Chapter 5

After a brief embrace, he stared at me for what felt like forever. His intense gaze made me a little uncomfortable, so I lightly smacked him on the arm, like I always used to.

“What’s with you? It’s been so long. You don’t recognize me anymore?”

I would never have done something like that in front of Eric. He would never allow me to act so casually in public. His ego wouldn't have it.

After what seemed like a long silence, his voice trembled slightly. “You’ve lost so much weight, and you look… exhausted. Are you not doing well?”

I sighed. I could never hide anything from him.

“I’m fine,” I replied, trying to sound indifferent. “I’m just recently divorced, and I had a miscarriage, so I’m still a little weak.”

His face froze for a moment, showing a mix of emotions—relief, anger, and concern all at once. However, after years of unspoken understanding, he didn’t ask any questions. Instead, he silently handed me a hand warmer and shifted his body slightly to block the wind from hitting me directly.

We chatted the entire ride, our conversation flowing. The awkwardness I expected from not seeing each other for so long never appeared.

He had arranged everything for me. The apartment he found was right across from his. When I moved in, I realized he had prepared everything down to the last detail. My daily necessities were all stocked, and even the books on the desk were placed in the exact way I preferred.

After settling in, I immediately asked him to take me to the site where I would be working. He hesitated for a moment, his expression filled with concern, but in the end, he didn’t argue.

“Alright,” was all he said.

When we arrived at the site, excavation work was only halfway done. I had expected to feel out of place as someone joining in the middle of a project, but that awkwardness didn’t happen either.

I gave a quick introduction, and everyone stopped what they were doing to give me a nod.

“You must be Professor Tess. We’ve heard so much about you. Since you’re here, let’s get to work.”

There wasn’t much small talk, but somehow, it felt like I had been working with them for ages.

I glanced at Chris, knowing he must have smoothed things over for me. I’d always struggled with social interactions, and he knew that better than anyone.

He gave me a warm smile and handed me my tools. On the way here, he had briefed me on the details of the dig site.

Once I put on my gear, I got into work mode. I thought it would feel strange to be back after all these years, that I might not know where to start. However, it was like these skills were ingrained in me. Although I fumbled a bit at first, I quickly found my rhythm.

After a long day’s work, my body was exhausted, but my mind was buzzing with energy. During dinner, I excitedly talked to Chris about what we had uncovered that day.

He gave me a big smile, pushing some food toward me. “Alright, alright, Professor Tess. Can we eat first?”

I finally quieted down and finished my meal. When I got back to my place, I expected to feel uncomfortable in the unfamiliar surroundings, but to my surprise, I fell asleep the moment my head hit the pillow.

After a few days, I had adjusted to that new routine. Every morning, I would forget to eat breakfast, but Chris always had a warm meal waiting for me in the car. By the time we reached the dig site, I would have finished it.

One day, a news crew came to interview us about the progress. Everyone unanimously pushed me forward.

“Professor Tess, you should do it. You’re the best at speaking.”

I sighed and shook my head, removing my protective helmet. My hair spilled down as I took the microphone and began explaining the project in detail. What I didn’t expect was how much attention that little interview would attract.

A few days later, a sleek Lamborghini pulled up to the site—a rare sight in that small town. Some of the younger girls around me squealed excitedly.

“Oh my gosh, I see the owner! He’s so handsome!”

“I wonder what he’s doing here. Maybe he’s here to win back his long-lost love?”

I knocked their heads playfully. “You’ve been reading too many romance novels.”

During our lunch break, I got a call from an unfamiliar number. Due to my profession, I would rarely ignore unknown calls.

There was silence on the other end, which made me frown. “Hello? Is anyone there? If not, I’m hanging up.”

Finally, a voice spoke, hoarse and hurried. “It’s me, Tess. It’s Eric.”

It took me a second to register who it was. Being here, I had almost forgotten the people and the past I’d left behind.

I took the phone away from my ear and set it on the table. My voice was calm and cold.

“What is it? Have you signed the divorce papers?”

There was a clatter on the other end, like he had dropped the phone.

Then, his voice came back, urgent and panicked. “Why didn’t you tell me you were pregnant?”