Chapter 7: News

Emma had just spent two hours lost in bliss with her secret lover, Devlin. After seeing him off, she sprawled across the luxurious sofa, allowing her body a moment of relaxation. Yet, in her mind, she was already crafting a plan to cover for her absence, just in case Alden asked. The first thing she needed to do was buy Mrs. Lan’s silence. The housekeeper had accidentally seen Devlin leaving, and Emma knew that people like Mrs. Lan — poor and struggling — were easily swayed by money.

"Where's Mrs. Lan?" Emma called out lazily, her tone dripping with arrogance. "Come here at once."

Mrs. Lan, a middle-aged woman with a weathered appearance, hurried in and bowed respectfully before her mistress.

 "Yes, madam. You called for me."

Emma sat up, her cold eyes locking onto the housekeeper. "If my husband asks where I went or what I did today, you will say exactly what I tell you to. Understood?"

The threatening glare made Mrs. Lan tremble. She lowered her gaze and replied in a timid voice, "Yes, madam. I understand."

Emma flicked her hand dismissively, as if swatting away a fly. "Good. Now get back to work and stay out of my sight."

Mrs. Lan turned to leave, but then hesitated. "Madam, actually… I…"

Emma frowned, her patience thinning. "You want more money, don’t you?" She scoffed, not waiting for Mrs. Lan to respond. Pulling out a wad of cash from her purse, she tossed it onto the floor. The bills fluttered to the ground, scattering around Mrs. Lan’s feet.

"Take it and keep your mouth shut. One wrong word and you’ll regret it."

With trembling hands, Mrs. Lan knelt to pick up the money. The sight filled Emma with nothing but disdain. To her, Mrs. Lan was nothing more than a pathetic, weak, and contemptible figure.

"Once you’ve picked it up, get out of my sight. Don’t make me see you again," Emma ordered harshly.

But Mrs. Lan didn’t leave right away. She raised her head, her eyes pleading. "Madam…"

Emma sprang to her feet, cutting the woman off mid-sentence. “What now? Still not enough? You think it’s too little? Or are you trying to blackmail me?” Her voice rose sharply, dripping with sarcasm. “Don’t think you can outsmart me. If you push me, I’ll have someone deal with you. And trust me, you’ll regret it.”

Mrs. Lan bowed her head timidly and replied in a soft voice. “No, madam, you misunderstood. I’m not asking for more.”

Emma crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing with suspicion. “Then what do you want to say?”

Mrs. Lan took a deep breath, as though summoning all her courage to speak. “Madam, you’ve been very generous to me, giving me all this money. So, I want to repay you by telling you something important…”

Emma’s eyes flickered with surprise, though she maintained her guarded demeanor. Sitting upright, she waited to hear what the housekeeper had to say.

“Oh? Someone like you has something good to offer me?” Her voice dripped with disdain.

Strangely, despite Emma’s insults and condescending tone, Mrs. Lan remained calm and composed, showing no sign of offense. Her determination to deliver her message was unwavering.

Ignoring Emma’s unwillingness to listen, Mrs. Lan pressed on. “Alden came home earlier. I don’t know if he noticed anything unusual.”

Mrs. Lan cast her line carefully, and Emma took the bait instantly, her calm facade cracking. She shot to her feet in alarm, her relaxed posture from earlier vanishing in an instant.

“Alden came home? When?”

What? Alden was here? The news hit Emma like a bolt of lightning on a clear day. She stood frozen, the distant sound of rain pounding outside finally registering in her mind. The heavy rain and thunder could happen at the same time, but Emma hadn’t noticed — until now, when the storm in her heart began to rage.

“I’m not sure exactly when,” Mrs. Lan said cautiously. “But when I returned from the market, I saw Alden leaving the house in a hurry. I didn’t get the chance to ask him anything before he got in his car and drove off.”

“You’re certain? You didn’t mistake him for someone else?”

Emma’s voice trembled with disbelief. She needed to confirm this.

“The person you saw — it was Alden?”

Her intense stare bore into Mrs. Lan, her eyes wide with panic. Mrs. Lan, though slightly shaken, answered firmly.

“Yes! I’m sure it was Alden.”

Mrs. Lan’s certainty sent a wave of dread washing over Emma. Her body stiffened, and she sank helplessly back into the chair.

God! What just happened?

If Alden had seen anything, her ambitions — the ones she had only begun to nurture — would be crushed in an instant. Please, let it not be serious. He couldn’t have noticed anything, right?

She needed to verify.

Emma pulled her phone from her pocket, her heart pounding. Her eyes widened when she saw several missed calls from Lily. Curiosity piqued, she dialed back immediately.

"Hello, Lily! What’s the matter? Why did you call me so many times?"

 Her voice still carried the exhaustion from last night’s revelry, laced with annoyance. Strange—just moments ago, she had been panicking, yet now she seemed unaffected. Emma truly mastered the art of hiding her emotions.

"Are you out of your mind?" Lily snapped on the other end of the line. "Why do you answer the phone like that?"

"So, why did you call me repeatedly? Hurry up and get to the point—I don’t have time for this."

 Emma’s tone was impatient. She had bigger problems to deal with and no interest in trivial matters.

"What are you doing while your husband’s been in an accident? He’s at our hospital right now. You’d better get here immediately."

Emma shot up from her chair. "Is that true?"

"Why would I lie about something like this? It’s serious—that’s why I’ve been calling you nonstop."

 Lily’s irritation was evident as she reiterated the news.

Emma was stunned at first, but moments later, a glimmer of hope crossed her mind, easing her panic. Alden in an accident? Now that was good news. Emma already knew exactly what she needed to do.

"I need to take a shower first," Emma said to Lily before turning to shout, "Mrs. Lan! Prepare warm water for me! Quickly! I have to go out!"

Without waiting for a response, she hurried into her room to pick out a set of gym clothes. She planned to lie, saying she had been at the gym when the accident occurred and had left her phone at home, which was why she couldn’t take any calls from the hospital or Alden’s family.

It was clear—Emma wasn’t worried about her husband’s accident. On the contrary, she was thrilled. In fact, she was hoping that Alden would suffer serious complications, like memory loss, so that whatever he had witnessed at home would be forgotten forever. All she needed was time to handle the mess and get rid of any lingering troubles. Luck was clearly on her side. She still had enough clarity to think through every step to cover up her misdeeds.

A truly loving wife would never remain so composed and cold in the face of her husband's misfortune.

"Yeah, keep pampering yourself. The Alden family will soon be furious with you," Lily sneered, throwing in a sharp remark to remind Emma that appearance wasn’t what mattered right now—it was urgency.

"Mind your own business and stop lecturing me," Emma snapped back, brushing off Lily’s criticism.

"Get here quickly. The police and a lawyer are already at the hospital. It seems like the accident is very serious," Lily added, her tone more urgent. "From what I’ve gathered, Alden’s condition is critical. You should prepare yourself."

"I know! I’m on my way, so stop rushing me," Emma said irritably, then hung up.

Taking a deep breath, she composed herself, mentally preparing to play the role of the devastated wife. She deliberately took her time applying makeup to make herself look exhausted and distraught, as though she had just received devastating news about her husband.

No one could guess what was running through Emma’s mind. It wasn’t concerned for Alden’s well-being—it was the inheritance she would gain if he didn’t make it.

In truth, Emma had married Alden for his wealth, and she had been counting the days until her plan paid off. Now, the golden opportunity has arrived sooner than expected.

Oh, how ecstatic she was! Emma felt a surge of joy bubbling inside her, barely able to contain her excitement.