"Yes."


    Lily brought out a te of freshly cooked pastas for Hannah, then filled a thermos with the porridge as instructed and set it aside.


    "Look at you," Mrs. Rosenberg Sr. scolded Lionel. "You don''t even know your own wife''s allergies. What do you pay attention to?" She sighed. "You can skip lunch today. Take this porridge with you and eat everyst bite!"


    Lionel didn''t argue. He simply nodded, finished his breakfast, and took the thermos, waiting by the car to drive Hannah.


    Once they were in the car, an ufortable silence filled the space. Just as they


    pulled out of the driveway, Hannah unbuckled her seatbelt.


    Before Lionel could ask what she was doing, she spoke.


    "Stop at the subway station up ahead."


    The car came to a halt, the silence in the small space growing heavy.


    "Is this really about a bowl of porridge?" Lionel asked coldly. "The office is a madhouse. Is it really such a big deal that I forgot about one of your allergies?"


    Hannah tried the door, but it was locked.


    She took a deep breath to calm herself. "It''s not a big deal, which is why I didn''t say anything in front of Grandma. Besides..."


    She turned to face him, her clear eyes unreadable. "You were going to take that seafood porridge to Sandra at the hospital anyway, weren''t you? The hospital and the office are in opposite directions. This will save you time."


    Lionel looked at her. Her face was a nk canvas, showing no trace of resentment or hatred. She looked as cid as a docile schoolgirl.


    "I''ll take you to the office first," he said.


    At his words, Hannah couldn''t help butugh.


    As expected, he never listened to a word she said. He was still stubbornly convinced she would go to the Rosenberg Group.


    She was ready to give up on their marriage; what made him think she would want a job at hispany?


    Hannah shook her head, a small smile on her lips. "Just open the door. You don''t want to keep her waiting."


    When Lionel didn''t move, Hannah leaned across him and pressed the unlock button herself.


    He felt the silk of her hair brush


    against his fingertips as she moved past him. Before he could stop her, she had opened the door and stepped out.


    Watching her defiant figure, Lionel felt a tightness in his chest, as if he couldn''t breathe.


    He nced at the thermos beside him and called his assistant, telling him toe and take it to Sandra.


    "Mr. Rosenberg, I''m afraid you''ll have


    to go yourself. The hospital just called. They said they''ve discovered the truth about the car crash. nurse said Ms. Woods couldn''t handle the news and fainted."


    Lionel''s face tensed. He hung up the phone, mmed his foot on the elerator,


    and sped toward the hospital.


    The sound of the roaring engine


    startled Hannah. She turned to see Lionel''s car racing away, so fast that pedestrians on the sidewalk shouted after him.


    "What a psycho! Thinks he owns the road in that fancy car! In a hurry to get himself killed?"


    "Driving like that, I hope he crashes."


    "Idiot!"


    Hannah watched until the car disappeared from view, suppressing the frustration welling inside her as she walked toward the subway.


    She usually drove to work and wasn''t used to the subway. During the morning


    rush hour, she was nearly crushed in the crowd.


    She found a slightly less crowded spot and had just settled in when her phone buzzed.


    A message from her pinned contact: [Are you on your way?] Hannah: [Taking the subway. Should be about half an hour.]


    [Okay, I''ll be waiting.]