Ava seemed to cling to me more after the fall. She remained glued to me, and I could not move without her, which drove me crazy at times. Meanwhile, Matthew didn’t give me space to figure things out.His work hours were punctual, and I had no room to pinpoint issues with him. Everything he brought back yielded no clues. I even began to question if I was hallucinating at times.After finally putting Ava to sleep at noon, I realized we were out of fresh vegetables and fruits at home. Since Ava was fast asleep, I knew I had to rush to the market before she woke up.The market was nearby, and I was too lazy to change my clothes, so I hurried out the door and aimed to return as quickly as possible. However, I was dumbfounded when I returned from buying groceries because I didn’t have my keys.I pondered for a while and smacked my forehead in frustration because I must’ve forgotten to bring them when I left. I decided to call Matthew, and he answered in a hushed tone. Afterward, I explai

I felt like lightning struck me when the smug receptionist addressed the person behind me as Mrs. Murphy. I felt rage bubbling inside me as I turned to see how Ivanna would react.How dare she strut around here, flaunting and pretending to be someone she wasn’t? My gaze was cold as I turned, expecting to see Ivanna. However, to my surprise, it was Melanie.Her outfit was vibrant and eye-catching as her blonde hair flowed down her shoulders. She wore exquisite makeup, which added a touch of allure to her otherwise unremarkable features.Melanie approached gracefully with a composed smile. When she was about to speak, she noticed me turning around, my anger evident. Her eyes widened in shock as she stood frozen, unable to process my unexpected appearance.I couldn’t help but smirk. I had to admit Melanie looked more like Mrs. Murphy while I resembled a nanny. Although I was speechless, I thought attire made a vast difference in appearance, and my casual home attire paled to her glamo

Neither I nor Melanie spoke in the elevator. She pouted and lowered her head while leaning against the elevator wall. Frankly, I couldn’t be bothered to engage with her. Although her brother often spoiled her, I never had the patience.When we reached Matthew's office, he was indeed in a meeting. One of his employees saw me and Melanie and called Matthew out. Matthew seemed shocked as his gaze shifted between our faces before stopping at me.After some thought, he asked, “What are you—”“Did I embarrass you? Why should I dress up since I only went to the market?” I interjected, knowing what he was about to say. Irritated, I retorted, “Pass me the keys. Ava’s still asleep.”Immediately after, Matthew rushed to his desk and retrieved the keys from his bag to hand them to me, saying, “Didn’t you ask Mel to send them to you?”I took the keys and glanced at a displeased Melanie. "Does she have the time to bring me the keys? Pretending to be Mrs. Murphy here seems more important than pa

"What's wrong?" Matthew looked at me with concern. "Are you tired? Maybe you should take a nap. I won't leave. I'll stay and play with Ava instead."I suppressed my emotions and nodded. “Yeah, I’m tired. You can entertain Ava while I rest.”Afterward, I placed the plate of fruits on the coffee table and said, “Give her something to eat. There’s more in the kitchen if those aren’t enough.”"Sure thing. You go rest. I'll take you both out for a meal once you’re up," Matthew said, picking up a fork to feed Ava.When I went to the bedroom to lie down, I felt suffocated as tears welled in my eyes. It seemed those two keys were an issue as Matthew rushed home just to take them back. I knew he wasn’t worried about Ava.Most knew a person’s conscience would be thrown out the window once they cheated. Also, I suspected those keys might have belonged to another woman’s house, so I instinctively thought of Ivanna.She had been doing well these past two years and no longer had to share a pla

Johnson was our company’s Marketing Director. He greeted us warmly and playfully pinched Ava’s cheeks when he saw us. In a way, Johnson took my role by taking charge of the company’s marketing department.I was the one who brought him into the company, and he worked under me for over a year. Back then, the marketing department focused mainly on sales, consisting of just five people.Johnson was a quick-witted college graduate who was a natural at marketing. He had a silver tongue that could convince anyone of anything. He took over my position when I got pregnant while Matthew nurtured him.I knew Johnson frequented this place because he arranged a private room for us with the restaurant manager’s help. It was evident he was much more considerate than Matthew.Melanie was also familiar with Johnson as the two exchanged glances while Johnson ordered the food. Meanwhile, I didn’t pay much attention to the order and went straight into the private room since I knew Matthew wouldn’t let

