Chapter 201

Philip's POV

The sound of the door closing echoed through my empty apartment.Mother had finally left, abandoning me to the company of scattered bottles strewn across the floor. I lay back on the sofa, my head pounding mercilessly, though compared to the agony in my heart, this physical pain hardly registered.

I stared at the faint water stain on the ceiling. It had been there since I moved in. The layout of this place was deliberately similar to the home I once shared with Annie-the only difference being the glaring absence of Annie and Brian.

Just me and these empty bottles.

I closed my eyes, allowing memories to wash over me like a relentless tide.Annie's face appeared vividly-her smile, her furrowed brow when concerned, her profile when focused on work. It suddenly dawned on me that throughout our entire marriage, Annie had always been the one taking care of me, while I had barely taken care of her at all.

Even during those difficult months when she was pregnant with Brian,I constantly used my "demanding Wall Street investment job" as an excuse to shirk my responsibilities as a husband and father. Yet Annie never complained. She always understood my pressure, never forcing me to share the burden of childcare.

A bitter smile crossed my face. As a wife, Annie was irreproachable; as a mother, Annie was devoted. The only person who had consistently failed was me.

I remembered when Annie was pregnant-I had just started making decent money on Wall Street. But fearing potential financial crises at the company, I was reluctant to spend money on Annie's maternity expenses.I even made her handle the hospital bills for Brian's birth herself.

How absurd that thinking seemed now! Annie was just a pregnant woman who had moved from Boston to New York for marriage-how was she supposed to earn money? These things I once took for granted now seemed unbelievably cruel.

I fumbled for my phone, my fingers trembling from alcohol and emotion. I dialed Annie's number from an unfamiliar line she wouldn't recognize.

"Hello?" My voice quavered, barely recognizable as my own.

On the other end. Annie's voice was slightly breathless, noticeably hurried:"What is it?"

I frowned. Her tone carried a hint of impatience, and she sounded as though she'd just been engaged in some physical activity.Without dwelling on this, I asked the question burning in my mind:

"When you gave birth to Brian back then, I didn't give you a single cent.Where did you get the money for your hospital stay?"

Each word felt like I was slowly tearing my own heart apart. A burning sensation clutched at my throat-was it the alcohol or my own guilt? I couldn't tell.

Annie was silent for a moment. During this pause, I thought I heard the faint rustling of fabric.

"I earned it myself," she finally answered, her voice jarringly calm.

My hand involuntarily tightened around the phone, knuckles turning white. "But after we got together, you spent every day taking care of me.You were heavily pregnant-where did you find time to work?"

As I spoke, tears streamed uncontrollably down my face. My chest felt as though someone had stomped on it, making it nearly impossible to breathe.

On the other end, Annie slightly adjusted her position; I heard the sound of sheets rustling. This detail made my heart clench, but I forced myself to focus on our conversation.

"Time?" Annie's voice remained steady, devoid of emotion. "If you're willing to squeeze it in. there's always time,isn't there?"

My mind flashed to recent reflections on my behavior. When I was wwith Sarah,she was accustomed to the lavish lifestyle of an Upper East Side socialite. Any piece of jewelry she casually purchased was worth more than all the money I had spent on Annie during our years together.

My stomach suddenly convulsed, nausea rising in my throat.

"Weren't you exhausted?" I asked, my voice nearly breaking.

"Of course I was. But thank goodness I persevered, otherwise I might not have had enough money for the hospital when giving birth."

Words failed me as I painfully realized that while other women could rely on their husbands duríng childbirth, I had been completely unreliable. I wiped my tears with the back of my hand, only to find they wouldn't stop flowing.

Just then, I heard a deep voice in the background-quiet,but clear enough for me to understand:′′I2ve got the water."

My heart began racing. It was Howard's voice. Why was Howard with Annie? And he sounded so...casual? Relaxed? Intimate?

Annie didn't respond to him, instead continuing to address me: "Actutally,there's something I've never been able to understand. When we first started dating, I was considerate of you, trying to help you save money.But somehow, by the end, it seemed like I just wasn't worthy anymore."

Her voice was calm and detached, as if describing something that had nothing to do with her. But I noticed her breathing seemed more steady now, no longer carrying that slight shortness from before.

"I'm sorry," I said, my voice shaking, my heart twisting in agony. The bottle in my hand slipped to the floor, the sound of shattering glass painfully loud in the quiet apartment.

"Don't you think it's too late to say these things now?" Annie asked casually. "Back when I needed money, when I needed someone to take care of me, you didn't treat me as your wife-you treated me as your enemy. Even when I was giving birth... you thought it was something I wanted for myself, that I should handle it on my own. You wouldn't help me at all."

I heard slight movement from the other end, Annie's breathing softly changing, followed by a brief silence. Something seemed hidden in that silence, making my heart beat faster as an ominous feeling spread through my chest.

"But now, it's all in the past. There's no need for either of us to keep living with bad memories," Annie continued, her voice carrying a barely perceptible distraction. "I've moved on. I hope you can move on too, and find a new life soon. It's best if you don't come around bothering me."

Just then, I heard the unmistakable sound of a mattress shifting slightly,followed by Howard's voice, closer now: "Put this shirt on, you'll catch cold.

This was no longer a whisper in the background-he was right beside Annie. My heart felt as if someone had seized it, making breathing difficult.

"Thank you." Annie's voice suddenly turned soft and sweet,completely different from the cold tone she had used with me.

Then I heard the soft sound of a kiss.

My stomach churned violently, bitter liquid rising in my throat. I understood everything-Annie and Howard had just been making love.Now they were probably lying in bed together, Howard thoughtfully taking care of her.

My trembling hand could barely hold the phone as all the blood in my body seemed to rush to my head, creating a buzzing in my ears.

"Sorry for the disturbance," I managed to choke out, my voice unrecognizably hoarse, then hung up.

I rushed to the bathroom, violently vomiting into the toilet. The mixture of bile and alcohol burned my throat, but the physical discomfort paled in comparison to the agony in my heart.

I collapsed onto the cold tiles, tears mixing with vomit. Why could other Wall Street executives treat their partners well, cherishing them after marriage, while I failed so completely?

I had given Annie neither love nor financial support-I had actively undermined her at every turn. And now, she had found a man who truly loved and respected her-Howard.

I leaned against the wall, utterly drained. I finally understood how much Annie must have loved me to accept my behavior without conditions. And I had destroyed that love with my own hands.

But now, for me, it was all too late.

Far too late.