However, he was hiding something in a panic. When he heard my voice, he hastily hid the picture he was holding in the drawer.
“What are you hiding, Shaun?”
He avoided his gaze, his usually rational tone surprisingly guilty. “Nothing. Just some scrap paper.”
“Shaun Lewis!” I was agitated. “You’re lying.”
He would instinctively tap the things next to him with his fingers whenever he lied. Knowing his tell, I reached over to pull open his drawer.
“I told you, it’s nothing!” He grabbed my hand and stopped me from touching the drawer. The next second, he locked it tight.
“What could you possibly need to hide from me, Shaun?” I asked, hurt and confused.
In all the years I had known him, he had never put his guard up against me. Even when the company was in crisis, he would lay all the documents before me and let me play with them as I liked.
This time, he just kept avoiding my gaze without saying a word.
I grew more upset by the second, so angry I wanted to snatch the key from his hands. In the ensuing struggle, however, I lost my balance and almost fell to the floor.
Shaun caught me and helped me to my feet, saying impatiently, “Stop your tantrum, Nessa.”
His tone was cold and brimming with rage.
I stiffened, shooting him a glare. “If you dislike me that much, Shaun, let’s get a divorce.”
With that, I turned and left the room. He never even made a move to stop me.
Hmph, men.
A man like him was not worth crying over. I wiped my tears and took my things to the guest room. As I lay on the pillow, however, my tears drenched the silk sheets.
I could not hold it in, damn…
The truth was, I saw everything. He had been holding an old, yellowed photograph of a woman who looked a lot like me.
Vicky smacked the couch. “Are you saying he cheated on you?!”
She rolled up her sleeves in a huff, as though she wanted to eat him alive.
I gave her a sideways glance, my tone light. “No, stop pretending.”
She deflated and sat back down, patting my thigh solemnly. “If he did anything to hurt you, babe, I’ll always be on your side.”
“That’s why I ran away with our unborn baby.”
Vicky raised her hands into the air. “And I’ll support you all the way!”
Just as I was unpacking my things at Vicky’s place, my phone started ringing non-stop.
It was Rinz, Shaun’s assistant.
Why did Shaun ask his assistant to call me rather than calling me himself? Obviously, it was because I had blocked all his numbers.
I promptly did the same to Rinz. Everyone in Shaun’s inner circle would get the same treatment.
***
At the same time.
In his black Bentley, Shaun looked at his assistant on the phone, his expression dark.
Rinz said apologetically, “Mr. Lewis, she rejected my call.”
“Call her again!”
“She blocked my number…”
Shaun scoffed, raging.
When he got home, it looked like the house had been ransacked. Nessa had taken all her bags and clothes, and she even tossed his clothes to the floor. Worst of all, his favorite car was gone from the garage.
In an instant, he knew that all this was Nessa’s doing.
***
In any case, it was just as everyone thought. Shaun stood on Vicky’s porch in the pouring rain, knocking on her door. “Nessa, open the door.”
I ignored him, sitting on the front step and crossing my arms as I stared at the door.
What I did not know, however, was that Shaun had Vicky’s door code.
The door swung open, revealing Shaun’s cold expression. His dark eyes, burning with rage, met mine.
I abruptly turned around, looking at Vicky. She was giggling behind me.
“Vicky! How could you?!”
Shaun swept me up in his arms, determined to carry me home.
“I am not going with you, Shaun Lewis!” I grabbed onto the side of the shoe cabinet.
