His Jealousy Was a Mask, He Gave Her the Ring

Chapter 2

The special ringtone I'd set for him played for a full minute inside the car. I only picked up when it was just about to end the call.

"Amber, why did it take you so long to answer my call? Is there a man with you right now? Why aren't you saying anything? Did I guess it right?"

His voice was thick with anxiety.

If this had been yesterday, I would have gently calmed him down.

But now, all I could think about, over and over again, were all the times before when he didn't answer my calls.

When he didn't answer, it was always just because he was busy, didn't hear the phone, or had it on silent…

Why did he leap to the conclusion that there was a man with me? Was it because, when he didn't answer my calls, there was another woman with him?

I slumped back against the car seat, completely drained, and said in a faint, breathless voice, "Why would you think that?"

He fell silent immediately.

After a long while, he simply changed the subject. "I heard you were in a bad mood when you were taking the rookie through their recording session today. What's going on?"

I let out a cold chuckle.

So Hailey had told him about it and gotten me in trouble, and he'd come to confront me about it.

"Who told you that?"

"That doesn't matter. Just answer me—is it true?"

"It's true. I don't want to mentor the newbies anymore."

"Amber!" Steven was furious. "You already promised me this. How can you go back on your word?"

Hearing that, I suddenly felt a wild urge to laugh.

The company had originally wanted me to lead a boy group project.

Steven said he didn't want me getting too close to young men and begged me to lead a girl group instead.

Looking at it now, I was only paving the way for his mistress.

"Steven, you promised me you would announce that you already have a girlfriend on the Golden Melody Awards stage. You didn't keep that promise either, did you?"

Again, Steven had nothing to say.

I hung up the phone and drove home.

As expected, no one was home.

In the six months since he won his second Golden Melody Award, he'd been riding high, always saying he had endless social engagements.

He'd been coming home less and less. It wasn't that I hadn't noticed the perfume scent clinging to his suits. But he'd always been so good to me, and I hadn't wanted to feed suspicion.

My chest tightened with a sharp, aching pain. I wrapped my arms around myself and collapsed to the floor, sobbing.

'Steven... We'd been together, through everything, for seven years,' I thought to myself.

When he wanted to be a star in the spotlight, I gave up my own chance to debut and became a producer instead. When he wanted to be hailed as a once-in-a-century musical genius, I surrendered my songwriting credits to build up his flawless image.

Even all that hadn't bought his loyalty.

I had no idea how long I had cried.

When the sky began to lighten at dawn, the door finally opened.

Steven came home, his neck covered in kiss marks.

He stared in surprise when he saw me. "Haven't you left for the company yet?"

Then his gaze fell on the pile of crumpled tissues at my feet, and he fell silent for a moment.

"So you know…"

I sniffled, my voice raw and hoarse. "Steven, aren't you going to explain this?"

A flicker of helplessness crossed his eyes, as if he'd been pestered by an unreasonable child.

"Amber, I'm not the same man I used to be. A successful man at the height of his career can't just revolve around one woman. Don't be so petty. You have no idea how long I spent calming her down after the fit you threw yesterday."