Chapter 2

I looked at the numbers above Levi's head.

[260 days, 5 hours, 8 minutes.]

The time had shortened by another 29 days.

The car went quiet, the silence broken only by the rain and tires splashing through the puddles on the road.

There was a traffic light intersection up ahead. Turning left would take us to the fine dining restaurant that I'd booked two weeks in advance. Going straight would take us to Country Heights, where Belinda rented an apartment.

Levi stayed in the middle lane and didn't signal left.

I stared at the car dashboard and asked very quietly, "Aren't we supposed to be going to the restaurant?"

The rain nearly drowned out my voice, but Levi heard me. He hit the brakes at the red light and gave me an apologetic glance.

"The rain is too heavy, and the road leading into Country Heights is difficult to navigate on foot in this weather. It's not safe for her to go alone."

After a slight pause, he said, "We'll drop her off first. It's fine if we're late for the reservation."

I looked at him. "The reservation is only until 8:00 pm. And it's already 7:30 pm."

Levi frowned. "Anna, Linda is my employee. I can't just leave her stranded halfway home. It's just dinner. If we can't make it today, I'll make it up to you tomorrow."

He was always acting so self-righteously like this because he thought his intentions were kind and selfless. Therefore, anyone who got in the way of his kindness was being unreasonable.

Belinda poked her head out from the back and said, "Mr. Hammond, you can just drop me off at the subway station up ahead. I really don't want to get in the way of you celebrating your anniversary with Mrs. Hammond."

She sounded sincere, but there was no such subway station nearby at all.

As expected, Levi's frown deepened.

"What are you talking about? How are you supposed to take the subway in a torrential rain like this?"

The light turned green. Levi hit the gas, and the car zoomed forward at the intersection, going farther and farther away from the fine dining restaurant.

The countdown above his head jumped once again.

[201 days, 2 hours, 30 minutes.]

"Thank you so much, Mr. Hammond!"

…

By the time we dropped Belinda off, it was already 8:30 pm. The rain didn't let up. If anything, it got even heavier than before.

Levi pulled into the apartment garage and turned off the engine. Then, he turned toward me and reached over, trying to unbuckle my seatbelt.

"I'm sorry, Anna."

The back of his hand brushed against my collarbones, warm to the touch.

"I'll push back all of my meetings tomorrow and take you back to that fine dining restaurant, alright?"

I looked at his face that was very close to mine.

We'd been married seven years, and his face was still just as handsome, carrying the same familiar gentleness I'd always known. His eyes were still focused on me. However, the numbers above his head just wouldn't disappear.

[198 days, 11 hours, 45 minutes.]

I unbuckled my seatbelt myself and pushed the car door open.

"Forget it. I'm tired. I just want to go home and rest."

Neither of us said another word for the rest of the night.

…

After coming out of the shower, my head felt a little woozy. My throat also felt dry and scratchy. I guessed I caught a chill in the car earlier.

Levi walked out of the kitchen with a mug of warm water. When he saw my pale face, he immediately came up to me and pressed the back of his hand to my forehead.

"Why are you burning up?" He frowned. "Did you catch a cold in the car?"

He helped me onto the couch, treating me so gently as though I might break. Then, he went to the first-aid kit to get some Tylenol and NyQuil and brought out another mug of warm water from the kitchen.

"Take these first."

He put the pills on my palm and watched me swallow them. Then, he said, "I'll make you some hot tea with honey and lemon. Go and rest in the bedroom for now."

I leaned back against the pillow, listening to him slice lemons and stir honey in a mug in the kitchen.

Again, this was Levi Hammond.

He never yelled at me or laid a hand on me. He also never mistreated me financially. He would take care of me when I was sick and always bring me an umbrella on rainy days.

He was the perfect husband.

That was the reason why, after seven years, I had grown completely numb to this slow, stealthy, insidious happiness.

Then, the red numbers appeared over his head.

Levi walked into the bedroom with a mug of hot honey lemon tea and carefully set it on the nightstand.