My hand paused mid-air, the knife nearly grazing my skin. Setting down the knife, I gently fed her a slice of the apple.
"Grandma, he's been really busy with work lately."
"Being busy is a good thing. Henry is such a dedicated young man, and he treated you well. That makes me feel reassured.
I forced a strained smile. Grandmother had a deep affection for Henry. Despite my parents' reservations, she had advocated for him, comparing him to my late grandfather, Albert Collins. She defied all opposition to ensure Henry and I married. Even the initial funding for Henry's startup had been quietly provided by my grandmother.
"Grandma, what if I were to consider divorcing Henry..."
"What's wrong? What happened? Why would you suddenly bring up divorce? Don't be rash, Wendy. Henry has always treated you so well."
"No, no, Grandma, I was just joking."
Rising from my seat, I carefully adjusted the quilt around Grandma, then swiftly made an excuse. "Grandma, I'll head back and make you something to eat."
Turning away abruptly, I nearly broke down in tears. How pathetic.
Once home, I busied myself with preparing dishes. Grandma had always loved the ratatouille I made.
Henry finally returned, wrapping me in an embrace with an apologetic expression, explaining that his absence was due to the overwhelming demands of his company.
Was he busy at work or was he busy with the women?
As he spoke, a familiar, inferior scent of sunflowers filled the air, sending a chill down my spine. It was the favorite scent of his first lover. Whenever I brought home a bouquet of sunflowers, he would say, "Wendy, don't be jealous. She's gone."
Indeed, she had passed away. She was a remarkable young woman. I heard she stayed behind during the earthquake evacuation to ensure all the children were safe, tragically losing her life under the rubble.
I never once considered myself in competition with that girl. My fondness for sunflowers was purely my own, stemming from a place of genuine affection.
But as I watched Henry struggle to hold back his tears, I swallowed my own words and abandoned sunflowers as my favorite flower. I chose tulips instead.
But now he let Melissa use sunflower-scented perfume. I pushed him away..
He was supposed to feel guilty for me, but also for the girl.
"I understand. Excuse me, I need to take food to Grandma."