Chapter 2 Nothing New

Four years later.

“Papa…? Hello? Papa, when will you be home?”

Felly sighed heavily witnessing Kimberly—her three years old child with Archer, talking to herself with her baby talk, on a toy phone she pressed against her right ear.

Felly felt sorry for Kimberly, seeing how much she missed her father, who was never home for the past month.

“Papa …,” Kimberly whined with teary eyes.

Felly stopped what she was doing, which was sketching a wedding dress design for her client. She put her drawing book and pencil on the table. She then scooped up Kimberly who was sitting by her side to her lap.

“Kimmy, do you miss Papa?”

“Yes, Mama. I want Papa.”

Felly smiled gently as she caressed the top of her daughter’s head affectionately. “Papa is working, dear. He will be home soon. You need to be patient for a little longer. Can you do that, Kimmy?”

Kimberly pouted. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she started crying. Maybe she was upset, because every time she wanted to meet her father, Felly always gave her the same answer. Yet in reality, Archer was never home.

As time went on, the chubby girl’s cries became louder and louder, even Felly was having a hard time soothing her. Felly rose with Kimberly in her arms. She tried to call Archer, but she could not reach his phone.

[“When will you be home? Kimmy is crying because she misses you.”]

Felly hesitated to send the text to Archer.

Kimberly’s cries did not give her much time to give it more thought, she finally sent the text to Archer.

Felly hoped Archer would soon turn on his phone and read her text. At least, a video call with him would satisfy Kimberly’s longing even a little.

Unfortunately, until Kimberly fell asleep in her cries an hour later, Archer’s phone was still off. Felly laid Kimberly down in bed carefully, then pulled a blanket up her chest.

“Forgive us, kid,” Felly muttered as she wiped the remaining of Kimberly’s tears on her reddish cheeks. “We are yet to become good parents to you.”

Felly stared at her daughter sadly.

Kimberly’s face was the female version of Archer’s. Their appearance was exactly similar. Felly was relieved Archer still loved their daughter, although his attitude towards her never changed in the last four years. Cold and indifferent. Archer did not even look Felly in the eyes.

Archer was a completely different person in front of their parents. He turned into a sweet and warm man as if he was a good husband and father who loved his family dearly. Their parents never had any suspicions about their unhappy household.

Felly never complained and always hid their problems from her own parents. Nicko and Leica—her parents, were not the type to intervene with their child’s marriage.

Felly was sure if she had told her father how Archer acted for the past four years, Nicko would have been furious and reprimanded Archer. But Felly did not do that. There was no need for that, she could take care of her own marriage and household. She would prove to Archer that she was not a spoiled little girl who depended on her parents.

“Good night, dear,” Felly muttered after pressing her lips on Kimberly’s forehead for a time.

She turned off the lights and turned on the night lamp. She then closed the door to her daughter’s bedroom carefully.

Her throat felt dried and she intended to go down to the kitchen. As she walked down the stairs, she pulled tight the cardigan she wore on her pajamas.

Her steps halted as she reached the last staircase. The one whom Kimberly missed was finally home.

Felly was stunned.

If there was an award for the stupidest woman in the world, Felly was sure she would have won it. Yes, she thought she was stupid. She still missed Archer after a month of not meeting him, and she did not even know where that man went.

“Oh. You’re home?” Felly asked, making a small talk with a flat expression.

Archer glanced at her, then looked away reluctantly.

“Where is Kimberly?” His icy voice asked.

“Asleep.”

Felly walked towards the kitchen. Archer followed her with a raised eyebrow. “It’s only eight o’clock and she’s already asleep?”

“What, she should wait until twelve to sleep?”

Felly was making a snarky remark about Archer. That man usually came home very late at night. Archer was a young CEO who ran his parents’ company. Among people in the industry, Archer was known to be a clean businessman with a good attitude.

They did not know that behind his angelic mask was the devil himself. Yes, that part of him was only shown to Felly. Archer was a kind person to everyone, except her.

Archer snorted. He poured himself a glass of water and chugged it.

“How was she?”

Archer raised his eyebrows, he turned to Felly with a flat face. “What do you mean?”

“Didn’t you go abroad to be with your sick lover?”

Felly smiled bitterly when Archer looked shocked by her question. Felly was sure Archer did not expect her to find out that he used his work as an excuse to go to Singapore.

Felly figured it out because Kimberly had gone missing and she was panicked looking for her daughter. After ten minutes of looking, the kid was found in Archer’s office in their house. Kimberly was looking for Archer because the night before, he hadn’t said have time to talk to her. Archer’s leave was sudden and in a rush.

That was when Felly found a paper about a hospital in Singapore. At first, she did not have any suspicions. But the next day, Sarah—Felly’s best friend, heard that Bella went to Singapore for her treatment. From there, Felly concluded that Archer went to Singapore to be with Bella.

“So, you looked into it,” Archer sneered. “Didn’t I tell you to stay out of my business?”

“I have zero intention to intervene with your life, Archer. And I would never care about the two of you,” she replied sarcastically. “Do whatever you please. I wouldn’t care even if you two get married behind my back.”

Their marriage was a lie from the start. Archer was always absent. Archer only wanted to take revenge on Felly because he was still pained by his lover’s accident. The accident she caused.

Even after four years, Archer was still in contact with Bella.

Felly smiled bitterly as she remembered that fact.

Without Felly noticing, Archer clenched up his fist when he heard her words.

“She is disabled because of you, Felly. Don’t you dare forget that,” Archer hissed, which made Felly, who was about to leave, stop in her tracks. Felly turned around, staring at Archer with a flat face.

“Don’t worry. I will never forget,” she replied. “Thank you for always reminding me of my mistake almost every day.”

“It’s good that you remember it.”

Felly turned around. She wanted to stay away from that man. Facing Archer always drained her energy.

“Where are you going? I’m not finished with you.”

Archer’s cold words stopped Felly again. He approached her with a glare.

Felly did not understand. Was he not tired of giving her the same hateful glare every time they were alone?

“What else do you want? I’m tired. I want to sleep,” Felly said as she sighed.

“Felly, just because I wasn’t home, you think you could go on dates with your side piece?!”

***