Chapter 2

A few seconds of silence on the other end, then another voice message came through. Ethan's tone was light, amused. "Tired? What do you want to eat then? I'll bring something home."

Before, I would have replied instantly. This time, I didn't respond at all.

At six in the evening, the door lock clicked. Ethan walked in carrying a bag of groceries. Lily trailed behind him.

She was wearing a yellow sundress today. The moment she stepped inside, she called out with a grin, "Mrs. Reed, look how much Ethan spoils you. He heard you didn't even want to go shopping, so he dragged me around the supermarket for ages picking out ribs."

Ethan changed his shoes, set the bag in the kitchen, and then came out.

"Claire, we have a guest. We can't just let her sit here hungry. How about you make a few dishes?"

He smiled and held out an apron to me. I didn't take it.

In my mind, I suddenly flashed back to the year he'd made associate professor. For the sake of his career, I'd given up my own field and stepped behind him, becoming the quiet, presentable wife.

I thought that was love.

But all I'd earned was his sense of entitlement.

These past few years, whenever he mentioned Lily, his eyes lit up. He'd secretly bought her work at inflated prices just to boost her confidence. He always had fairness on his lips, yet he'd put her name on his papers.

But in nine years, did he even remember what his wife liked—beyond the kitchen, the bills, and the dinner table?

My phone buzzed in my pocket.

I looked down and swiped the screen open. It was the final review notification for the classified program.

"Please confirm that you are currently single. Click 'Confirm' to complete the signature."

My thumb hovered over the screen for half a second.

Then Lily snatched the phone right out of my hand.

"Oh, what's this? Some kind of game? It's asking Mrs. Reed to confirm whether she's single?"

She held up my phone, tilting her head as she read the line aloud. Her voice was innocent, but her eyes were fixed directly on Ethan.

"Ethan, what do you think?"

Ethan blinked, then laughed, casually draping an arm around my shoulder.

"We've been married for years. How could she possibly be single?"

Lily didn't give the phone back. Instead, she held the screen closer to Ethan's face, her voice dropping low.

"Really?"

Just two words. But all three people in the room understood perfectly.

She wasn't asking me.

She was asking Ethan.

You just said "married for years." Who exactly were you talking about?

I didn't speak. I just watched them quietly.

The smile on Ethan's face froze for half a second. His gaze settled on Lily. She didn't look away, her chin slightly raised, a faint smile still resting on her lips—like she was waiting for an answer she'd already heard thirty-eight times before.

"Stop messing around." Ethan treated it like a harmless joke, reached over, and casually tapped the confirm button. "It's just a game."

A notification popped up on the screen.

"Confirmation successful."

This seemingly offhand choice made Lily smile with satisfaction. She pushed the phone back into my hand, then leaned sideways into Ethan's arm.

"Ethan, honestly—confirming it for her like that. What if it's something important?"

Ethan chuckled and pulled on the apron, heading toward the kitchen.

"My wife's business is my business."

Lily pouted, then pressed further on purpose. "Your wife? Which wife?"

Ethan glanced back at her, his tone indulgent.

"Who else could it be?"

Their laughter echoed through the living room.

I looked down at the fine print that had just appeared on my screen.

"Your original identity will be deactivated within 72 hours. This process is irreversible."