Chapter 4

"What's wrong, honey?" Evan asked. Despite his confusion, he was so used to following Beverly's every command that he immediately turned the car around.

"I left something in the Panamera." Beverly's eyes gleamed coldly.

"Oh, okay." Evan smiled.

He'd stood by and watched icily as his mistress was chased off, and he could put on such a loving act when facing Beverly now. His performance was truly flawless.

Beverly couldn't help thinking that he was becoming more of a stranger the more she learned about him.

They soon pulled into the garage at Gray Manor. Evan opened the door and said, "I'll get whatever it is you need, honey."

"Okay. It's a dark gray hair clip," Beverly said.

Once Evan was gone, Beverly glanced at Harold, who'd fallen asleep beside her in the backseat after all that crying. Then, she got out of the car too.

She headed inside the manor and went to the backyard's entrance hall, hiding behind the thick drapes that framed the door.

In the hall, Cindy stood behind Heather and massaged her shoulders. They seemed to be on such good terms that it was almost as if they were mother and daughter.

Memories flashed in Beverly's mind. She remembered Heather caring for Elaine without rest when the latter had been bedridden. She also recalled how, during Elaine's final moments, Heather had vowed to keep Beverly safe from harm for the rest of her life.

Heather had always been so protective of her. There was no way she would betray her. There had to be something else at play here.

Beverly stood behind the drapes and clutched them tightly, her face ashen.

Meanwhile, Cindy paused mid-massage. She noticed Beverly and put on a fawning smile as she said, "I'll do as you say and bear more children for Evan, Mrs. Gray Senior."

Heather said, "Rest assured that we'll compensate you fairly for that."

"I pity Beverly, really. She put herself through so much to have another child, whether it's modern or traditional medicine, yet her body seems to be worse now. Maybe you should talk her out of it."

"It's her responsibility to have children for the Gray family now that she's married to Evan." Heather frowned slightly, not understanding why Cindy had suddenly brought Beverly up. "I wouldn't need to go to such lengths if she could still have children. Just leave her be."

Beverly thought about the agony she'd suffered over the years while seeking medical help for her condition. Tears flowed down her face.

She'd loved and respected Heather as much as she would with Elaine, yet Heather had been scheming against her all along. Elaine would turn in her grave if she knew what Heather was really like.

Heather suddenly glanced at the door leading to the hall. For a second, she sensed a sorrowful gaze on her. However, there was nothing there, save for the drapes that swayed slightly in the breeze.

She pushed Cindy's hands away and gave her a warning. "Listen to me—Beverly is the only wife Evan will have. You can't change that, no matter how many children you give Evan."

Cindy lowered her head obediently. "I understand."

Heather was satisfied with her compliance. "I'll let you off the hook for teaching Harry the wrong things. Starting tomorrow, you'll live at one of our other properties. You're not allowed to step out of the place unless necessary."

"What about the adoption from the orphanage?"

"That will have to wait until Bev is pacified."

Beverly returned to the garage, feeling so anguished that she could barely breathe. She was afraid that if she stayed any longer, she wouldn't be able to resist charging over to Heather and demanding to know why the latter had done this to her.

When she got back to the garage, she saw Evan waiting for her by the car with her hair clip in his hand. He asked, "Where did you go, honey?"

She looked into his eyes filled with concern and said, "I had a bit of a stomachache, so I went to the restroom."

"No wonder you look so pale. Let's head home so you can rest." With that, he helped her into the car.

As she sat in the backseat, she wondered for a split second whether he could've been forced into this. He'd always treated Heather with respect and compliance. Could it be that he'd only betrayed her because Heather had been putting pressure on him?

Then again, if he were genuinely loyal, he wouldn't feel the urge to do anything even if Cindy stripped naked before him. Yet, he'd slept with her for five years.

Tears flowed down Beverly's face. She didn't want Evan to see her in such a fragile state, so she pulled open the back pocket of the seat in front of her to grab a tissue. Many other things fell out at the same time, and among them was something that stabbed at her. Her blood ran cold at the sight of it, and her mind went blank.

A shadow flashed before her eyes. Harold had woken up at some point, and he picked up a red lace thong from the pile of stuff. He asked curiously, "What's this, Daddy?"

Beverly looked up at Evan. "Why do you have women's underwear—a thong, no less—in your car?"

"Huh?" Harold didn't know what a thong was, but "underwear" was easy enough for him to understand. He threw it at Evan and said, "I think this is Cindy's, Daddy."

