Chapter 5

After saying this, she sat on the living room sofa, her finger hovering over the phone screen for a long time.

A minute passed before she finally pressed the number she knew by heart.

The "beep-beep" of the dial tone sounded unnaturally clear in the empty living room.

Seeing this, both children stopped fussing and eagerly awaited the outcome of Elaine's call.

The phone rang for ages, until Elaine's hand began to feel numb.

Finally, the call connected, and Arthur's impatient voice came through, "What is it now?"

As he finished speaking, Emily's soft voice was faintly audible in the background.

Elaine's heart clenched, and her throat tightened as she spoke, "Send someone to take Vera and Julius away."

"What did you say?"

Arthur's voice instantly dropped eight degrees, "Have you seen what's happening outside? You want the children to go out? Vera just recovered from her fever—shouldn't you be taking better care of them?"

"They're the ones demanding to see you and Emily."

Elaine's attitude wasn't as gentle as before, her tone toward Arthur carrying a hint of coldness.

"Just because of that?"

Arthur's voice was filled with frustration, "What do children understand? Stop being ridiculous and take them back to rest."

Just then, Emily's soft voice came through the phone, as if trying to mediate, "Arthur, am I causing trouble for you again? Maybe I should..."

"Don't worry about her."

Arthur's voice immediately softened, but when he returned to Elaine, it was cold as ice, "Even tantrums should consider the situation. Emily needs me right now. Just take care of the children properly."

Arthur's scolding through the phone included his defense of Emily. Elaine's hand gripping the phone paused.

A cold smile curved her lips, like an icicle in the dead of winter.

"Arthur, hand on your heart, how many complete meals have you had with the children in these four years? When Vera wanted you to pick her up from preschool, you said you were taking Emily to an art exhibition. When Julius was sick and needed his father's comfort, you said you were helping Emily with studio problems..."

"Are you deliberately bringing up old issues?"

Arthur's voice grew deeper, carrying offended anger. "Emily's situation is special. It's only right that I protect her. Haven't you always been there for the children?"

"Don't children need their father too? Whenever they needed you, you were with Emily..."

"Enough!"

Elaine was cut off mid-sentence by Arthur again.

Arthur's patience had reached its limit.

Elaine fell silent, feeling utterly exhausted.

She was only speaking the truth, yet it made Arthur even more defensive and embarrassed.

When the children had fevers in the middle of the night, she was the one carrying one child and holding the other's hand as they rushed to the hospital.

When they were picky eaters, she was the one creating varied nutritious meals.

And him? He was either using Emily as an excuse to neglect them or claiming he had to repay a life debt and couldn't attend to his wife and children.

All these years, she alone had been wholeheartedly taking care of the children.

Arthur knew nothing, yet when she asked him to take the children, he dared to accuse her of being an incompetent mother.

She found it laughable.

But she was too tired to argue. Some things became tedious even to herself when repeated too often.

She opened her phone's cloud storage, found the recent security footage, and sent him the video of the children clamoring to find them.

When the "sent successfully" notification appeared, Elaine said into the phone, "I sent you the recording. See for yourself—they want to find Emily. I didn't force them."

Arthur immediately opened the video, but as his eyes scanned the screen, his brows furrowed even tighter.

His voice crashed through the receiver, laden with condescension, "The children are only four. What do they know? Did you deliberately prompt them to say these things?"

At this point, Arthur changed tack, "Are you trying to summon me back?"

"I..."

Before Elaine could speak, Arthur interrupted her again, "I can't leave right now. Emily's parents died for me. With the virus so deadly, do you want her to die too?"

Suddenly, as if remembering something, he deliberately emphasized, "Besides, Emily and I have a completely innocent relationship. I take care of her out of gratitude. Don't be fooled by the media's baseless rumors, and don't corrupt the children."

Emily's gentle voice came through the phone again, seemingly trying to mediate, "Arthur, don't argue with Elaine. It's my fault for having you accompany me here. Go be with the children."

"It's her fault, not yours."

Arthur, who had been endlessly lecturing just moments before, instantly softened his tone, while his impatience with Elaine doubled.

The situation was already so complicated, yet Emily was considerate enough to suggest he prioritize the children.

Elaine, the children's mother, wasn't half as sensible as Emily.

He was only caring for Emily more to repay a life debt. Couldn't she tolerate even this small matter?

He couldn't understand what she was making a fuss about, still wanting to send the children over at a time like this.

While Arthur continued to insist on their "innocent relationship" on the other end of the phone, Elaine had already moved the phone away from her ear.

She suddenly found it pointless.

Like punching at air—all her energy going nowhere.

Over the years, she had heard these words countless times.

Each time she believed him, each time she deceived herself.

But now, she didn't want to continue the charade.

Unbidden, her mind flashed back to Vera's video call with Emily last night.

That kiss mark on her neck—she would never forget it.

Nor would she believe Arthur's claims of innocence.

Looking back now, she felt only mockery.

At this moment, Elaine suddenly remembered when she was twenty, and Hazel Clark had clutched her master's program acceptance letter and cried, "Elaine, you're crazy! Dr. Harris's daughter shouldn't be trapped in a kitchen."

She had smiled naively then, touching the wedding ring newly placed on her finger, "It's because I love him."

Loved him enough to lock her mother Kathy Harris's research materials in a safe, loved him enough to study cookbooks daily and carve the identity of Mrs. Smith into her routine.

She could have been in a laboratory, battling viruses.

Instead, she was here, struggling with children's snacks and a husband's late returns.

She found it utterly meaningless.

The voice on the other end continued, and seeing her lack of response, Arthur raised his volume, "Did you hear me? Emily and I are..."

"Mm."

She responded softly, cutting him off, no longer wanting to dwell on yesterday's kiss mark.

"We can leave the rest unsaid, but the children want to find you. Do what you think is best."

Arthur paused, seemingly not expecting this reaction, his tone slightly softening, "I can't do that..."

"Also."

Elaine interrupted again, looking at the warm sunlight outside the window, while her heart sank to her core.

"Let's get a divorce."