Chapter 2

Late that night.

Mason's international call came as expected.

The moment I picked up, his angry shout erupted, like a gunshot to my eardrums.

"Chloe says you didn't pick her up! She had to take a cab home alone, and then you didn't even make her dinner? And you complained about her spending too much on takeout?"

"Audrey, I'm not home, and this is how you treat my sister? If you don't change your attitude, I'll have to rethink our relationship!"

At that, I simply hummed.

"Then when you get back, let's meet up and talk things out."

My unexpected reaction made Mason fall silent for a moment.

"What 'things'? Is it that wedding planner again? Why don't you use your free time to enrich yourself instead of always thinking about getting married? Aren't you ashamed? I'll be back the day after tomorrow. We'll see how well you convince me."

He softened his tone, but his words were visibly perfunctory.

He'd probably forgotten.

The first year we were together, he'd sworn he'd give me the grandest wedding the day he became a Ph.D.

I waited seven years for him to finally achieve it.

So, I had excitedly compared wedding planners.

The first year, I presented him with carefully chosen plans, and he, slightly apologetic, said he was too swamped with his studies to think about marriage.

The second year, he finally finished his busiest period and even agreed to try on wedding dresses with me. But that day, I waited 24 hours in a wedding dress, only to get a message that he'd overslept.

The third year, I canceled the wedding planner.

I took a deep breath and slowly began, "Mason, it's not about the wedding…"

Before I could finish, I heard a girl's gasp from his end.

Mason hung up without another word.

I stared at my phone, not calling back.

Time quickly passed to the day Mason was due back.

He messaged me in advance to pick him up, but I ignored it.

He called again, saying he only had time on the day he arrived.

The next day, he had to go back to the lab and wouldn't be available for days.

To avoid a difficult conversation, I still went to pick him up.

Traffic was heavy, and I didn't arrive until eleven PM.

The airport exterior was brightly lit at night.

Through the glass, I saw Serena Hayes resting her forehead against Mason's broad back, swaying her head from side to side, acting playful.

I leaned on the horn. The two lovebirds scattered like startled pigeons.

Mason saw my face, walked over, and slapped the car window, making loud thuds.

"Didn't I tell you to be here at seven? Look at the time now!"

I lowered the window slightly, seeing his face pale from the cold.

"Traffic."

Mason was seething, about to say more, but I cut him off.

"If you don't get in the car, your secretary is going to freeze solid."

Mason paused, no longer looking to pick a fight with me. He quickly opened the back door for Serena to get in first.

Then he looked at me, silently urging me to get out and help with his luggage.

I was on my phone, replying to a colleague's message, ignoring his gaze.

Inside the car, Serena peered at me through the rearview mirror.

I calmly met her gaze.

My eyes landed on the very familiar scarf around her neck.

It was Mason's scarf. He wore it constantly every winter.

Last Christmas, Mason finally agreed to watch a movie with me.

After the movie, I was shivering in the cold wind.

A guy next to us wrapped his scarf around his girlfriend, telling her not to take it off.

I felt a pang of envy and nudged Mason, hinting.

He immediately frowned, stating bluntly that I shouldn't even think about it.

"I don't like sharing my scarf with others."

But now, his scarf was securely wrapped around Serena's neck.

It turned out he didn't dislike sharing with others; he just disliked sharing with me.

Serena noticed my gaze and offered an embarrassed smile, her voice soft. "It was so cold waiting for the car earlier. Mason gave it to me. Audrey, please don't get the wrong idea."

I smiled back.

"It's just a scarf, no big deal. But Mason really doesn't know how to treat people. It's so cold; he should have just called you a cab instead of making you wait for me. What's the point of saving a few bucks on fare if you end up catching a cold and needing to see a doctor?"

"Wouldn't you agree, Serena?"

Serena's smile faded.