Chapter 2
At 8 PM, Samuel came home.
He walked in carrying a box of pastries, saying he had picked them up since he happened to pass by my favorite bakery. It was a strawberry crepe cake, my absolute favorite.
"Natalie, are you tired today? How did Zack's checkup go?" Samuel asked.
I was sitting on the couch, flipping through a magazine without looking up. "It was fine. Everything checked out."
"That's good. We can submit Zack's enrollment materials next month." Samuel set the desserts on the coffee table. He walked over and kissed my forehead. "Don't read for too long. It's bad for your eyes."
Gentle, attentive, perfect. Five years of the same flawless act.
Samuel then headed off to take a shower.
I heard the water start, set down my magazine, and walked over to where he'd left his jacket.
His phone was in the inside pocket of his suit. I took it out and looked at it. The screen was locked, but I knew the code.
I didn't unlock it. I stood there, looked at it for three seconds, and then put it back.
I didn't need to search this phone anymore. Everything I needed was already on his old phone. Now, I wasn't gathering evidence. I needed to confirm one last thing.
"Natalie?" The bathroom door opened, and Samuel poked his head out, his hair still wet. "Can you grab me some pajamas? I forgot to bring them."
"Sure," I replied.
I went to the bedroom closet and grabbed a light gray loungewear set for Samuel. As I handed it over, he caught my wrist and gently pulled me toward the bathroom.
"Want to join me?" he asked.
"No, I'm on my period," I lied.
He didn't press me. He smiled. "Then get some rest." Then he closed the door.
I stood in the hallway, leaning against the wall.
Samuel smiled at me every day, kissed my forehead, bought me my favorite treats, and remembered every little thing about me.
If it weren't for that blood type report, if it weren't for that old phone, I would've thought our marriage was the happiest thing on earth.
*****
At half past ten, Amy came upstairs to clear the dishes. She paused beside me. "Mrs. Sherman, you don't look well today. Are you feeling sick?"
"I'm fine. Maybe I'm a bit under the weather," I replied.
Amy didn't say anything else, but she gave me a look.
That look lingered for a couple of seconds longer than usual. I noticed it.
As Amy was about to leave, I stopped her. "Amy, how long have you been working here?"
"Eleven years, Mrs. Sherman. I've been here since before you and Mr. Sherman got married."
"Were you around the day Zack was born, five years ago?"
Amy paused for a moment. "I was at the hospital that day. You had serious bleeding and were rushed into surgery. Mr. Sherman told me the baby was safe. He asked me to come home and get the nursery ready."
"When you came back, was Mr. Sherman alone with the baby?" I asked.
Amy fell silent, her fingers clutching the corner of the rag. After a long pause, she finally said, "Why are you asking me this all of a sudden, Mrs. Sherman?"
"Just asking," I replied with a smile, motioning for her to go about her work.
Amy looked back at me twice.
That was all I needed. I could tell she definitely knew something.
*****
The next morning, before Samuel left for work, he brought something up at the breakfast table. "Natalie, next Saturday is Zack's fifth birthday. I want to throw him a formal birthday party."
I was cutting my fried egg, the knife and fork clinking against the plate. "A birthday party? Haven't we always had a family dinner at home?"
"This year's different. He's about to go abroad, so I want him to formally meet all our relatives and friends before he leaves. Besides, he's five now. It's time for everyone to know the Grant family has an heir."
When Samuel said "heir," my fingers curled under the tablecloth.
"How big are you planning to make it?" I asked.
"I've booked the ballroom at the Belmont Grand. It can hold at least 300 guests. The invitations are already being prepared. Business partners, your grandma's side of the family, and some of my friends," Samuel replied.
Some of his friends? Was Yvonne one of them?
"Where's the money coming from?" I asked.
Samuel set down his coffee cup and glanced at me, a trace of amusement in his smile. "Of course, it's coming from the company account. We'll call it a business dinner. It's all about making the Grant family look good.
"Natalie, you're not going to be stingy about this, are you?"
He was using my family's company money to throw a birthday party for the kid he had with someone else. And now he wanted to crown that kid as the Grant family's heir. Five years. Every move he made was so precise and effortless.