Chapter 7
When I woke up, I was lying in a sterile hospital room, an IV drip in my arm. The stark white walls made my head throb.
Serena sat at my bedside, her hand clasping mine as she slept. Memories of her rage–filled face and the wine bottle crashing into me sent a shiver down my spine.
She stirred, blinking sleepily. “Are you feeling okay? Does anything hurt?” she asked, her tone unusually tender.
I stared at her, suspicious. This was the same woman who had injured me just last night, demanding answers with no remorse.
I pulled my hand away and turned my head, refusing to speak.
To my surprise, Serena gently cupped my face, a soft smile on her lips. “Don’t be mad, okay? I wasn’t thinking straight last night. It was a
mistake.”
I let out a bitter laugh and shoved her hand away.
Her perfume–a faint trace of Lucas’s signature cedarwood cologne–lingered on her. The scent churned my stomach.
Noticing the disgust in my expression, Serena hesitated. “Elias, what do you want me to do? How can we go back to how things were?”
“It was just a business trip,” she continued, her tone exasperated. “You didn’t have to blow it out of proportion like this.”
For years, I’d tried to preserve some dignity in our marriage. But she had trampled on my trust time and again. I was done.
Her phone buzzed. She glanced at the screen, her mood shifting instantly. With a smile, she sat beside me, gripping my hand. “Can you make
a call to the partners for me? Lucas really needs this deal. Let’s discuss your trip overseas later, okay? Help him out first.”
I stared at her blankly. “Our issues are between us. Don’t drag anyone else into this.”
Serena looked ready to argue when my phone rang
<
Serena looked ready to argue when my phone rang.
It was Professor Huxley, checking on my recovery. I explained my injury and told him I’d need to delay my arrival by a week.
After the call, Serena’s face went pale. “You’ve already made all the arrangements? Even booked your flight?”
Her voice wavered, fear creeping in.
I nodded, my tone detached. “Yes.”
Serena’s face hardened, her eyes filling with disbelief.
“Elias, we’re married. Do you remember what you promised me? That we’d face everything together, no secrets, no decisions made alone?”
I smiled faintly. “You’ve been so busy wining and dining with Lucas that I never had the chance to tell you.”
Her hypocrisy was laughable.
During our engagement, we had promised to always communicate and solve problems as a team. But ever since Lucas had returned, Serena had spent countless nights away, dismissing my concerns.
Whenever I asked about her whereabouts, she’d snap, “Do I need to report to you like a child? Stop being so controlling!”
I’d been reduced to piecing together her life through Lucas’s Instagram posts.
Now, she had the audacity to weaponize our promises against me.
Before I could respond, the door opened, and a delivery person walked in with a bouquet of sunflowers–my favorite.
Serena looked embarrassed, clearly realizing they weren’t from her.
“Oh, Adrian’s so thoughtful,” she muttered awkwardly.
Tears stung my eyes. The person I had cherished for so long couldn’t even match the care of a friend.
How utterly absurd.
