Chapter 3

Chloe's POV

I looked at that pill, and my heart broke all over again.

I stared at the tablet for a moment, then suddenly smiled.

"Ryan, you make me take this every single day. This medicine... hasn't been tampered with, has it?"

Ryan's face drained of color. He gripped my shoulders hard. "Chloe, why would you ask that? Did someone say something to you?"

I laughed and pulled away from his grip.

"Why so tense? I just watched a movie recently about a husband murdering his wife. It was just a joke."

Ryan let out a long breath, his hands relaxing.

"Chloe, don't make jokes like that again. It's not funny at all."

Taking advantage of Ryan heading into the bathroom to shower, I immediately snapped photos of the signed divorce agreement and sent them to my lawyer.

The reply came quickly: the documents were received and would be filed with the court right away.

The next afternoon, rain began to fall outside.

I was sitting in the living room while Ryan was getting ready to head into the kitchen.

The doorbell rang urgently. He went to answer it, and a figure threw herself straight into his arms.

"Ryan, it's raining! I'm so scared being home alone!"

Ryan held Wendy Hayes tightly, his hand gently patting her back. "Good girl, Wendy. Don't be scared. I'm here."

Wendy whined coquettishly, "Ryan, I ran all the way over here. My legs ache so much, I can't walk."

Without a second thought, Ryan scooped her up into his arms, carried her over to the couch, and knelt down to massage her calves.

I just sat nearby, watching.

I had seen scenes like this countless times; I had long since grown numb to them.

Back then, I honestly thought Ryan was just an affectionate brother doting on his sister.

When Ryan and I got married, Wendy cried, claiming she was terrified Ryan wouldn't want her anymore once he was married. So Ryan bought an identical house right next door and gifted it to her.

Looking back now, it was nothing more than a convenient setup for their secret rendezvous.

After he rubbed her calves for a while, Wendy said she felt much better and began wandering around the house as if no one else were there.

When she wandered up to the second-floor nursery, she looked around and curled her lip.

"Why are the walls this creamy yellow? It's hideous. Looking at it makes me dizzy."

"And this crib won't do. Who even uses these rounded railings nowadays?"

She turned to Ryan. "Ryan, this room needs a makeover. I can't stand looking at it."

Ryan glanced at me, an awkward look on his face. "Chloe, this color really is a bit dark. It might not be good for the baby's eyesight. What do you think..."

I had started designing this nursery during our first year of marriage, picking out everything myself, from the paint on the walls to the bedding.

I offered a slight smile.

"Sure. Let's change it, then."

Ryan was stunned.

He had expected to spend considerable effort convincing me, not anticipating that I would agree so readily.

After that initial shock, his face darkened. In front of me, he dialed his assistant's number.

"Felix, arrange a team immediately to redo the nursery according to Miss Wendy's preferences. Coordinate the details directly with her, and take her word as final."

Wendy cast a smug look in my direction.

Keeping my expression calm, I turned and headed downstairs.

The child wasn't mine, and I was done with the man anyway, so what did it matter to me what the nursery looked like?

I couldn't be happier that they wouldn't be using my design.

When dinner was served, nothing surprised me.

Cream of mushroom soup, grilled chicken breast, garlic butter shrimp—all the dishes Ryan had practiced making using me as his test subject, only to never serve them again afterward.

Now that Wendy was here, those perfected recipes finally made their debut on the table.

Wendy ate with absolute satisfaction.

Having finished my small portion early, I watched as she leaned toward Ryan, sliding a hand beneath the table and slipping it into his waistband.

Ryan's entire body froze. Struggling to keep a straight face, he sliced a piece of grilled chicken breast and put it on my plate to cover his reaction.

"Chloe, have some of this. It's your favorite."

Looking down at the chicken on my plate, I sneered inwardly.

I had never liked grilled chicken breast; Wendy was the one who loved it.

From across the table, I lowered my eyes and caught sight of Wendy's hand reaching deeper into his trousers.

A muffled groan escaped Ryan's throat.

He stood up abruptly and walked upstairs with hurried steps. "Wendy, come to the study. I have something to discuss with you."

"All right."

Wendy agreed cheerfully without hesitation. She threw a glance at me as she stood up, then followed him with light, brisk steps.

Looking at the dinner table prepared entirely for Wendy, I couldn't stomach another bite.

I returned to the bedroom, locked the door, opened the surveillance app on my phone, and tapped into the study's camera.

On the live feed, Ryan was pinned down on the sofa by Wendy.

She straddled his lap, swiftly undoing his belt and letting her restless hands wander inside.

"Ryan, did you miss me?"

Ryan gave her rear a gentle smack. "Stop playing around. Chloe almost caught us just now."

"Who told you to serve her food! I wasn't happy about that!"

Ryan chuckled. "Getting jealous, are we? I only did it for your sake."

"Hmph, I know. Otherwise, I wouldn't let you off so easily."

Wendy leaned close to his ear. "Why do you think I insisted that you bring me her 'Iris' collection?"

"Didn't you want to enter it into the competition?"

Wendy let out a disdainful scoff. "Entering the competition is just for fun. With her meager talent, I doubt it'll win any prizes anyway. But you spent a fortune buying her that necklace at the auction last month, and I was furious. I just want to snatch her things away. Whatever she has, I want it."

Ryan let out a helpless laugh, carefully rolling over to pin her beneath him. "Baby, don't worry. You're the only one in my heart. Whatever you want, I'll give it to you."

"Then I want it right now. Will you give it to me?"