Chapter 2

In the early morning, the hospital room was so quiet that only the ticking of the heart monitor could be heard.

Maria, the private nurse, gently wiped my body. Ethan never showed up.

Around noon, Ethan’s assistant, James, pushed the door open.

He was holding a thermal container, looking extremely awkward.

"Ms. Vance, Mr. Hayes is accompanying Miss Mills to her therapist today. He really couldn't make it."

"He specifically ordered this porridge for you to help you recover."

I leaned against the pillow, making no move to take it.

Maria took it warmly and opened the lid. Instantly, the rich aroma of peanuts filled the room.

It was peanut and red date porridge, topped with a thick layer of crushed peanuts.

Looking at those crushed peanuts, a wave of nausea hit my stomach.

I have a severe peanut allergy. Just a single bite could cause acute laryngeal edema or even anaphylactic shock. Ethan knew this better than anyone.

During our first year of marriage, we went to a restaurant where he accidentally ordered a dish containing peanut butter. I took one bite and was rushed to the ER.

That day, his eyes were red with panic. He held the doctor's hand, apologizing repeatedly, swearing he would never let me touch peanuts again.

But now, he had completely forgotten. After all, Chloe’s favorite food was peanuts.

He remembered every single one of Chloe’s preferences, but forgot whether I would live or die.

"Ms. Vance, have some while it's hot," James said, attempting to scoop some into a bowl.

"Throw it away," I said calmly.

James froze, his hand holding the spoon suspended in the air.

"But Ms. Vance, this is Mr. Hayes’s gesture..."

"I said, throw it away."

James didn't dare say another word. He immediately tossed the porridge, along with the expensive container, into the trash can in the corner.

At three in the afternoon, the door opened again. Chloe walked in.

She was wearing a high-end cashmere coat—the very one I had custom-ordered from Paris last month.

It was slightly too big for her, making her look exceptionally petite and fragile. Around her neck, she wore the pearl necklace my late mother had left me.

"Audrey, are you feeling better today?"

Chloe walked to the bedside, looking at me timidly.

"Ethan wanted to come himself, but he went to line up for me at that trendy Starbucks in Soho."

"He said when I'm sad, eating something sweet makes me feel better."

As she spoke, she intentionally adjusted her coat, making sure the pearl necklace was fully visible.

"I'm so sorry, Audrey. Ethan insisted on buying this coat for me. He said I look much better in it than you do."

"You aren't mad at me, are you?"

Staring at her pathetic performance, my heart didn't even flicker.

"Since you've worn it, don't take it off."

"I find it dirty."

Chloe’s eyes welled with tears instantly, and they began to stream down her face.

"Audrey, how could you say that to me?"

"I know you're hurting because you lost the baby, but you can't take your anger out on me."

She cried as she backed away.

Her high heel caught on the leg of a chair, and with a soft cry, she fell to the floor.

Almost at the exact same moment, the door was violently pushed open.

Ethan strode in, holding a Starbucks bag.

Seeing Chloe on the floor, his expression changed instantly. He dropped the bag and rushed over to lift her up.

"Chloe, are you okay?"

Chloe clung to his chest, sobbing uncontrollably.

"I'm fine, Ethan. I just fell because I was clumsy. Don't blame Audrey."

Ethan looked up, his eyes ice-cold as he glared at me.

"Audrey, can't you even tolerate a young girl?"

"She came all this way just to check on you. Why did you push her?"

Staring at his furious face, I felt nothing but supreme irony.

"Ethan, do you remember that I'm allergic to peanuts?"

Ethan froze. His eyes instinctively darted to the trash can in the corner, where the peanut porridge lay.

Guilt flashed through his eyes, and his confidence visibly faltered.

"It was just some peanuts. You could have just picked them out."

"Was it really necessary to torture Chloe over such a small thing?"

I lowered my head and smoothed out the edge of my blanket, utterly refusing to give him another word.