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Chapter 2
Ivy Rogers probably knew I wouldn’t agree so easily–this time wasn’t like before.
It wasn’t just a late–night call claiming she felt unwell, asking Caleb Coleman to rush her to the hospital.
It wasn’t her getting bullied on our wedding anniversary, needing Caleb Coleman by her side.
In the five years of our marriage, Caleb had stood me up countless times because of her -some trivial reasons, some not.
At first, I didn’t have the standing to object. Later, I simply stopped bothering to.
No matter how angry I got, how loudly I
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protested, Caleb would always say the same thing:
“I told you before we got married–I had a first love. Her mother helped me when I had nothing. I promised to take care of her. You said you didn’t mind before we got married.”
I was speechless.
What I thought was “repaying kindness‘ could’ve meant offering money, giving
resources.
What I thought was “taking care” could’ve meant hiring a maid or a bodyguard.
But for Caleb Coleman, it meant doing everything himself–personally, at any time, under any circumstance.
And in every situation, Ivy Rogers was
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always his priority.
I first met Caleb because of a
damsel–in–distress moment–and from that day on, I fell deeply for him.
But to him, it left no impression at all.
Back in my senior year of college, I’d gone into the mountains for inspiration for my graduation project. Midway through, I slipped, fell hard, and twisted my ankle so badly I couldn’t even stand.
Twilight was settling in, and there wasn’t a soul in sight.
Just as I was losing hope, Caleb Coleman appeared–like a god descending from the heavens.
Without a second thought, he scooped me
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up in his arms and rushed me down the mountain to the nearest hospital.
To distract me from the pain, he kept chatting the whole way. He introduced himself–Caleb Coleman, the eldest son of the Coleman Group.
I didn’t know him, but I knew the Coleman Group. One look at the way he dressed, the way he carried himself–I believed him.
Still, I didn’t drop my guard completely. I only told him my surname, Lewis, and that I was a student.
On the way, I learned he was there to check in on the daughter of the woman who had once helped him–she was shooting her first commercial, and he worried she might be bullied.
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Maybe it was the tension I had been under for too long, or maybe it was Caleb Coleman’s unusually gentle tone–but as we talked, I somehow drifted off to sleep.
When I slowly woke up, I found his jacket draped over me. He was standing nearby, listening intently as the doctor gave instructions.
After that day, our paths never crossed again. I never even told my family about what happened.
But from then on, I picked up a new habit- I started keeping an eye on any news related to the Coleman Group.
Six months later, the Coleman family expressed interest in expanding into the capital and proposed a marriage alliance with my family. At the time, I was preparing
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to pursue further studies abroad, and my parents rejected the idea outright.
But then I heard from my brother that the Colemans were our partners on that project. I thought it was fate.
So I gave up the opportunity to study overseas and relentlessly persuaded my parents and brother to agree to the marriage -on the condition that my fiancé be Caleb Coleman.
My brother strongly opposed it.
First, because our family didn’t need a marriage alliance to secure that project.
Second, because the Coleman family was full of ambitious uncles and cousins, making internal competition fierce.
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And third, because Caleb’s mothener had died younggaand had no background totsupppport hirm. Even if he had the ability and arabibition, it would not be easy for him to get totch the top.
They couldn’t understand why I was soso determined to marry Caleb Coleman, butut eventuallyyttitey gave in.
They believeetthat with my character, familyily background, and tooks, even in a businessss marriage it wouldcbonly be a matter of time e before Caleb féllim dove with me.
I still rememberthed book in his eyes the dayay of our engagement tpaarty.
The surprise and amazeententrin his
gaze
were unmistakable. Hissfiisstwords were, “It’s you?”
I smiled and spoke like him,, “It’s me.”
107
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That night, neither of us stopped smiling. It gave me all the confidence I needed to believe I could build a good marriage.
After the wedding, we shared endless common interests.
began cooking for him, and he accompanied me to art exhibits I loved.
As we spent more time together, he gradually fell for me, and the more I came to understand him, the deeper I loved him in
return.
I believed our marriage would unfold like those in romance novels–a union of powerful families, love blooming after the wedding, and a happily ever after.
Until the first time he missed my birthday-
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because of Ivy Rogers.
Then our first anniversary. The trip we had planned. Even spending New Year’s with me in the capital–canceled.
At first, I had no idea. Caleb probably didn’t want me to overthink things and kept it hidden from me.
Until the media caught them traveling together.
Others might not have known. But me? | recognized him from just the back view.
Furious at his deception, I returned to my parents‘ home without a word.
He dropped everything and rushed over that very night, desperate to explain.
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“Ivy Rogers‘ mother saved me when I was a child–pulled me away from a car just in time. When she passed away, I promised I’d take care of Ivy,” he said.
“Scarlett, it’s you I love. I only see Ivy as a little sister now. I can’t ignore a life–saving debt. You understand that, don’t you?”
I looked at his haggard face, his eyes red with exhaustion, and my heart softened. I forgave him.
But as time went on, he began to take advantage of my love. My compromises became routine.
Now, looking back, I realize how prophetic my mother’s words had been.
When she learned the reason I had returned home and that I still chose to stay in the
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marriage, she said to me:
“Scarlett, whether it’s family or gratitude, there’s no room for a third person in a relationship between two people. You might be able to endure it once or twice–but can you really endure it for a lifetime?”
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