On Our Anniversary, He Called Her Name Chapter 02

On Our Anniversary, He Called Her Name Chapter 02

A white sedan was parked at the entrance of the complex.

As I walked over, the window rolled down, and River Lord’s face appeared.

She smiled at me.

It was a light little smile, like it had slipped out by accident, or like she had done it on purpose.

“Sis,” she said. “Is Shew home?”

I didn’t stop.

I walked around the front of her car.

Behind me, she called out, “He seemed really tired last night. I was worried about him, so I came to check.”

I stopped.

When I turned around, she had already gotten out of the car.

She wore a white dress, her hair loose over her shoulders, her face clean and bare, without a trace of makeup.

I had seen that look plenty of times.

On Shew’s phone.

Outside his office building.

“He was very tired last night,” I said. “But he’s home.”

She paused.

“Sis, don’t misunderstand.”

“I didn’t,” I said. “Last night, he was so exhausted he couldn’t tell what was happening. He grabbed my hand and called your name twenty-three times. This morning, he woke up and told me he had finally waited long enough for you to say yes. You two are together now.”

Her face slowly flushed.

“Sis, I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to. I really didn’t know he had a family. He never told me.”

I looked at her.

Her eyes were already red. A little shine clung to her lashes, and she pressed her lips together, like she had suffered some terrible wrong and was desperately holding back tears.

I knew this routine too well.

“You know now,” I said. “He’s upstairs. Unit 301. Go up.”

She stood still.

Footsteps came from behind me.

Shew’s voice followed.

“River?”

I glanced back.

He had run out in slippers, his hair a mess, his shirt wrinkled. When he saw River standing there, his whole body stalled for a second before he hurried over.

He stepped in front of her.

Blocking her.

“What are you trying to do?” he asked, his voice low.

I almost laughed from sheer disbelief.

“What did I do?”

He stood in front of her, shielding her whole body behind him, as if he thought I might rush up and hit her.

“She didn’t know anything,” he said. “I was the one pursuing her. I was the one who lied and told her I wasn’t married. Blame me if you want. Don’t bother her.”

River said softly behind him, “Shew, don’t be like this. Sis didn’t say anything.”

I laughed out loud.

“I haven’t even said anything,” I said, “and you two already performed the whole scene.”

Shew frowned at me.

“Don’t be passive-aggressive.”

“Passive-aggressive?” I looked at him, then at the half of River’s face showing from behind him. “River Lord, didn’t you just apologize to me? You said you didn’t know he had a family. He said he lied to you. So which one of you is lying?”

River’s tears fell.

Shew glanced back at her. When he turned to me again, his face looked even colder.

“Enough,” he said. “I’ll sign the agreement. I’ll give you whatever you want. Don’t touch her.”

I looked at him.

Three years.

He had never looked at me like that.

He had never stood in front of me like that.

“What I want?” I said. “I don’t want anything. The agreement was blank to begin with. Fill it in yourself. Your parents made the down payment on the condo. I paid the mortgage for three years, so calculate it and transfer that amount to my card. The car is yours. Drive it away. I’ll take my own things.”

He froze.

River stepped out from behind him and tugged his sleeve.

“Shew, don’t be like this. I’m fine.”

Shew caught her hand in his and held it tight.

I looked at their clasped hands and suddenly felt bored.

“Enough,” I said. “I’ll come Monday to pick up my things. You two do whatever you need to do.”

I turned and walked toward the exit.

After a dozen steps, footsteps chased after me.

It was River.

She ran over, panting, and grabbed my arm.

“Sis,” she said quietly, “I really didn’t know he had a wife. If I had known, I never would’ve said yes. Please believe me.”

I lowered my eyes to the hand gripping my arm.

Her nails were beautifully done, decorated with tiny sparkling pieces.

“Let go.”

She didn’t.

“Sis, don’t blame him. This is all my fault.”

I pulled my arm free.

“River Lord,” I said, “do you know what annoys me most about you?”

She looked at me.

“It’s not that you like him,” I said. “It’s that every time you show up, you look exactly like this. You know everything, but you act more innocent than anyone. He chased you for three years. You didn’t say yes earlier. You didn’t say yes later. You just had to say yes yesterday. Do you know what day yesterday was?”

Her eyes flickered.

“Our wedding anniversary.”

She said nothing.

“For three years, the flowers he sent you, the dinners he arranged for you, the excuses he made for you, you took every single one. You didn’t know he had a wife? You didn’t know every time before he came home, he had been with you?”

Her tears fell again.

“Sis, I really…”

“Don’t call me sis,” I said. “I don’t have a sister like you.”

I turned and left.

This time, she didn’t follow.

When I reached the bus stop, my phone rang.

It was a message from Shew.

“I signed the agreement. It’s on the shoe cabinet by the door. Tell me before you come back to pick it up. I’ll take her out so you don’t have to see me.”

I stared at that line for a long time.

The bus came.

I got on and found a seat by the window.

My phone lit up again.

Still him.

“She’s been wronged for three years. That won’t happen anymore.”