Chapter 20
Chapter 20
We’d had a few meals together before, so they were among the few who knew I was Mrs. Cook.
At the time, they’d all been overly warm and eager to get close to me, but now that I thought about it, their eyes were clearly full of amusement. I bit my lip, my fists clenched tight.
Their conversation continued.
“So what, is he really going to divorce his wife for that other woman? Don’t be fooled by how smug Dexter seems right now, with that vice president position almost in the bag–he can’t live without his wife.”
“I heard Dexter actually did a background check on a few girls he liked before picking her. Is that true?”
“Of course. Ms. Moreno here may look ordinary, but her grandfather owns the Fairhaven Museum. You know what that means, right? Priceless artifacts.”
“I never would have guessed. Dexter really knows how to play the game.”
“Would someone without a plan really end up with a wife like that?”
“Guess not.”
A cold shiver ran through me. I hadn’t realized that, to these people, I was nothing more than a fool. From the very start, Dexter’s affection for me had been nothing more than a show.
I walked over to them. “When did
you all find out Dexter was seeing someone else?”
I suddenly appeared, and the one dared speak.
Omen froze in shock. When t
recognized me, they exchanged nervous glances, and no
all gossiping just a momen
“Come on, speak up. Weren’t that woman to you?”
you ago? Why the silence now?” I sneered. “Has Dexter introduced you
“Why are you yelling at us? Your husband’s the one cheating, not us. Why are you involving us?” Miriam Boyd shot back, clearly irked.
She was the wife of Truman Boyd, a colleague of Dexter. It had been a while since we last saw each other.
Honestly, ever since Dexter became a competitor to Truman in his career, this couple had quietly drifted away from our social circle. In the adult world, breakups were silent affairs–no words, just distance.
“Right, I’m useless. That’s why I
asking you. If you know anything, just tell me.” I lowered my voice, swallowing my pride.
Miriam hesitated. She exchanged a few looks with the others, and finally, she couldn’t hold back. “You really don’t know anything?”
I said, “I only just realized there was another woman, but I don’t know who she is or where she is…”
With the enemy in the shadows and me exposed, I felt completely out in the open.
Miriam bit her lip. “Fine, I know this woman’s been with your husband for a while. One time, when Truman and I were on a trip, we ran into them. It was last March, during a trip to Gracefield. They were all over each other–hugging, kissing, just like a couple.”
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Chapter 20
It felt like a blow to the chest. I nearly lost my balance. Grabbing the table to steady myself, I gritted my teeth. “Is there
more?”
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Miriam added, “The woman looks about your age, and she’s… actually really pretty. The kind of delicate, little flower that men can’t resist.”
She took a deep breath. “As for her name, I don’t know. But I do know she lives in Delphinus Heights–a high–end neighborhood in Fairhaven.”
I swallowed the bitter taste rising in my throat. “Thank you.”
I walked back slowly, one step heavier than the next. Just as I reached the door, Miriam called out from behind, “Out of respect for our past friendship, I’m telling you this.
“But now that it’s out, there’s no turning back. From now on, Truman won’t be showing any favor to Dexter at work.”
I stopped in my tracks. “Good. Don’t show him any favor. In fact, pull him down from that position.”
Without looking back, I walked straight into the house.
Dexter was already home, busy cooking in the kitchen while Juno sat in the living room, drawing. The picture of domestic bliss.
“You are back?” His voice called from the kitchen. “When I got home, I couldn’t find Mom. I tried calling you, pick up. What happened?”
but you didn’t
Before I could answer, Kimberly cut in, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “We both go out to work, so why does my son have to do everything? Picking up the kid, cooking dinner–what’s with that?”
“Juno is his son too. What do you mean, ‘do everything‘?” I shot back.
Kimberly opened her mouth to argue but then stopped herself.
Dexter walked in, carrying the dishes. “Wash your hands, dinner’s ready.” He looked at me, frowning. “Where’s Mom? I didn’t see her when I came in.”
“She moved out today,” I said casually.
“Why?” He asked, confused.
“Because someone drugged her,” I replied, sitting at the table and eyeing the spread of food. “Dexter, do you think it’s safe for us to eat this? I’m really worried. How about we let your mom try it first?”
Kimberly’s eyes nearly popped out of her head.
Dexter’s face darkened, his expression turning cold. “Are you crazy? Do you even realize what you’re saying?”
“I know exactly what I’m saying,” I answered coldly. “The tests showed that Martha had a significant amount of sedatives in her system today. Someone must’ve drugged her after we left.
“You know what’s going on with her right now. Everything she eats has to be carefully considered, and this…”
I sneered, my eyes like daggers as they swept over the two of them.
Kimberly couldn’t keep her composure. Her eyes darted nervously.
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Chapter 20
Dexter’s face was grim. “You can’t possibly be accusing Martha, can you?”
“I’m not accusing. I have proof?” I said, pulling up a video. “Here’s the security footage from our hallway today. Watch it.”
Dexter barely watched a few seconds before his face turned ashen. He kept glancing at Kimberly, disbelief written all over his face.
Kimberly could no longer meet his eyes. Her old, murky eyes were now wide with panic.
“Mom, who are these two men? Why did you bring them into our house while Sylvia and I were gone?” Dexter demanded, looking baffled.
“They… they’re just some friends of mine,” Kimberly stammered, still trying to make excuses.
I stepped in. “But Mom, you’ve been away from Fairhaven for so long. You’ve only just come back, and in such a short time. you’ve made ‘friends‘ like these? From the video, it looks like these two men are about the same age as Dexter–are they your old buddies?”
Her excuse was so far–fetched that even Dexter, if he wanted to, couldn’t buy it.
“Mom, if you don’t explain this clearly, I’m calling the police. Martha’s health is at risk, and I won’t stand by and let anyone use these kinds of tactics in my home!” I fixed her with a cold stare, my resolve firm.
Dexter, now visibly anxious, urged her, “Hurry up and say something!”
Kimberly hesitated for a long time, her voice wavering, before she finally broke down in tears. “I… I was confused. They came to collect a debt.”
She sobbed, pulling a debt note from her pocket and handing it to Dexter and me. We looked at the note–a simple piece of paper, but the words on it were far more chilling than any amount of red ink.
“You… what have you done…”
AD
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