Chapter 2

After the surgery, I dialed a number I hadn't called in ages.

"Grandpa, I saw the flight information. Thank you."

"Aria, I'm so glad you're coming home."

I hung up. Dennis, I didn't know when, was standing behind me.

"Who were you talking to?"

I put my phone away, lowering my gaze, and brushed him off casually.

"A sales call."

Dennis was already looking down at his phone, muttering an indifferent "Oh," clearly not caring.

Then he held his phone out to me.

"What do you think of this bracelet?"

It was a bracelet I had marked in a fashion magazine once.

I was genuinely touched that Dennis had remembered.

Then I heard him chuckle.

"Willow would probably love it, wouldn't she?"

I froze, then nodded.

"It's beautiful. She'll love it."

Perhaps it was my unusual calm this time, but Dennis surprisingly offered to drive me home.

"Before Willow wakes up, I'll take you home first."

In five years of marriage, this was the first time I'd ridden in his car, other than our wedding day.

I reached out to adjust the passenger seat, but Dennis stopped my hand.

"Aria , you should sit in the back."

"That girl Willow has a fierce temper. If she found out someone sat in her spot, she'd throw a fit with me."

He spoke with a doting smile plastered across his face.

I paused for a moment, then moved efficiently to the back.

A small pink blanket was casually tossed on the black seat, somewhat clashing with his usual demeanor.

It still carried Willow White's scent.

Dennis saw my gaze in the rearview mirror and chuckled.

"She's young, she likes all things pink and soft."

I lowered my eyes, remembering that I was the same age when I married him.

On our wedding night, he saw my pink nightgown and smiled nonchalantly.

"Aria , I don't like pink."

"And you're not my type. Not touching you is my way of being responsible."

When he handed me the pre-nuptial agreement, he was still gentle.

"Sign it. It's just a business arrangement. In five years, we'll both be free to marry whoever we want."

"But don't worry, I'll ensure you have all the respect due to Mrs. Blackwood."

In that moment, ten years of a young girl's secret crush crumbled.

Along with all my hopes for marriage and every fantasy of our wedding night, they shattered completely.

I never wore pink again.

I moved my gaze from the blanket and couldn't help but sneeze.

Dennis almost instinctively handed me a tissue, his voice as gentle as ever.

"I'll turn up the AC."

That's when I noticed the tissue box was Disney-themed.

Even with five years of a sexless marriage, Dennis and I had shared some calm, warm moments as a couple.

In the beginning, I was young, and Dennis was willing to indulge me in everything.

The only thing he refused was going to Disneyland with me.

No matter how much I pleaded or coaxed, he wouldn't budge.

He just said he was afraid of being laughed at by business partners.

It turned out he *could* break his principles.

It just wasn't for me.

When we got home, Dennis walked straight to the kit .

I was a bit surprised, and after a moment of hesitation, I spoke up.

"What do you want to eat? I'll cook."

Dennis shook his head, staring at a tutorial on his phone.

"No need, I promised Willow I'd personally make her chicken soup."

I froze. Dennis Blackwood, the CEO who never cooked and was a germaphobe, was now personally cooking for Willow White.

For some reason, my eyes welled up.

I remembered once having a high fever and begging Dennis to get me a glass of water. He frowned abruptly.

"I don't like the smell of cooking oil. Wait here, I'll call the housekeeper to get it for you."

He forgot afterward, and by the time the housekeeper found me, I was dangerously close to brain damage from the fever.

Watching him busy himself, a smile playing on his lips, I couldn't bear to look anymore and turned to go upstairs.

I packed my luggage and fell into a deep sleep, only to be shaken awake in the middle of the night.