Chapter 2

I sat in the living room all night.

Scrolling through his private Ins posts, over and over again.

He said her desserts were delicious.

Meanwhile, the cake I'd spent all morning baking for him, he just glanced at it before tossing it into the trash right in front of me.

He praised her as lively, outgoing, and good at socializing.

But if I so much as talked to someone for a few minutes, he'd sneer, "Gotta make everything about you, huh?"

He meticulously prepared gifts for her, for their first day, first week, first month together.

A man known for his impatience would spend an entire day at a crafting table.

"Just thinking about my wife's face when she gets the gift makes me happy! Her eyes all sparkly and cute, she's adorable!"

Today was my thirtieth birthday.

Jax hadn't even come home.

I waited for him until midnight, then finally couldn't resist calling him.

It took a long time for him to answer.

The music was blasting on his end, loud enough to burst eardrums, and the laughter of men and women was a chaotic mix.

"I told you I'm busy, can you please stop bothering me?!"

"Huh? It's your birthday today?"

"...I forgot."

I silently opened his private account.

Ten minutes ago, he'd posted.

"Don't want to go home."

Jax finally came home when it was almost dawn.

The sound of the door opening.

A mix of alcohol and heavy perfume hit me.

Then I saw him, leaning against the doorframe.

He was typing on his phone. Noticing the living room light, he glanced at me, then lowered his head back to his screen.

"Not asleep yet?"

"No."

Jax replied with an indifferent "Oh," still focused on his phone. The person on the other end must have said something funny, as he instinctively flashed a helpless smile.

I just sat on the couch, watching him quietly.

After about three to five minutes, Jax finally realized I hadn't left.

He put away his phone, rubbed his nose, and frowned, looking up at me.

"Still not going to bed?"

"I..."

"Perfect."

He cut me off, sat down next to me, and naturally ordered,

"Go make me some tea."

To protect Jax's voice, I'd specifically learned to make many different kinds of herbal tea.

Jax always said they tasted awful, but he'd still drink them, frowning all the while.

But not this time.

I brought him the tea, he took a sip, then immediately poured the entire cup into a potted plant.

"Ugh, your cooking is really getting worse."

The burn blister on my finger throbbed with a searing pain.

I kept my head down, not saying a word.

Then I remembered what he'd written on his private account.

"My wife burned dinner today, but I still ate it all up!"

Suddenly, I found it all incredibly tedious.

"I'm going back to my room."

"Hey!"

Jax called out from behind me.

I turned around.

A palm-sized box hit my chest.

I instinctively gasped.

He frowned, a little annoyed, then turned his head away.

"Happy Birthday."

Inside the box was the same cartoon pendant he wore.

A goofy-looking plush bear, grinning widely.