chapter 6

I was dusting the dining table when I heard footsteps coming from the staircase.

I glanced up and saw Adrian walking downstairs with Vivian beside him. They were dressed as though they were going somewhere together, and from the way Vivian kept talking to him, I assumed it was another one of their outings.

I quickly lowered my head and continued cleaning. I had become very good at pretending not to notice things. It was the only way I could survive in this house.

“Mia!”

Vivian's sharp voice made me look up. “Yes, ma'am?”

“Why are you still standing there? Go and make sure the car is ready.”

I swallowed my irritation. “Yes, ma'am.”

Before I could move, a little boy came running down the stairs.

He looked about six years old, judging by his small frame and childish face. I still didn't know his exact age, but I had seen enough of him around the house to know that he was Vivian and Adrian's son. the one Sophia talked about.

He ran straight toward Vivian.

“Mommy, are we going out?”

Vivian's entire expression changed.The cold look she had given me disappeared, replaced by a warm smile.

“Yes, darling. We're going on a date.”

The boy jumped excitedly. “Can I choose where we eat?”

“Of course you can.”

That explained a lot. The boy was clearly spoiled, and Vivian seemed to have no problem encouraging it.

“I want pizza,” he announced.

“You can have whatever you want.”

I looked down quickly so nobody would notice my expression.

“Can I get ice cream too?”

“Yes.”

“And a toy?”

Vivian laughed. “We'll see about the toy.”

The boy immediately frowned.

“But Mommy, you promised.”

Vivian reached down and stroked his hair. “Fine. You can have a toy too.”

He smiled happily.

Watching them made something bitter twist inside me.

I didn't know much about Mason, But one thing was obvious—Vivian treated him like her little savior

“Mia!”

I looked toward her.

Vivian was already glaring at me. “What are you waiting for? I told you to get the car ready.”

“Yes, ma'am.”

“And when we're gone, clean the upstairs rooms. I don't want to come back and find dust everywhere.”

“Yes, ma'am.”

She looked me over from head to toe before adding, “And try to do your job properly this time. You're a maid, not a decoration.”

My fingers tightened around the cloth. I forced myself to remain quiet. If she only knew who she was speaking to.

I had been Adrian's wife before she ever entered his life. There was a time when people bowed their heads when they heard my name. Now I stood in front of her wearing a maid's uniform while she spoke to me as though I were beneath her.

But I had chosen this disguise. I had to endure it, for now.

The little boy suddenly grabbed Vivian's hand. “Mommy, Daddy said we could go.”

Vivian smiled at him. “Yes, sweetheart. We're leaving now.”

Adrian had been standing quietly nearby, watching them. He picked up his keys and headed toward the door.

As he passed me, his eyes briefly met mine. My heart gave an unexpected jolt. I immediately looked away.

“Mia!”

Vivian's voice pulled me from my thoughts. “Open the door.”

I hurried toward it. “Yes, ma'am.”

I opened the door, and they walked outside together.

The boy climbed into the car, still talking excitedly about the food and toy he wanted. Vivian laughed and promised him that she would get him whatever he liked.

Adrian stood beside the car, watching them. For a moment, I studied him from a distance.

______

I stood by the window and watched Adrian's car disappear through the gates.

Vivian sat beside him, while Mason occupied the back seat, probably already demanding whatever he wanted for lunch. From the way Vivian treated him, the boy rarely heard the word no.

I turned away from the window, but my thoughts remained with the child. Something about Mason had caught my attention today.

Perhaps it was because I had finally seen him properly instead of simply passing him in the hallway. He looked like a little boy of about six and that was strange.

Adrian and I had been married for only three years and I remembered those years clearly. Every conversation, every argument, every night we spent together. I knew the man I had married—or at least, I thought I did.

So how did he have a son who looked about six years old?

I frowned.

Perhaps I had misjudged the boy's age. Children could sometimes look older or younger than they really were.

But his height can tell and face too

The thought wouldn't leave me alone. I walked back toward the dining table, but instead of picking up the cloth, I stood there staring into space.

Was Mason really Adrian's son?

And if he was, when had he been born?

My stomach tightened. There was only one explanation I could think of, and I didn't like it.

Adrian must have known Vivian before me. But even that didn't make sense.

If Mason was truly around six years old, Adrian must have known Vivian long before our marriage. Had he been seeing her while he was with me?

I shook my head.

“No.”

The word escaped my lips before I could stop it. I didn't want to jump to conclusions.

There were too many things I didn't know and must find out.Maybe Mason was older than he looked. Maybe there was another explanation. I needed facts, not assumptions.

I picked up the cloth again, but my mind was no longer on cleaning.

I wanted to know everything about that boy.

His exact age, his date of birth and most importantly, when Adrian had first met Vivian.

I looked toward the staircase. If Mason was really as young as he appeared, then there was a piece of Adrian's life that I had never known about.

And that bothered me more than I wanted to admit. Because when Adrian and I were married, I believed I knew everything about him.

I had trusted him completely.