Chapter 3
Today is our anniversary, and it is also Jane’s hundredth day.
My originally planned meal and photo–taking were disrupted by his sudden meeting.
He went straight to the bedroom as soon as he got home.
Seeing Jane who had just woken up, there were twinkling lights in his eyes, and his overflowing affection was almost spilling out.
“Baby, it’s time to change your diaper.”
He skillfully placed Jane on the changing table, gently unfastened the baby’s onesie and diaper, cradling Jane’s legs in the palm of his left hand, while carefully cleaning with a wet wipe held in his Fright hand.
Since Jane was born, Ryan has taken on the responsibility of taking care of me and Jane.
He was afraid that the nanny would do things perfunctorily, so he personally took care of everything.
Every diaper Jane changed, every bottle of milk powder she drank, I never worried or touched.
After the divorce, could I also take care of Jane as well as he did?
Almost in the instant the thought arose, I turned my head and went to the tea counter.
I used to watch Ryan prepare formula milk for Jane with curiosity, so I was familiar with the
process.
The actions were awkward, but everything went smoothly.
Until I mistakenly touched the hot water switch.
The scalding hot boiling water poured onto the back of my hand in an instant, and I took a sharp
breath of cool air.
Tears gushed out, even though it was just a faint sob, Ryan heard it.
He almost rushed out of the bedroom.
“What happened, Bella?”
Seeing my swollen hand and the spilled milk powder and milk bottles on the ground, Ryan’s pupils contracted, and his eyes instantly turned red.
“We are going to the hospital now.”
The back of my hand was burned and a small blister formed, fortunately the area was not large and
was not considered serious.
Ishook my head,
“No need, there was medicine at home…”
When Jane was born, I had a cesarean section, so I needed extra care during postpartum recovery.
Ryan specifically went to learn basic medical knowledge for this, and even set up a row of small medicine cabinets in his study.
“No, what if it leaves a scar? We must go to the hospital.”
“Bella, I trust you with everything else, but this time you have to listen to me, you cannot neglect
it.”
Ryan looked serious.
All along, it seemed that no matter how small the injury, as long as it happened to me, it was extremely serious in his eyes.
He quickly went back to the bedroom and settled Jane down, then turned around and put on a coat for me. Without saying a word, he insisted on taking me to the hospital.
Suddenly, his phone in his pocket vibrated twice.
While he was looking at his phone, I pulled my hand back and took a deep breath.
“You really don’t need to go to the hospital. If your family can’t handle it, the residential area has a 24–hour on–duty clinic…”
“Okay… then let’s not go.”
Ryan lifted his head, a hint of unease flickering in his eyes.
He looked at me with an apology.
“Sorry Bella, there was a slight mistake in today’s contract, I have to go to the office tonight… t first treat you with the ointment at home.”
I calmly took a step back.
“No need, you go to the company first.”
“No, Bella.”
Ryan stubbornly searched for the burn ointment in the study and applied it to me.
There was just a hint of haste and impatience, far from the usual patience and meticulousness.
“Bella, the wound must not come into contact with water. Endure it for a while, wait for me to come
back, and then I will help you take a bath.”
After Ryan hurriedly left, I put the ointment back into the medicine cabinet, but clumsily bumped into the bookshelf.
There came a heavy thud from behind.
A tattered paper ball bounced along the bookshelf and landed at my feet.
And along with it, fell a book that I had never seen before.
The thick one I had to lift with both hands.
As soon as I opened it, I saw Ryan’s handwriting on the title page: “Do you know why I chose this day?”
“Because that day was our wedding anniversary with Bella.”
“If I had chosen you on our wedding anniversary day with Bella, you would have been very happy.”
My hand, resting on the page, had completely stiffened at this moment.
I knew that once I continued reading, I could never pretend that nothing had happened.
The paper ball
The paper ball was dampened by the sweat in my palm, sticky and greasy. I had to divert my attention to unfold it, struggling to make out the young and inexperienced handwriting.
This was the first love letter Ryan wrote to me.
It used to be well–preserved by me, but now it has been dug out and smeared with lipstick.
I leaned against the wall, chuckled softly, and then, like breaking a jar, I threw the crumpled paper aside and flipped the notebook to the next page.
