Chapter 2

Sean took a call and stepped out, coming back inside in less than ten minutes. "Mom sent this over. Said it's to help balance your system."

I couldn't even count how many times his mother had sent me herbal medicine over the past three years.

At first, I resisted, and Sean would hoard candy to coax me into taking it.

Over time, drinking it straight became second nature.

The herbal stench, potent enough to seep through the packaging, left a bitter taste in my mouth.

I didn't drink it, opting instead to stash it straight in the fridge.

Around 8:00 pm, I got back home from the restaurant.

I tracked his movements as he drank water, waiting a long beat before speaking up. "Sean, where's your ring?"

He hadn't worn it once since the class reunion.

"It gets in the way during lab work, so I left it at the institute." The answer slipped out effortlessly, without a second's hesitation.

"Is that so?" My voice was barely a whisper. He didn't seem to hear it.

Whenever Sean ran experiments, his phone was turned off.

Earlier this afternoon, the restaurant called our house landline, informing me that his ring had been left there.

He didn't even notice that his wedding ring was missing.

Meanwhile, the ring meant for his ex was still sitting in our house, seven years after they broke up.

Sean bent over to toss some discarded drafts into the trash and said, "I'm heading out for the business trip to Mount Glyndora the day after tomorrow. I'll be back by Friday."

Usually, I'd pepper him with endless questions and pack his protective gear and meds the night before.

This time, I just stared at the TV screen, asking no questions and offering no help with his packing. "Got it."

Sensing that something was off about my quiet reaction, Sean glanced over at me.

"All the meds are in the bottom-left drawer under the TV. You can pack your own clothes," I said.

"What's wrong with you?"

What a rare moment of concern.

I replied, "Your parents called me today, asking if I'd gone for my hospital checkup."

"And?" Sean prompted me to go on.

"It's been three years. Why can't you just tell them that you're the one who doesn't want kids?"

"Did they say something to you?" he asked.

"No. I'm just tired."

"It's just drinking some herbal medicine to balance your system. What's so exhausting about that?"

"But I don't want to drink it anymore," I said quietly.

"You've been drinking it for this long already."

Right, I had been drinking it for so long. How could I possibly be tired?

"Sean, if it were Bellona, would you make her drink it?" I asked.

That seemed to strike a nerve. Sean's voice spiked a few octaves as he countered, "Naomi Russell, if you don't want to drink it, don't. Why do you have to mention her name?"

He rubbed his temples, his tone softening slightly. "Forget it. I don't want to fight with you. I'm sleeping in the guest room tonight."

…

When I came downstairs the next morning, Sean was in the foyer changing his shoes. "Things came up at the institute."

His gaze brushed past me, landing on the begonia out on the balcony.

"Temperatures are high today. Remember to close the outer blinds on the south balcony around noon."

"Got it," I replied.

Just then, his phone on the marble table lit up with a notification. "Sean, let's meet at our usual spot."

It was Bellona.

The glow of the screen made him smile slightly.

"Who's that?" I asked. "Is the lab rushing you?"

"Yeah. The project timeline is tight," Sean answered smoothly, without needing a moment to invent an excuse.

As the front door clicked shut, the house sank into silence.

I went to the study and pulled out the box Sean kept hidden at the very bottom of the cabinet.

Inside were letters, photographs, perfectly preserved begonia leaves, and a ring, engraved with BS on the inside. It belonged to Bellona.

In the photo, a young lady held a massive bouquet of begonias with a radiant smile. Her face bore a striking resemblance to mine.

Almost every photo had their names written on the back in Sean's handwriting.

The letters spanned high school and college. Sitting on the floor, I read them one after another.

It was a simple love story, following just the two of them.

All those plants Sean bought for me were actually meant for Bellona all along.

The stack of paper was light, yet it weighed on me so heavily I could barely breathe.

I massaged my numb legs briefly and put everything back where it belonged.