Chapter 3
That night, Reid went to the hospital to visit that woman and her mother.
The three people had a good time in the ward. Blushing, the woman kept moving close to Reid under the instigation of her mother.
"Mr. Haywood kept a distance from her," Mike thoughtfully added.
I watched the video from Mike's helper and saw Reid prevent the woman from falling by gentlemanly holding her waist. "What's her name?"
"Linda Poter," Mike answered.
"Okay." I waved at Mike. "You may leave now."
That night, I showed Reid the video via the TV set.
After a moment of silence, Reid closed his eyes. "I am sorry... I helped her as a friend. Sometimes, I see the young you in her."
I paused the video when Linda in it had a red face. "Does it mean you look at her and miss me from the past?"
"Sorry. I will cut ties with her. I don't mean to cheat on you. Not at all. I just..."
"I know. I have faith in you." I interrupted him.
I owned 20% of his company's shares. I raised a family of four with him. I knew every dirty trick he used for his business.
He was tired of me, but he didn't want to divorce me yet.
"She fell for you. Reid, don't you know that? You enjoy her admiration and worship, don't you?"
His face gradually paled.
After a long silence, he gave me a solemn promise.
"I am sorry, Anne. I won't let this happen again. I will make things clear to her. I won't let her disturb us again. I am terribly sorry for everything about her."
I smiled. "She is right about one thing, and that is, I am aging. As your business prospers, you will see more and more people. I understand your distraction, but I am unhappy with that.
"You promised to stay true to me forever. Have you forgotten that?"
"I did... I am sorry." His lips grew paler, and his eyelashes fluttered. He closed his eyes. "You have my word. It won't happen again."
I looked at him, and a thought struck me. That was he was in pain.
His love for me pained him...
Why?
When I was lost in thought, Reid said, "I would like to go see Grace now."
He came over, bent down, and gently kissed my cheek. "Go take a shower. I'll be back soon."
He was back to his usual self.
The talk and his repentance just now seemed like my illusion.
Were they?
I didn't know what Reid told Linda, and my man came back with a report that Linda had left this city with her family.
Reid's new secretary was a man. He was professional and respected me.
Reid came home early and doted on me as if he were remorseful for being distracted.
At the party, the bejeweled ladies surrounded me and said with jealousy, "Mr. Haywood is so good to you. After eight years of marriage, he is still crazy about you."
Well, I was still Mrs. Haywood people envied.
This never changed even when Reid was interested in Linda.
I was supposed to be pleased, but I felt weird. Reid was so good to me as if he were pretending.
I didn't know why I had such a weird feeling, till Linda stopped me on the street.
Her eyes were red and swollen. She said with resentment, "Mr. Haywood doesn't love you anymore. He is good to you just because you saved him.
"How shameless you are to keep him by your side! He doesn't love you anymore, and being with you pains him. You were lucky... I would be his wife if I had appeared in his life earlier than you did."
My bodyguard got Linda under control.
Looking at the hysterical woman, I asked in a soft voice, "Has he told you that he is interested in you because your temper is like mine twelve years ago?"
"So what?" she snapped. "Doesn't it mean he would love me instead of you if I had appeared earlier?"
"You're wrong." I smiled. "He noticed you because he loved me. Without me, he wouldn't spare one glance at you."