Chapter 2
Bradley reached for the gift box, ready to open it, but I stopped him. “Wait until the baby is born. Otherwise, it won’t be a surprise.”
He paused for a moment but didn’t overthink it. He placed the gift box in the drawer, looking every bit like the devoted husband who always listened to his wife.
Then he loosened his tie, took off his suit jacket, and headed to the bathroom for a shower.
Maybe it was because he was drunk, but he didn’t take his phone with him like he usually did. Instead, he left it sitting unguarded on the table.
I picked it up and typed in Maisy’s birthday. Sure enough, it unlocked instantly.
The first thing I saw was her picture.
She was his wallpaper. No wonder his expression always softened whenever he checked his phone.
I opened his photo album. Inside, there were thousands of pictures of Maisy. Smiling, silent, lost in thought—every expression captured.
Next, I checked his notes. They were filled with meticulous details about her preferences.
“Maisy can’t eat seafood. She’s allergic.”
“Maisy loves desserts. They always make her happy.”
“Maisy’s favorite color is white. She hates red. She has a sweet tooth but can’t handle spicy food.”
Then I opened his Telegram and found a secret account. He had been using it as a diary, pouring his heart out every single day.
“Maisy, I always watch you from afar, but I never dare to hope you’ll look my way.”
“Maisy, my birthday wish this year is the same. I just want you to be safe and happy.”
“If I can’t be with the one I love in this lifetime, then just seeing her happy is enough.”
I scrolled back to two years ago—the time Mom died.
“There’s no compatible heart donor for Maisy anywhere. The only match we found is Christine. What the hell am I supposed to do?
“I know this is unforgivable, but Maisy is my life. If she dies, I’d rather be dead too.
“Nothing matters more than Maisy. The driver and the surgeon are already arranged. Everything is in place. There’s no turning back. Alice, I’ll repay you in our next life.”
He had laid out the plan to take Mom’s heart with meticulous precision. I was in unbearable agony as I read through it.
Bradley, betrayers deserved nothing but endless suffering.
…
The next morning, when I woke up, Bradley was already gone.
He had made me breakfast and left a note with the same doting tone as always.
“Alice, remember to eat your breakfast. I have an important meeting today, so I’ll be home late.”
Without any expression, I dumped the food into the trash and shredded the note.
I didn’t care if he came back or not. I had my own plans.
First, I called a lawyer and asked him to prepare divorce papers. Then, I applied for a passport. I was planning to leave the country.
Bradley once survived a plane crash, and ever since, he couldn’t bring himself to fly. If I went abroad, we would be worlds apart. He’d never be able to reach me again.
But my ID was still at the Campbell residence. I had to go back there one last time.
…
Standing at the doorstep of my childhood home, I felt disoriented.
I used to believe my parents loved each other. Then my father, Daniel Campbell, met Maisy’s mother, Keira Doyle, and everything changed.
He became obsessed, willing to throw away everything to be with her.
Mom cried herself to sleep every night. In the end, she had no choice but to sign the divorce papers. She lost the custody battle too. I was left behind with Dad while she moved to a damp, moldy apartment on the outskirts of town. It ruined her health.
Meanwhile, Maisy made my life a living hell.
I was Dad’s real daughter, but he loved Keira, so he loved Maisy too.
Maisy used his favoritism to force me into the worst bedroom, steal my puppy, and even take my hard-earned graduate school placement. I kept giving in, over and over, until I had nothing left.
So, the people I despised most were Maisy and Keira. And yet, for some reason, every man around me adored Maisy.
Just as I was about to knock, I heard a familiar voice behind me.
I turned around, only to see Bradley holding Maisy by the waist as they stepped out of the car.
