Chapter 8

When Brandon came out, Sheryl was already lying down with her eyes closed.

He saw her swollen eyelids. After gently touching her cheek with a pained look, he turned off the lights and slipped under the covers. As he pulled her into his arms, he couldn't help but whisper in her ear, "Baby, I love you. Good night."

Sheryl wasn't asleep. Every word was painful to hear. If he loved her, why would he cheat?

His love felt cheap.

She turned over naturally, or at least pretended to, and faced away from him. Silent tears rolled down her cheeks and soaked into the pillow.

It was another sleepless night.

She didn't know how long she cried for, or when she eventually fell asleep. The night was restless. One dream after another invaded her sleep.

By the time she woke, it was already one in the afternoon. Her head throbbed a little, and her entire body felt heavy.

She threw off the covers, got ready, and headed downstairs. Melinda greeted her with a smile.

"Mrs. Simrod, you're up. Mr. Simrod left around half past eight and told me not to wake you. The food was just cooked a while ago and is still warm. Would you like to eat now?"

Sheryl nodded. "Bring it up."

Melinda headed into the kitchen. Soon, she came back with the dishes and ladled a bowl of soup for her. She smiled and said, "Mr. Simrod said you've been really tired lately and didn't look so well. He made this soup for you himself this morning."

Sheryl was surprised. "He made it?"

"Yes. When I went to the kitchen, it had already been simmering for about thirty minutes. Before he left, he told me to keep it on low heat. He even called back around half past ten to ask if you'd woken up."

It was the first time Melinda had seen a man from such a wealthy family cook for his wife. He was so thoughtful and attentive. She'd worked here for three years and never seen the couple fight. They'd always seemed so loving and sweet.

Sheryl loved soup. It was the first thing Brandon learned to make for her.

Over the years, their fridge had never been without the ingredients she liked. He'd cook different soups every few days just for her.

This particular soup, though, was very time-consuming. Since mornings were darker in late autumn, he must've started preparing it before dawn.

Vivian had been right that day. Everything Brandon did for her was visible and real.

Stirring the soup with her spoon, Sheryl let out a soft chuckle. A mix of complicated emotions welled up inside her. They were impossible to ignore.

Melinda noticed her silence and asked, "Mrs. Simrod, why are your eyes even more swollen than last night?"

Sheryl paused. She'd seen her own reflection in the bathroom mirror earlier. Her eyes were indeed puffy. "I didn't sleep very well," she replied casually.

Melinda said, "Then please keep eating. I'll chill some cucumber slices and help place them over your eyes."

Sheryl finished her meal quietly, took the cucumbers Melinda had prepared, and lay in the living room with them over her eyelids for a few minutes. When the dryness in her eyes eased a little, she suddenly heard a ding.

It was a text message.

"Brandon and Vivian are at Starlight Mall."

He was making soup for her at home while shopping with Vivian outside. Sheryl let out a bitter chuckle. He was remarkably good at multitasking.

She turned off her phone, went upstairs, and changed into a fresh outfit. She then did a full face of makeup, picked a beige-colored Hermes bag, and drove off.

-

Starlight Mall was the largest luxury mall in Nexville. Sheryl was no stranger to it. She was a diamond-tier VIP at many of the boutiques there.

After entering, she headed straight to the elevator and rode up to the fourth floor.

Just as she stepped out, she saw Brandon and Vivian coming out of a store in the distance. Vivian was holding onto his arm, and Brandon was carrying two Hermes shopping bags.

Brandon said something, and Vivian leaned against his chest with a coy smile, playfully patting him.

Sheryl froze and stared blankly at them. She suddenly felt nauseous, like she wanted to vomit up that bowl of soup from lunch.

What exactly did Brandon feel for her and for Vivian?

Maybe he loved them both.

But who did he love more?

Sheryl didn't dare think too long about it. She took a deep breath, pulled out her phone, and snapped a picture of them before following them from behind.

Suddenly, Vivian let go of Brandon's arm and headed toward the restroom. Sheryl paused, watched her disappear from sight, and calmly walked forward.

After a few steps, Brandon happened to notice her. There was a hint of surprise and panic in his eyes.

He immediately strode toward her and stopped in front of her. "Baby," he said.

Sheryl was caught off guard. She hadn't expected him to approach her directly.

"Honey, what are you doing here?" she asked.

Brandon instinctively hid the shopping bags behind him. Seeing her gaze shift toward them, he gave an awkward smile, then sighed and brought the bags back out.

"I ordered a bag for you from Hermes a while ago. I wanted to surprise you, but I didn't expect to bump into you here."

Such bags started at six figures. Sheryl looked into his eyes. Her heart felt bitter. It was hard to tell if he was lying by just looking at his face.

She glanced at the other bag. "And that one?"

Brandon didn't miss a beat. "I picked out a bottle of perfume for you. It smelled pretty nice. You should try it later."

Her throat felt dry.

He could calmly say these were for her when they were clearly for Vivian.

She suddenly grew curious. How would Vivian feel when she realized the bag and perfume she happily picked out were now being handed off to someone else?

"You could've just told me," Sheryl said cheerfully. "I haven't gone shopping in ages."

"I thought you were tired. When I called this morning, Melinda said you were still asleep, so I didn't want to disturb you." Brandon smiled. "Let me shop with you now, okay?"

It was a flawless excuse. He really had called back home earlier.

The word 'hypocrite' flashed through Sheryl's mind. It fitted so perfectly with his handsome face.

In this moment, she wondered if she ever really knew him. Probably not well enough. Otherwise, how could she not have known how effortlessly he could lie?

"Alright." Sheryl's voice was chirpy. "Oh, and isn't Mom's birthday coming up? We can get her a gift while we're here."

"Sure. Whatever you want." Brandon looked at her dotingly and gently touched her eyelids. "Your eyes aren't swollen anymore. How was the soup?"

"Delicious." She smiled.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a familiar silhouette stepping out of the restroom. Her expression darkened slightly, and she pointed toward the Louis Vuitton boutique ahead.

"Honey, I want to check that one out."

"Okay."

Brandon followed the direction of her finger and spotted Vivian, who was frozen in place.

Vivian never imagined that just stepping away to use the restroom would land her in this situation. Brandon now stood beside Sheryl, hand in hers, like a picture-perfect couple.

Her face turned pale. Her heart was in chaos. Her breath was caught in her throat. She knew she should leave now before Sheryl saw her to avoid unnecessary trouble.

But as she watched Brandon hold Sheryl's hand so effortlessly, smiling tenderly as they walked toward her like the perfect couple, she found herself unable to move.

"Vivian?" Sheryl pretended to have just noticed her and put on a surprised, cheerful expression. "You're out shopping too?"