Chapter 22
My heart lurched into my throat.
But Dexter stayed calm. He glanced at the number on the phone and said, “You dialed the wrong number.” Then he hung up and immediately went back to arguing with me about Kimberly’s gambling debts.
I felt utterly defeated. I never thought it would come to this, but my parents were right all along. Dexter really was that kind of person–someone who constantly played the victim, all show on the outside but rotten underneath.
It was me… I had let love cloud my judgment. I thought this was some kind of fateful, forever bond. I never imagined I’d fall so hard.
By the time he finished, I couldn’t listen anymore. I waved my hand, cutting him off. “I get that you’re upset, but that’s no excuse to use me as your punching bag.
“When have I ever asked your mom to pay for my house? If I wanted her money, I would’ve asked when we got married, not
now.”
Dexter snapped back, “So, what you’re really saying is that you can’t get over the fact that you married me when I had nothing.”
“I’m just making a comparison,” I replied flatly.
“No need for comparisons. I get it now… I’ve done everything for you, given you my heart, and you still can’t truly accept
me.”
Dexter stood up, grabbed a suitcase, and started hastily throwing clothes inside.
“Leaving, huh?” I asked, forcing a cold laugh, though my heart felt like it was cracking.
“Business trip. It’s probably good for both of us to have a few days apart to cool off,” he said. “I’ve got a lot going on, but don’t worry–I won’t make you take on the debt.”
With that, he grabbed the suitcase and walked out, not even looking back.
As the door slammed shut behind him, I couldn’t stop the tears from spilling. My heart felt like a crumpled piece of paper- no matter how much I tried to smooth it out, it would never be the same.
It wasn’t even my debt. It wasn’t my problem. And yet, Dexter still managed to drag me into it. That final “generous” remark -like he was doing me a favor–pushed me into a place where I couldn’t even pretend to care anymore.
I thought, ‘How ridiculous. After all these years sharing a bed with this man, I am only just now starting to see him for who he really is.‘
I wiped my tears, took a deep breath, and told myself, ‘It’s better this way. He’s giving me space, giving me time… time to peel off his mask, layer by layer!’
After Dexter left, Kimberly became much more cautious around me. She couldn’t even look me in the eye anymore.
I couldn’t be bothered to deal with her. As long as she didn’t make trouble, it was like just having another person in my
home.
‘Life is full of ups and downs, I thought. My home was a mess I didn’t know how to fix, but then, something at work lifted my spirits.
1/3
08:54 Sat, 15 Feb M.
Chapter 22
A project I’d managed last year was reactivated, and they specifically asked for me to take over the kasterm
Same partner, same project plan, but this time, the investment was ten times larger than before. Thanks to had earned more than 70 thousand dollars annual bonus last year.
project 1
This year, my boss told me my performance had been outstanding, and my year–end boms would definitely be over wo figures.
I thought. How to shake off the gloom? Simple: get rich. This new gave me the motivation 1 desperady cooled
Holly made a special trip to my office to sarcastically congratulate me on my upcoming promotion. During this time, she’d helped me quite a bit, and with her in a good mood. I figured I’d return the favor
I invited her out for a meal, and suggested we also discuss the collaboration between our two te
She agreed right away. In fact, she came prepared–she’d booked a table at a restaurant with an average cost of 300 dollars per person. When I saw the price, I nearly lost my mind.
That vixen flashed a bright smile. “Oh, Ms. Moreno, I hope you’re not going to hold back?”
“Not at all.” I replied, forcing a smile.
Once the bill was paid, the conversation flowed smoothly. We had lunch, chatted through the afternoon, and by the time we finished, both teams had made great progress on the collaboration.
I had to admit–Holly was sharp. Bold, clever, and completely unrestrained. Compared to her, I felt overly cations and reserved.
After the meal, I got a call from Sheila saying there was a document waiting for my signature.
I rushed back to my office, but by the time I got there, Sheila had already moved on to other tasks. The folder she mentioned was sitting quietly on my desk. I opened it and to my surprise, several small pieces of paper fell out.
I picked them up and took a closer look–fragments of photographs. I thought, But… who has put these in the file?
I set the fragments aside, deciding to finish what I was working on first. But by the time it was almost time to leave, I couldn’t resist. I started piecing the fragments back together.
Halfway through, my hands began to shake. Because I realized–the person in the photos was me. It was from that day I was knocked unconscious and locked in a room with a man.
I wasn’t wearing clothes, and in the photos, I looked exposed–blindingly so. I couldn’t continue. My whole body was trembling.
Panicked, I immediately dumped the fragments into the shredder, turning the power up to the max. I had to destroy everything–shred it so fine no one could ever piece it together again.
Just then, there was a knock at the door. Sheila came in. “Sylvia, the files you asked for are here.”
I jumped, and a few of the photo fragments slipped from my hands, drifting toward Sheila.
“What’s this?” she asked, looking down at the fragments that had fallen near her feet.
I quickly changed the subject. “Nothing, just some scrap paper. Can you hand me the files?”
She seemed to buy it. “Sure.”
9/2
7 08:54 Sat, 15 Feb M–B
རོ ཊཱི 83%i
Chapter 22
I quickly flipped through the papers, but my mind was spinning. The file Sheila had prepared for me was the one I needed to sign. I wondered, ‘Could it be… that she also put those photo fragments in the file?‘
I couldn’t help but glance at her. Sheila was young, with fair skin and delicate features. While not as striking as Holly, she had a fresh, pure quality to her.
She was the assistant I’d handpicked, and she’d been working with me for a year. She’d done well, and I’d even considered her a good candidate for further training. A few times, she had rejected offers from other companies and told me about them.
I wondered, ‘A girl as straightforward and honest as her… would she really do something like this?‘
I lowered my gaze. It didn’t matter. There were cameras in my office. The last time something went missing, I learned my lesson.
This time, unless the document was urgent, I wouldn’t have even shared the office password with Sheila. If anything happened, I could always change the password after work.
With that thought, I closed the file. “Good job. By the way, when you left my office, did anyone else come in?”
Sheila shook her head. “No, Sylvia.”
“Are you sure?”
She frowned, thinking for a moment, then shook her head again.
“Alright, you can go now,”
“Okay.”
After Sheila left, I picked up the fragments and threw them into the shredder. I cleaned up the remnants and left the office.
But as I walked out, I changed my mind. Instead of changing the password, I turned the office cameras back on. Then, I took out a photo, carefully ripped it into pieces, and slipped the fragments into the same folder.
