Chapter 12
Chapter 12
Realizing I was still there, Dexter quickly composed himself. “I need to take a call, something urgent from work,” he said, sounding calm.
Without waiting for my response, he moved to leave. Unfortunately, the balcony door was locked, and the key was in my hand. He tried turning the handle, but the door wouldn’t budge.
He looked at me, puzzled. “Sylvia, why did you lock the door?”
I replied, “Aren’t you supposed to take a call? Then take it here. If it’s work–related, I don’t see why I can’t listen in. Go ahead, put it on speaker. Let’s hear it together.”
I was dying to know who was calling Dexter. After everything that happened with that woman today, I was practically seething with anger.
Dexter frowned but, after a moment’s hesitation, answered the call in front of me. “Hello, Tommie, I just got home.”
On the other end of the line, Tommie Parks’s familiar voice came through. “Mr. Cook, the client who signed the contract today just messaged us.
“They want to make some changes. Do you think you could come to the office now? It’d be best if we get it settled before tomorrow morning. We can’t keep the client waiting.”
I never imagined, in my carefree indulgence, that Dexter had already become a vice president. Suddenly, Holly’s words hit me like a slap to the face–my head spun, and my chest tightened.
“I understand. I’ll head over now,” Dexter said, his voice firm.
He hung up and turned to me. “Sylvia, I know it’s been hard with Mom’s illness, but you shouldn’t doubt me. No one could love you more than I do.
“I’m just going to take care of some work at the office, and I’ll be back later. Don’t wait up for dinner, just rest early after you finish cleaning up.”
I opened the door. “Okay.”
Watching Dexter leave, I stood there, lost in thought. ‘Have I misunderstood? His expression didn’t seem like someone rushing off for work…
After a quick dinner, I bathed Juno and got him settled for bed.
Once he was asleep, I went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for tomorrow. I’d be staying at the hospital during the day, so I needed to get everything ready in advance.
When I walked into the kitchen, I noticed Kimberly had left a large bag of trash carelessly piled up, just about to be thrown away. I sighed, grabbed the bag, and went downstairs. Our building had started sorting garbage, so that wasn’t acceptable.
After the argument with Kimberly earlier, I didn’t want to stir up more trouble. I decided to just take care of it myself.
I threw out the trash, then took a shortcut through the small garden to get back home. The streetlights in the garden were broken, and the shadows were barely visible.
In the middle of that dimness, I suddenly heard Dexter’s voice.
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Chapter 19
“Don’t cry, I’ll come see you as soon as I have time” His tone was soft, almost affectionate. “Please understand, I’m still getting things in order. Once everything’s ready, I’ll bring you and the kid to join me
He was on the phone, his voice so gentle that a chill ran down my spine.
“Love you,” he said, kissing the phone, his voice and tone so tender, like a lovesick teenager. I hardly recognized him anymore.
I held my breath and slowly moved closer to the source of the voice, hearing Dexter continue, “What did you expect? You spent 2,500 dollars today–how could she not notice? You’re really something else. You almost got caught. Naughty girl, I should spank you.”
I felt sick to my stomach. My trembling hands reached for my phone, wanting to record this shameless conversation. But, of course, just as I was about to hit record, Dexter ended the call.
I quickly hid behind a few trees, staying completely still. I watched as Dexter finished his cigarette, walked around the garden, and left. I stayed crouched, struggling to contain my anger and helplessness, while tears streamed down my face.
I thought, ‘He really… has an affair. Even though there had been plenty of signs before, it wasn’t until this moment that my heart truly shattered.
I thought, ‘He has another woman. He even has a child with her. Even though the child’s already grown, she’s still the little girl he pampers and comforts. And what about me?”
I thought being a mother meant I had to be tough, resilient. I believed Dexter and I would build a life together, only to find out he’d already been emotionally unfaithful…
I wondered, ‘If that child is his, then he must have been with her even before we got married. So why did he come looking for me? What did I ever do to deserve this?‘
A wave of injustice and anger surged inside me. Slowly, I sank to the ground, wrapping my arms tightly around myself, letting the tears fall in heavy drops.
Just as I was crying in despair, my phone rang. It was Dexter. He must have gotten home and realized I wasn’t there.
My throat was raw from crying, and I couldn’t speak. The emotional weight of it all burned in my chest. I quickly hung up on him, wiped my tears, and walked out of the building.
I wandered around the supermarket for a while, picking up a bottle of eye drops along the way.
When I returned home, Dexter was frantic. “Where have you been? I’ve been calling and you didn’t pick up.”
I gave him a cold look and, feeling suddenly exhausted, smiled weakly. “I just went to throw out some trash and picked up a few things for Mom at the supermarket.”
When Kimberly saw all the bags I brought back, she was about to complain, but she swallowed her words when she heard what I said.
I watched her expression, amused, before handing her one of the bags. “This is the towel and pillowcase you mentioned last time. I couldn’t find it at the mall, but I found it at the little store nearby.”
Kimberly smiled. “This is nice. I like this one.”
Dexter visibly relaxed. “Next time, don’t go out so late. I’ll worry about you.”
I met his gaze and smiled, nodding. “Okay.”
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Chapter 19
I thought, I is all just an art, right Well, I can play my ton 1 baduri bedre became three wytways, safe place, no need for pretending. But now, it was rear I had been for
He noticed my swollen eyes. “Did you cry?
“No” I said quickly. “Something got in my eye earlier, and it hurt. I went to the gamery way my buy at the pharmacist helped me get it out! Thesitated, suddenly worried, Dol took bad? 1 www to go to work us!
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Dexter hurried to reassure me. “No way, you’re the most beautiful, but we come mije largitineret, and she Sarty
tomorrow.”
“Okay, can you help me with it, honey?”
“Of course” He chuckled.
Lying in bed, I propped myself up with a cushion and closed my eyes, 1 fett Dexter’s breath new me, be warmth Bucking against my skin.
If this were before, I would’ve felt a rush of affection. But now… all I could feel was dispue 1 forced well to put down the discomfort and asked, “Dexter, how much do you make a year now?
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