As if her lie was flawless—something I could never expose.
“Eric’s wife won’t be back for a while,” she said naturally. “So let him stay with us in the meantime. We don’t have kids anyway and we could use the practice.”
Then she patted my shoulder lightly. “It’s all for the company.”
I forced a pale smile. “Sure. Come in.”
Taking the luggage from Eric’s hand, I played the part of the understanding husband. Then I went to the kitchen and made him a cup of honey tea.
“Here, drink this. You must be thirsty.”
He accepted it with a smile. “Thanks, Andrew. You’re really kind.”
But less than ten minutes later, he suddenly let out a small cry, clutching his stomach tightly. His face contorted in pain. “Why…it hurts... so bad…”
Charlotte, who was talking on the phone in the living room, immediately hung up and rushed over to him. “What’s wrong? Where does it hurt?”
Eric’s face was pale as he shook his head. “I don’t know... it just hurts all of sudden…”
Her eyes snapped toward me, full of suspicion. “What did you give him?”
“Honey tea,” I said flatly.
“He was fine a moment ago.” Her voice rose. “He drank your tea and now he’s in pain. Did you put something in it?”
Eric tugged at her sleeve, speaking in low voice, “Charlotte, don’t say that. Maybe I just caught a chill…”
“Don’t defend him!” she snapped, her eyes burning into me. “Be honest, Andrew. Did you put something in that tea?”
I stared back at the fire in her eyes, realizing she didn’t trust me at all. Suddenly, I didn’t feel like explaining anymore.
“Yes,” I said coldly. “That’s because he took my place, slept in my bed and used my things!”
A sharp slap landed across my face. It hurt—not sharply, but a heavy, numbing ache that spread from my cheek to my ear.
“Are you insane?” she shouted, her finger trembling as she pointed at me. “Eric is already sick and you tried to kill him. How did I ever marry such a petty, jealous man like you? If you weren’t still useful to the company, I’d have divorced you already!”
Eric stood beside her, pretending to wince in pain, playing the victim perfectly.
“Calm down, Charlotte. Don’t scold him anymore,” he murmured. “Maybe he just lost it for a second.” He looked up at me, his eyes shone with triumph.
I didn’t say a word. I turned around, went into my room and shut the door. My cheek still burned. Never to my imagination did I think she could hit that hard.
That night, I couldn’t sleep. The air was freezing. When I reached out, the space beside me was empty—Charlotte wasn’t there.
Then I heard soft footsteps in the hallway. I slipped on a robe and quietly followed the sound to the guest room. The door was slightly ajar, a sliver of light spilling through the gap.
“You shouldn’t have slapped him that hard,” Eric said quietly. “You two aren’t divorced yet. I’m afraid he’ll make trouble.”
Charlotte gave a short, cold laugh. “He deserved it.”
“So... when will you divorce him?” Eric pressed. “You promised you’d leave him after he helped you rebuild the company.”
Through the gap, I saw him wrap an arm around her neck. Their faces were so close their lips were almost touching.
“I know,” she sighed softly. “But it’s not the right time yet. Let’s wait until I’ve taken over all his client accounts. Then I’ll leave.”
And with that, Charlotte kissed him.
Even here, in our own home, she couldn’t hold herself back.
The sounds of their bodies entwined came faintly through the wall—soft at first, but they grew louder.
I walked away and passed the nursery. The baby was sleeping soundly. I stepped closer, leaned down and carefully lifted the tiny human into my arms. He had Charlotte’s eyes.
The little one stirred slightly, curling closer against my chest, but didn’t wake.
I stepped out of the apartment. When I opened the door, a gust of cold wind hit my face, freezing my skin.
Only an hour later, they finally realized the baby was gone.
My phone rang. Charlotte’s furious voice blasted through the receiver.
“Andrew! Where did you take Eric’s baby? Bring her back right now!”
I looked down at the sleeping infant in my arms. His breathing was steady, his long-lashes stayed still.
A faint smile tugged at my lips.
“It’s his baby that’s missing,” I murmured. “Why are you panicking?”
