Chapter 2: Cold Showers and Hot Secrets

After I finished showering, I accidentally bumped into Derek.

I was wearing a faded Ohio State tee and threadbare pajama shorts, my hair still damp and dripping onto my shoulders. Derek shot me a quick look, his face darkening. "You can hit the sack. I’ll shower after."

He said it like he was reading off a script, barely meeting my gaze. I frowned. He’d just showered—did he really need to wash again just because I brushed past him?

If he doesn’t like me, why not just say so?

The sound of running water echoed from the bathroom. I eyed the comforter he’d set aside, knowing he’d make his bed on the floor again tonight.

The more I thought about it, the angrier I got. This whole month since our marriage, he hadn’t touched me. Every time he saw me, he either wore that cold mask or acted like I was invisible—like I carried a contagious disease.

And this time, when he came back from a trip, he brought gifts for everyone in the family—except me.

I watched his little sister unwrap her nail polish, his mom her new mug, his dad a six-pack of local beer. Not a single thing had my name on it. The sting of it still lingered. I tried to laugh it off, but the ache in my chest wouldn’t budge. Even the dog got a new chew toy.

The more I dwelled on it, the more wronged I felt. A nameless anger bubbled up inside me. The idea of divorce crept into my mind.

Just then, the water stopped. He came out of the bathroom, not sparing me a single glance. My heart grew even colder.

He moved around the bedroom like I was made of glass, grabbing a pair of basketball shorts and tossing them into his duffel. The sound of zippers and shifting fabric filled the space between us, awkward and heavy.

I gritted my teeth and called out to him. Just as I was about to bring up divorce, another barrage appeared in front of my eyes:

[Stupid side character, just wait—you’ll regret it. The male lead’s going to make it big, and the main girl will save him.]

[No, side character, he really loves you! He’s just scared he’ll scare you off.]

[If you don’t believe it, look in the drawer. Everything inside was bought for you.]

[He bought them, but he’s afraid of scaring you, so he can only hide them for now.]

My hand paused mid-air. Okay, am I losing it? Did I just see comments in midair?

"What’s wrong?" Derek’s voice snapped me back to reality.

He sounded genuinely confused, as if he hadn’t noticed my growing frustration all month. Suddenly, there was a commotion outside. Seeing I hadn’t spoken for a while, he went out to check.

His boots thudded on the old hardwood as he headed down the hallway, leaving the bedroom door half-open.

On impulse, I yanked open the drawer. I saw a familiar bag—one Derek had brought back. At the time, I’d convinced myself it was a gift for me. Now, opening it up, I found all kinds of sexy lingerie, bunny ears, tails...

My heart trembled. It was exactly as the barrage said.

A blush crept up my neck. Had he really bought these for me? Why hide them away? Why act so cold, then do something so unexpectedly sweet—and a little embarrassing?

Footsteps approached outside the door. I hurriedly slammed the drawer shut. In my panic, I fumbled and knocked over a cup.

"Splash—"

Water spilled right onto the spot where Derek had just placed his comforter.

Me: "..."

I really didn’t do it on purpose.

My cheeks burned hotter than ever, and I stared at the spreading wet spot, horrified by the timing.

The barrage of comments appeared again:

[As expected of a vicious side character, well done! Let’s see how the male lead endures tonight.]

[The male lead is really pretending. Just now he went to take a cold shower because he was afraid he couldn’t hold back.]

[Yeah, side character, don’t get the wrong idea...]

At that moment, Derek came back in. He glanced at me, then at the soaked comforter. He didn’t say anything, just asked what I had called him for.

His voice was low and careful, like he was trying not to scare off a wild animal. He glanced between my red cheeks and the mess on the floor, waiting for me to speak.

"Nothing."

I forced my voice steady, but my pulse hammered in my ears. After seeing the barrage, I gave up on the idea of divorce for now. Glancing at the comforter, I changed the subject.

"I didn’t do it on purpose. And it’s cold now—why don’t you sleep on the bed tonight?"

At my words, he froze. I thought he’d refuse like always, but unexpectedly, he agreed this time.

He shifted his weight, jaw set, but after a moment he just nodded. "Okay."

After turning off the lights and lying in bed for a short while, he suddenly got up. The sound of running water came from the bathroom again.

A barrage popped up:

[No way, another cold shower? The male lead’s endurance is unreal.]

[Can’t blame him—the side character is so soft and pretty, with a figure like that, who could resist...]

[Why hasn’t the main girl shown up yet?]

[The male lead says nothing, just keeps taking cold showers.]

...

My gaze lingered. Who is the main girl? She’s already been mentioned twice in the barrage.

I rolled over, staring at the cracked paint on the ceiling, wondering why Derek would go to such lengths for someone he seemed to avoid.