Chapter 2

"Mom!" Ansel threw himself into Sabrina's arms and gave her the bouquet. "What were you telling the courier guy?" She glanced at the departing courier guy and said softly, "Nothing." Jordan approached them and gently kissed her cheek. Then, he also gave her a bouquet and said apologetically, "I'm sorry for returning late, Rina. I got caught up in something. Don't be mad at me, okay?" What else could he have gotten caught up in? He and Ansel had only been with Holly at the Bayview Coast villa. Then again, it made sense that they were busy. They had two families to care for. Sabrina smiled self-deprecatingly. She looked at the bouquets for a while before saying, "Your work is more important, so I have nothing to be mad about. Let's head inside." Jordan and Ansel were taken aback when they saw how empty the house was. Many things were missing, and they seemed to all be items they'd given to Sabrina. A trace of panic flashed on Jordan's face. He asked, "Why are all the things we gave you gone, Rina?" Ansel was also scared by this. He clung to Sabrina and tugged on the hem of her clothes. "Did you throw them away, Mom?" She brushed his hand away and sat on the couch, saying indifferently, "No, I just had them taken away so they could be given to people who need them." After having a child, she'd become more sentimental. Every year, she gathered some old things to donate to orphanages, so Jordan didn't think anything was wrong with her explanation. He thought she'd given the things to charity again. He relaxed as he and Ansel sat on either side of her. Then, he looked at her dotingly. "It's good that you've given them away—all the more reason for me to buy you new things." Ansel burrowed in her arms with a laugh and said, "You're the best, Mom. You're the kindest mother in the world!" Kind? She supposed it was an apt description. After all, she was so kind that she'd already given her husband and child up. … At 6:00 pm, Jordan came out of the kitchen with a final dish and placed it on the table. There were many maids at home, but Jordan insisted on personally attending to anything that had to do with Sabrina. This included cooking. Ansel held Sabrina's hand and pulled her to the dining table. He pulled out her chair and got her some food. Jordan sat on her other side and did the same. "Have more of this, Rina. It's good for your stomach." Ansel nodded. "That's right. You'll only be healthy if you eat more of this, Mom. There's a kid in kindergarten who's picky with their food…" He started telling her about the interesting things that had happened at kindergarten, but she couldn't bring herself to care. Even the food tasted like cardboard to her. She looked at Jordan, who was listening attentively to Ansel's stories. He would even occasionally chime in. Suddenly, the whole situation seemed ironic to her. She was sure something like this had already happened with Holly in their midst. Was there any need for a repeat performance with her around? … Later that night, the family of three got into bed together, leaving only a night light on in the bedroom. Jordan held Sabrina in his arms, and Ansel clung to her arm. They both wanted to sleep with her in their arms. "How old are you, Dad? Why do you still want to sleep with Mom?" Ansel asked, putting on a mature act. "What's that supposed to mean? Rina is my wife—why can't I sleep with her? You, on the other hand, are already four. Why do you still want to sleep with your mother?" The father and son were at a stalemate. They wanted Sabrina to settle the argument for them but found that she'd already fallen asleep. Just then, Jordan's phone vibrated. Someone was video-calling him. His expression stiffened when he saw it was Holly calling. He turned to glance at Sabrina, who was unaffected by the call. Then, he picked up his phone and sneaked out of the room. Ansel saw this and followed suit. Once they were outside, Jordan turned down the volume before answering the call. In the next second, Holly's voice rang out. "What should I do, guys? It's only been a short while since you left, but I already miss you. It's so lonely being in this enormous villa without anyone else by my side. Can you guys come over to be with me again?" Jordan glanced at the bedroom door, which was shut. Then, he said patiently, "Be good, okay? It's late now, so we'll only go over tomorrow." Holly wouldn't settle for that. Her eyes turned red. "I know Mrs. Faust will always be your top priority. I'm not asking for much—I just want you guys to occasionally spend some time with me and give me a small portion of your love. Is that too much to ask?" Ansel hurriedly tugged on Jordan's sleeve when he heard how choked up Holly sounded. "Let's go, Dad. I want to see Holly! Let's go!" Faced with persuasion on both sides, Jordan started to sway. After a while, he bent down and gestured for Ansel to be quiet. "Let's sneak out, then. We don't want to wake your mother." In the bedroom, Sabrina opened her eyes, allowing her tears to flow down her face and onto the pillow. She didn't wipe them or do anything else. All she did was lie there and listen as the footsteps faded.