Chương 2: The Woman With A Cast On Her Leg

"This year's benefit is going to be much grander than the last one. With the foreign companies joining us, we even had to extend it to three days instead of two, as we usually do."

Emily Crane, one of Amelie's friends and the wife of David Crane, the president of DN Electronics, set her cup of coffee on the glass coffee table and leaned back on the comfortable sofa.

Amelie Ashford, Emily Crane, Lauren Weil, and Elizabeth Gilmore were all daughters of wealthy and prestigious families, connected through the intricate social web created by their parents. They had been good friends since elementary school and remained on very good terms even after their arranged marriages, which kept them busy with their own duties and responsibilities.

Nevertheless, they all pledged to meet at least once a week for a "tea party," usually held at Emily's house, and help each other with any issue or request as long as it was within their capacity or simply gossip and exchange information.

Although it sounded more like a cold-hearted and calculative agreement, it was, in fact, a manifestation of a real friendship that had lasted for decades.

Their current weekly tea party had just begun, but it was already filled with never-ending talks about the upcoming annual benefit. It was a very important event that was organized by their joint efforts and aimed to raise funds for numerous good causes, from supporting orphanages and hospitals to providing financial support for talented children or sponsoring less fortunate individuals.

Amelie watched as her friends engaged in a lively discussion about this year's division of funds when she noticed Anna Hayden, her personal assistant, waving at her from the hallway.

"Excuse me, I need to see my assistant for a moment."

Amelie smiled at the ladies, rose to her feet, and left the room. She greeted Anna with her usual kind smile and asked, "I've seen all of your messages already. Is something the matter?"

Anna Hayden, a woman in her late twenties with a sleek bun tied behind her neck and dressed in a modest black pantsuit, fidgeted with her phone for a few moments before finally clearing her throat. "Mrs. Ashford, Mr. Clark brought someone to the mansion this morning."

Amelie raised her eyebrows but remained composed. Her husband was on a business trip in J city and was supposed to return today. Did he come back with an important business associate?

"He brought someone? Who did he bring?"

"A woman..."

Amelie's face grew a little darker. "Do I have to pull it out of you word by word, Anna? Come on, continue. It's alright."

Miss Hayden was visibly uncomfortable, and that alone made Amelie realize what she was hinting at. Her assistant finally continued, "A young woman wearing a cast on her left leg. He refused to explain anything and escorted her straight to the guest room. It looked like she had been in some kind of accident."

Mrs. Ashford stood silent for a while, her eyes fixed on the painting on the opposite wall. Then, she finally turned back to her assistant and asked, "What did she look like?"

"Well... she looked young, maybe twenty-five, no older, with straight dark brown hair, big brown eyes, and fair skin. She was approximately your height and weight. Mr. Clark was quite friendly with her, and it seemed like they knew each other from before. They appeared... comfortable with one another."

Amelie immediately tried to think of all the women surrounding her husband whom she knew personally, but none seemed close enough to him to warrant bringing one to their home for any reason.

"Alright. Thank you, Anna. You may go on with your usual work."

Miss Hayden offered her boss a light nod and left the house. Amelie, discarding the uneasy thoughts forming in her head, returned to her friends in the living room.

"Did something happen?" Elizabeth was the first to inquire, but all three friends stared at her with curious and slightly worried gazes. Amelie smiled and picked up her now cold cup of tea, shaking her head slightly. "No, just some household news. Nothing to worry about."

Although it seemed like she had dispelled the initial feeling of discomfort with her reassuring response, Amelie's mind refused to return to the normal conversation. Her thoughts frantically raced over her assistant's words.

'A woman in her twenties with a cast on her leg? Since he brought her to our house, it means they are very close. Why else would he do something so imposing?'

Her friends, who had been casting occasional glances in her direction throughout their conversation, finally fell silent. Lauren Weil carefully placed her hand on the woman's knee and said, "You are miles away, Lily. Are you sure it wasn't something important?"

Mrs. Ashford hesitated, caught off guard by her friend's spot-on question. She contemplated whether to address the matter or simply brush it off, but decided that her friends' opinions might be more helpful than her own speculations.

With a light sigh, she began, "If you suspect your husband of something... how would you confront him?"

The living room remained silent for a few moments. All three women raised their eyebrows, then it seemed like their thoughts immediately synced. Emily spoke first, "Are you suspecting him of having an affair? Damn it, all men are the same! Nothing new about them!"

Lauren joined in as well, "What can you do? We are all in arranged marriages, so having mistresses is not uncommon. My husband visits hostess clubs almost every week! It's disgusting, but there's nothing I can do to stop it. Neither of us is in love anyway."

Their words made Amelie even more uneasy than she had been. Elizabeth frowned at the two of them and clicked her tongue, then turned back to her best friend and asked, "What is it, Lily? Are you really suspecting him of cheating?"

