Chapter 5

When Wendy finally woke from her drug-induced haze, a sharp pain in her arm brought her fully awake.

She tried moving her left arm.

It was wrapped in thick layers of gauze, and even the slightest movement sent a tearing pain through her flesh.

Felix had actually gone through with it.

He'd had the doctors remove skin from her arm to treat Grace's burns!

The hospital room door opened quietly, and Felix's assistant walked in.

“Mrs. Foster, you're awake. Mr. Foster had to fly overseas to handle an urgent international project. He asked me to bring you these gifts. He hopes you'll like them.”

He hesitated before continuing.

“Mr. Foster also said you should focus on recovering and, from now on, try to keep your temper under control.”

Keep her temper under control?

He'd taken her skin to please the woman he loved, then tried to brush it all aside with a few expensive gifts?

And he still expected her to behave herself?

Wendy raised her uninjured right arm and swept the gift boxes off the bedside table.

“Get out!”

Her voice was hoarse but ice-cold.

“Take his gifts and get the hell out!”

The assistant glanced at the jewelry scattered across the floor.

He looked as though he wanted to say something, but in the end, he simply bowed and left without another word.

For the next few days, Wendy remained alone in the hospital.

She changed her own dressings and ate her meals by herself.

The wounds on her back and arm healed painfully slowly. Every time she changed the bandages, it felt as though her skin was being torn apart all over again.

But she gritted her teeth and endured it without making a sound.

The sky was overcast on the day Wendy was discharged.

She'd just finished the paperwork and was heading out of the hospital when she ran into Grace, who was also being discharged.

Grace wore a white dress.

When she spotted Wendy, a seemingly gentle smile appeared on her face, though there was an unmistakable edge of provocation beneath it.

“Wendy! What a coincidence. You're going home today, too?”

She approached and tried to link arms with Wendy, but Wendy coldly stepped aside.

Grace didn't seem bothered.

“It's my birthday today. Felix is throwing me a huge birthday party. Why don't you come, too? It'll be more fun with everyone there.”

Wendy couldn't even be bothered to look at her.

“Not interested.”

She started walking past, but Grace suddenly grabbed her wrist, digging her nails so hard into Wendy's skin that they nearly broke through.

Yet her smile remained perfectly innocent.

“You don't want to come because you're afraid you won't be able to handle seeing how much Felix adores me, aren't you?”

Wendy stopped.

She violently shook off Grace's hand and turned to face her.

“You've known all along that Felix has feelings for you?”

Seeing Wendy's expression finally change, Grace smiled with smug satisfaction.

“At first, I thought Felix was just being nice because I'm his sister-in-law. I figured he felt sorry for me.”

She paused.

“But then one day, I got drunk. He took me back to my room, and when he thought I wouldn't notice, he kissed me.”

Grace watched Wendy's pupils contract in shock before slowly adding,

“That's when I knew he had feelings for me.”

He kissed her?

Wendy felt as though she'd been struck by lightning.

Her blood ran cold.

This was a man who even scheduled the days he'd sleep with his own wife, following his routines with the precision of a machine.

Felix Foster, who was always so disciplined and restrained that he barely seemed capable of desire.

And he'd actually kissed his own brother's wife behind everyone's back?!

Watching Wendy's face turn pale with disbelief and pain gave Grace a rush of satisfaction.

“It hurts, doesn't it, Wendy?”

Her voice was gentle, but her words were vicious.

“Think about it. You're rich, you're beautiful, and you have enough men chasing you to form a line from Harbour City all the way to France.”

She smiled.

“But what good does any of that do you? The man you love most is in love with me.”

Grace lifted her chin.

For the first time, she made no effort to hide her sense of superiority.

“It makes me feel like I've finally beaten you at something. So how could you possibly miss the chance to see just how happy I am?”

Wendy stared at Grace's smug expression, disgust and sorrow churning inside her.

“Grace Jones, no matter how much Felix likes you, you're still legally married to his brother.”

She stepped closer, looking down at Grace with the pride she'd always carried.

“And I'm still Felix's wife. The woman he actually married.”

Her gaze sharpened.

“You want to make yourself feel important by putting me down? You're not even worth my time.”

Without sparing another glance at Grace's suddenly furious expression, Wendy turned, hailed a cab, and left.

When Wendy got home, she went through the motions of eating dinner and taking a shower.

Then she crawled into bed and buried herself beneath the covers.

All she wanted was to fall asleep and escape the suffocating nightmare her life had become.

But around midnight, frantic knocking sounded at her bedroom door.

“Mrs. Foster! Something terrible's happened! There are police officers downstairs asking for you!”

Wendy frowned, threw on a robe, and went downstairs.

Sure enough, several uniformed officers were standing in the living room, their expressions serious.

“Ms. Wendy Walker?”

The lead officer showed her his badge.

“We received a report that Grace Jones was poisoned during a birthday party at the Foster estate tonight. She's been rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment.”

He continued gravely.

“Based on our preliminary investigation, you're a prime suspect. We need you to come down to the station for questioning.”

Poisoned?

Wendy could hardly believe what she was hearing.

“I didn't poison anyone! I wasn't even at the party!”

One of the housekeepers hurried to support her.

“That's right, Officer! Mrs. Foster has been home all evening. She never went out! There must be some mistake!”

As the two sides argued, the front door opened again.

Felix strode into the villa, bringing a chill from the night air with him.

The housekeeper hurried toward him as though he'd come to save the day.

“Sir! Thank goodness you're back! Someone called the police and accused Mrs. Foster of poisoning Miss Jones! That's impossible!”

Felix walked steadily into the center of the living room.

His gaze swept over the officers before finally settling on Wendy's pale face.

“I was the one who called the police.”