Chapter 5

The bedroom floor was a mess. After taking her allergy medicine, Estella gathered her things and moved into the guest room. As she passed by the shattered glass on the floor, she paused, then bent down to pick up a photo. It was the only picture she and Jenson had together—the last one, too. The last time she'd come across it when she'd been packing, she hadn't decided what to do with it yet. It seemed like Emily had made the choice for her. Estella's lips curled into a faint smirk. She tore the picture into pieces and tossed them into the trash. That night, Jenson didn't come home. … The next day at 5:00 am, Estella was woken up by noises from the kitchen. Still groggy, she walked out to find Jenson cooking. When he saw her, a flicker of guilt crossed his face. "Did I wake you? Emily didn't eat much last night, so I'm making her some seafood congee. You should have a bowl too." Estella stared at the pot of simmering congee. Even after all these years apart, Jenson still remembered Emily's likes and dislikes down to the smallest details. Meanwhile, she'd lived with him for six years. Just yesterday, she'd reminded him about her severe seafood allergy. Yet, he hadn't even registered it. In fact, she hadn't even known he could cook until last night. Sometimes, the difference between love and indifference was painfully clear. "I'm not hungry," Estella said flatly. "No need to save any for me." With that, she turned to head back to her room. Suddenly, Jenson spoke up. "Estie, about last night... I was just panicked when I saw Emily hurt. I said some things I didn't mean. Don't take it to heart, okay?" Estella nodded calmly. "I understand. It was an emergency. I don't blame you." Jenson hadn't expected her to let it go so easily. As he watched her lowered gaze, a pang of guilt twisted inside him. "We haven't gone on a date in a while," he said. "Once Emily's situation is settled, let's go on a trip and have a proper break." Estella made a hum of agreement. It didn't matter. She'd be gone in a few days. Whether she agreed or not made no difference. … Three days later, after a shopping trip with a friend, Estella came home to find that Jenson and Emily were back. The two of them were curled up on the couch, flipping through an old photo album. When Emily spotted her, her eyes lit up. "Ms. Hart, you're back! Jenson and I were just looking at old photos. Our friends used to say we looked alike, like a married couple. I always thought they were joking, but when we took our wedding photos the other day, even the photographer said the same thing! What do you think? Do we really look alike?" The air in the room seemed to freeze for a second. Emily's words were an open provocation, but Estella simply nodded, unfazed. "I think they're right. You two really do—" Before she could finish, Jenson abruptly cut her off, saying, "We have a class reunion tonight. Come with us, Estie." Estella almost laughed. So he thought she was upset, and this was his way of making it up to her? The car ride was silent. They were all lost in their own thoughts. At the hotel, Emily stuck close to Jenson's side, chatting animatedly about their school days. At one point, she even reached out and wrapped her hand around his arm. Estella said nothing. She simply followed a few steps behind them. As soon as they entered the private room, a few old classmates immediately crowded around them. "What's going on here?" someone asked, their eyes darting between Jenson and Emily. "Wow, after all these years, you two still ended up together, huh?" Emily didn't explain. She just blushed and smiled shyly. Just then, someone finally noticed Estella standing at the door. "Who's that?"