Chapter 2

For the next few days, Bryce didn't return. Yara didn't ask where he went. She stayed home and packed her things. Among everything were the jewelry and handbags he gave her after they got married. There were also the suits and shoes she bought for him and the photos they took together. The rest were makeup and other things she no longer used. She kept none of those things and threw them all away. As she watched the little home she had built and decorated piece by piece slowly empty out, there was some regret in her heart. But more than anything, she felt free. After tossing the last box of things, she turned and saw Bryce walk in. He stared at the trash can for a moment with shock on his face. "Why did you throw all these out?" "I don't need them anymore, so I cleared it out. Why are you back?" Yara brushed it off with a lazy excuse and changed the subject. Bryce didn't press her. He raised his wrist and checked the time. "I came to pick you up. It's the family dinner tonight," he said. Yara paused, then remembered the Dalton family's biannual family dinner was today. It was usually held at the Dalton Estate. She had never missed it in the past few years. But this time, she said no. "I haven't been feeling well lately, so I won't be attending tonight." "What's wrong? Do you need to go to the hospital?" Bryce's voice grew gentler, and Yara wasn't used to it. She shook her head lightly and said, "It's nothing much. I just want to rest and avoid crowds." "Then stay home—" He was about to agree when Yelena opened the car door and ran over. "Yara, please come to the family dinner with me. I'll be so bored alone. Isn't that right, Bryce?" Yelena said. Seeing her blink with that adorable, wide-eyed look, Bryce's expression immediately softened. He forgot about what he was about to say and nodded. Then, he opened the door to the backseat for them. "Since it's a family dinner, you can just stay seated and rest if you're unwell. You don't need to follow all the rules," he said. "Lena's bored out of her mind being stuck in the hospital these days. She could use someone to talk to." Watching how quickly he changed his tone, Yara felt a sharp pain in her chest. She knew that Bryce would always say yes to any of Yelena's requests. It didn't matter what it was. So she stayed quiet. Bending down, she got into the car. Once the car started, Yelena sat beside her and chattered non-stop. "Yara, you should have recovered from donating your bone marrow to me, right? You have no idea how painful it was for me with the transplant rejection," she said. "I was dizzy all the time, and I kept having nightmares. "Thankfully Bryce stayed with me, or I wouldn't have made it. Please don't be upset that he didn't take care of you because of me, okay?" Yara looked up—she could sense that Yelena was testing her. She replied calmly, "Of course not. The both of you are siblings, so why would I be upset?" Only then did Yelena relax. She reached out and held Yara's hand, chatting like she used to. "I knew you wouldn't mind!" Yelena exclaimed. "Look, Bryce gave me this necklace today. Isn't it pretty? I mentioned it once in passing, and he remembered. He even spent a lot to win the auction! "And he won these soft toys for me yesterday. His car felt so plain and boring, so I put them here as decorations. Aren't they cute?" Yara looked at the sparkling diamond necklace around Yelena's neck and the toys piled across the seats. Her chest tightened with a dull ache. Bryce had always preferred black, white, and gray colors. He liked things clean and simple. But since these were Yelena's favorites, he never complained and let her decorate his car however she liked. Yara recalled she once placed an adorable figure in his car. He tossed it out the next day. He had said, "Yara, I don't like these things. Do not act on your own again." Now, she saw how different love and indifference were. Yara stayed silent. Yelena thought she was tired and didn't bother her further. Instead, she held onto Bryce and wouldn't stop talking. She went on about the weather, an old friend, and silly things from childhood. She even talked about the family dinner. No matter what she said, Bryce responded. He was smiling the whole time. Yara listened quietly. She remembered when she tried to share her daily life. His usual replies would just be a "yeah", "okay", or "sure". His responses to her had always been half-hearted, and he said as little as possible. But with Yelena, he was always the one to start the conversation and would respond to everything she said. Even when they were in the same space, his eyes would drift to the rearview mirror, looking at Yelena. His love for Yelena was so strong and obvious, so why had Yara failed to see it all these years? Yara couldn't figure it out. Her chest tightened and hurt like she had been stabbed. She stared at the nail marks on her palm, then looked out the window. Yara repeated the same thing to herself over and over. She told herself that it was fine and that she just had to hold on a little longer. Once the divorce went through, it would all be over.