

“What?” he asked, confusion etched on his face.

“You and Colin drove here today. Are you really the only one who can drop Polly off?”

Erik’s expression shifted from confusion to a mixture of shame and annoyance. He pursed his lips, caught off guard by my directness. “I...”

I cut him off before he could continue. “You want to send her home.”

A shadow crossed his face, and he sighed heavily. “Alyce, are you jealous? I only see Polly as a sister.”

“She’s alone, divorced, and raising a child. There are always going to be challenges,” he continued, his voice softening. “I’m just trying to help her because we grew up together.”

“Help her so much that you quit your job and start a business with her?” I pushed him away, unwilling to cling to the warmth that felt so foreign to me.

Erik looked taken aback but quickly regrouped. “You’ve misunderstood. The company is a joint effort. We’re all seizing an opportunity together.”

He adjusted his tie, his gaze unwavering and still full of affection. “Don’t overthink it. You’re going to be a mother soon. Why are you still so jealous? You wouldn’t want to raise a jealous child, would you?”

But our child is gone.

I opened my mouth to respond, but just then, Erik’s phone rang. The moment he answered, a small, cheerful voice filled the air. “Dad, why don’t you come see me? I miss you!”

Panic flickered in Erik’s eyes as he hurriedly covered the receiver with his hand, retreating toward the bedroom. Moments later, he emerged dressed for the outside world.

“I’m sorry, Alyce. Polly said her child is sick and wants to see me,” he explained, guilt etched across his features.

I shook my head, feigning indifference. “I’m fine. You should go.”

He leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss on my cheek. “Once I finish this, I promise I won’t contact her alone again. I’ll make time for you and the baby.”

As soon as he left, my phone buzzed with messages from Colin and a couple of Erik’s friends. “Sister-in-law, something happened to Polly. Can you ask Erik to go over?”

I ignored their texts, choosing instead to focus on discussing the details of the overseas branch opportunity with my supervisor.

Later, I opened my social media to find an update from Polly: “The two most important men in my life.” The accompanying photo showed Erik and her baby sleeping soundly.

Erik's entrepreneurial journey was progressing smoothly; he soon secured his first project. Overwhelmed with excitement, he invited me to the celebration banquet, making promises that echoed in my ears. “I’ll be there for you and the baby from now on. If you notice anything amiss, just tell me, and I’ll make it right.”

However, when we arrived at the restaurant, I caught the waitress’s smile falter. She leaned in and whispered just loud enough for me to hear, “Why did you change partners?”

I froze, the words hanging in the air like a heavy cloud. At that moment, my supervisor sent a message, urging me to return to the office to address some urgent matters. Erik’s expression darkened, revealing his displeasure. “Can’t you put your work aside for me?”

I shook my head, feeling the familiar ache of disappointment. How many times had I reached out for support, only to have him brush me off with excuses about working late?

I had gone out of my way to bring him meals, yet when one of his colleagues admired my outfit and asked for my contact information, he turned it into a reason to accuse me of monitoring his every move.

He claimed to be suffocated by my perceived control, insisting that I should no longer interrupt his work. Yet now, he expected me to abandon my job for a celebration party that had nothing to do with me.

I watched as Erik paced back and forth, his irritation palpable. “Alyce, you’re the one who doesn’t trust me and Polly. That’s why I brought you to this celebration. But now that you want to leave, don’t let jealousy take over.”

I nodded, feeling a sense of resignation wash over me. Jealousy had long since become meaningless in this tangled web of relationships. After finalizing my plans to go abroad, my supervisor informed me that the departure was set for next Sunday. She looked at me with concern, noting, “You’ve lost so much weight lately. Are you still in that cold war?”

I didn’t respond; perhaps I was simply waiting for the final verdict on everything. Just then, a friend request popped up on my phone. It was from the waitress I had just encountered at the hotel. After accepting it, she immediately sent me a video.

In the clip, Polly held a glass of wine, feeding it to Erik as his brothers cheered and jeered around them. My heart sank as the video ended, and a message from her followed.

"You are the most disgusting mistress, not worthy of seeing the light," she spat, her disdain cutting through me like ice.