chapter 3

After seeing the doctor, hours had passed.

I told the doctor it was just a stomachache, so he gave me some basic meds. After I took them, I felt a lot better.

While we were walking out, Mabel finally spoke up.

"Stephie, check your phone. Maybe Maverick's been trying to reach you. He's also responsible for your current condition."

Even though I tried to stop her, Mabel turned on my phone anyway.

There was nothing new, except for the same three messages from before.

Mabel's expression twisted into a deep scowl.

I stared at my phone as the screen faded, smiling bitterly. "Maybe it makes no difference to him whether I'm around or not."

I'd gotten used to this kind of disappointment. I didn't expect anything anymore.

"He's probably just caught up with work."

Worried that I might feel upset, she was still trying to defend Maverick. But then, she turned and noticed him walking toward us from a short distance away.

And right beside him stood another woman.

"Oh my, is that ... Reagan? Why did she come back?"

Mabel gasped in a low voice, clutching my hand tightly and shaking it. "Stephie, that woman's trying to steal your husband!"

Steal? Maybe Maverick was never mine to begin with.

I stayed where I was, but Mabel couldn't stay quiet anymore.

"No, I need to ask Maverick what's going on. His marriage is falling apart, and he's not even worried. Instead, he's here at the hospital with another woman!"

Mabel must've spoken too loudly, because the two of them noticed us right away.

When I looked up, I saw the surprise in Maverick's eyes.

"Why are you in the hospital?"

He looked genuinely concerned, then quickly explained, "Reagan twisted her ankle this morning, so I brought her in to get it checked."

I couldn't help but notice how carefully he held her, like she was something precious.

"Hi, Stephanie. It's been a while."

Reagan greeted me with a gentle smile, looking just as lovely as ever.

Standing next to her, I felt pale and drained.

"It has," I replied flatly, not in the mood to talk, and turned to leave.

Maverick reached for my arm. "Where are you going? Are you feeling sick? I'll take you home."

"Do you even have time?" I stopped and looked at him. "Shouldn't you be taking Ms. Brown back first?"

Reagan spoke apologetically, "I just returned and haven't found a place yet, so I stayed at Maverick's last night. I hope you don't mind. By the way, you didn't come home last night. Where did you go? Maverick was worried about you all night."

So he knew I was gone. And yet, he didn't come to find me, not until now.

We weren't even divorced yet, and he had already welcomed his first love into our home.

"I don't mind, Ms. Brown. Stay as long as you like. Maverick and I are already in the middle of a divorce."

I walked off without a second glance. What I didn't expect was for Maverick to come running after me, leaving Reagan behind.

"Say it clearly," he said.

...

At the end of the corridor, Maverick lit a cigarette. "Why are you bringing up divorce when nothing's even wrong? Just because I didn't spend our anniversary with you? Stephanie, I got you a gift. What more do you want?

"You know how packed my schedule is. It's already good that I remembered the date. I even chose the gift myself. What are you still upset about?

"Do you have to stir things up every single year? Don't you ever get tired of this? Because I sure do."