Chapter 3

3

"Elara! What a surprise to see you here."

Maisie walked over and greeted me first. Her smile was incredibly fake.

"I'm just buying coffee for Silas. Are you here to see him?"

"He has a very important meeting today. He probably doesn't have time for you."

"I'm so jealous of you, Elara. You get to enjoy life every day while I have to run around after the CEO."

Maisie's words were sharp. She was basically calling me a useless trophy wife who only knew how to spend money.

For a recent college grad, her social intelligence was remarkably low.

I looked up and studied her. Gucci perfume, an LV bag, and a Chanel bracelet.

I knew her family background. Everything she was wearing cost more than her parents' entire savings.

"If Silas doesn't spend his money on me, who else would he spend it on? A stray cat or dog?"

"That money is our marital property. If he spends it on someone else, I have the legal right to get every penny back."

Hearing this, Maisie nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Elara, let's exchange contacts on WhatsApp."

Maisie pulled out her phone and insisted on adding me.

As she stood up to leave, she intentionally dialed Silas's number.

I saw right through her little games.

"CEO... I'm just a little bit late. Please don't be mad at me, okay?"

She turned the volume up on purpose. I could hear Silas's voice clearly.

"Sweetheart, how could I be mad at you? Just be careful when you cross the street."

Maisie looked at me with a shy, triumphant smile as she spoke into the phone.

"Thank you for caring so much. I'll be back safely."

She hung up and pretended to be embarrassed.

"Elara, I have to go. Silas is waiting for me. He gets so restless when I'm gone for even a minute. Enjoy your coffee."

I just smiled and said nothing. She was the textbook definition of a home-wrecker.

Shortly after she left, I accepted her friend request.

Fifteen minutes later, she posted a new update.

It was a photo of an expensive dessert from a famous bakery. One piece cost hundreds of dollars.

Maisie had a bit of cream on her nose and was smiling like a flower in bloom.

The caption read: "Who else would treat me like a princess besides my favorite CEO?"

They say the lens has a temperature. The person who loves you will always take the most beautiful photos of you.

That saying was proving to be true.

I scrolled through her feed.

Silas owned a design firm. He often traveled abroad for research and projects.

It turned out that Maisie had been with him on every single trip.

They had walked through the romantic streets of Edinburgh.

They had kissed on the streets of Paris.

They had even climbed the Statue of Liberty in New York together to look over the city.

Maisie wrote in one post: "My boyfriend showed me the whole world. I'll stay with him forever."

Even though Silas's face wasn't in the photos, I knew his silhouette anywhere.

A wave of sadness washed over me. I didn't even know when he had started cheating.

I rubbed my stomach. Maybe not letting this child enter such a cruel world was the right choice.