Chapter 2My Wife Says I'll Kill Her Boyfriend

I hadn't even reached Edward's room when dozens of bodyguards closed in around me.

They immediately went on guard the moment they recognized me. "Mr. Gunther, Ms. Fuller explicitly ordered us not to let you get close to Mr. Chester."

I could still see the couple photo booth stickers of Renee and Edward on the door, even with dozens of bodyguards standing between us. They were framed by a blue heart, and below them, the words "Team Renward" were messily written.

I forced a mocking smile onto my face. "How childish."

I had dragged Renee to take those kinds of photo booth pictures with me once, too, but she always brushed it off, claiming that as the CEO of a public corporation, she had no time for such childish nonsense. It turned out she wasn't above doing things like that after all—she just wouldn't do them with me.

I pressed a hand to my chest, which still hurt a little, and took a deep breath. "Get out of my way. You all know what I'm capable of when I snap."

I took out the utility knife that I had carried around with me after saying that. I hadn't planned on doing anything except giving them a scare.

Yet, in the next instant, a bodyguard sprang forward and tackled me to the floor, while the others held me down with all their strength, leaving me completely immobilized. "I'm sorry! Ms. Fuller made it clear that we had to restrain you immediately if you showed any signs of an episode, Mr. Gunther!"

In the meantime, another bodyguard immediately whipped out his walkie-talkie and exclaimed, "Mr. Gunther is here, Ms. Fuller! He's got a knife on him—"

Renee's voice cut through the walkie-talkie before the bodyguard could even finish, pitching high and sharp. "Hurry up and subdue him! What if he ends up hurting Edward?"

I'd been thrashing around and fighting back like crazy, but then I just went completely limp and quiet.

"Mr. Gunther is being restrained now. Do you want us to bring him back to the villa or keep him locked up somewhere?"

There was nothing but silence from the other end of the walkie-talkie for two seconds before a faint sigh sounded. "Forget about it. Just bring him in."

They managed to rip the knife from my hand, but I'd cut my wrist while struggling against them. They still dragged me into the room as blood continued to trickle down from my wrist.

I bit down hard on my lower lip, fighting back the tears burning in my eyes, but the second I crossed the threshold, I froze in my tracks.

I could see the late afternoon sun filtered through the sheer curtains, casting light over the rocking chair on the balcony. There was a mug of hot coffee and an open book resting on the small table beside it. In the corner, a vintage record player spun the jazz tunes Renee loved.

It wasn't a room for the sick at all. It was a real home, one I'd personally designed.

I had spent hours sketching out the blueprints by hand before we got married, tailoring every single detail to fit both of our tastes. Renee had told me she didn't want me straining myself, though—she hired a professional design firm instead and had the entire place redone in a different aesthetic.

I was standing before the home I'd always imagined, but it was no longer meant for me. It was a home for her and another man.

"You're here," Renee said, her voice coming from behind.

I turned around, momentarily bewildered.

I hadn't even recovered from my surprise when Renee spoke. "Edward always said he liked this design, so I let him have it. You don't have a problem with that, do you?"

I stared at her in disbelief. "What do you think?"

Renee nodded and said, "I'll go ahead and destroy everything then—whatever makes you happy, Timothy."

She then glanced down at my bleeding wrist, a flicker of disgust passing across her face. "I'm used to it, and Edward has as well."

She looked away toward the window, her expression entirely serene, as though she were casually pointing out, "Isn't the sunset gorgeous today, Timothy?"

I looked in the direction of her gaze and saw a rainbow stretching across the sky after the rain, but the rain in my heart felt like it would never let up.

"Come play 'It Takes Two' with me—" Edward's voice abruptly stopped when he caught sight of me, his game console slipping right out of his grip and hitting the floor.

He suddenly grabbed his head in both hands and let out a frantic, piercing scream. "Stop! Please don't beat me! I'm a bastard! I'm just a homewrecker! I screwed up! I'm begging you! I won't ever do it again!"

Renee hurried over in a few quick strides and wrapped her arms completely around him, her eyes bloodshot with pain at the sight of him. "It's alright—there's nothing to be afraid of. I'm right here. I won't let anyone lay a hand on you."

She looked me straight in the eye as she said it, openly revealing the hatred she felt for me.

I broke into a sudden, unhinged laugh, tears blurring my vision. I suddenly wanted to run over, wrap my arms around Edward, and jump off the balcony with him, but the little sanity I had left reminded me that he wasn't worth it. I struggled to suppress the urge to die with him, then sneered. "Quit pretending, Edward."