Chapter 2

Cecelia had rented the unit above them and kept dropping by nearly every day. Jonah, who used to work overtime and rarely came home, suddenly seemed to have stumbled upon a great deal of free time. He was always waiting for Cecelia at home every single day. After dinner, they would watch TV in the living room. Cecelia would even invite Pearl to join them. "I still have a thesis to finish. Enjoy without me," Pearl said before returning to her bedroom. She could hear Cecelia's boisterous laughter through the door as she commented, "Pearl's such a good student. She really is nothing like me. I could still remember how I made you help me with my assignments back in the day, Jonah." Pearl slaved away on her laptop till 11:00 pm. She was so invested in her work that she didn't notice Jonah entering the room, his slippers smacking on the floor. Pearl's heart nearly stopped in her chest when she saw him reach for a folder on the desk. She wanted to stop him, as the folder contained the divorce agreement he had signed, but it was too late. "What's this?" Jonah frowned as he pulled out a piece of paper and tossed it onto the table. "You're volunteering to go to Nyora?" Pearl risked a look at the paper and saw that she had accidentally placed the application form for the Nyora aid work project on top. "That's not mine. I printed it for my roommate. We don't have a printer at our dorm." Pearl kept a straight face as she lied through her teeth. Jonah fell for it, immediately losing interest in her folder. She let out a sigh of relief at his disinterest. She didn't want Jonah to find out about the divorce just yet. After all, she had sustained this farce of her marriage with her one-sided love for years. So, she wanted to leave the marriage behind her with her head held high. "I hear that the Nyora aid program requires their volunteers to head out to the poorest parts of the country for three years. It's hard work." Jonah tapped a finger against the desk lightly as he continued, "You don't need to jump on that bandwagon. I'm sure my father's connections are more than enough for you to get a proper job at a hospital in Northriver." Although he sounded concerned, his words only made Pearl miserable. She was the best student in the medical department at her college and had published over a dozen papers during her time in grad school. She could easily get a job in Northriver with her own merit. She didn't need anyone's connections. Jonah didn't even know that. He had never made a single attempt to get to know her in the past four years. Meanwhile, Pearl knew the exact temperature Jonah preferred for his air conditioner. She would even lower the temperature in advance for his comfort before they went to sleep, disregarding how she would end up freezing and sneezing in the middle of the night. She was no longer going to force herself through that torment. Sure enough, Jonah tossed and turned as soon as they retired for the night. "Why is it so hot tonight?" "It's not hot. I don't like the cold," Pearl replied blandly. Then, she turned her back to Jonah and pulled most of the blanket over to herself. She assumed that Jonah would adjust the temperature himself. To her shock, Jonah reached out and hugged her from behind. His warm breath tickled the back of her neck as he brushed his lips across her nape. Jonah worked out regularly, so all it took was one swift motion, and Pearl was in his arms, facing him. He pulled her against his chest and began to kiss her. Pearl struggled against his hold, but it was useless. Jonah had always been forceful in bed. It was a complete 180 from his usual calm and composed self. Pearl frowned and jerked her head away. She caught sight of the digital clock on the nightstand and realized that it was Friday. This was how they had spent their Friday nights for the past four years. She had naively thought that Jonah was insatiable every Friday because they hadn't seen each other all week. However, that all came crashing down a few nights ago. She browsed through Cecelia's social media and discovered that she always posted her vlogs on Fridays. Cecelia was a travel blogger. Therefore, every video she posted featured her and her foreign husband traveling the world together. Aside from the scenic shots, nearly every frame was oozing with public displays of affection between the couple. Pearl couldn't help but feel revolted knowing that Jonah only decided to sleep with her after watching Cecelia's videos. Soon, she started retching, and Jonah finally stopped what he was doing. "What's wrong?" he demanded as he turned on the bedside lamp. The soft yellow light illuminated the sharp planes of his face. "I'm not feeling well today…" Pearl groaned. She had only intended to stop Jonah from continuing, but her stomach started churning violently. It was as if her insides desperately wanted out. "I'll take you to the hospital. Could you be…" Jonah trailed off. "No way!" Pearl denied his hunch vehemently. She knew what he was getting, but they had always used protection. There was no way she was pregnant. "Let's still get you checked out. In any case, you look like a wreck," he said, already putting on his clothes and grabbing the car keys from the nightstand. Just as he was about to help her up, his phone rang. Jonah shot a look at the caller ID and immediately picked it up. She didn't know what was being said on the other line, but it made Jonah frown slightly before he let out a helpless laugh. When he ended the call, he turned to Pearl and said, "Cecelia said she was nearly scared to death because she's watching a horror movie at home." The soft light exposed Jonah's hesitance for all to see. Pearl instantly knew what he was implying. "Go on ahead. I'm fine." Those words had just left her lips when Jonah's phone started ringing once more. The urgent ringtone seemed to urge him along. Jonah glanced at the screen before quickly rising to his feet. He took a few steps toward the door before turning to look at Pearl guiltily, seemingly realizing that he had forgotten something in his haste. "I'll take you to the hospital when I get back." A bitter smile appeared on Pearl's lips as soon as the door swung closed with a soft click. When he got back? That was a lie if she ever heard one. Besides, she was no longer going to play the waiting game. Not anymore. Since her stomach decided not to cooperate, Pearl figured she might as well keep busy. She pushed herself up and reached for the Nyora aid application form in her folder. She had waffled about going abroad in the past. However, considering her current predicament, it was likely that she would run into Noah again if she remained in Northriver after graduation. If that was the case, she might as well go abroad and gain some experience. When her pen fell onto the marital status section, she decisively ticked the "single" box.