His face fell immediately.
“What for? Planning to call someone for help?”
I quickly shook my head.
“No, I’m just worried I might miss other important calls. If you keep my phone, what if someone else needs to reach me?”
He lowered his head, thinking for a moment, but still refused.
“If someone calls, I’ll bring you the phone. Until then, don’t even think about making any other moves.”
“It’s almost noon. Go make lunch. The kitchen is your battlefield.”
I looked at him and suddenly felt like he was a stranger.
When we first married, he wasn’t like this.
Turns out it had all been an illusion.
His face twisted with fury whenever this subject came up, as if it was cursed.
The sight made me sick to my stomach.
Fine. His brother—if he wanted to save him, he could. If not, so be it.
I wasn’t going to fight him anymore.
But when the truth came out, he’d regret it.
With that, I went to cook.
The whole meal passed in silence, not a single word between us.
The house remained silent all afternoon.
It wasn’t until evening, when Richard brought Ethan home from school, that I forced a smile.
“Ethan, you’re back! Go wash your hands and get ready for dinner.”
Just then, the phone rang. It was Richard’s parents.