The footsteps sounded like someone was getting pulled. I was about to open the door and leave when I heard a man’s voice, “Hey there, beautiful. I finally caught you. I’ve been missing you like crazy!”I froze when I realized the voice belonged to Johnson and quickly withdrew my hand from the door handle. I never expected Johnson to be so audacious. He had a pretty wife, so I never imagined he would cheat.It seemed there was no such thing as a good man anymore.“Don’t even say you missed me. Don’t you have another lover?” a woman spoke bitterly, “Why were you so friendly to her at the door just now? You were never enthusiastic with me, and you say I’m important to you? Bullshit! Your words are empty!”“You’re spouting nonsense. You’re the one who’s always seducing others.”Immediately after, I heard a rustling sound.“Good girl. Let me kiss you. I…” Johnson’s words were daring, making my face blush, and my heart ache. “That man is my boss, so how could I not be polite toward him

Melanie didn’t take kindly to what I said. Her displeasure was evident as she retorted, “Chloe, don't be unappreciative of what you have. You know how my brother treats you, right? He's the one out there working hard, and you dare to be choosy? Don't be so overbearing."I glared at her, saying, "Oh? Do you feel bad for your brother? When did I ever need your two cents in conversations with him?"Melanie rolled her eyes, "I—"I didn’t let her continue and interrupted, "What's wrong with being a full-time housewife? It seems like you've got a bone to pick with that. No wonder you were desperate to experience a housewife’s life at Galar Tower. You enjoyed that, didn't you?"My gaze was intense as I stared at Melanie. My past submissive behavior made her think I was an easy target."You think your brother is the only one hard at work? Ask your brother if he dares to say that to me," I didn't give Melanie a chance to speak and continued, "Don’t you or your family remember me looking fo

Ava had fallen asleep before we could reach home. After parking the car, Matthew went to pick her up and carry her to the room. Once he tucked her in, I got ready to bathe.Meanwhile, Matthew’s phone kept buzzing, and he would glance at it before hanging up. He seemed uneasy; I knew it was because he wouldn’t dare answer it when I was around.I took a change of clothes and my phone to the bathroom. After placing my things aside, I turned on the water and left the door slightly ajar to listen for any movement outside. As expected, I heard Matthew speaking into the phone hushedly.Since that was the case, I called Ivanna and only heard the busy tone. It confirmed my suspicion that Matthew was talking to her on the phone.My hands trembled with anger as I showered hastily and left the bathroom. Matthew heard my footsteps and quickly disconnected the call. He entered the room from the balcony and feigned ignorance, saying, “Hey, honey, are you done?”He faked a smile and took the towe

The phone call shocked Matthew and me. His eyes narrowed, while mine grew sharper as I looked at him and demanded, “Answer it!”Matthew froze again.“You will answer this call in front of me if you have any conscience left. I’ll give you one last chance!” I stared at him, holding my still-crying daughter close.After a while, I straightened up and continued, “I used to believe my husband would never betray me, even in a world full of lies. You’ve let me down.”I finally uttered the words I never wanted to face. I never expected the concept of betrayal to affect us too. I cried as the words left my mouth. My cries mixed with Ava’s in a symphony of heartache and brokenness.Matthew slowly took his phone, and the ringtone was even more jarring in the tense atmosphere. I looked at my motionless husband staring at me. Gradually, his fingers clenched into a fist as I growled through gritted teeth, “Answer it!”Matthew glanced at the phone and said, “I-It’s Melanie.”"Answer it!" Regar

I glanced at the incessantly ringing phone, unsure how to describe my emotions. The timing was impeccable because she called just as Matthew left. I knew he must’ve called her and reported the situation as soon as he left.I calmly answered the call, "Yes, Ivanna?""What are you up to? Is Ava okay?" Ivanna sounded like she was in a great mood.Of course, she would be in a great mood. She must be taking advantage of last night’s argument between Matthew and me."It seems like you're free today to call me so early in the morning. " There was a hint of sarcasm in my tone."Well, I'm not a robot. Even I need to recharge and maintain myself!" Ivanna laughed. "Let's go out.""Ava isn't at school yet, so I'm just playing with her at home," I replied."Oh? That's great. Bring her along so I can spoil her a little. Since you weren't in a good mood last time, I didn't dare to talk to her for long," Ivanna teased me.After some thought, I figured the opportunity was too good to pass up. S