Chapter 2
Jean looked up at me with her eyebrows slightly pulled together. Then, she asked, her voice sharp like a blade.
“Who’s she? The housekeeper we hired?” she asked like it was nothing.
My face turned red, and I opened my mouth to answer, but before I could say a word, I heard Collin say, “Yeah.”
Ronan paused. He looked up, those eyes that looked just like his dad’s, flicking between me and Jean.
His lips moved like he wanted to speak, but in the end, he just lowered his head and leaned in closer to her. He didn’t say a word.
It felt like someone dropped my heart into a bucket of ice.
However, I just pressed my dry lips together and walked toward the kitchen like a robot.
“Just leave the food there,” Collin said behind me. “You can clock out early today. You don’t need to stay.”
I froze for a second. At that moment, it was like something invisible had wrapped around my chest, squeezing tight.
My nails dug into my palms. It hurt so much I wanted to cry.
I nodded, turned around, and walked toward the door.
As the cold night air hit my face, I realized I had forgotten my coat.
However, I was not about to go back.
For some reason, I glanced over my shoulder.
Through the big glass window, I saw Ronan curled up in Jean’s arms again. Collin sat beside her, his arm casually resting along the back of the couch.
The three of them sat under the warm lights, talking and smiling. They looked like a perfect little family, like something straight out of a magazine ad.
In the glass, I could see my reflection–blurry, holding a plastic bag, and dressed in plain clothes.
My eyes stung from the tears threating to fall.
I did not know where to go, so I just kept walking through the streets.
I knew Collin had an ex–wife who was also his first love. I also knew they had been deeply in love once. The only reason they broke up was that she was determined to build a career overseas.
And Ronan was their kid.
Maybe he was just being polite?
Maybe he did not want to make things awkward for her?
My mind was a mess. I could not tell if I was trying to make myself feel better or just running away from the truth.
I could not help but think about the first time I met Collin.
A
It was freezing that day. I was wearing faded jeans and a hand–me- down puffy coat my cousin gave me. I stood outside the village
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Chapter 2
committee building, stomping my feet to keep warm.
My dad had been inside talking about a land deal for two hours. My fingers were bright red from the cold.
“Jane, come in and make some tea!” my dad called from the window.
The meeting room was full of smoke. A few local officials and two men in suits were sitting around a long table.
I kept my head down and walked to the water dispenser in the corner. Then, I started making some Earl Grey tea, the kind we always used for guests.
Then a deep voice spoke up, “Mr. Mackey, is this your daughter?”
I accidentally scalded my hand with the boiling water, and I looked up, locking eyes with someone whose gaze felt like a dark pool.
He was sitting at the head of the table. He was probably in his thirties, with sharp features and a face that was both strong and handsome.
