Chapter 2He Put Me Second

The next morning, Adrian had someone deliver a black velvet box.

Inside was a pearl necklace.

A card was tucked beneath it.

For what I owe you.

I stared at the word owe for a very long time.

Today was our wedding anniversary.

Six years ago, Eleanor herself had fastened an antique St. Christopher medal around my neck.

She had said:

“Once you step into the Whitmore family, someone should be watching over you.”

Later, when Eleanor became seriously ill, I was afraid the medal would be scratched or damaged, so I put it away in the innermost drawer of our bedroom.

But that morning, Noah ran downstairs wearing it.

The fine chain hung against his small chest, and the silver-edged medal had been polished bright by his fingers.

“Mom, look. Daddy said this will keep me from being sent away.”

Paige’s face changed.

“Noah, don’t say things like that.”

Adrian came out of the study with his phone still in his hand.

I looked at him.

“You went through my drawer?”

He ended the call.

“Noah had a nightmare last night.”

“So?”

“It was the only thing in the house that made sense.”

I walked toward them.

Noah ducked behind Adrian.

Adrian raised a hand and blocked me.

It was a small gesture.

But it landed exactly between me and the child.

“He’ll wear it for a couple of days, then give it back.”

“When you took it, did you see the rest of my things in that drawer?”

He froze briefly.

“What do you mean?”

“I’m asking if you saw them.”

Adrian frowned.

“Willa, it’s just a medal.”

Paige hurriedly reached for the chain.

“Give it back to Willa.”

Noah burst into tears.

“But Daddy said it was mine!”

Adrian’s voice sank.

“Let him wear it for now.”

Paige’s hand stopped in midair.

I said nothing more.

That evening, Adrian booked a restaurant.

When I arrived, there was a cake on the table.

The icing read:

Welcome Home, Noah.

Noah sat beside Adrian, digging into the frosting with a small fork.

When Paige saw me, she immediately stood.

“Willa, I didn’t know today was your anniversary.”

Adrian pulled out a chair for me.

“It wouldn’t matter even if you did.”

I looked up at him.

He pushed the necklace box toward me.

“Anniversaries come every year. Noah officially moving into the Whitmore house happens only once.”

Noah handed the first slice of cake to Adrian.

“Daddy, you eat.”

Adrian accepted it.

The second slice went to Paige.

By the time the third slice was pushed in front of me, frosting was already smeared along the edge of the plate.

Adrian glanced at it.

“Willa doesn’t like sweets.”

“Then what does Willa eat?” Noah asked.

Adrian called over the server.

“Bring her a hot soup.”

He remembered.

My stomach was weak, and rich sweets always made me uncomfortable.

But he also remembered what day it was.

What truly chills a person is never just being forgotten.

After dinner, Adrian walked me to the car.

“I’ll give the medal back in a few days.”

I asked, “So the necklace is compensation too?”

He looked down at me.

“Are you starting again?”

“I only asked a question.”

“A child has just come home, and you wanted me to take something off his neck in front of everyone?”

His tone softened, half coaxing, half holding back anger.

“Willa, I already had dinner with you tonight.”

I looked at him.

“You call that having dinner with me?”

He paused.

“You never used to make things sound so ugly.”

I got into the car.

Before the door closed, he added:

“You’ve always been reasonable. Don’t make this hard for me.”

The door shut.

His words fell through the glass, colder than the night wind.