Chapter 9

Janet fell silent, feeling resentful. Ms. Roberts' reputation and Emmanuel's money would eventually be hers, but she knew that impatience would not help her achieve her goals, so she decided to be patient for now. Emmanuel hadn't been home during the day for a while. Standing in the familiar villa, he felt a sense of strangeness and novelty that he hadn't felt in a long time. They say that a short separation is better than a new marriage, and perhaps that was the reason. “Erin, I’m back,” he called out her name, walking briskly through the garden and into the living room. The flowers and plants in the garden were neatly trimmed, and the interior decor remained unchanged, spotless everywhere, reflecting the owner’s taste and style. All of this was Erin’s doing. Emmanuel wanted to hug her and say, “Dear, you’ve worked so hard,” but upon looking around, he couldn’t find her anywhere. He approached the part-time worker who was working and asked, “Where is the lady? Has she gone out?”