Brian was livid.
So livid that every shred of composure he'd once prided himself on had evaporated completely.
Mervyn put on an awkward expression and rose hesitantly, as if to leave.
But I wrapped my arms around him from behind.
"Stay."
"You're sleeping here tonight."
With my arms still around Mervyn's waist, I walked into the bedroom without sparing Brian so much as a glance.
Behind me, Brian's voice erupted into a string of furious curses. Something about how if I dared make a fool of him, he'd divorce me.
Once the bedroom door closed, I let go of Mervyn and straightened up.
My expression settled back to normal.
Mervyn shook his head with a resigned sigh.
"Ellie, you went through all that trouble putting on a show. What's the point?"
I looked down at the glass of water in my hand.
The truth was, I hadn't slipped anything into it at all. I'd just stuffed a few effervescent tablets into an aphrodisiac packet to sell the illusion.
I hadn't expected Brian to actually buy it.
But it didn't matter.
I could already picture Joan throwing a fit because he hadn't shown up that night, screaming at him, tearing into him.
The thought alone was deeply satisfying.
Three days later, I was going through our accounts as usual when I noticed ten million dollars missing.
I called Brian without hesitation.
"Why is there ten million missing from the bank account?"
He was quiet for a few seconds.
"It's Joanie. She's... pregnant."
"I promised her I'd give her and the baby a proper home. So I used the money to buy her a villa."
My heart dropped like a stone.
Pregnant.
After the aphrodisiac stunt that night, Brian had stormed out first thing the next morning and hadn't come home for three straight days.
From Joan's social media posts, it was clear he'd spent an entire day and night coaxing his mistress back into a good mood.
And now, just days later, he was telling me the mistress was pregnant.
But I felt no sadness. Not a trace. My voice came out flat and expressionless.
"Got it."
"Same rules as always. Transfer twenty million to me. Same prime location. I'm buying Mervyn a villa too."
"Eleanor, let me explain—"
Brian's voice turned frantic on the other end.
"The baby isn't mine!"
"She got drunk, and some stranger picked her up outside a bar. That's how she got pregnant. She's terrified right now, hysterical, threatening to kill herself."
"She was with me once. I can't just turn my back on her."
"Besides, Eleanor, we've been married ten years. We're not getting any younger. We should have a child, shouldn't we?"
"Joanie's already agreed. She doesn't want to raise it. Once the baby's born, we can adopt it..."
A cold scoff escaped my lips.
Not only was he lying to my face, claiming the child wasn't his.
He actually wanted me to raise the baby of the woman who destroyed my marriage.
Brian Delgado, how did you even have the nerve to say that out loud?
I stayed silent for a long time.
But what finally left my mouth was something else entirely.
"Brian, do you even remember why we don't have a child?"
We did have one, once.
A beautiful little girl.
The year she was born, Brian's constant cheating led to fight after fight between us. The stress dried up my milk.
And all because I'd slapped Joan across the face, just once.
As punishment, Brian handed control of every cent in the household over to his mistress.
I will never forget that day as long as I live.
My baby screaming, wailing from hunger.
Me, sobbing, begging Brian. "I was wrong. Please, just let the nanny go buy some formula. Please?"
"She can't go hungry any longer!"
But Brian only frowned, his voice cold and measured. "Eleanor, when you do something wrong, you face the consequences."
