Chapter 2
“Ann!”
Rapid footsteps echoed in the corridor.
David strode over, his face full of undisguised worry and urgency.
He walked straight up to Ann’s side,
never once letting his gaze stray in my direction.
“Your body hasn’t healed yet,” he scolded,
“why aren’t you resting? It’s so late—it’s dangerous to be out here with the kid.”
Watching the devotion in his eyes, every muscle in my body went stiff and tense like I had seen a ghost.
Ann, however, took a step back to avoid him,
her expression calm and distant.
“Mr. Johnson,” she said coolly, “our contract is over.”
She hugged the child closer and turned to leave.
David’s body moved on instinct—he reached out,
about to chase after her.
He’d barely taken a step when he suddenly remembered me.
He stopped, turned around, a flicker of guilt and panic on his face.
“Ashley, I…”
He looked like he was trying to find an explanation.
“I didn’t know Ann was pregnant back then. This is all my fault. I’ll fix it. I swear.
Just… don’t be mad, okay?”
I smiled lightly.
“Okay,” I said. “Go.”
David hesitated for half a minute, but in the end, he still couldn’t resist.
He hurried after Ann.
The corridor went silent again.
I slipped off the still‑warm engagement ring on my finger, a ring that suddenly felt freezing cold.
My voice was barely above a whisper, like I was talking to him, but also to myself.
“David,” I said softly,
“I’m not going to fall over the same man twice.”
David disappeared for five days before he finally remembered to call me.
“Ashley, can we meet?”
His voice was as gentle as ever.
I was silent.
He’d vanished without a word for five days.
How could he act as if nothing had happened?
“There’s no need. I—”
David cut me off, leaving no room for refusal.
“Let’s talk face‑to‑face, okay? I booked that Michelin restaurant
you’ve always wanted to try. It’s really hard to get a table there.”
I bit my lip.
In the end, I said “well”.
Fine. Some things needed to be said in person.
I grabbed my bag, ordered an Uber,
and went to the address he’d sent me.
The moment I arrived, he wrapped an arm naturally around my waist, leaning to kiss me.
My body moved faster than my brain.
I flinched back, dodging his lips.
David froze for a second, then forced an easy smile, like he was indulging me for being unreasonable.
“I can explain…”
I cut him off.
“We need to talk.”
The words had barely left my mouth when a sudden commotion broke out outside.
A sharp female voice rang out: “Let go of me!”
David’s shoulders tensed.
He shot to his feet.
“Wait here,” he said.
Then he was gone.
My instincts told me to follow.
I opened the door—and saw Ann cornered against a wall
by a drunk homeless man.
David lunged in front of her.
He swung his fist, slamming it into the man’s face, shielding Ann with his own body.
“Are you okay?” he asked anxiously.
He half‑held her as he checked her over, his tone edged with barely suppressed fury.
“Where did he touch you?”
The scene stabbed straight into my eyes like a shard of glass.
Once Ann’s panic faded, she brushed David’s hands away and lifted her chin,
trying to sound strong and steady.
“How is this any of your business?” she snapped.
Pain flickered through David’s eyes. He gritted his teeth.
“Did he lay a hand on you?” he asked.
“I’m going to cut his hand off.”
“What’s the point of you doing all this now?”
Ann’s eyes were red, but she stubbornly refused to let her tears fall.
“You treated me like her stand‑in back then.
What are you treating me as now?”
David fell silent for a long moment.
When he finally spoke, his voice was hoarse.
“I don’t know,” he said quietly.
“But I really do… have feelings for you.”
I felt my blood turn to ice.
“You mean you’ve fallen in love with me?”
Ann pressed, giving him no room to dodge.
There was another long stretch of silence.
When he finally answered, David sounded exhausted.
“If Ashley didn’t exist,” he said slowly,
“I probably… really would have fallen in love with you.”
Every word was horribly clear, like a knife twisting ruthlessly into Ann’s heart.
It left her no space to pretend, no room to lie to herself.
Who was the real stand‑in here?
Maybe even David couldn’t tell anymore.
Without thinking, he chased after her again.
I watched his back disappear down the hallway.
