As soon as Brian left, I drove straight to his office. As one of their partners, I had every excuse to be there. The moment I stepped into the lobby, I saw her. Sitting at the reception desk.
Vanessa O’Hara looked even fresher in person—long hair, bright eyes, innocence painted all over her face. The type of girl no one would ever suspect of seducing a married man.
“Good morning. Who are you here to see?” she asked with a sweet smile.
“I’m here for Brian,” I said, casually studying her. The loose blouse couldn’t hide her small but noticeable baby bump.
“Mr. Roger is in a meeting. And you are…?”
“Claudia… Roger.” I let the name linger in the air.
Instantly, her face drained of color. Of course she knew me — I’m Brian’s lawful wife.
“Very well, M-Mrs. Roger. Please wait, I’ll notify him right away.” She snatched up the phone.
I heard her whisper nervously, “Mr. Roger, your wife is here.”
Moments later, Brian stepped out of his office. He walked toward me with a strange, forced smile.
“Honey, what are you doing here?” he asked, his eyes darting toward Vanessa.
“Just wanted to see your office and maybe grab lunch together.” I slid my hand into his arm casually.
“Great, let’s go upstairs.” He was all too eager to get me out of there.
In the elevator, I feigned casual curiosity. “That front desk girl’s cute. How old is she?”
“No idea. Just an intern. I don’t really notice those things,” he replied a little too quickly.
“Right.” I nodded, mentally laughing in his face.
Over lunch, I asked if he was stressed at work, if he felt run down.
He ate the food I’d packed for him and gave me a grateful smile. “You’re so thoughtful, honey. Having you as my wife is the best thing in my life.”
If only I could stab him with the fork in my hand.
“Oh, by the way,” I added lightly, “a friend recommended a great new housing development. Maybe we should check it out?”
Brian froze mid-bite. “Why? Is there something wrong with our place?”
“It’s fine, but it’s too small. I’m worried it won’t be enough once we have kids,” I said pointedly.
His jaw tightened, the tension written all over his face. “Let’s not rush into kids. Besides, we’re tight on budget right now.”
Funny how budget wasn’t an issue when he bought his mistress a house.
“You’re right, let’s not rush anything,” I said smoothly, hiding my disgust. His rot was showing more clearly now.
I stood up with the excuse of going to the restroom. On my way back, I deliberately passed the front desk. Vanessa was chatting with a couple of coworkers.
“The baby’s healthy. The doctor said I’m due at the end of the year,” she said beaming.
“You’re so lucky,” one of them gushed. “Your boyfriend’s amazing—buying you a place, treating you like a princess.”
“He promised to marry me once the baby’s born,” Vanessa added, her face glowing.
Marry her? He hadn’t even divorced me yet and he was already planning a wedding with his mistress?
Her eyes suddenly flicked up and landed on me. She went pale.
“M-Mrs. Roger,” she stammered, scrambling to her feet.
I walked over, smiling sweetly. “Vanessa, isn’t it? Congratulations on the pregnancy.”
“T-thank you, Mrs. Roger.” Her voice trembled and her hand instinctively moved to her belly in a protective gesture.
“The baby’s father treats you well?” I asked, watching her squirm.
“He… yes. He treats me well.” She replied quickly, refusing to meet my eyes.
“That’s good, then. Cherish it. Just don’t let yourself be fooled by the wrong kind of man.”
I held her gaze for a long beat, then turned on my heel and walked away.
