Chapter 2

Thompson frowned and his attitude softened.

He apologized to me, helped me to the sofa, and began clearing the table.

I looked back at Thompson busying himself.

After getting together in college, all my visions of the future included him.

We were each other's first love.

From the initial innocent awkwardness to gradually depending on each other, we'd had our ups and downs, but we always solved problems together.

He understood my desire to establish roots in Seattle. I supported his career ambitions.

Last year, the money his family had transferred to my bank account—I'd taken it all out and given it to him as startup capital for his business.

I'd imagined that after marriage, we wouldn't be as passionately in love as during our honeymoon period.

But I never imagined that just as we were preparing to get married and buy a house, Thompson would choose to hide things from me.

Before bed, I showed Thompson the floor plan of my coworker's apartment complex that she'd given me.

One last time, I asked him:

"Thompson, are you hiding something from me?"

"If it's about something major that affects both of us, I hope you'll tell me honestly instead of hiding it."

Like a balloon that had been inflated for too long suddenly being popped, Thompson hesitated, then tentatively asked:

"What's wrong with you today? Why are you acting so strange? Do you know something?"

His reaction made me stop the motion of sending him the photos he'd taken at the sales office.

I pressed him further:

"What exactly happened? Just tell me."

Thompson made me promise not to get angry before he would speak.

When I thought Thompson was going to confess about impulsively buying the house, what he said instead was:

"A company order had a safety issue that required compensation."

"All our savings went into the settlement and still weren't enough, so I took out a loan."

"I was afraid you'd feel pressured, so I didn't dare tell you."

"When I asked for your bank authorization signature before, it was because I needed to repay the loan."

Thompson explained everything clearly in just a few sentences.

But my head buzzed and ached.

Company business problems?

If I hadn't seen that purchase contract with my own eyes, I wouldn't have doubted him at all.

I might have even comforted Thompson, told him it wasn't his fault, and helped him repay the loan together.

"That's all?"

I confirmed with Thompson, word by word.

"It's really because of company compensation? You're not hiding anything else from me?"

I pressed again, hoping Thompson would be honest.

Perhaps seeing how serious I was, he suddenly got angry and pushed me away.

"What do you mean? Don't you trust me?"

"Sheila, do you think I wanted this? If it weren't for you insisting on staying in Seattle, would I have taken such a big risk starting a business?"

"Your parents looking down on me is one thing, but now even you think I'm useless, right?"

He slammed the door and left.

I sat on the sofa, touching my still-flat belly, so angry I laughed—laughed until tears streamed down my face.