Chapter 8

Keke hadn't expected this reaction from Sloane. The speech she had prepared to flaunt her victory completely slipped from her mind. Sloane's smile remained unfaltering. "Oh, by the way, Neaple Lake in Edden is a nice place. You two should check it out while you're there." Keke clung to Easton's arm while pouting coquettishly. "Easton, look, Sloane doesn't mind at all! Let's go, please?" The refusal that had been on the tip of his tongue got stuck in his throat. Something felt off. As he stared at Sloane's calm and indifferent expression, Easton frowned. "Lo, just tell me if you don't agree to it." "But I'm allowing it. Grandma told me that you and Keke are childhood friends. I was the one at fault before. I even prepared a gift to make it up to Keke." Sloane handed Keke a brocade box from her bag. "This suits you well, Keke. Please enjoy your conversation. I'll be out of your hair now." With that, she turned and went upstairs. Easton stood frozen as he watched her retreating figure. By the time he snapped out of it, Keke had already opened the box. An emerald bracelet of exceptional quality lay inside. "Wow! Easton, Sloane has good taste! It's so beautiful, and it suits me so well…" Easton couldn't hear a word of what Keke said after that. He recognized the bracelet. He knew that it was an heirloom of the Chapman family. Easton stood still for a long moment before hastily heading upstairs. When he pushed open the bedroom door, he saw Sloane sitting at her vanity. Her long curls cascaded down her shoulders. Her bare face, free of makeup, carried an unmistakable coldness. She didn't even look up at him. "What is it?" she asked. For once, Easton didn't carry his usual careless demeanor. His gaze was serious. "Lo, I won't take her to Edden if you don't want me to. "Don't worry. I only have fun with those other women. I promised you that I'd only see Edden's scenery with you." Sloane almost laughed. She wouldn't believe a word Easton said anymore. "Are you done talking? If so, I'd like to sleep now." From the moment Easton walked in, Sloane had been this indifferent. She was treating him like a stranger. Easton's heart pounded violently against his ribs. He opened his mouth, but his palms had already begun to sweat. A voice echoing in his mind grew louder. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. A text message regarding a confirmed flight booking popped up. Easton's grip on his phone tightened, and his fingertips turned pale from the pressure. Why? Why did things change? Sloane used to get jealous. Now that she was exactly as he had once wished her to be, his chest felt heavy for some reason. Easton snapped back to reality when Keke's messages popped up on the screen. "Easton, my stomach hurts. I want you to hold me. "I haven't had my period in two months. Do you think I'm pregnant? "But I really want to go to Edden. If I am pregnant, does that mean I have to behave and stop going everywhere…" Easton stared at the continuous stream of text messages. His fingertip hovered over the screen before he canceled his trip to Edden. … After Easton left, Sloane leaned against the headboard, having just finished a video call with Wilder. Then, a message from Easton came through. A smirk of contempt curled her lips as she stared at the message. "Lo, I'm not taking Keke to Edden. I won't allow anyone to ruin our beautiful memories." Beautiful memories? All she remembered from their seven-year marriage was a mess of filth and pain. Sloane let out a mocking laugh and turned off the screen. Easton, who hadn't come home for several days, was probably busy comforting Keke. Sloane had already seen Keke's posts flooding Easton's social media. They were likely set to be visible only to her. In Keke's posts, the pampered Easton, who never lifted a finger in the kitchen, was now cooking meals for her. Sloane's fingers stiffened slightly when she saw a picture of them walking a dog hand in hand at sunset. She remembered how Easton had always said he disliked furry pets because of their shedding. A wave of bitterness welled up in her chest. Of course, everything about that special someone could become an exception. Sloane liked the post. On the third-to-last day of the cooling-off period, Sloane received a reminder of the countdown on her phone. Sloane transferred back the shares Easton had given her when they got married. She wanted no ties to the Chapman family. On the second-to-last day, she instructed Josh to put the villa up for sale and moved into a new house near Wilder's school. Since it was marital property, it belonged to her. She had no reason to be merciful.