Chapter 5
When Roderick showed up, I had just stepped out.
He wanted to take me back to the Watsons' place.
I shook my head. "Roderick, I need a drink."
He let out a sigh but ended up driving me to a bar anyway.
As soon as the car started, Daryl's name popped up on my phone.
I hung up.
He called again.
I deleted his number and blocked him without a second thought.
A flicker of pain flashed in Roderick's eyes as he kept a close eye on my face. "Daryl really just lets you walk out on your own?"
I gave a bitter smirk. "He wasn't even wearing any clothes."
Roderick smacked the steering wheel and let out a curse.
He asked, "Who was that woman? How long has he been messing around behind your back?"
I remembered how he had tried so hard to hide Christina in his arms earlier.
"She's Christina," I said.
"Christina? Who is she? Is she someone you know?" Roderick asked.
"She's the teacher at Bailey's kindergarten," I replied.
"Wait, it's her?" Roderick asked in disbelief.
Roderick looked genuinely surprised.
One day last year, Bailey came home and told me her class had a new teacher.
She said the new teacher was super pretty, and she totally adored Bailey.
Later, I heard from some other parents that Christina was actually a college student interning at the school.
Some parents weren't thrilled about having a teacher with zero experience.
But on the event day, Christina said pitifully, "I'm the only one from my small mountain village who got into college, so I hope you'll give me one more chance."
Even though I was just the adopted daughter in the Watson family, I had always lived a pretty privileged life.
Her story really tugged at my heartstrings.
I suggested we let her try teaching for a few months, and if the kids didn't like her, we could always find someone else.
Three months later, Christina stopped me, crying her eyes out. "Mrs. Gonzales, please don't fire me. I really need this job, I swear.
"I heard you started this kindergarten just for your daughter. Please, I'm begging you, let me stay."
She kept calling me Mrs. Gonzales, sobbing like her world was ending, but one could tell she was tough and proud underneath it all.
Seeing her cracked, rough hands, and with Daryl nudging me, I couldn't help but feel bad for her.
In the end, I decided to let her stay.
Christina was so grateful, bowing deeply. "Thank you so much, Mrs. Gonzales. Thank you, sir. I promise I'll work hard and take good care of Bailey and all the other kids."
Looking back, she really did a great job.
She not only taught well, but she was also pretty good at looking after people.
She had even managed to have my husband laid up in bed with all her care.
"Did Daryl pick her on purpose, or did they just start messing around later?" Roderick asked.
Roderick's face darkened, and his voice went cold.
I remembered how familiar Daryl sounded talking about Christina on the dashcam, and I clenched my fist so hard my nails bit into my skin.
"He's been cheating on me for a long time," I said.
It was way earlier than I ever realized.
"What are you gonna do now, Gwen?" Roderick asked.
"Roderick, I want a divorce," I said.
Roderick paused for a moment. "Alright, I'll have our lawyers reach out to him."
I stared at my drink, eyes rimmed with red, and nodded silently.
Just then, my phone buzzed with a text.
Daryl texted, [Honey, I screwed up. I shouldn't have been with Christina. I was wrong.
[You can hit me, yell at me, do whatever you want. Can you please just give me one more chance?
[I swear it'll never happen again, baby.]
I felt utterly disgusted.
By the time I walked out of the bar, it was already two in the morning.
Daryl's familiar Bugetti was parked right next to Roderick's Rolls Royce.
Daryl was leaning against his car door, looking totally defeated, a cigarette hanging between his long fingers.
The tip of his cigarette flickered in the dim night, barely giving off any light.
The moment Daryl saw me, his face went pale with panic.
He smashed out his cigarette hard against the car.
Then he rushed straight toward me.
Daryl blurted out, "You kept ignoring my calls. I looked everywhere for you.
"I was scared something happened, so I tracked your phone—"
I cut him off. "We're getting a divorce."
"Tomorrow, the lawyer will reach out. Just sign the papers," I said, my voice cold.
His face went ghostly pale, panic written all over him. "No, I don't want a divorce."
He pleaded, "Babe, please, let's not get divorced, okay?
"Let's just go home, sleep it off, and everything will be okay. Gwen, come home with me, please. Let's go home together."
As he spoke, Daryl reached out, trying to grab my hand and pull me into the car.