Chapter 2Walking Their Own Paths

“Hello, Mr. Brook.” Bennett turned and flashed a handsome smile.

Jack recognized him as the intern Hazel had foisted onto him a few months ago.

She had said that since Bennett graduated from the same school as Jack and had a real gift for design, Jack should take him under his wing.

At that time, Jack had even laughed and said, “Ben actually looks a bit like me. Don’t tell me you found him somewhere as a stand-in?”

Back then, Hazel had not responded, and Jack had not thought much of it.

At that moment, it hit him. Her silence had said everything.

His gaze filled with fury as he asked with a quivering voice, “Why... Hazel, why would you do this to me? It’s our wedding anniversary.

“You told me you were swamped with work, and I even felt bad for how hard you’ve been working. But all this time, you were in another room, celebrating some other guy’s birthday?!”

He turned his head and looked at Alex, who was standing in the corner.

“Alex, what did I ever do to you? I treated you like my best friend, and it turns out you’ve been lying to me right alongside Hazel for five years!

“You know what I’ve been through. How many shots I’ve had to get. How heartbroken I’ve been about not having a kid with her. But you lied to me with her!”

Alex frowned. “Jack, I’m sorry—”

Hazel cut him off and quickly walked over to Jack’s side.

“That’s enough!

“It’s Ben’s birthday today. Don’t ruin it for him. If you’ve got something to say, we can take it outside.”

She reached out to grab Jack’s hand, but he broke down and shoved her away. Then, he slapped her across the face.

“Don’t touch me, Hazel. You make me sick!”

When Hazel got hit, Bennett rushed over in a panic.

He held her face in his hands and said with a pained expression, “Hazel, does it hurt? This is all my fault. If I hadn’t begged you to spend my birthday with me today, Mr. Brook would’ve never found out about us.”

After saying that, he turned and begged Jack, saying, “Mr. Brook, please don’t blame Hazel. The only reason she’s with me is because I look like you did when you were younger.

“She’s just using me as a stand-in. You’re the one she really loves! I never wanted to come between you two. I was happy to be a stand-in. I’ll even let you raise our baby. Please, just don’t blame her!”

“Alex, help Ben up.

“Jack, let’s take this outside.”

Hazel wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and forcefully dragged Jack back to the room next door.

On the table, his candle had already burned out.

The melted wax had merged with the cake, making it inedible.

He stared blankly at it, knowing that his marriage with Hazel was over.

“Jack, this is on me. I shouldn’t have skipped our anniversary.”

She held him and said softly, “But this is Ben’s first birthday with me. He threw a fit and begged me to spend it with him. I didn’t have a choice. Next year, I’ll spend our anniversary with you, okay?”

Jack laughed. He had not expected that even at that moment, she was still focusing on the anniversary.

“Hazel, don’t you think you owe me an explanation? When did you two get together?”

“Three years ago. I met him when I went back to your old school to talk business. Ben was bawling his eyes out over a kitten that got hit by a car and was left with a crippled leg.

“I went over to comfort him and found a vet to treat the cat. Later, he said he wanted to pay me back.

“One thing led to another. I thought he was kind of interesting. He reminded me a lot of you when you were younger. Sweet, thoughtful, full of energy. So, I fell for him.”

Her tone sounded so casual. It was as if she were not confessing to an affair, but simply mentioning some trivial matter.

“Jack, we were each other’s first love. Spending our whole lives with only each other is such a waste. I just wanted to try a different guy, that’s all.

“Besides, you’ve been so busy with work lately. You haven’t had any time for me. I got a little bored.

“But don’t worry. I’m just having fun. Deep down, you’re my one and only husband.”

He had been so busy with work?

Jack wondered if he had misheard her.

What did she think he was working so hard for?

They had been together since high school. She was the one who pursued him first.

In college, the school offered him a chance to study abroad. He knew Hazel’s dream was to start her own business.

After graduation, without hesitation, he chose to stay by her side. He stuck by her side from nothing all the way to where she was today.

He even took on so many projects that he often had no time to sleep.

How could she blame him for being too busy with work?!

He looked at her and asked softly, “So, are you saying that I should go sleeping around too?”