Chapter 19
My heart leapt wildly in my chest. My husband had spent the night out. Alarms blared in my mind, warning of danger, making my thoughts swirl in chaos. My vision narrowed and my breath came short.
‘What should I do…?’
My mind went blank. I had no idea how to react.
Feeling exhausted from lack of sleep, I slowly pushed myself up to sit. I heard his footsteps coming up the stairs to the second floor.
One, two, three, four… there were twenty-two steps in all. Before he could reach the top, I jumped up, threw on a robe over my pajamas, and opened the door wide.
As I stepped outside, I came face to face with Hayden, who had just reached the landing.
“……”
“……”
A brief silence passed. I watched him, curious about what kind of expression he would make, what he would say.
For a moment, Hayden’s face twisted as if he’d been caught off guard. His olive eyes wavered, but then he lifted the corners of his mouth in a gentle smile—the same smile he always wore.
“…You’re back?”
When I asked, Hayden nodded nonchalantly, like a man who’d just come home from work.
“Yeah. You’re up early, Winter.”
“Yes. …And Chloe?”
“I dropped her off at her apartment.”
As I looked at him, wanting an explanation, Hayden came closer, put his arm around my shoulders, and kissed my forehead.
“Sorry I’m late, Winter. Chloe was having a really hard time.”
Hayden was utterly unashamed, as if he had nothing to hide. It was me who felt flustered by his calm. I was at a loss for words because of his composure.
What was I hoping to confirm? I felt suffocated.
“Is Chloe alright?”
‘Were you with her at her place this whole time?’
I asked after Chloe’s wellbeing, instead of asking the question I could never say aloud. Forcing a smile, I hoped it didn’t look crooked.
“She finally calmed down enough to fall asleep. She kept having fits throughout the night… It must have been a real shock.”
“Really? Did she see a doctor?”
“No. Chloe didn’t want that.”
Why not? If it was that serious, you should have called a doctor. Or not been alone with her.
“I see.”
I swallowed back what I wanted to say, dropping my gaze with an empty nod. For some reason, I didn’t want to meet Hayden’s eyes. I didn’t want to look into those olive eyes that had been filled with another woman all night. I took a slow breath, fighting an inexplicable anxiety.
The feeling that had plagued me since last night resurfaced.
And then I realized.
I was hurt by Hayden.
I was disappointed in my husband, who had left me behind.
I blinked rapidly, trying to hide my emotions. It was a pointless effort. There was no way a weary Hayden would notice my state.
Hayden loosened his neatly knotted tie and sighed.
“And you, how did you get home last night? Sorry I couldn’t take you.”
“…It’s fine. Eugene took me home.”
“Ah. You said he was your childhood friend, right?”
Hayden gave a small laugh and nodded.
“I should have him over for dinner sometime to thank him.”
“I’ll ask him.”
“Please let him know I’d really like to invite him.”
He was handing me his loosened tie, then turned to me suddenly as if he’d remembered something.
“Oh. What did you do with that? You didn’t throw it away, did you?”
“That?”
“The thing that was sent to Chloe.”
At his question, my shoulders flinched.
“Eugene took care of it. He said he’d take it to the Metropolitan Police.”
“Really? That’s a relief. He’s been a great help.”
I nodded slowly, putting on a show of nonchalance with a forced smile.
“You think it was the work of the stalker who’s been after Chloe, right?”
Trying to shake off my gloomy thoughts, I changed the subject. Hayden raised an eyebrow at me.
The gaze I’d been avoiding met mine so easily. The olive eyes I loved so much narrowed as he looked at me.
“You knew?”
“Sorry?”
“You knew someone weird was hanging around Chloe?”
Hayden’s brow furrowed deeply.
His unexpectedly sharp response caught me off guard, and I stared at him in shock.
Was this really Hayden, the one raising his voice in anger?
He continued, his voice a tone higher than usual.
“When I went to take Chloe home, she told me she was scared someone would be waiting outside her place. She said it’s been going on for a while.”
He sounded genuinely angry, something I’d never seen since marrying him, or even since I’d known him. I stared at him in a daze.
Was this really Hayden, getting angry?
“You knew, so why didn’t you tell me?”
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