Chapter 2

Kayla knew exactly what Lily and her mother, Sally White, meant to Jonah. Back when Jonah was little, his parents were always working late. Most nights, he'd eat dinner next door at Sally's place. She was a single mom raising Lily on her own. Growing up, Jonah and Lily were inseparable—the picture-perfect pair, like a real-life fairytale. Everyone thought they'd end up married one day, the classic childhood sweethearts turned lifelong partners. However, during their senior year of high school, Lily and her mom moved overseas, and they were gone for eight years. Three months ago, they came back. Sally was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and they reached out to Jonah for help. That was when everything changed. Jonah started coming home less and less. Every time Kayla asked where he was, the answer was always the same. He always replied with, "I'm at the hospital." Kayla didn't say anything, and she never complained. She knew how close Jonah was to them, especially Sally. She believed their marriage was strong enough to handle anything. Not even Lily's return could shake that. Initially, Kayla even helped line up specialists. But over time, her presence seemed to unsettle both Jonah and Lily. Eventually, it got to the point where every time Kayla showed up, Lily would tear up like she was the one being wronged. Then, one day, Jonah told Kayla not to come to the hospital anymore. Kayla never figured out what she did wrong. She didn't make a scene or throw tantrums. She simply waited for this whole thing to blow over, for Jonah to come back to her, for their life to return to normal. But after the ectopic pregnancy and surgery, his coldness shook something in her. She pulled herself together and sent Jonah a message, attaching the medical report from the hospital. … At the same hospital, Jonah stared at the message, frowning. Lily, sitting beside him, leaned in to look too. Before he could say anything, her eyes instantly filled with tears, and soon they were streaming down her face. Her voice trembled when she spoke. "I'm so sorry, Jonah. I shouldn't have come back. I know Kayla must be scared that I'll take you away from her. That's probably why she made up something so extreme. It's me and my mom—we're the reason your relationship is falling apart. I'm really sorry..." For a split second, Jonah felt a flicker of worry. But then he remembered—he'd barely even been home these past three months because of Sally. He and Kayla hadn't been intimate in a long time. And he knew Kayla. She wasn't the cheating type. This meant that this had to be one of her emotional stunts—her way of clawing for his attention and trying to test whether he still cared. He reached over and gently ruffled Lily's hair, his voice unusually soft. "This isn't your fault. I've just spoiled her too much. That's the only reason she'd come up with something this outlandish." "Thank you, Jonah. I don't know what I'd do without you." Still crying, Lily threw herself into his arms. Jonah wrapped an arm around her and rubbed her back, offering quiet, steady comfort. Only after she calmed down did Jonah finally text Kayla back. He said, "Kayla, Ms. White doesn't have much time left. You know how much she meant to me growing up. Please, don't stir up more drama. And don't say cruel things like this—it's bad luck, for you and for the future we still have ahead of us. Once this is over, I promise I'll make it up to you."