Designer bags, jewelry, supplements—one after another.
When the servants collected them, they’d instinctively glance at me, then quickly look away.
Not a single item was meant for me.
This was their “punishment.” But I no longer cared, and it didn’t hurt anymore.
Because I knew my mother was innocent.
And now, there was only one day left before I left.
That evening, I unusually wanted to sit down and have a proper meal with Tucker.
Just to give this marriage a decent ending.
But the moment I stepped into the living room, I stopped.
I saw Kelsey standing on the balcony, practically pressed against Tucker.
She tilted her face up as she talked to him, her hand naturally hooked around his arm, her body relaxed and unguarded.
Tucker looked down at her, his expression gentle, his voice soft.
That ease—I hadn’t seen it in a long time.
I used to circle around him like that too, like a small bird with no sense of security.
I liked the calm focus in his eyes when he worked. I liked the way he stepped in front of me to chase off drunk men. I even liked how, when I casually said, “That stray cat stuck in the rocks looks so pitiful,” he would immediately pull over, roll up his sleeves, and go save it.
But he rarely responded to my love.
I could say “I like you” twenty times, and he would answer once, “I know.”
I wanted to be close like an ordinary married couple, but he always kept a distance.
In this house, only in bed could I be sure he felt any desire for me.
But now, with Kelsey, his closeness came so naturally.
Maybe this was the married life he truly wanted.
When I walked closer, I noticed that he paused and instinctively stepped back.
Kelsey’s expression darkened for a split second before smoothing out again.
“Honey, are you eating with us tonight?”
He seemed to be trying to ease the tension and asked proactively, “What do you feel like eating? I’ll cook.”
“Whatever.”
He went into the kitchen. It was the first time he’d ever cooked for me.
And yet, I didn’t feel even a trace of happiness…
Because he’d already cooked for Kelsey countless times.
Only she and I were left in the living room.
The obedient look on her face vanished immediately. She lowered her voice and said, “Verity, don’t you think you’re really in the way?”
She leaned closer, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Can’t you see how happy my brother and I are, just the two of us? Did you come over on purpose to interrupt us?”