chapter 41

Gradually and calculatedly, they made their way toward her, where she sat looking effortlessly beautiful beneath the warm lights of the luxurious beauty lounge. Her skin glowed softly, her legs crossed elegantly as two attendants worked carefully around her. One handled her nails while the other adjusted her hair with careful precision. Everything about Matilda screamed class, confidence, and attention.“Heeyyy…”The manager called out, though her tone carried no warmth. Her forehead tightened instantly the moment her eyes settled on Matilda. Beneath the forced expression on her face was a storm of anger she could barely contain.Nothing good was running through her mind at that moment.Absolutely nothing.All she could think about was evil… calculated thoughts… dangerous thoughts. Thoughts about how to remove Matilda from the picture completely.Her peace was at stake.Her marriage was at stake.Her home was slowly slipping from her grasp.And somehow, every instinct in her body kept

chapter 42

Okay Doc.She adjusted herself carefully on the bed, one hand resting protectively over her protruding stomach while the other held the edge of her robe together.Dr. Jonathan packed the stethoscope back into his bag slowly, but his eyes remained on her longer than necessary.There was something about her calmness that unsettled him.Most women in her condition would panic at the sight of blood.They would cry.Shake.Ask endless questions.But she sat there smiling softly like nothing had happened.“You really need to stop scaring me like this,” he finally muttered, exhaling deeply.A small laugh escaped her lips.“So the great doctor gets scared too?”He looked away immediately.“That’s not funny.”For a brief second silence stretched between them.Only the faint humming of the air conditioner filled the room.Then she noticed it again.His breathing.Uneven.Controlled... but uneven.Her eyes narrowed slightly as she studied him.“Doc...”“Hmm?”“You okay?”“Yes.”The response came

chapter 43

“...at least not with his hands, but his words and actions.”The moment those words left her lips, Jonathan felt something twist painfully inside him.He stayed still.Careful.Almost too careful.Because one wrong reaction could mean something else entirely.The kitchen light reflected softly against the marble counter while the pot on the stove boiled quietly behind her, forgotten. Vivian sat curled into herself like someone trying to disappear from the world. Her shoulders trembled violently despite how hard she tried to suppress it.Jonathan swallowed.“Vivian...”Her name came out low.Gentle.The kind of voice one uses around broken glass.“He keeps saying I’m not enough,” she whispered. “No matter what I do.”Jonathan’s jaw tightened immediately.“He says I don’t look good enough anymore... that I embarrass him sometimes.” She laughed bitterly through tears. crying louder almost immediately “Can you imagine? Me embarrassing him.”this same me. that have become a shadow of mysel

chapter 44

I mean, this was just one out of the numerous encounters that suggested to him that they both liked each other, yet could never truly have anything with each other, knowing the nature of their relationship.His first kiss with her had come after what started as a fairly innocent and harmless truth-and-dare game before it suddenly changed direction.Memories kept flashing through his mind as he remembered the first night he drank himself into oblivion. That night held too many memories—memories he was not proud of at all.All he could say to the taxi driver was the description of the house, and somehow, deep down, he knew he was about to cause a lot of harm to himself and his marriage by going home.The entire ride there felt endless.Streetlights passed by in blurry streaks outside the taxi window while the sound of old music played faintly through the driver's radio. He rested his head against the seat, eyes shut tightly, trying to silence the thoughts tormenting him.But every attem

chapter 45

Reaching for his trousers, she slowly pulled down the zipper, curiosity getting the better of her. The moment carried an air of disbelief, as though part of her still expected reality to interrupt what was happening.For a second, she simply stared.The astonished look on her face was impossible to hide.A smile slowly appeared at the corners of her lips."So it's true..." she murmured, amusement lingering in her voice.The reaction alone was enough to make Jonathan shake his head.Despite everything happening between them, she still found room to tease him.Jonathan had always stood out.Tall, handsome, charismatic, and effortlessly romantic, he possessed a presence that naturally drew attention. He wasn't just attractive because of his appearance. It was the way he carried himself. The way he listened when people spoke. The way he could command a room without raising his voice.He had always been a spec.The kind of man women noticed even when they pretended not to.The kind of man

chapter 46

In the heat of everything that had happened, the doorbell rang.Once.Then twice.Then three times.A steady pulse that cut through the silence."Are you expecting a visitor?" Jonathan asked quietly."No."Vivian replied immediately, her face tightening into a frown. Confusion clouded her expression.In a hushed tone, almost under his breath, Jonathan spoke."I know that's not Jerald."He slowly shook his head from side to side. The thought seemed to calm him. Moments earlier, the sound of the doorbell had sent a surge of panic through him, but now, remembering their earlier conversation, he relaxed.As Vivian tried to rise from where she sat beside him, he gently held her back."Jerald is out of town with his boss for some meeting in the neighborhood. He said he probably won't be back until Sunday... maybe even Monday."The words brought her visible relief.A small smile escaped her lips before she quickly straightened her face again.Then, almost whispering to herself, she asked,"T