Chapter 2
Chapter 2
484%
By the time I came to my senses, the message had already been deleted. The screen was blank as if everything that had just happened had been a bad dream.
At that point, it was laughable to keep pretending that Dexter hadn’t betrayed me. I loved him, but not enough to turn a blind eye to the truth.
The next morning, I woke up with dark circles under my eyes. It was a workday, and I still had to go to the office and take Juno to kindergarten.
Juno was such a perceptive little guy. He hugged me and kissed my cheek. “Mommy, why aren’t you smiling? Are you sad?”
I forced a tired smile and tugged at the corners of my mouth. “Mommy’s just a little tired. It’s nothing.”
I thought, ‘I’m sorry, my dear. I really can’t smile right now. Our whole world is about to come crashing down… I want to protect my child, and I want to protect this family. He’s still so young. How can I bear to let him get hurt?‘
Just as we were about to leave, Dexter came through the door. He looked worn out, carrying a briefcase.
The moment he saw me, he gave me a big hug and then took Juno from my arms. “Sorry, I’m late. Let me take Juno to kindergarten.”
“No need,” I said, trying to sound composed. “You probably didn’t get much sleep last night, right?”
“Yeah, it’s been a nightmare. I’ve never had anything like this happen. I was hoping to come home earlier to spend time with you and Juno, but look at this mess.
“You’ve been waiting for me too, right? You’ve got dark circles under your eyes.” Dexter gently touched my face, his eyes full of the same tenderness as always.
I hesitated, wondering, ‘How could this man, who has always been so kind and loving toward me, possibly cheat?‘ But everything that happened yesterday was still fresh in my mind. I forced myself to stay strong.
I smiled faintly. “It’s okay, go ahead and take Juno. I need to get to work.”
“Okay.” Dexter kissed my forehead.
As he leaned in, I couldn’t help but notice–there was an unfamiliar scent of shower gel on him. Even though I had mentally braced myself, I nearly lost control right then.
I told myself I had to focus, so I hurried to my car and drove off.
It was pathetic. I didn’t even have time to cry. I had work to do, and if I divorced Dexter, I’d have to fight for custody of Juno. Emotionally, I needed an outlet, but practically, I didn’t have the time or space for one.
The thought of divorce flashed through my mind, and it startled me. My mind had been in a fog all night, but the moment I saw Dexter this morning, everything became clear.
I had to find out who that woman was. Even if I had to divorce him, I needed to know the whole truth.
At the office, I searched everywhere again, but the photo was still nowhere to be found.
Whoever took that photo had to be connected to the woman. She must have been lurking around me all along–maybe she was someone close to me.
1/9
08:50 Sat, 15 Feb
Chapter 2
I forced myself to focus on work. The whole morning passed in a blur. Dexter sent me two messages, but I couldn’t bring myself to reply. The first one said, I’m off today, just staying home to rest. I’ll pick up Juno tonight.]
I didn’t respond, so about half an hour later, another message came through. Tonight, I’ll make your favorite prawns. You can taste your husband’s cooking.] Reading that message made my chest tighten
“Ms. Moreno, have you made your decision?” a voice sounded.
The sound of my name snapped me back to reality. I blinked and realized I was in the surveillance room. It was time to review the footage from yesterday to see who had entered my office after I left.
“All the footage is here, right?” I asked.
“Yes, everything’s ready. Three people entered your office yesterday afternoon. Take a look?
Our company was a Fortune 500, and the surveillance quality was top–notch, so the faces of the three people were clear as day.
One was my assistant, Sheila Santos. The second was Holly Jimenez, who had taken over my work after the previous person left. The last one was the janitor–she was an outsourced contractor who came every afternoon to clean.
I quickly ruled out the janitor. That left Sheila and Holly. Age–wise, Sheila was the newest addition to the team, having joined last year. She’s young and beautiful, so I should’ve suspected her right away.
But her age didn’t match the photo. The child in the family photo looked to be in elementary school, and Sheila was only 24. There was no way she could have a child that age.
Holly, on the other hand, was different. She’d been divorced for two years and was currently single.
Unlike Sheila, she had a more mature, alluring presence. While her features weren’t as delicate as Sheila’s, she’d been in the workplace for years and was skilled at getting any man she set her sights on.
So during lunch, I specifically invited Holly out for a meal.
“Wow, you’re actually inviting me to lunch. What’s going on?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Nothing, just wanted to see how you’ve been,” I replied, my mind swirling with uncertainty, not knowing where to begin. Holly scoffed. “Cut the crap. We started the same year, and we’ve been at each other’s throats in the office for so long. Now you’re suddenly being nice and inviting me to lunch? I’m more worried about whether you’re trying to poison me.”
“Well, you still came, didn’t you? If you’re so confident, you shouldn’t have shown up.” My temper flared. Holly only ever acted sweet and charming in front of men. To me, she was cold and calculating.
Holly looked me over and then let out a sharp laugh. “I’m just here to see what you’re up
to.”
I was at a loss for words. Normally quick–witted, I was completely dumbstruck in this situation.
Holly raised an eyebrow. “Your husband has someone else, doesn’t he?”
I froze. “How did you know?”
As soon as the words left my mouth, I knew I’d made a mistake. I was rattled, and Holly had cut right through my defenses.
She let out a dismissive laugh. “Who else could have you, Ms. Moreno, so distracted? Besides your husband and son, I can’t think of anyone else. So, what’s this about? Don’t tell me you want me to teach you how to keep a man interested?”
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08:50 Sat, 15 Feb
Chapter 2
84%
I was speechless. I suddenly regretted opening up to her. Holly didn’t seem like the type to be Dexter’s mistress. I had been wrong to suspect her.
“I think it’s you,” I said, hesitating before quickly explaining the situation with the photo.
Before I could even finish, Holly slammed her hand on the table, visibly angry. “Are you out of your mind? Even if I were after a man, I wouldn’t go after your leftovers!
“I came to drop off some documents for you–don’t you remember? Didn’t you see me when you came back to the office?
I smiled bitterly and nodded. I was starting to remember; all these recent events had muddled my brain.
“But are you sure? Your husband, Dexter, is such a model husband,” she said with a mocking smile.
I took a sip of my bitter coffee and fell silent. At that moment, I caught a glimpse of a figure passing by the street corner outside.
It was Dexter. And there was a petite woman with him. They were walking close together, obviously more than just friends. Panic surged through me. Without thinking, I dashed out of the café, not even bothering to explain to Holly.
