Chapter II

For the next few days, Elena's behavior was impeccable.

She declined all evening engagements and came home on time every night.

But just today, I was scrolling through Julian's Instagram.

He had posted a set of photos from Aspen, and the geotag was the exact resort I had always wanted to visit!

And in the corner of a selfie taken against a fireplace, I saw a hand holding a glass of red wine.

The Cartier bracelet on that wrist was the birthday gift I had given Elena.

I grabbed my phone, zoomed in on the photo, and shoved it in front of Elena's face.

"You went to Aspen with him?"

Her face instantly turned pale, her eyes darting away.

"I... I just went to scout the location in advance! I mean, I wanted to ensure the environment was flawless. After all, we're going to celebrate our anniversary."

Needing to "scout" a ski resort... it was the most pathetic lie I had ever heard.

Didn't her friends say skiing was "torture"?

How come the moment he hears my wife is going, Julian is so eager to tag along?

"When I begged you to go before, you said you had no time. Now, to fool around with Julian, suddenly you're very proactive? Elena, do you take me for a fool?"

Seeing that I was genuinely furious,

Elena became flustered into anger.

"I told you I went to scout! If you're going to be so petty, then let's just go right now! You just want to ski, right? Let's go!"

She tried to grab my hand, attempting to gloss over the matter.

I coldly shook her off.

"No need."

I walked into the walk-in closet and pulled out a suitcase.

Elena looked at me in shock: "What are you doing?"

While folding my shirts, I said calmly:

"My father fell and injured his leg in Chicago. I'm going back to see him."

After Elena and I married, I moved to New York for the sake of her curatorial career.

But my parents were still in Chicago. Now that my father was hurt, I had to find out through a phone call from my sister.

Elena froze.

Her expression shifted from anger to astonishment, and then to a trace of guilt.

The air in the room congealed for a few seconds.

"Why didn't you say so earlier? Honey, I'm worried about Dad too. Do you need me to go back with you?"

I closed the suitcase and snapped the locks shut.

"No."

If she really had a heart, she wouldn't have needed to ask.

That night, I boarded a flight to Chicago.

Counting back, I hadn't been home in over six months.

Seeing my father lying in the hospital bed with a cast, the guilt nearly drowned me.

"Liam? Why are you back so suddenly? Where's Elena?"

"Dad, I just came back to see you. Elena... the gallery has a major exhibition recently, she couldn't get away."

My parents never asked for much; they only hoped for our happiness.

"Work is important, work is important. This is just a small injury; you shouldn't have made the special trip."

For the next week, I shuttled between the hospital and my childhood home.

Elena, on the other hand, began frequently messaging and calling me.

Asking when I was returning to New York.

Once my father's condition stabilized, he urged me to go back to work.

So, I sent my flight number to Elena.

The day the plane landed at JFK,

A conspicuous black Range Rover was parked at the arrival pickup.

Elena was sitting in the passenger seat. She rolled down the window and shouted:

"Hubby, over here!"

I walked closer and saw that the person in the driver's seat was, unbelievably, Julian.

Elena opened the door and got out, wanting to hug me.

Julian took off his sunglasses, revealing a smirk of studied nonchalance: "Hey, Liam. Load the luggage yourself, yeah? I'm not getting out."

I ignored him and tossed my suitcase into the trunk.

Elena linked her arm through mine: "Hubby, you're finally back! Julian heard you were coming home and insisted on driving me to pick you up. He said he was worried about my driving skills."

I opened the rear door, expecting Elena to sit in the back with me, but she naturally settled back into the passenger seat.

Julian steered with one hand, his other hand draped casually over the back of Elena's seat. He glanced at me through the rearview mirror:

"Liam, seriously, I just don't feel right letting Elena drive on the highway alone."

*What a useless man, can't even take care of his own wife.*

Elena seemed to sense the awkwardness of the atmosphere and quickly pulled out her phone to show me a group chat.

"Hubby, everyone really wants to welcome you back. I've been so good these past few days, I haven't gone anywhere."

The group name was "Studio 54 Revival." It contained her entire circle, everyone except me.

I buckled my seatbelt, my expression blank.

"Indifferent."