Chapter 4

Before the man on the other end could finish, the call abruptly disconnected. Edward’s eyes turned to ice, his handsome features darkening like a gathering storm. William ventured cautiously, “Mr. Hawthorne, what’s wrong?” Edward’s expression was grim, thunderous. “Does Emily have another man in her life?” She wasn’t living in the villa he provided. Some guy was with her at night—close enough to answer her phone while she was in the shower. That level of intimacy? Every sign pointed to one conclusion: his wife was very likely seeing someone else. William was taken aback, his tone disbelieving. “That can’t be… Why would a woman married to someone like you even look at anyone else?” Edward let out a cold, humorless laugh. “Do you even know what she’s really like?” He’d left for overseas right after their wedding and spent two full years building his career abroad. The truth was, he probably knew even less about her than his own secretary did. William responded carefully, “From what we’ve gathered, Mrs. Sterling has a calm and kind personality. She leads a healthy lifestyle, respects her elders, and is warm and generous to those around her. Everyone who knows her speaks highly of her. She doesn’t seem like the type to…” Catching himself before overstepping, William rephrased, “…to act inappropriately.” Edward remained silent, his long fingers tapping rhythmically against his phone. After a moment’s hesitation, William gently suggested, “Mr. Hawthorne, could this perhaps be a misunderstanding?” “A misunderstanding?” Edward’s voice was sharp with cold anger. “We’ve been married for two years. She never once reached out to me first. Now there’s suddenly a man around her, and I’m supposed to pretend it’s all innocent?” Aside from that one drunken mistake last night, he hadn’t violated their marriage. For two years, he’d done his best to provide for her from afar, even though she felt like a complete stranger. If she didn’t want to be with him, fine—she could have filed for divorce. But this? This was downright disrespectful. William fell silent. He didn’t dare say another word. “Turn the car around,” Edward said abruptly. William blinked. “You’re not going to see Mrs. Sterling anymore?” Maybe this was all a big misunderstanding. If they could talk face to face, things might be cleared up. But on the other hand… what if he walked in on something awkward? The embarrassment would be unbearable. Edward’s eyes were shadowed, simmering with suppressed fury. “There’s no need. Take me back to the office.” —— Meanwhile, at The Lodge Apartments… Alice stepped out of the shower, wrapped in a soft towel, and immediately caught the delicious aroma of food filling the apartment. She took a deep breath and glanced toward the dining table, where a tall, clean-cut young man stood. He looked relaxed in casual wear, his features handsome and gentle. “Tony, you’ve outdone yourself again,” she grinned. “I’m literally drooling over here.” This was Anthony Hayes, her childhood best friend. After university, she’d rented an apartment near his. They often dropped by each other’s places for meals—their friendship was that close. Anthony lounged comfortably in his loungewear, his short hair tidy. His features were sharp, and there was a lazy confidence in his bright eyes. He shot her a sidelong glance. “Enough flattery. You’re in your twenties—shouldn’t you know how to cook by now?” Eyeing the spread on the table, Alice couldn’t resist snatching a piece of ribs. One bite and she was in heaven. She beamed, “Soon, soon! When I finally cook my first meal, you’ll be the first to try it, I promise.” Anthony raised an eyebrow. “Please don’t. I still want to live a few more years. Let Elbert be your taste-tester.” The little boy sitting at the table, around eight or nine years old, was sneakily munching on a rib. When he heard his name, he grinned at Alice, dimples showing. “Alice, I’ll totally be your taste tester!” He had fair skin, lively bright eyes, and features that closely resembled Anthony’s. Honestly, he was almost too good-looking for a boy. Alice lifted her chin proudly. “Elbert, you’re the best. From now on, I’m counting on you.” Elbert Hayes grinned even wider, happily devouring his rib. Anthony set bowls of soup in front of them and mentioned casually, “Someone called your old phone earlier.” “Who’d be calling that number?” Alice frowned. That was her backup phone—she still kept her old SIM card mainly because switching numbers was too much hassle. She wiped her hands, picked up the phone, and checked the screen. There were two missed calls from an unknown number—the first one she’d missed, the second one Anthony had apparently answered. “Did they say who it was?” “Nope. I was cooking, so I just said you’d call back and hung up. Try calling them back.” Alice hit redial, but the phone just rang and rang. No one picked up. Anthony placed a piece of beef in Elbert’s bowl. Elbert took small, happy bites, clearly enjoying himself. Anthony glanced at Alice. “No answer?” “Probably a wrong number,” Alice muttered. “He asked for ‘Emily Sterling’ specifically. Didn’t sound random to me.” Remembering the cold tone on the other end, Anthony raised an eyebrow. “Don’t tell me it’s that husband of yours—the one you’ve never even properly met?” Flashback to two years ago: her grandfather had fallen seriously ill, and his final wish was to see her married. The marriage had been arranged between her grandfather and an old family friend. With no romantic prospects at the time and trusting her grandfather’s judgment, she’d agreed. Just like that, she’d married a total stranger. On the day they signed the marriage license, she’d had an accident on the way and broken her glasses. Severely nearsighted, she’d missed her only chance to clearly see her new husband’s face. Anthony had never let her live it down. Eventually, she’d gotten laser eye surgery just to avoid any future disasters. Alice shot him a look. “Can you not joke about this right now?” Anthony looked surprised. “What’s up? You’re usually all sass when I tease you. Something wrong?” Alice scrolled through her phone but found no new messages or missed calls from her all-but-invisible husband. She sighed. “I’m getting a divorce.” Even though he hadn’t replied yet, she could feel it in her bones. No man would put up with an unfaithful spouse, even if it was unintentional. Divorce was inevitable. “Should’ve done it sooner,” Anthony remarked bluntly. “Next time, I’ll introduce you to someone decent—you know, a guy who doesn’t vanish overseas right after marrying you. Someone who actually knows how to be a husband.” Alice gave a wry smile. “Wow, thanks.” —— After dinner, Anthony left with Elbert. Back in her room, Alice collapsed onto her bed. The walls were covered with sheet music, and instruments stood in every corner. Too tired to practice, she pulled out her phone and scrolled through the music charts. A small smile touched her lips when she saw her name still lingering on the list. She started reading comments, losing track of time. Just before bed, a random thought struck her, and she sat up suddenly. “Wait a second… It should be daytime over there now. Why hasn’t my so-called husband texted me back yet?”