Chapter 3

Sienna's eyes filled with anticipation. "So, where is my birthday present?"

"Didn't you say you wanted the new Apple bundle? Go grab it from my trunk later."

She gasped. "But I just got this phone not long ago."

Mason's expression was flat.

"Give it to Coco. She happens to need a new phone anyway."

"But... won't Coco mind using my hand-me-downs?"

Someone across the table laughed on Snapchat.

"Coco herself is second-hand. Why is she acting so picky?"

"Second-hand matches second-hand. Sounds perfect."

Mason's expression didn't change as he wiped the corner of my mouth with a napkin.

No one would ever guess what they were talking about.

My phone buzzed on the table.

Several text messages chased after me like ghosts.

"Where is the money?"

"Your parents and brother are about to be beaten to death, and you don't care at all?!"

"Do you think you're still some prize? You should be begging on your knees that someone wants a divorced girl like you! If he leaves and the money is gone, you can just wait to bury us!"

My fork scraped loudly against the plate.

I felt a sudden wave of nausea and apologized when I recovered.

"...I'm sorry."

Mason held my hand, his eyes full of concern and questions.

Sienna also looked at me worriedly.

"Is Coco feeling sick? Should we take her home first?"

Hearing the word "we," Mason's throat bobbed.

The party ended on a sour note.

Sienna followed us back to our apartment.

This place had been vacant until we reunited. Mason had hired a design team to renovate it according to my taste and invited me to move in six months ago.

He said he had planned for this to be our marital home long ago, but he never expected it would actually wait for the female lead of his dreams.

At the time, I thought it was romantic.

Now, opening the door only made me feel exhausted.

The actors were still performing, but the audience had had enough.

Sienna familiarly opened the bottom drawer of the shoe cabinet, took out a pair of slippers, and peered inside.

"Wow, Coco really is lucky. Every man she finds is richer than the last."

I didn't look up, quietly changing my shoes.

Seeing that I didn't react to her provocation, Sienna became even bolder.

"Mason, did you replace the showerhead yet? Last time I was showering, the hot water suddenly cut out..."

Mason glared at her warningly.

"Watch it. She might read your lips."

Sienna laughed behind my back.

"Coco's only been deaf for a year. If she were that smart, she would've gone to Harvard."

They watched me walk into the guest bedroom.

Like a silent ghost in this house.

I turned off my phone and lay down in a daze.

After a while, I got up to get some water.

The living room was dark. The master bedroom door was cracked open, lights off.

From the other side of the wall, I heard Sienna's heavy breathing.

"Tell me, if Coco knew I used this bed with you before she even moved in, would she be devastated?"

"Just the apartment? My new cars. Which one haven't we slept in?"

"Stop it. I just suddenly feel a little bad for her."

But Mason dismissed it casually.

"Nothing to feel bad about. She gave me a second-hand marriage, so I'm giving her second-hand love. It's fair."

"Besides, if I hadn't pulled some strings... she wouldn't even have a second marriage to look forward to."

Silence fell inside for a moment, followed by a woman's gasp.

"You mean, her family's debt...? Oh my god, you are so bad, haha..."

"Don't you like me bad?"

The intimate sounds started up again.

I stood frozen, the blood in my chest turning cold all the way to my fingertips.

The warm decor of this home suddenly felt sinister.

As it turned out, this was never a harbor from the storm.

It was a web spun for me from the very beginning.

My last shred of sanity drove me to the study.

Numbly, I dug out my ID and credit cards.

Before closing the drawer, I saw a document. The name on the buyer's line was incredibly familiar.

It was my father's former company.

Without time to look closely, I grabbed it.

Standing at the entryway, I took one last look at this house full of memories.

On the sofa, there seemed to be a lingering shadow of two people cuddling and watching TV.

I set down my keys and closed the door behind me.

It was as quiet as the sound of falling snow.