Chapter 10
Chapter 10
Kimberly wiped her hands nervously on her apron. “I honestly don’t remember,”
Seeing her like that, I didn’t press the issue further.
Thankfully, Juno was okay. Watching his tear–streaked face gradually calm down, I finally felt my heart settle.
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I wasn’t the type to cover for others, especially when it was Kimberly at fault. So when Dexter came home with the groceries, I told him exactly what had happened.
He set the bags down and immediately pulled Kimberly into the next room. I could faintly hear him raising his voice while she kept apologizing.
About half an hour later, she came out with red eyes, and Dexter approached us, his face still grim, trying to comfort me and Juno.
Seeing this, I finally relaxed. Even though Dexter had been unfaithful, it was clear he still cared when it came to our son.
We spent a quiet weekend, and I was planning to stay low, waiting for any more messages or clues from Dexter’s other woman. But then, disaster struck at work.
Monday morning, I received a call and rushed straight to the office. When I arrived, I found my assistant, Sheila, being thoroughly scolded by a client.
I hurried over. “I’m Sylvia, the project lead. If there’s a problem, please let me know. We can talk about it privately.”
I led the client away and had Sheila bring us two cups of premium coffee.
After a frantic morning, I finally managed to calm the client down. Once they left, I called Sheila into my office. “What were you thinking? Didn’t you double–check the proposal and project plan before you handed them to this client?
“Do you realize you added an extra zero? That’s not a minor mistake. The client won’t see it that way–they’ll think we’re trying to scam them.”
“This is a Fortune 500 company,” I continued, my tone growing sterner. “You should know what that means by now. Didn’t you get this kind of training when you joined? This should have been covered already.”
Sheila, her eyes brimming with tears, kept apologizing.
“You’ve got the qualifications and skills, but if you keep making these basic mistakes, you won’t pass your year–end review. Just a heads–up,” I said, waving her off. “Go back and fix the proposal. Take your time.”
The morning had been draining, and my stomach began to ache. I thought, ‘What on earth is happening? First, Martha gets sick, then there’s the mess with Dexter, and now work is a constant headache‘
It felt like everything in my life had decided to hit all at once, as if the universe was giving me a crash course in adversity.
During lunch break, Holly showed up. Seeing her made my emotions stir. Honestly, I didn’t want to see her, but I couldn’t forget that she had helped me, even if she hadn’t taken the money I’d offered her last time.
“Let’s grab lunch,” she said casually. “And you can fill me in on what you worked on this morning. When I take over, I won’t have to waste time figuring things out.”
I thought, “The nerve of her.’ Every time she opened her mouth, I felt like slapping her.
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I didn’t have the energy to argue. “If you want me to treat you to lunch, just shut up and let me have some peace, okay?”
“Fine, but I want high–end food,” she replied, clearly already prepared. She even sent me the restaurant reservation details. I was speechless.
The lunch was lavish–this place wasn’t cheap, but the food was decent. I, however, wasn’t in the mood to enjoy it. Most of the time, I just watched Holly cat her meal happily.
I couldn’t help feeling a little bitter. I thought, ‘Look at Holly–divorced, with a child, several years older than me, yet she’s still living her life to the fullest, like a blossoming, radiant rose. And then there’s me–just a few days, and I already look like I’ve aged years.
No wonder, when I got to the office this morning, my boss kept glancing at me. She looked like she wanted to say something but held back, and that awkward hesitation made me feel uncomfortable.
Holly finished her salmon, wiped the sauce from her lips, and said, “Alright, spill it. What’s going on with your husband? Did he go off to a hotel with someone else? Got any proof yet?”
I shook my head. I didn’t know if I should deny the hotel trip or deny having any evidence.
Holly didn’t seem bothered. She shot me an incredulous look and snorted. “I can’t believe you’re one of the most efficient managers in the company. With your methods, you’re a mess.
“You suspect your man’s fooling around, but you’ve done nothing about it? Tell me this–have you gotten control of your husband’s finances these last few days? After all these years, do you even know what his savings or spending look like?”
Her questions hit me hard, and I felt my face go pale.
When I didn’t respond, Holly was shocked. “No way, Sylvia. You’re usually so sharp, but when it comes to something this important, you’re acting like a fool. If your husband has another woman, shouldn’t you be worried about the money? What are you waiting for?”
I took a deep breath and said, “I’m not like you. I don’t have the experience.”
Holly, however, didn’t take offense at my remark. She just shrugged casually and said, “If you know you lack experience, then you’d better learn from someone who knows better. Got it?”
I was speechless.
It was funny, but after having lunch with Holly, I actually felt a bit better. At least that little fox had reminded me of something important: I needed to look into Dexter’s finances.
When we first got married, Dexter and I didn’t really combine our money. I thought it was better that way–sometimes I paid for groceries, sometimes he paid for dinner, or I’d cover the child’s daily needs while he handled things like school and
vacations.
I thought it was a healthy balance for a couple. But now, when everything was falling apart, I realized, with a sinking feeling, that I didn’t know anything about Dexter’s finances.
After finishing some work in the afternoon, I went to the hospital and then picked Juno up from school. It was Monday, and he finished an hour and a half earlier than usual.
The sun was still bright, so I decided to take him to the mall to pick up a few things and buy some groceries, planning to
head home a little later.
Just then, a notification popped up on my phone, reminding me that I’d spent 2,500 dollars on my beauty card. I froze.
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Sure, I was in the mall, but I hadn’t made any purchases…
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I thought, ‘Wait a minute. I haven’t even seen that beauty card in ages. With all the work I’ve been doing, I haven’t had the time for any treatments. How can I have racked up a charge?‘
I quickly rummaged through my bag. A cold wave of panic washed over me–my beauty card was gone!
I was on the third floor, in the children’s section, and that beauty salon was on the seventh floor. My heart started racing. I grabbed Juno’s hand and rushed toward the elevator.
I thought, “There is no way Dexter would use my beauty card–only one person could’ve taken it. A woman!‘
I wondered, ‘What kind of woman would spend so much on beauty treatments? It has to be someone who cares a lot about her looks–Dexter’s mistress! He must’ve secretly taken my beauty card and given it to her!’
I watched the elevator numbers tick upward, my chest burning with anxiety. ‘Faster, come on, faster… This time, I am going to catch the woman hiding in the shadows!‘
The elevator finally reached the seventh floor, and the doors opened. A woman in a hot pink dress, wearing sunglasses, stepped inside…
