Chapter 3

It was late at night when Andrew snuck back into the house.

Even though he was painstakingly cautious, my suspicions were already on high alert, and I caught the faintest whiff of jasmine clinging to him.

The signs had always been all around me. I just never really noticed before.

Now, that sticky-sweet jasmine smell rushed up so hard that I could barely breathe. I pressed a hand to my throat, trying not to be sick.

Even as I tried to steady my breath, my mind stayed sharp. I still didn't have any direct evidence that Andrew and Dorothy were actually having an affair.

These past few days, maybe out of guilt, Andrew was suddenly playing the doting husband.

So, I decided to go out on a limb. I made a pot of soup and brought it straight to the company to see Andrew.

I hardly ever dropped by the company because I never wanted to make things awkward for him.

When I arrived, the receptionist looked downright stunned. As I walked toward Andrew's office, whispers followed me every step of the way.

"Did Olivia figure something out? Why did she show up out of the blue?" one woman said.

"Who knows? Mr. Jennings has been stepping over the line lately. One time, he even had Dorothy hiding in his inner office while Olivia was right outside," another added.

My hand was pale from gripping the soup container so tightly, but I forced a smile and made my way to Andrew's office.

At that moment, Dorothy opened the door. She jumped in surprise and instinctively pulled her collar up.

I pretended not to see the red marks on her skin. Setting the soup down, I spoke to Andrew with feigned nonchalance. "Honey, there's a party tonight. My dad's hosting it. Will you come with me?"

I paused and then looked at Dorothy. "You should join us, too, Dorothy. Andrew's always saying you need more experience, and tonight there'll be plenty of big names. It's a perfect chance to make connections."

Dorothy's eyes lit up instantly. Andrew put on an act of hesitation, but in the end, he agreed.

*****

At the party that night, seeing how effortlessly Dorothy mingled and charmed everyone around her, I realized Andrew must have brought her to these kinds of events plenty of times before.

At the party, Duane from our partner company strolled over with a woman I'd never met before. They chatted with us.

Out of nowhere, the woman piped up, "Mr. Jennings, your wife's necklace is stunning tonight! I'm a sucker for diamonds."

But it was Dorothy who wore the diamond necklace, not me.

I caught the brief flash of embarrassment on Duane's face before he quickly shot me a look of pity and apology.

Andrew acted like nothing happened. Dorothy, meanwhile, lifted her chin and pushed her chest out, letting the diamond glitter even harder under the lights.

Andrew didn't bother to explain anything. I pretended I wasn't feeling well and quietly stepped away, leaving Dorothy and Andrew alone in the spotlight.

There were also a bunch of friends from our school days at the party. I'd even arranged a private room just for them.

These were the same people who vanished the moment the Jennings family hit rock bottom. Now, they were all over Andrew, treating him like he was the next big thing in tech.

Maybe it was all my being nice and my dad always looking the other way, but tonight Andrew finally dropped his guard. Tipsy and careless, he started spilling way too much in front of everyone in that private room I'd set up.

He said, "Honestly, I do love Olivia, but living with someone with a disability for this long... When I'm away on business, all we can do is video chat, and I have to sign everything. It's just funny."

He swirled his glass and continued, "Every time Olivia shows up, I can't help but think about how she lost her hearing saving me. You get it? It's like gratitude is pressing down on me."

When we were young, I lost my hearing in an explosion, trying to save Andrew, my childhood sweetheart, when he was playing with firecrackers.

Because of that, he learned sign language so he could help me, and after graduation, he asked me to marry him with determination.

I never once used what happened to demand anything. In fact, when Andrew said he wanted to marry me, I once looked him straight in the eyes and told him, "If this is just because you feel guilty, forget it. I want a real husband, not someone who sees me as a debt to repay."

Back then, Andrew cried, his hands trembling as he signed to say, "I've only ever loved you. I want to be with you because I love you. Olivia, will you marry me?"

I remembered all those nights he stayed up, trying so hard to learn sign language with the dark circles under his eyes. I pulled him in and kissed him deeply. My answer was clear.

But everything between us changed.

Hearing those words now, even though I'd already moved on from Andrew, I still found my fingers curling tightly on instinct.

Andrew didn't notice a thing, but someone else saw it all.

Andrew's buddies were gearing up to crack even more jokes when someone suddenly interrupted with a voice I never saw coming.

"So, what about your secretary? Before Olivia walked in, you two were kissing like you couldn't bear to let go," a man said.