He Lost Me to His Best Friend novel Chapter 12

Yardley stared at the wrecked living room. Slumping onto the sofa, he lit a cigarette, his chest tight with frustration. "Leah, haven't I treated my wife well enough? Did she really need to throw such a massive fit?"

Leah swept the floor, offering a gentle voice of comfort. "You've been wonderful to her, Mr. Flynn. In five years of marriage, I've never seen you two argue. It's just that having a baby naturally causes emotional swings. It's easy for women to experience postpartum depression, and they need their husbands' care more than ever."

Yardley frowned. "Are you saying this is postpartum depression? But other women don't change this drastically after giving birth. They stay gentle and considerate."

Leah paused. "Other women?"

Realizing his slip, Yardley averted his gaze. "I mean Sylvia. She just gave birth too, but her temperament is as sweet as ever. She would never act so unreasonably."

Leah looked thoughtful. "Well, she must have had her husband by her side the whole time. Unlike your wife, who has been carrying the burden alone—from pregnancy to labor, and now taking care of the baby. Having a baby is a huge hurdle for a woman, and a husband's presence during the postpartum recovery period is crucial."

Yardley froze. He lowered his head in silence for a moment, a flicker of guilt brushing past his conscience.

"Leah, ask Zara where they are staying with the baby right now."

"A moving truck came earlier," Leah replied. "I asked the driver, and he said they were heading over to The Grandview." She hesitated but mustered the courage to add, "Sir, please spend more time with her. She was never like this before. It's just that you've been around so little lately."

The Grandview... That was a high-end residential complex in the new district, not a property under the Flynn Group. Why would she move there? He suddenly remembered Scarlett mentioning two years ago that Talia had bought an apartment at The Grandview.

He did a quick sweep of the place. After taking in the layout of the apartment, the aggressive edge around him softened slightly. "You completely trashed Orchard Villa, so I suppose you were just tired of the old place. If you bought this apartment, why didn't you tell your husband?"

He still used that condescending tone. As he spoke, he reached out and gave her earlobe a habitual pinch. His hand expertly slipped around her waist, and before she could speak, he moved to pin her against the wall out of sheer muscle memory.

But this time, Scarlett didn't submissively loop her arms around his neck. Instead, she ducked swiftly under his arm and took two quick steps back. She stared at him coldly, her gaze as sharp as a blade.

An inexplicable panic flared in Yardley's chest. He frowned, his tone scolding. "Why are you acting like a prickly hedgehog? I've spoiled you too much. You hit people, you smash things, and now you're giving your husband the cold shoulder?"