The Mistress I Paid For のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 1 - チャプター 8

It was an ordinary day, just like when I discovered Joseph Adams’s affair.The only difference was that it was the first time he lost his temper because someone served his tea one minute late.Joseph had always been good-natured.As his thoughtful wife, I immediately contacted his assistant, Harry Bolton.That was when I learned that the new secretary intern who had arrived that day had made many elementary mistakes.“She’s just an intern. If she’s not capable, fire her,” I said casually.There was a brief silence on the other end of the line.“Mr. Adams wants her to learn from him.”I gave a vague response, but the uncertainty in my chest continued to swell.Yet until I went through Joseph’s phone, I remained convinced that perhaps he was simply being kind.On the chat screen:Joseph: [The format is wrong. Rewrite it.]Monica: [This is so hard, Mr. Adams. Which font size is bigger, size five or size four?]Joseph: [Size four.]Monica: [Hehe, I guessed size four too! I’m

“Say something, Natalie.”Joseph suppressed his anger.It was ridiculous.I was the one who should have been furious.Just like the day I exposed his affair with Monica, after a brief moment of shock, anger had replaced his guilt.He flew into a rage, accused me of betraying his trust, and of invading his privacy.It was as if he were the one who had been cheated on, and I had become the woman who stayed out all night, who crawled into bed with younger men.“What do you want me to say?” I asked as I looked up at him.“Should I grow numb, hand you a divorce agreement, take nothing, and wait for the day you realize Monica is nothing special, then remember me during some night when you’re drunk, clutching your stomach in pain, thinking about the hangover brew I used to make for you?”“I don’t drink,” he said calmly.“Of course you don’t drink,” I replied. “And I never got up in the middle of the night to make you a hangover drink.”I forced a smile, one so strained that tears

I marveled at the speed I had trained into my hands.I rubbed my slightly reddened palms. The sting from the hot tea, the force of hitting her until numb, it all lingered.“How dare you talk to me about forgiveness!”The reporters’ flashes continued to blaze.I sneered coldly. “I sponsored you. I recommended you for a job. And that’s how you repay me? By sliding into my husband’s bed?“I seem to recall that Computer Science at Havana University doesn’t teach these skills.“So, self-taught mistress, maybe you should open a class and teach others?”Monica covered her face and sobbed quietly.Joseph tried to comfort her while also venting some of his anger at me—a task that stretched him too thin.“How dare you!” Joseph said as he held Monica close.Realizing I was about to get dragged into a dull argument with him, I spun around and left.Passing the reporters, I called over my shoulder, “Did you get a clear shot of all that?”The reporters nodded in stunned acknowledgment.

I should have been desensitized by now.After all, so much time had passed, and I thought I had fully processed Joseph and Monica’s affair.But I hadn’t.I gripped my hands tightly, trembling with anger.Hearing him say “divorce” made my head ache.I bit down hard on my lip; the metallic taste of blood spread across my mouth.It took me a long moment before I found my voice.“Joseph… I will not divorce you.“If she’s going to be a mistress, she’ll always be a mistress. Her son will only ever be an illegitimate child, hidden from the world!”Then I smashed everything within reach.Tore apart every document on his desk.I unleashed all my fury in front of him.Through Joseph’s dark eyes, I saw myself as a demon clawing its way out of hell.“I’m telling you, this isn’t over!“Wherever she gives birth, I’ll make the whole hospital know she’s a mistress. “Wherever her child goes to school, I’ll make sure he’s called a bastard from the very first day!“I don’t care if you di