Chapter 3
Edward started coming home later and later.
The scent of perfume clinging to him grew stronger every time.
He switched from Amber & Cedar by Dorian to Velvet Essence by Mallory. Both were rose scents, but the latter was way more intense, with a bold, almost aggressive sweetness that was impossible to ignore.
That night, the moment he walked in, I spotted the lipstick stain on his shirt collar.
"What's this?" I asked.
He glanced down, looking a little guilty for a split second before tossing out an excuse. "Maybe one of the girls at work got too close by accident."
"By accident?" I stared at him. "Edward, do you really think something like this happens if you're not getting up close and personal?"
He frowned, a hint of impatience creeping into his voice.
"Grace, are you seriously obsessing over this? You're acting all suspicious lately. You weren't like this before," he said.
Before?
Edward used to even step back if a female coworker handed him a bottle of water.
He always kept his boundaries, and he never talked to me this way.
But ever since Olivia showed up, he had been breaking his own rules left and right.
He seemed to realize he'd gone too far, his expression softening as he walked over and tried to take my hand.
"Okay, it's my fault. Don't be mad," Edward coaxed.
I pulled my hand away. "I want to move out. We had a deal. I'd only live at the family manor for a year."
He let out a deep sigh.
"Mom simply wants what's best for us. She feels at ease when we're here, and she can help you with your health.
"Come on, babe, let's get some rest," he said, his tone turning intimate, clearly hinting at something more.
I pulled away from him again. "Not tonight."
Edward paused, and after a few seconds of silence, he finally lost his patience, his voice turning cold.
"Whatever. I used to feel bad for you, always drinking medicine like you're some kind of medicine junkie.
"Honestly, the sooner you get pregnant, the sooner Mom can stop nagging us.
"But with you acting like this, whatever. Work's been crazy lately, and I really don't have the energy to keep pretending everything's fine with you," he said.
With that, he turned his back to me.
We lay in bed, backs to each other, a huge empty space between us.
The bed was huge, and the night was dead silent.
I stared out the window at the cold moonlight, my heart feeling like ice.
*****
For the next few days, Edward and I barely spoke to each other, giving each other the silent treatment.
He worked overtime almost every night, and I stopped waiting up for him.
By the time I got up in the morning, he'd already left for work.
We were under the same roof, but it felt like we were passing each other by, hardly seeing each other.
But all the flirty vibes between Edward and Olivia were crystal clear to me, thanks to Olivia's posts online.
Olivia was in the hospital getting an IV for her stomach, and Edward was right there by her side, dozing off at her bedside.
In the photo, only his arm was visible in the shot, and he was wearing the watch I got him for his birthday last year.
They even went to a church together to ask for blessings for their relationship.
Olivia wrote in her post that Edward didn't ask for anything for himself. He only wanted her wishes to come true.
But she got a couple bracelet with both their names on it.
Once, Edward brought Olivia along to an industry summit.
One of my close friends sent me a photo, her tone was part warning, part gossip.
"That new assistant Edward hired? She's really something," she said.
Olivia never showed Edward's face in any of her posts.
But every single photo she posted over the past six months was perfectly composed.
There were shots of floor-to-ceiling windows in luxury office buildings, first-class airplane windows, Michelin-starred restaurant plates, and luxury jewelry and watches bought without a second thought.
And there was always a shot of a man. It never showed his face, only his broad shoulders and back.
Her followers slowly grew to over a hundred thousand, and she became a glamorous, high-powered dating influencer, showing off her enviable romance to her fans.
That night, after the summit, she posted a new set of photos.
She had a man's suit jacket draped over her shoulders. It was tailored to perfection, and was obviously Edward's.
Her fans flooded the comments, asking, [Olivia, are you on a date?]
She replied, [Nope, but I'm heading to a hot spring later. Just some private time.]
The comments section went wild, everyone spamming, [Bag him!]
Someone wrote, [With such an eligible CEO, I bet there are tons of girls dying to steal him away, right?]
Olivia shot back, her words full of disdain, [A rival? I've seen her a couple times. Honestly, going up against her would simply be an insult to my standards.]
Right after that, she posted a bikini pic.
She showed off her flawless body, especially her incredibly slender waist.
Her fans flooded the comments, cheering, [The CEO must be head over heels for you] and [Cheering you on!]
I put my phone down and glanced at myself in the mirror.
Looking back at me was a woman who'd gained weight, her face tired and worn.
I could hardly recognize myself as the Grace Jennings everyone once called breathtaking.
Julie walked in with the herbal medicine, her voice gentle as she said, "Mrs. Pierce, it's time for your medicine."
I barely got a sip down before it all came right back up.
My face flushed red and I was shaking uncontrollably.
Julie was terrified. She frantically patted my back and then grabbed the phone to call Edward.
Edward's frantic voice, hurried footsteps, and Olivia's gasp all came through the phone.
"Edward, what happened? Where are you going?" Olivia's voice rang out.