"Indulged in wishful thinking?" Deirdre felt slightly dizzy from the anger. "You're a disgrace!"

Brendan turned his head to glance at her in contempt and spoke nonchalantly. "Disgrace? Don't blame me. You seemed to have had a good time last night too, right?"

Deirdre gritted her teeth and angrily threw the pillow on the floor. She vowed never to believe Brendan again, not a single word.

The incident took her by surprise because she had always believed that Brendan would never break his promises. This was completely out of character for him.

She had underestimated Emily's influence on Brendan, and that realization hit her hard.

Later that day, Deirdre met the female caregiver arranged by Emily. A young and agile caregiver, Frances Ramos entered the house respectfully and introduced herself.

Brendan was pleased with Frances and instructed her to take good care of Deirdre's diet and daily routine. But Deirdre felt uneasy hearing this and abruptly left the room.

Brendan closed his d