Chapter 4
Chapter 4
The message felt like it was burned into my mind, each word a permanent scar I couldn’t erase. After a moment of hesitation, I decided to ignore it, but I quickly took a screenshot and saved it.
There was too much going on right now for me to lose my head. Even if the brutal truths were about to surface, I needed to handle them on my own terms, step by step. ‘I, Sylvia, have always hated being controlled!
Just as I was about to set my phone down, an idea hit me. I quickly typed a reply: [Is it because he’s in bed with me right now that you’re so restless? The mistress.] Then I rejected the friend request and put my phone away.
I thought I’d be tossing and turning, but I was so exhausted that I actually managed to sleep somewhat soundly.
Breakfast was made by Dexter, the same perfect husband as always. Watching Juno happily circle around him, laughing, my heart ached.
If it weren’t for Juno, I thought I would have gone straight for the jugular with Dexter–ripping apart our relationship in the most brutal way possible. At worst, we’d both walk away scarred.
I could be intense, fiery–like a blaze or strong liquor, it was all or nothing. But now, I couldn’t do that. Juno was my soft spot, and I had to consider his feelings.
After breakfast, we went through the motions of our usual routine.
Dexter kissed me on the cheek. “Don’t worry. I’ll go see Mom at the hospital this afternoon, and Clara will be there too.”
“Okay.” I nodded absentmindedly.
Work was a mess. As soon as I arrived at the office, Holly grabbed me. “What happened yesterday?”
“It’s nothing,” I said.
“Come on, don’t give me that. Yesterday you said the same thing. Something must’ve happened at home. So tell me when are you stepping down so I can take your place?”
I thought, ‘This woman…‘ I hated her, but oddly, I couldn’t bring myself to really loathe her.
Holly was upfront about our competition. She was a career “fox“-no subtlety or hidden tactics. She preferred to confront me head–on, relishing the idea of publicly besting me if she could.
I shot her a look of contempt. “Keep dreaming.”
The morning passed in a flurry of work, and the cleaning lady arrived just before lunch.
I asked, “Hi, did you clean my office yesterday? I seem to have lost something. Did you notice anything?”
The cleaning lady looked at me with a strange expression. “Yesterday? No, I didn’t clean yesterday. It was our day off. Don’t you remember, Ms. Moreno?”
My mind went blank for a second before everything clicked. Right. Yesterday, the internal cleaning staff had the day off, and only the external cleaners were working. That had been part of the agreement from the start.
‘If the regular cleaner wasn’t there yesterday, then who was the one that entered my office?‘ My heart started pounding.
The cleaning lady, noticing my silence, pressed on. “Ms. Moreno, what exactly did you lose? Is it something important? Oh,
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Chapter 4
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by the way, one of our cleaners lost a set of clothes. How could something go missing in the office?”
I immediately focused on her words. “You lost a set of clothes?”
“Yes, it’s the new uniform the company issued last week. I haven’t even had a chance to wear it much, and this morning when I came to work, I couldn’t find it anywhere, Isn’t that strange?”
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The cleaning lady continued to fret about the missing items. “Ms. Moreno, did you lose something important? You need to vouch for me I didn’t take anything of yours.”
I gave her a reassuring smile as I glanced at her nervous expression. “It’s not related to you.”
She visibly relaxed.
However, her words gave me an idea. I immediately went back to check the company’s security footage, this time focusing on the exterior cameras.
+13)
The view was limited, but I still managed to catch what I was looking for: the woman in the cleaning uniform walking out of the building and out of the range of our company’s cameras.
A huge weight lifted off my chest. She wasn’t one of us; she was an outsider.
But this building saw a lot of traffic every day–clients, visitors, and all sorts of people passing in and out.
Trying to pinpoint a suspicious individual from that crowd would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. I thought, ‘As long as she isn’t one of our employees, that is enough.’
I went to the administration office and had them change the locks on all the doors, including the filing cabinets and safes. Only I knew the new codes. Once that was done, I finally felt a bit of relief.
I rushed to the hospital to visit Martha, but as I reached the door to her room, I overheard a conversation inside. It was between Dexter and Clara.
“Dexter, I can’t thank you enough. If it weren’t for you, I really wouldn’t know what to do,” Clara said.
“We’re family, no need for thanks,” Dexter replied casually.
“But Dexter, have you really ended things with that woman?” Clara hesitated. “I don’t want to see you and my sister split up. You two are perfect together, and Juno is still so young…”
“It’s over,” Dexter answered firmly. “I made a mistake in a moment of weakness, but the person I love is still your sister.”
Clara seemed relieved, her tone lightening. “That’s good to hear. Don’t tell my sister, though. I won’t say anything either, as long as you two are okay.”
“I won’t,” Dexter promised.
My heart sank. I couldn’t believe it–Clara knew about Dexter’s affair. And worse, she was helping him cover it up from me, her own sister.
Everything seemed to spin, and I felt dizzy. Just as I lost my balance and began to stumble backward, a pair of strong hands caught me.
“If the patient’s family isn’t feeling well, they should rest instead of causing trouble in the hallway,” a sharp voice said.
His words stung. I was about to turn and argue, but then I saw the name tag on his chest, and I snapped back to reality.
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Though he was wearing a hat and mask, I instantly recognized him–Jeremy Norman, Martha’s attending physician/He had dressed the same way yesterday in the office, almost as if he didn’t want to be seen.
I might be bold enough to argue with the CEO over a proposal, but I wasn’t about to cross Martha’s doctor. I forced a smile, “I didn’t sleep well last night.”
Jeremy nodded briefly and gestured for me to move aside.
I understood. He was clearly signaling that I was in his way. I stepped aside, giving myself a moment to collect my thoughts.
By the time I entered the room, Dexter and Jeremy were wrapping up their conversation. Martha was lying on the bed, likely just finished with her treatment and medication, still unconscious.
Once their conversation ended, I escorted Jeremy out. “Thank you, Dr. Norman.”
Just before he left, he turned to give me a long, meaningful look. “As a family member of the patient, your health is also important. Make sure you rest when you can. You should probably–get your eyes checked too.”
I froze. His words felt oddly pointed, but I had no proof to back up my suspicions.
When I returned to the room, Dexter was gone. I thought, ‘He must have gone to get some water.
A thought occurred to me, and I quickly made an excuse to step out. I headed toward the water station, but when I arrived, it was completely empty. Dexter wasn’t there. He hadn’t gone to get water at all.
