Chapter 4

Landon is the perfect husband.

He remembered Erin's period and had brown sugar ginger tea prepared in advance. He knew she was allergic to mangoes, so no yellow fruit appeared in the house. When she attended charity dinners, he even chose her jewelry himself.

He took good care of her, but he was very distinct.

Erin tries to break the deadlock.

One weekend, Landon was working overtime in the study. Erin cooked herself, made his favorite scallop and seafood porridge, and brought it to the study.

"Landon, take a rest and drink some porridge." She put the bowl next to his hand, and her fingers inadvertently touched the back of his hand.

His hand jerked back as if it had been burned.

Although he tried his best to hide it, the physical rejection at that moment still stung Erin.

He looked at the bowl of porridge and frowned slightly, but he still picked it up and took a sip.

"It's delicious, thank you." He said in a gentle tone.

Before Erin could be happy, she heard him press the intercom and call the housekeeper in.

"Do not let Mrs. Reid go into the kitchen again." Landon pulled out a wet wipe and cleaned his hands. "Smoke and oil are bad for her skin. We hired Michelin chefs. They are not here for decoration."

The butler nodded repeatedly.

Erin froze. He was not cherishing her. He was maintaining a beautiful ornament and refusing to let it touch ordinary life.

"Landon, I just want to do something for you." Erin bit her lip.

"You do not need to do anything. Just be Mrs. Reid." Landon looked at her like a disobedient child. "Erin, do not cross the line."

Crossing the line again.

Erin suddenly felt very tired.

This soft-knife torture was more hopeless than Keller's open cruelty.

Keller would at least argue with her and get angry. Landon, on the other hand, was even stingy about getting angry at her.

Half a month later, it's Erin's birthday.

Landon booked New York's top revolving restaurant early and prepared fireworks and a private jet as gifts.

Erin wore a haute couture dress and sat at a dining table covered with roses, waiting for him.

At 8 p.m., Landon didn't show up.

Nine o'clock in the evening, still nothing.

Erin called his phone, but no one answered.

It wasn't until ten o'clock in the evening that the assistant rushed over, sweating profusely: "Mrs. Reid, I'm sorry, Landon can't come."

"Something happened to the company?" Erin suppressed the panic in her heart.

The assistant avoided her eyes. "No... Seattle called. They said Noah's vitals suddenly dropped, and the hospital issued a critical condition notice. Landon took a private jet there overnight."

Erin's blood instantly ran cold.

She looked out the window at the sky full of fireworks that bloomed on time. They were gorgeous and dazzling, but they couldn't warm her cold heart.

"Did he leave anything before he left?" Erin heard her dry voice.

The assistant handed her a black card and a velvet box. "Landon said happy birthday. The card has no PIN. The necklace is the Heart of the Ocean, the one he won at auction. He said he was sorry and would make it up to you when he came back."

Erin looked at the priceless necklace and suddenly smiled. Laughing till tears came out.

compensate? What compensation will be given?

On her birthday, her husband had left without even saying happy birthday to her face, all because of another man.

What was she? A professional stand-in with a high salary and premium benefits? Or a shield that could be dropped at any time?

Erin didn't take the card or the necklace.

She took off her high heels and walked out of the luxurious restaurant barefoot.

The night wind blew on me, biting the bones.

She finally understood that Landon's indulgence had never been love. It was charity from above, a compensation mechanism for a business partner.

His heart had died with the man named Noah in that car accident five years ago.