Chapter 2
In the bar, my cousin raised her glass and teased me, “Well, this is a surprise! Our family’s perfect little housewife isn’t at home waiting on her king and ‘prince? What happened?”
“You’re too young to be this nosy,” I laughed, playfully pushing her shoulder. “Just remember to invite me next time something fun comes up.”
My cousin scoffed, “Like you’d ever leave your precious boys behind.”
I couldn’t blame her dismissiveness.
Because during these years with Rhys, I’d turned myself into an isolated island.
Friends‘ invitations to gatherings? “Maybe next time,” I’d always say.
My half–finished oil paintings on the easel? Buried under thick layers of dust.
Even my favorite bookstore–I hadn’t visited in ages.
With this, I downed my drink in one go. “Actually, I can leave them behind.”
If they could discard me so easily, then naturally, I could do the same.
At 3 AM, I stumbled home reeking of alcohol.
Rhys sat in the living room with dark circles under his eyes, his suit wrinkled like pickled vegetables, his tie askew.
Honestly, his disheveled state–a first in our five–year marriage.
Seeing me return, he exhaled deeply, the corner of his mouth twitching upward:
“You’re back. Realized you can’t live without me and our son after all, huh? I thought you’d actually have the guts to leave for good. Since you obviously can’t survive without us, how about you start behaving yourself?!”
Without answering, I walked straight over and sat down beside him, letting out a drunken hiccup.
His brow furrowed instantly.
“Viv, you went out drinking in the middle of the night? With who?”
I suddenly remembered all those times he’d come home late from “business dinners,” stinking of alcohol. Whenever I’d ask questions, he’d snap impatiently: “It was work. Can you stop interrogating me every single time?”
Now the tables had turned–he was the one demanding answers.
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Our son, awakened by the argument, padded out barefoot.
Smelling the alcohol, he wrinkled his nose and retreated to Rhys’s side.
“Mommy, you stink! Auntie Mel is nothing like you–she always smells nice, like a fairy!”
“And she often bakes cakes and makes ice cream for me. All you do is get angry and make me do homework. You never let me eat anything fun. You always look ugly, and now you smell bad too!”
1 gazed at my son–my son whom I carried for ten months, my son for whom I’d endured over three thousand sleepless nights of feeding during these five years–my eyes exhausted and numb.
I don’t let him eat ice cream because it upsets his stomach, easily causing diarrhea, which then leads to fever.
For five years I’ve cared for him day and night, but he can’t see my hard work–yet after meeting Melody just a few brief times, she’s all he talks about.
Suddenly, Rhys flicked on the ceiling light. His eyes gleamed with approval of our son.
“Listen to what our son is saying. Are you even acting like a mother anymore?”
“This endless drama over Melody–don’t you think you’re blowing everything out of proportion? I’ve told you repeatedly, there’s nothing between Melody and me. Why can’t you get that through your head?”
“Look, salary determines who has a voice in this house. You work at that design firm making next to nothing. Since I’m the one supporting you, get this straight: you’re the one who can’t survive without us.”
I didn’t want to hear another round of their judgment. So I stood to retreat to the bedroom.
‘Whatever you say is right,” I muttered.
Hearing this, Rhys took a deep breath, his voice rough:
‘Viv, why do you always act half–dead during our arguments? Do you even care about how I feel?”
ignored him, but in the next second, dizzy from drinking too much, I lost my balance, sharply banging my shin against the coffee table as I fell backward.
At the same time, Rhys practically dove forward, his palm cushioning my head before it hit the floor.
‘Viv! Damn it, be careful!”
pressed against his chest to sit up, my eyes completely detached.
‘Don’t touch me.”
He looked utterly shocked upon this, clearly not expecting my coldness. Finally, he let me go.
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Without looking back, I retreated to our bedroom and passed out.