"Why is Cindy Beech's underwear in your car?" Beverly asked coldly. "What have you two been doing behind my back?"

Evan didn't answer. Instead, he stepped on the gas and took them to a private club. Then, he stormed inside and led them to a private room, where he burst in and grabbed Calvin Dane by the collar.

Evan punched Calvin squarely in the face before flinging the thong at him. He snarled, "What the hell did you do after borrowing my car yesterday? Why was there a woman's underwear in my car?"

Beverly hurried into the room after him and met Calvin's surprised gaze. Calvin immediately realized what was going on and cupped his cheek, saying, "I'm sorry, Evan. I-I had too much to drink last night, and my desire got the best of me. Your car was right there…"

Evan released him. Calvin scrambled to his feet and approached Beverly, saying, "I'm sorry, Beverly. Please don't get Evan wrong—I won't borrow his car anymore."

Everyone in the private room sat there silently as they looked at Beverly. When she didn't say anything, Calvin hurriedly pulled out his phone and played a video, filling the room with lewd moans and pants.

Everyone's expressions turned disgusted at that.

Someone asked, "How could you use Evan's car to do something like that, you idiot? Don't you know Beverly hates things like that?"

"Don't forgive him, Beverly. Let Evan teach him a lesson," another said.

Beverly frowned. "Stop it."

"You've forgiven me, right?" Calvin grabbed her hand in agitation. Then, he let it go in a fright when he met Evan's eyes.

Beverly made a soft sound of agreement, and Calvin sagged in relief.

There was an unspoken rule in their social circle—Beverly might plead for mercy on their behalf if any of them were to upset Evan, but Evan would kill whoever dared upset Beverly. And so, despite being Evan's best friend, Calvin was terrified of offending Beverly.

"You're so understanding, Beverly."

"Your heart is as beautiful as you look."

Everyone sang Beverly's praises, and she forced herself to look amicable. She and Evan had been together for a decade, and his friends had always been nice to her.

She remembered that many companies wanted to collaborate with Gray Corporation on a smart parking project. Dane Group's offer wasn't the best, but it wasn't impossible to give them the project. She would ask Evan to give Calvin the project before she left as thanks for the affection the latter had shown her over the years.

Beverly glanced at Evan. "Harry's still waiting outside. I'll head out now."

She turned and left the private room before he could say anything. When she stepped out of the club, she saw Alfred waiting there with a new car.

She asked, "Where's the MPV?"

He said, "Mr. Gray ordered someone to take it to the junkyard."

"Mom, my toy is still in the car. It's my favorite transformer!" Harold suddenly started throwing a tantrum. "I want my transformer!"

Beverly headed back inside the club and to the private room, wanting to tell Evan to call his men so they could get the toy back.

The private room's door was ajar. She'd just placed her hand on the doorknob when she heard cheers come from inside the room.

"What was that video you recorded? Show us!"

"Show us, Cal!"

"It was just a porno." Calvin grabbed his phone and generously played the video again. "It's not like you guys haven't ever watched one."

"Wait, is this the latest one? Man, Beverly's so easy to fool."

"It's obvious she doesn't know any tricks in bed if she doesn't even know what a porno is. I'm sure Evan has had it tough all these years," Calvin said. "Beverly's no match for our precious little Cindy, whether in terms of her looks, figure, or education level."

His words were like a slap to Beverly's face. So, all of them knew about Evan's betrayal, yet they'd kept her in the dark. They'd played her like a fiddle. On the surface, they'd treated her with respect, yet they seemed to adore Cindy more.

Beverly peeked inside the room and saw Evan seated in the center of the room with his legs crossed elegantly. His face was shrouded in the shadows, so no one could see his expression. However, the fact that he didn't interrupt Calvin meant that he was silently giving his friends permission to insult Beverly right in front of him.

Beverly tightened her grip on the doorknob as her heart twisted in agony. She watched as Cindy suddenly emerged from a corner and sat beside him, plastering her supple body to his.

Cindy leaned in and blew on Evan's ear, looking every bit the seductress she was. "Evan, am I better, or is Beverly?"

He didn't answer. Cindy leaned in closer and giggled saucily, knowing that the answer was obvious.

It was one thing to see this in a video—it was another to witness Evan's betrayal right before her very eyes. Beverly's heart bled, and she couldn't rein in her sorrow and anger anymore. She burst into the room and stormed up to them.

"What the hell are you two doing?"