Chapter 2

My name is Vivian Ruan.

Gem is the nickname Ethan gave me.

I still remember that day—his eyes bright, almost shy, as he carefully pulled me into his arms.

"Your name is Vivian. So can I call you Gem?"

"Like a treasure. My Gem."

It had only been a little over a thousand days. How did we end up here?

The wisdom tooth throbbed again, the taste of blood spreading through my mouth.

I clenched my fists and finally said, quietly:

"Fine."

Ethan ordered a lot of food and lined the containers across the table.

"Gem, come eat."

I looked at the dishes and immediately lost my appetite.

"Ethan, I'm allergic to fish and shrimp."

Ethan opened his mouth, a rare look of panic flashing across his face.

"Sorry. I forgot."

"Chloe's been ordering from this place for us lately. I thought it tasted good, figured I'd let you try it too."

I tugged at the corner of my mouth. Suddenly I had no energy to speak.

Chloe again.

Maybe Ethan didn't even realize how often her name came up, slipping from his lips like a reflex.

I dragged my gaze down, walked over, and scooped Mochi into my arms.

The cat squirmed at first, but as if sensing my mood, she went still after a moment, curling quietly against my chest.

Ethan looked up, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.

"Find a time to take Mochi to your mom's place. The shedding is getting out of control."

"Someone at the clinic's been having allergic reactions."

I thought of Chloe, the woman I'd seen earlier that day, and couldn't stop myself from asking.

"Is it Chloe?"

Ethan's hand stiffened. He didn't answer.

The emotions I'd been holding back began to fracture. I stood up, eyes burning.

"Her again! It's always her!"

"Ethan, I'm begging you—I really can't hear that name anymore."

My tearful plea made Ethan freeze. His mind seemed to go blank.

Then irritation surfaced in his eyes, his expression cooling several degrees.

"Vivian, you've been having breakdowns too often lately."

"Find a time to see a doctor. I'll make an appointment for you."

He said nothing else, cleared the table in silence, and disappeared into the guest room.

Click. The lock turned.

Tears fell, splattering onto Mochi's fur.

She looked up at me, confused, then tentatively reached out her tongue and licked my palm.

I forced a weak smile and wiped my eyes hard.

I didn't sleep the entire night. I packed everything I owned.

Just before dawn, I tucked Mochi into her carrier and headed for the door.

The guest room lock clicked open. Ethan looked up and saw the suitcase in my hand. His jaw tightened.

"Gem, where are you going?"

Mochi cried anxiously from inside the carrier. I avoided his eyes.

"To get my tooth taken care of."

Ethan pressed his lips together.

"You need that much luggage for a dentist visit?"

"Or were you never planning to come back? All because I mentioned Chloe a few times—is that really worth all this?"

His words knocked the air out of me. My eyes stung again.

Ethan sighed. His voice softened.

"Come to our clinic. I'll do the extraction myself."

I froze.

He crossed the room in two strides, took the suitcase from my hand, and silently unpacked everything I'd spent all night organizing, placing each item back where it belonged.

When he was done, he looked at me. His Adam's apple bobbed.

"Okay?"