Chapter 1

My wife was a master of the silent treatment.

A flicker of unhappiness, a slammed door, and she'd be gone for ten days, sometimes half a month.

I'd grown used to it, used to adjusting my emotions, smiling, and taking care of our son.

Until the day I was helping Leo with his homework and saw his wish.

"I wish Dad would disappear."

"He's so scary when he loses it with Mom."

From that moment on, I finally woke up.

Sunday nights were always the hardest to stomach.

My procrastinating son was bawling his eyes out, trying to finish tomorrow's homework, while Scarlett, the queen of the silent treatment, had her headphones on, lost in her game, probably having the time of her life.

No one wanted anything to do with me.

Leo, after being scolded by me, glared at me with resentment. Scarlett, annoyed, pretended I didn't exist. I stood by the dining table, clearing the dinner mess, silently convincing myself it was all my own doing.

But my heart ached unbearably.

Late that night, Scarlett retreated to the study, Leo finally fell asleep with tears still clinging to his eyelashes, and I stood in the bathroom, staring at my exhausted reflection.

This was the third month Scarlett and I had been locked in this silent battle. Three full months, long enough for me to almost forget what started it. Under the same roof, she hadn't said a word to me, and I stubbornly held my ground, silently declaring war right back.

She was in the wrong; I wouldn't apologize, but I couldn't sleep.

I walked into Leo's bedroom to pack his school bag.

I looked down, and then I saw the new notebook I'd bought him lying on his desk. In the 'Wishes & Rewards' section, written in his childish handwriting:

"I wish Dad would disappear."

I rubbed my eyes, my first thought being that I'd misread it.

Clutching the notebook, I walked into the living room.

I read the line again.

"I wish Dad would disappear."

"He's so scary when he loses it with Mom, he drove Mom away."

I collapsed onto the couch, feeling a hollow ache I'd never known before, a pain so deep it turned into numbness.

The study light flickered on, and Scarlett emerged, a radiant smile on her face – that spring-breeze glow she usually reserved for others.

The moment her eyes landed on me, it vanished, replaced by her usual glacial stare.

She said nothing, picked up her car keys from the coffee table.

As she walked past me, I caught the faint scent of her perfume.

Gardenia.

I'd picked it out for her in college when we were dating. Back then, she was just a girl who wore black-framed glasses and T-shirts with jeans, never bothering with makeup.

I slowly helped her discover a new style, and chose my favorite perfume for her.

"Wearing perfume to meet people always leaves a good impression."

She'd said she'd cherish everything I chose for her.

And she'd been using it ever since.

The familiar scent slowly prised open my heart, and sweet memories of our past flooded my mind. I thought of our ridiculous war, of my deeply loved son.

The pain Leo brought me made me desperately search for a point of leverage. I was about to give in to Scarlett again.

I couldn't stop myself from standing up, grabbing her arm tightly.

"Scarlett, let's talk, properly."

She shook off my hand.

I saw her phone screen lit up, showing an active call. It was late. Who was she talking to this late, and why had she specifically put on perfume to meet them?

"Scarlett, are you heading out? I'm waiting downstairs. Seriously craving some BBQ."

A young man's voice came through the phone.

His clear, youthful voice instantly reminded me of what started this silent treatment.

I quickly turned to walk away, but Scarlett grabbed me back.

A slight smirk played on her lips, her eyebrow arching. "Beg me, and I'll stay with you and Leo."

She always loved seeing me broken, begging for her mercy, especially now, with another young man vying for her attention. Her staying would be a mere condescending charity.