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Novel Catalog
Chapter_6
Another Mrs. Murphy
The first and only time I visited Tanum Corporation after their move to Galar Tower was a memory I’d held onto tightly. Matthew had shown me the space—an entire floor of the building that they had rented just for their office. As we stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows in his office, he wrapped his arms around me and spoke with such sincerity, his voice soft.
“Thank you for helping me and changing my life, my love,” he’d said. “Believe me, it won’t be long before I give this building to you.”
I had laughed softly at the time, touched by his words. But now, the weight of them felt like an ironic joke, as everything was falling apart before me.
As I entered Galar Tower, the young receptionist greeted me with a smile that didn’t quite meet her eyes. She asked which floor I was headed to and who I was looking for. When I mentioned Matthew’s name, her expression shifted just slightly, but it was enough to make my stomach churn.
“I’m sorry, madam. Mr. Murphy is not in. He went out with his wife.”
The words hit me like a punch. Despite all the preparations I had made, hearing those words still rattled me to my core. My grip on my handbag tightened until my knuckles turned white. My voice, shaky but sharp, escaped before I could stop myself. “What did you say? Are you sure?”
The receptionist, unfazed, looked at me with confusion. “Yes, you asked for Mr. Matthew Murphy from the 10th floor, right? He left early this morning with his wife.”
The finality in her voice sent a cold chill through me, and for a moment, I stood frozen in place. A thousand questions ran through my mind—who was this woman? Was she really his wife? If she was, then who was I?
But no, I couldn’t ask her. I clenched my teeth to hold back the storm of emotions threatening to spill over. Instead, I turned on my heel and left Galar Tower, trying to preserve some sense of dignity, though inside, I was crumbling.
I needed to hear it from someone I could trust, someone who could clear this up. Grabbing my phone, I called Johnson Link from the marketing department at Tanum Corporation. He was an executive and should know if Matthew was in the office or not. My hand shook as I dialed, but I took a deep breath to steady myself.
“Hey, John. Is Matthew done with his meeting? I’ve been trying to call him, but he’s not picking up. I’m starting to get worried,” I asked, my voice betraying none of the panic I was feeling.
Johnson paused on the other end of the line, his voice confused. “Meeting? There’s no meeting today, Mrs. Murphy. Mr. Murphy is out.”
The weight of those words settled in my chest. My breath hitched. I didn’t even know how to respond.
I hung up without another word.
A crushing sense of powerlessness hit me. It was as if the ground beneath me had given way, and I was sinking. I could feel my knees giving out, and I gripped the phone so tightly my fingers began to numb. Every thought that ran through my mind was a jagged shard of ice. He was out with her. With his wife.
How had this happened? I had built this life—this family—and yet, here I was, the one left in the dark, with nothing but betrayal in my hands.
I stood there on the street, feeling small and invisible as the world carried on around me. He was slipping through my fingers, like sand, no matter how hard I tried to hold on.
But I wouldn’t give up. I wouldn’t let him get away with this.
I would find out who this “Mrs. Murphy” really was.
After a long, painful pause, I steeled myself. Gathering the last of my strength, I forced my legs to move and hailed a cab. Once home, I headed straight to the market, picking up all of Matthew’s favorite dishes along with pineapples—Ava’s favorite, too.
I needed to keep things normal, as normal as possible. I needed him to come home, and when he did, I would confront him.
The hours dragged on like an eternity. Every second felt like a year. As evening approached, I summoned the courage to call Matthew. My voice was calm, though every part of me was shaking. “Where are you?” I asked. “Don’t forget to pick up Ava.”
His response came quickly, too quickly. “Of course, I’ll be right there.”