Chapter 2 The Unspoken Goodbye

Sophie's POV

The red stain on Daniel's collar felt like a punch to my chest.

I stared at it, my breath hitching. The dim bedroom lighting did nothing to dull the unmistakable shade of lipstick.

Not mine.

I swallowed hard, trying to push away the storm brewing inside me. Maybe I was imagining things. Maybe there was an explanation.

Maybe...

No.

My instincts screamed otherwise.

I reached out, hesitating only for a second before picking up his shirt. The silk fabric felt cool against my fingertips. I brought it closer, my heart hammering as I inspected the stain.

Smudged. Faint, but undeniably there.

A mistake? An accident? Or proof of something I had been too blind to see?

A cold shiver ran through me.

I dropped the shirt back on the bed as if it burned. My mind raced, memories flashing through my head-every late-night meeting, every vague excuse, every time he turned away when I reached for him.

Was this it? The truth I had been too afraid to face?

Daniel's POV

I shut the door behind me, exhaling as exhaustion settled deep in my bones.

The penthouse had been a mistake. Meeting Lena was a mistake.

But walking away had been impossible.

She had always held a power over me, one that made me feel like a fool-tangled in a past I should have left behind.

I ran a hand through my hair, loosening my tie as I stepped into the bedroom. The moment I saw Sophie sitting at the edge of the bed, her back straight, shoulders rigid, I knew something was wrong.

She didn't turn. Didn't speak.

But the air was thick-charged with something unspoken.

I frowned. "Sophie? Why are you still awake?"

She was quiet for a moment, then finally turned her head to look at me. Her expression was unreadable.

"Where were you?"

A simple question. But not really.

I hesitated. "I told you, the company had an emergency. I had to-"

"Stop."

My chest tightened.

Sophie wasn't raising her voice, but something in her tone cut straight through me.

"Don't lie to me, Daniel," she said quietly, standing up. "Not tonight."

Her eyes flickered to the bed-and then I saw it.

My shirt.

The stain.

Damn it.

Panic surged through me, but I forced myself to stay calm. "Sophie, whatever you're thinking-"

"Who is she?"

I felt my breath catch. "What?"

"Who is she?" she repeated, her voice softer this time. "Because if you tell me you were at the office, I'll know you're lying."

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.

She knew.

Not the whole truth, but enough to suspect.

"Sophie," I started, taking a careful step forward. "It's not what you think."

A humorless smile crossed her lips. "Not what I think?" She let out a shaky breath, looking away for a second before meeting my gaze again. "Daniel, do you even hear yourself?"

I clenched my fists, frustration and guilt warring inside me.

I didn't want to lie.

But telling the truth?

That would destroy everything.

Sophie's POV

He didn't answer.

The silence was enough.

A sharp pain spread through my chest, but I refused to let the tears fall.

I had spent years saving lives, fixing things, holding people together. But now, standing in front of my own husband, I realized something terrifying.

Some things were beyond repair.

I let out a slow, unsteady breath, then nodded. "I see."

Daniel stepped forward. "Sophie-"

I held up a hand, stopping him in his tracks.

"Don't." My voice wavered, but I held firm. "If you're not ready to tell me the truth, then there's nothing left to say."

His jaw tightened. "It's not that simple."

"But it should be," I whispered.

And in that moment, something between us cracked.

I barely slept that night.

Lying in bed, I stared at the ceiling, my heart heavy with unspoken words. The room was too quiet, too still-except for the occasional rustling of sheets as Daniel shifted beside me.

He hadn't left.

But he might as well have.

The space between us felt like miles.

I wanted to ask him again. Who is she? I wanted to push, to demand, to make him say the words out loud.

But fear held me back.

Because once he admitted it, there would be no turning back.

Daniel's POV

I kept my eyes shut, pretending to be asleep.

I could feel Sophie's body beside me, stiff, unmoving. I knew she wasn't sleeping.

She was awake, just like I was.

But neither of us said a word.

I wanted to reach for her, to pull her into my arms and tell her everything was fine. That nothing had changed.

But it had.

And I was the reason.

The stain on my shirt had been a mistake. Careless. Stupid. I had been careful for so long, but last night proved that no secret could stay buried forever.

Sophie was starting to see through me.

And if I wasn't careful, she'd see everything.

Sophie's POV

The next morning, Daniel was already awake when I got up. He stood by the window, dressed in a crisp black suit, staring outside as if lost in thought.

For a moment, I just watched him.

He looked the same. The same man I had married. The same strong, confident CEO. But now, when I looked at him, he felt like a stranger.

"Are you leaving early?" I finally asked, breaking the silence.

He turned slightly, his expression unreadable. "Yeah. Early meeting."

A lie.

I forced a nod. "Okay."

I waited-hoped-he'd say something more. That he'd try to explain.

But he didn't.

Instead, he walked over, pressed a quick kiss to my forehead, and grabbed his briefcase.

"See you tonight."

And just like that, he was gone.

I stared at the door long after it closed, my heart sinking with every passing second.

That goodbye felt different.

Like an ending neither of us wanted to admit was coming.

Daniel's POV

I gripped the steering wheel tightly, my jaw clenched as I drove through the city streets.

I shouldn't have left like that.

I should have told her something-anything.

But what could I say?

That I had married her as a stand-in? That she was never meant to be the one? That, at one point, I thought she would help me forget, but now, I wasn't sure if I wanted to forget at all?

I exhaled sharply, rubbing a hand over my face.

Lena had been calling. I hadn't answered.

For the first time, I didn't know who I wanted to be with.

And that scared me more than anything.

Sophie's POV

Later that afternoon, I busied myself at the hospital. Work was my escape.

My patients needed me. They trusted me.

Unlike my own husband, who could barely look me in the eye.

I was in the middle of checking a patient's vitals when my phone buzzed. I pulled it out, expecting another hospital update-but froze when I saw the name on the screen.

Unknown Number.

A strange chill ran down my spine.

I hesitated, then stepped into the hallway before answering. "Hello?"

Silence.

Then, a woman's voice-low, smooth, and filled with something I couldn't quite place.

"Sophie Rivers, isn't it?"

My stomach dropped. "Who is this?"

A soft chuckle. "You don't know me. But I know you."

I gripped my phone tighter. "If this is a prank-"

"It's not," she cut in. "I just thought you should know... Daniel isn't who you think he is."

My heart pounded. "Excuse me?"

"You're smart, aren't you, Doctor?" The voice dripped with amusement. "Haven't you ever wondered why your perfect husband is always so... distracted?"

A cold sweat broke out on my skin. "Who are you?" I demanded.

But the line went dead.

I stood frozen in the hallway, my breath shallow, my fingers shaking.

Was this it? The truth I had been too afraid to face?