Third Person's POV
Couldn't take any more of it, Hattie turned and ran away, her face buried in her hands.
Edmond watched her retreat, his lips pressing into a faint frown. But the expression barely lasted before he smoothed it over, returning to his role as the picture-perfect husband.
Soon, Leigh’s delighted giggle broke the tension. She clutched her father’s hand and beamed up at him. “Daddy! You haven’t come to the amusement park with Mommy and me in so long!”
Edmond crouched down to her level and warmly said, “Daddy’s been busy, sweetheart. But once work slows down, I’ll take you and Mommy on a big trip. Just the three of us.”
Haven stood quietly to the side, her face calm as she listened to his promises. Deep down, her heart was a hollow shell—too battered to be moved by his words.
'There won’t be a chance for that though,' she thought bitterly.
For two long hours, Edmond stayed at the amusement park with his family. But when his phone rang, he immediately left them, using his work again as his reason.
As such, Leigh’s cheerful mood crumbled. She tugged on her mother’s hand with disappointment and poutingly said, “Mommy, Daddy said he’d stay and play with us. Why did he leave again?”
Haven knelt down, brushing a strand of hair from her daughter’s face. “Because, promises are meant to be broken, sweetheart. So, never trust a man’s promises too easily in the future.”
Leigh’s young mind couldn’t quite grasp the weight of her mother’s words, but she nodded anyway. “Okay, Mommy.”
Her innocent obedience made Haven smile despite herself. Leigh was her one solace in this loveless marriage, her greatest blessing.
But that fleeting happiness evaporated when they returned home, and she received another provocative video from Hattie.
In the video, surveillance footage captured Edmond kissing a tearful Hattie, murmuring endearments like “Baby, you’re breaking my heart.”
But Hattie sniffled, glaring at him. “I’m not your baby! You were so mean to me at the amusement park.”
Edmond then pulled an elegant necklace from his pocket and clasped it around her neck. “Take this as an apology, okay? I hate seeing you cry.”
As the video ended, Hattie’s voice messages followed, each one more venomous than the last:
“You’re a good actress, Aunt Haven. Pretending like nothing’s wrong even though you know everything. But then, what else can a housewife like you do but stay silent?”
“Well, I get it. You can’t give up the luxury he provides, so you settle for crumbs, so long as he comes home at night. How pathetic!”
“Do you know how much Edmond and I love each other? He can’t go three days without me. Just last week, he made me wear lace lingerie under a coat and meet him in the car because he couldn’t wait.”
“He said he’s never felt this captivated by anyone before. Tell me, Aunt Haven, was he always so unsatisfied with you? Maybe that’s why he finally discovered what it’s like to be with a real woman—with me.”
After listening to it, Haven stared at the screen with her heart filled with bitter irony.
Edmond had once vowed she’d never face humiliation in their marriage. Yet here she was, drowning in it—all of it served by his hand.
How ironic.
As her thoughts swirled, Edmond, who had been “busy with work” but was actually busy with Hattie, hugged her from behind. “What’s got you so distracted? You didn’t even notice I came home.”
Haven clicked off her phone screen and turned slightly. “I was reading something about infidelity in marriage,” she said, her voice as steady as ever.
As expected, Edmond stiffened for a split second before regaining his composure.
Seemingly oblivious to his reaction, she tilted her head and asked, “Edmond, why do you think wedding vows made at the altar turn into empty words after marriage? Is it because people change, or were they just rotten to begin with?”
Edmond’s expression flickered with unease, but he quickly tightened his embrace around Haven, as if terrified that loosening his grip would make her disappear.
