Husband Offered Milk, Danmaku Warned It Would Force My Fall

1: 1

My husband, who never cooks, was up early making me breakfast.

Queenie Fox, you're going to the bidding meeting today?

I looked up at him. It was the first time he'd ever asked about my work.

Yeah. This one decides where the company goes from here.

He nodded, pushed the milk toward me, and told me to hurry up and drink it.

That was when a row of bullet-comments drifted across my vision.

Don't drink it. There are sleeping pills in the milk.

Your husband wants you to miss this bidding meeting, because his childhood sweetheart Maud James is competing in it too.

Miss this meeting, and your company goes bankrupt.

After the bankruptcy, you get driven to jumping off a building.

My fingers tightened around the glass. I dropped my eyes to the milk.

Were there really sleeping pills in it?

"Queenie, why aren't you drinking?"

Bryan Dickerson pushed the milk on me again, something urgent in his eyes.

"My stomach's a little off. I'll skip it."

I let go of the glass and picked up the sandwich instead.

"Queenie, warm milk won't hurt. I heated it just for you."

"Just a few sips. It's good for your stomach."

I'd been doubtful about the bullet-comments before.

But the way he was acting this morning made me believe them more and more.

He'd never once cared whether I ate breakfast or drank my milk.

I lifted my hand on purpose and knocked the glass over.

He shot up out of his chair, his whole face darkening.

"Queenie, what's wrong with you? Did you do that on purpose?"

I waved a hand. "Bryan, it was an accident."

"Never mind. I'll pour you another one."

He headed for the kitchen, and I followed.

He took a carton of milk from the fridge, then pulled a blister strip of pills from a drawer.

He turned around and saw me standing in the doorway.

The strip dropped to the floor. His brow furrowed, his eyes flickering.

I took two steps forward. He beat me to it, snatched the pills off the floor, and shoved them into his pocket.

"Those are my vitamins."

There was a faint tremor in Bryan's voice.

I nodded. "I just came for a glass of hot water."

For the rest of breakfast, he didn't tell me to drink the milk again.

There was still time, so I sat on the couch for a bit, my handbag beside me.

"Queenie, go down to the pharmacy and grab me a box of painkillers."

"My head's aching a little."

Bryan frowned, rubbing his temple.

"Sure. I'll go now."

I picked up my phone, and as I reached the door, the bullet-comments came again.

Your husband sent you away on purpose so he can switch out the documents in your handbag.

Look, quick. Your husband's got his eyes locked on your handbag.

Plan A failed, so now he's running Plan B.

I pulled my hand back from the door handle and turned around.

He was bent over my handbag, staring at it. Nothing like a man with a headache.

I walked over fast and picked up the bag.

"Queenie, you're going downstairs for medicine. What do you need the bag for?"

"Bryan, this bidding meeting is too important to the company. Nothing can go wrong."

"I'll go get your medicine."

I'd just shut the door when I heard his phone ring.

I stopped outside for a moment.

"Maud, don't worry. You're definitely going to win the bid."

2: 2

After I left the house, I went to the pharmacy near our complex.

On my way back, I ran into Anita Lambert, a neighbor.

"Queenie, my son tells me you two are buying a new place. A whole house, no less."

Anita's words left me completely lost.

Bryan had, at one point, thought about moving into a house.

But I didn't see the point in spending that kind of money yet, and I didn't want him footing the bill alone.

I'd rather stay in this big open-plan apartment for now and buy once my company was on solid ground.

I also didn't want people thinking I leaned on a man.

Bryan's family was comfortable, and these days he helped run his father's company.

Though in recent years, the family business had slipped quite a bit too.

Bryan ran a little cold by nature, but things between us had always been good.

It hurt, knowing he'd done all this to me over a bidding meeting.

"Queenie, that house must be expensive, right?"

Anita's loud voice pulled me back to the moment.

I waved a hand. "Anita, we're not buying a house."

Anita quickly pulled out her phone and dug up a chat log.

"Look, my son sent me this."

"That's your husband, Bryan, isn't it?"

In the photo on the screen, Bryan was touring a house with a woman, my husband smiling wide.

The woman showed only part of her profile.

But with the build, I was certain it was Maud James.

Maud and I were in the same industry, so we'd crossed paths several times.

"Anita, that's my husband, but that woman isn't me."

Anita's eyes went round, her face turning a little awkward.

"Queenie, maybe Bryan just went along with a friend. Don't read too much into it."

"That boy Bryan seems distant, but he's got a good heart."

"I've got my dance class to get to, so I'll be off."

And with that, Anita vanished from sight at top speed.

I brought the painkillers home.

My husband had already changed into a fresh suit and was sitting on the couch.

I poured a glass of warm water and handed him the medicine.

"Bryan, take your pills."

Bryan nodded. "Mm, I'll take them in a bit."

"Bryan, once I win this bid, we'll move into a house."

"There are some nice houses out in the western suburbs."

In an instant, my husband's face went a shade paler.

Because the house in the western suburbs was the one he'd toured with Maud.

"I even heard Maud's planning to buy out there too. We could be neighbors."

Bryan set the glass back on the coffee table, his brow furrowing.

"Queenie, do you already know Maud and I went to see a house?"

"There's no need to test me. I just went along to look at the area with her."

Bryan and Maud were childhood sweethearts, but they'd never crossed any lines.

On that point, I'd always trusted him.

This time, what he'd done for Maud left me no choice but to doubt.

"Bryan, I'm not testing you. I mean it."

