Chapter 2Let Go of Bygone Days, Awaken to Love’s Fading

Worried I would notice something was wrong, Jack moved into the guest room, using the excuse that he didn’t want to disturb my rest.

The next morning, he left for work before I woke up. It wasn’t until late in the afternoon that he called to say he wouldn’t be coming home that night. His tech startup had recently moved to a new office park on the other side of the city, so it wasn’t unusual for him to stay over when he worked late. But this time, a deep sense of unease settled over me. I called him back.

His voice was tinged with a weary sort of patience. “Nina, the project is about to launch. I’m just so busy.”

“Once we’re live, I’ll propose again, I promise. I’ll give you the wedding you deserve.”

Hearing the exhaustion in his voice, I felt a pang of guilt. I was about to tell him to take care of himself when he cut me off.

“Gotta go, a line of code just bugged out. It’s going to be a long night.”

“Be good, okay? Take care of yourself and the baby. Love you both.”

He hung up. I stared at the blank screen, stunned by the abruptness. A second later, a friend request popped up on my phone. The profile picture was a close-up of a succulent. I had a feeling it was someone I knew, so I accepted.

They didn’t say a word. They just sent a video.

In the video, Jack was at his computer, typing intently. Sitting right beside him, beaming, was Chloe.

Her voice, sweet and cheerful, drifted through the speaker. “Jack, thank you so much for helping me with this proposal. I would have been here all night without you.”

They were so close their shoulders were almost touching. Jack didn't seem to notice or mind. He just turned his head and gave her a small smile.

“It’s no problem. Girls shouldn’t stay up all night; you’ll get wrinkles.”

An invisible hand squeezed my heart, and I could barely breathe. So this was his “busy night.” Helping Chloe write a proposal.

For the next few days, Jack didn’t come home. And every day, “Succulent” sent me messages. Videos and photos of Jack and Chloe. At first, it was one a day. Then it became several. I learned that when Jack told me he was busy, he was actually taking Chloe to theme parks, going shopping with her, or staying late at the office to help with her work.

In the first few videos, Jack seemed indifferent toward her. But as the days passed, the look in his eyes when he watched her grew softer, warmer.

I watched the videos and photos over and over, unable to sleep. The initial shock and anger slowly curdled into a numb, chilling heartache.

It was time for us to talk.