Chapter 2

After arriving at the office, I turned on my computer and began handling the documents.

Emma sat silently on the sofa nearby, occasionally glancing at me.

Suddenly, fireworks lit up beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows. The booming explosions made both of us look toward them.

It had been years since we had sat quietly in the same room and watched fireworks together.

“Ethan, do you remember our wedding day?”

I turned my eyes back to the computer and said nothing.

Emma looked a little disappointed.

“You once said you would fill the entire city with fireworks for me. But you forgot.”

“It doesn’t matter. I saw fireworks tonight anyway. You’ve been busy all these years. I don’t blame you.”

My hand froze on the mouse.

I hadn’t forgotten.

On our first anniversary, I had arranged a citywide fireworks display for her. But she had left me alone at home to spend the evening with an intern.

I watched the entire show by myself, from night until dawn.

Emma never came home.

“Ethan, I know you’re still angry, but Donis has no family here. I’m the only friend he has. I only wanted to let him experience the New Year here. You have to believe me. There’s nothing between us except friendship.”

I raised my head and looked at her.

Her eyes were so sincere that she almost seemed to be telling the truth.

“You don’t need to explain so much to me.”

After all these years of marriage, I was tired of hearing the same excuses.

To my surprise, Emma began crying right in front of me.

“You don’t believe me, do you?”

“Ethan, you’ve changed. You never used to be so narrow-minded.”

“You used to understand me!”

“Before, no matter what I did, you never treated me like I didn’t exist. How many times do I have to explain that there’s nothing between Donis and me before you’ll believe me?”

By the time she finished speaking, she was shouting at me.

When she realized she had lost control of her emotions, she immediately apologized.

“I’m sorry, Ethan. I got carried away.”

“I’ll make you a cup of coffee.”

She left the office, went to the break room, and soon returned with a cup of coffee.

“Just leave it there. I’ll drink it when I’m done.”

I wasn’t used to Emma trying to please me.

I wanted her to put it down and leave, but she ignored me and insisted on placing it directly in my hand.

In the end, she failed to hold it steady, and the entire cup spilled onto my pants.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I didn’t do it on purpose. Ethan, you should go change in the locker room. It must be uncomfortable with coffee all over you.”

“Bring the dirty clothes out when you’re done. I’ll take them home and wash them. I’ll wait for you, okay?”

I stared at Emma, puzzled by her strange behavior.

She seemed like a completely different person.

The Emma I knew would never have said something like that to me.

I hummed in response and went to change.

When I came back, the office had already been cleaned.

She took my dirty clothes and turned to leave.

She even reminded me not to forget to come home for dinner on New Year’s Day.

After Emma left, I checked when the files on my computer had been opened.

No wonder she had been willing to come to the office today. No wonder she had been so eager to get rid of me.

It had all been for those files.

I laughed at myself.

While I was changing in the locker room, I had actually wavered for a moment. I had wondered whether Emma truly wanted to change.

Now that I thought about it, it was ridiculous.

Five years of marriage.

The moment she began stealing all my confidential files—

it was time to bring everything to an end.