"If I win the bid, my company will take off fast."

"Maud's going to be at the bidding meeting too. Which of us do you want to win it?"

3: 3

Bryan's brow knotted tight, displeasure written all over his face.

His voice came out cold. "Queenie, do you really think there's any point in asking that?"

"Whoever wins the bid wins it on their own merit, don't they?"

A fine line, that. On their own merit. Except he only wanted Maud to win.

I didn't want to keep circling this. Today the only thing that mattered to me was the bidding meeting.

"Mm. You're right. On our own merit."

"Bryan, I'm heading out now. I'll go over and wait."

Bryan shot up off the couch.

"Queenie, I'm not feeling well today. Let me ride out with you."

"Drop me at the office."

I nodded without a second thought.

Just as I was changing my shoes at the entryway cabinet, Bryan gave me a light push.

"Queenie, go grab that file off the desk in the study for me."

"Sure."

I'd taken only a few steps when a row of bullet-comments floated up before my eyes.

Your handbag is still on the shoe cabinet.

Your husband's debating whether to take your handbag with him.

He doesn't want to wreck your marriage, so he won't do it openly.

I turned my head slightly and looked at Bryan. His eyes were shut, and he was breathing deep.

Even so, I walked back over and picked up my handbag.

"Queenie, are you guarding yourself against me?"

My husband's whole face was full of resentment.

"Bryan, why would I guard myself against you? You've got nothing to do with the bidding meeting."

"If anyone, it's Maud I'd need to watch. She's my biggest competitor."

I didn't wait for his answer. I walked straight to the study.

Getting into the car, I set my handbag on the back seat.

The moment he sat down, Bryan was tapping out a text.

I'd barely started the engine when he turned to look at me.

"Queenie, drive slow later. I'm still not feeling great."

"All right, got it."

We'd been driving a little over ten minutes when Bryan suddenly told me to stop.

"Queenie, pull over at that convenience store up ahead. I need to grab something."

"Okay."

I stopped the car at the curb. "Bryan, what do you need? I'll get it for you."

"No need. I'll go myself."

And with that, he headed for the convenience store.

Only, ten minutes went by and he still hadn't come out.

That was when the bullet-comments drifted up again.

Your husband is really brutal to himself. He already has a stomach condition, and now he's chugging ice water and cold drinks.

He wants to make himself sick, get himself into the hospital, so you'll have to take care of him.

In a bit, he'll do everything he can to stall.

I clenched my fists and steadied myself.

Bryan, who normally guarded his health so carefully and studied every wellness trick, was actually pulling something like this.

I took out my phone and made a call.

"Fern Cobb, where are you?"

"Good. Come now, right away. You're going to the bidding meeting in my place."

I checked the time. Half an hour had passed, and Bryan still hadn't come out.

So he really was stalling.

I got out and went into the convenience store. He was sitting on the rest chair by the window, sending a message.

The second he saw me, he apologized.

"Queenie, sorry. I was just handling something for the company and lost track of time."

I waved it off. "Bryan, did you get what you needed? If so, let's go."

He nodded. "Mm. Got it."

Not long after we got back in the car, he was clutching his stomach hard.

Fine beads of sweat broke out on his forehead.

"Queenie, my stomach hurts so much."

"Take me to the hospital."

I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. He looked genuinely miserable.

"Okay. I'll take you to the hospital."

4: 4

At the hospital, Bryan gripped my arm and wouldn't let go.

"Queenie, I hate the smell of hospitals. You have to stay with me."

He was dead set on keeping me from that bidding meeting.

The doctor set him up on an IV and scolded him while he was at it.

"You know you have stomach trouble. Why on earth would you eat that much cold stuff?"

"You really don't take care of yourself."

"And you, as his wife, come on. You should keep an eye on your husband."

After that round of lecturing, I took Bryan off to get his IV.

Even then, I never let go of my handbag.

"Bryan, I called Mom. She's coming to sit with you."

"Once she's here, I'll go."

At that, Bryan lifted his head and glanced at the hospital's big display screen. He was checking the time.

An hour left before the bidding meeting started.

From the hospital to the venue was only a twenty-minute drive.

"Queenie, I just want you here with me. You're my wife."

Bryan sounded weak, but his eyes were set.

His phone buzzed in my hand.

I glanced at it. A message from Maud.

Bryan, I'm already at the venue. Once I win the bid, let's celebrate together.

My hand paused. I pretended I hadn't seen a thing and handed the phone back to him.

"Your phone buzzed just now, I think."

Bryan took it, and shot me a guilty look.

Right then, my mother came hurrying in.

"Bryan, are you all right?"

"Queenie, weren't you supposed to be at a bidding meeting today? Go, quick."

I nodded and got ready to leave.

But Bryan suddenly stood up and grabbed my arm.

"Queenie, don't go. Stay here."

"Is a bidding meeting really more important than me?"

"There'll be other projects for you down the road."

"If you insist on going today, then I'll know you don't care about me at all."

"And there's no real point in this marriage continuing."

Bryan's expression was strangely firm, his lashes trembling.

I let out a helpless sigh.

"Fine, Bryan. I'll stay with you."

For the rest of the time he kept a tight hold on my hand and wouldn't let go, terrified I'd leave.

The moment the bidding meeting's end time arrived, Bryan breathed out and his whole body loosened.

I got a message from Fern.

Ms. Fox, we won the bid.

Bryan's phone started buzzing like mad. It was Maud calling.

He tugged a smile onto his lips and answered.