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Novel Catalog
Chapter_66
The Show is Starting Soon
“That’s nonsense. You’ve become pretty sensitive, you little devil,” Matthew teased, patting my butt playfully. “I’ll pamper my lovely wife tonight.”
I smiled and nestled into his arms, pretending to be affected by the situation. “I’m hungry and feeling under the weather. How could you do that to me?”
He looked at me skeptically. “Are you genuinely not feeling well? Why didn’t you bring Ava back with you?”
“You wouldn’t believe it,” I replied. “Ava’s having a blast with my parents and doesn’t want to leave. She didn’t even glance at me when I left. Our neighbors have several kids, and she’s obsessed with hanging out with them. I figured I’d let her stay there for a while.”
There was, of course, another reason for leaving Ava at my mom’s place—it freed me from distractions.
“We’ll do as you say. Take a break while I prepare dinner,” Matthew said, comforting me with a quick hug before heading to the kitchen.
I went to the bedroom, changed the sheets, and tossed them into the washing machine. The thought of tainted sheets made me queasy. When Matthew came to call me for dinner, he was confused to see I had changed the sheets.
“Why did you do that?” he asked.
“Just for a change of vibes,” I answered, trying to keep the conversation casual.
Just as we were about to start eating, Matthew’s phone rang. The screen displayed ‘Laurie,’ and I wondered if it was Lauren Burton. I couldn’t resist asking as I continued eating. “Who’s that?”
Matthew glanced at me nonchalantly. “It’s just a client. She’s the one who wanted an advance for her project. The company she works for is still interested in collaborating with us.”
I couldn’t help but admire his ability to come up with stories on the spot. As he prepared to leave for the meeting, he mentioned, “I need to step out for a bit. I don’t want to miss this opportunity to participate in such a huge project.”
I looked at him with a feigned understanding. “Try not to be too late. I’ve been unwell these past few days and will go to bed early. You better not interrupt my sleep.”
Matthew smiled, as if he’d been given a pass. “All right! I won’t interrupt your sleep, honey. I’ll be off now.”
I watched him hurry to change his clothes, checking himself in the mirror. I felt a mix of resentment and disillusionment as I silently followed his every move. How had I been blind to this side of him before?
Still, he didn’t forget to kiss me before he left. It was a fleeting kiss, and it did nothing to heal the emptiness inside me.
Our marriage felt like a slow death, and I felt numb to it all. The food in my mouth tasted like ash, and I struggled to keep up the act. When he left, I called Ivanna to update her on Matthew’s activities. Then, I called Johnson and asked to meet.
Johnson informed me that Matthew had been busy preparing financial documentation for verification to deal with ATL Empire. Moreover, Matthew had signed a significant project under a company registered in Melanie’s name—completely unrelated to Tanum Corporation.
No matter how much I tried to forgive, I couldn’t tolerate Matthew’s blatant deception.
Later, I instructed Johnson on what needed to be done next. He seemed far more obedient to my commands these days, which only made me feel like I had more control over this situation.
I went to see Ivanna, who proudly presented evidence of Matthew’s frequent contact with Lauren. It explained why he hadn’t called me while I was away. It seemed he had been occupied with Lauren and Melanie, leaving me in the dark.
When I looked through their WhatsApp conversation, I was shocked. I couldn’t believe how unfaithful my once-perfect husband had become. My mind raced with anger and confusion as I headed home.
At that moment, I realized I was nothing more than Matthew’s wife by name. After all, he could easily replace me.
At eight in the evening, the GPS tracker showed that Matthew and Lauren had checked into a hotel. My heart ached as I lay alone on the cold bed, reminiscing about our past.
I thought love had lost its meaning long ago. Feeling helpless and desperate, I instructed Ivanna to reveal the information to Melanie. Then, I hung up and waited for the show to begin.