That question invited morbid silence to the room once again.

bình luận bình luận của 12

Bình chọn

GỬI QUÀ TẶNG

Chương 3: Dinner

Amelie bit her lip. "I'm not sure, but..."

Emily's face brightened a little. "Richard is way too reserved for that... Aren't you supposed to have dinner with your husband tonight? Ask him then. Just ask him. No beating around the bush, no sugarcoating, no police bullshit too. We are all adults now. Just ask him if he's having an affair."

Amelie looked at her best friend, seeking reassurance, and Elizabeth responded with a nod and a smile. Mrs. Ashford cleared her fists on top of her knees.

'Well... maybe I'm just being paranoid.'

***

The mansion Amelie shared with her husband used to belong to Richard's parents. They died soon after their son's marriage, leaving the couple alone in the house. Amelie had spent many years there already, she ensured that even after her in-laws' deaths, everything remained the same, even though she had wanted to add her own touches to their shared home.

Amelie Ashford and Richard Clark led the life expected of a married couple of their standing: they had their own parts of the spacious house strictly assigned to them, slept in separate bedrooms, and shared regular, scheduled meals as if they were part of their work routine.

Amelie and Richard had dinner together three times a week, more if there was something important to discuss or if they were hosting guests. Tonight was one of their regularly scheduled dinners.

Amelie took out a compact from her purse and looked into the small mirror. She still hadn't visited their house since her personal assistant delivered the news, and now she was heading to the Italian restaurant chosen by Richard to share a meal with him.

"Anna said they looked friendly, as if they knew each other from before... Well, it's not really frowned upon to have mistresses as long as there are no crazy rumors or unwanted pregnancies involved. Although men usually refrain from bringing them directly to their homes. The fact that he indeed brought her to our house... God, I'm getting a headache already."

Amelie leaned back in the car seat and closed her eyes, hoping to dispel some of the unpleasant thoughts that had been haunting her since her meeting with her friends. Instead, however, Richard's late mother's voice rang sharply in her mind,

"Men will always be men. That's what you get for being tied to someone who will never love you, Lily," Laura's beautiful face smiled at her in her memories, "If Richard brings in a mistress, don't just suffer silently by his side. You're not made of stone. Get yourself a lover too. Even a fleeting, mindless fling is still better than getting depressed because your husband fell in love with someone else."

Amelie looked out of the car window, the smeared blur of the streetlights bringing her a subtle sense of calm.

She had never entertained the thought of taking a lover. She was content with the life she had. Richard was her friend; he treated her with kindness and respect, and she felt fulfilled with the charity work she was doing... What else could she possibly want?

"Mrs. Clark was the epitome of the perfect wife, and she, too, never had an affair... Was it because Mr. Clark remained faithful to her as well? Ugh... I'm getting lost again. I should just clarify it with Richard."

***

The Italian restaurant chosen by Richard for their scheduled meal was quiet, with dimmed lights and dark tones filling the space with a serene and somewhat romantic atmosphere. Richard liked this restaurant because the chef was one of his friends, and he always had a nice table prepared for them, no matter how last-minute their reservation might be.

Amelie speared a bunch of salad leaves with her fork and watched as her husband smeared butter over a slice of garlic bread. A dozen thoughts must have rushed through her head, and for a moment, she even thought she had forgotten what she wanted to talk about.

Thankfully, the waiter placed a bottle of red wine on their table, bringing Mrs. Ashford back to her senses.

"I heard we have a guest staying at our place."

Richard furrowed his eyebrows and, without even looking back at his wife, asked in a cold tone, "Anna? I thought she was your personal assistant, not a spy."

Amelie traced the ridges of her wine glass with her finger, her eyes also refusing to meet her husband's gaze.

"We live under the same roof. Our mansion is big but it is not a royal palace. I would have found out eventually. I would appreciate it if you shared something as significant as that with me beforehand."

At last, Richard set aside his silverware and fixed his sharp, narrow eyes on Amelie's expressionless face. For a moment, she thought he was trying to gauge her reaction, but as her face remained calm, his voice grew even colder as he replied, "This hardly concerns you, Amelie. She's a good friend I reunited with during my business trip. That's all you need to know."

Amelie felt something sharp lodged in her throat. This was the first time Richard had been so cold with her, and it bothered her a lot. It was as if he had become a whole different person after that business trip. She didn't like it.

Nevertheless, something deep inside made her want to sting him too. With the cold surface of the wine glass against her lips, she allowed herself a light smile and asked, "How long is she going to stay with us? Do I need to have someone arrange the guest room to her liking?"

"That's enough." His sharp tone cut through her like a knife, causing her entire body to wince. In the past, Richard had only allowed himself to speak so harshly with other men, but now, it was his wife who was on the receiving end of his annoyance.

"I will take care of it. You do what you always do, Amelie. This discussion ends now."

This was a warning. She really had to stop.

bình luận bình luận của 8

Bình chọn

GỬI QUÀ TẶNG