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.

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GỬI QUÀ TẶNG

Chương 4: Serendipitous Occasion

Once dinner was over, Amelie didn't feel like going home at all. The thought of staying under the same roof with Richard, who had been incredibly rude to her throughout the entire evening, made her feel dizzy and sick.

She decided to spend the night away from home and went to the Emerald Hotel, the five-star establishment she inherited from her family and managed as her own part of the JFC Group.

Amelie loved the Emerald Hotel with all her heart, mostly because it was the only thing left to her by her late mother. It belonged solely to her, and she cherished it the most, ensuring it remained as elegant and luxurious as her mother had left it. No one, not even Richard, was allowed to interfere with it.

The moment she entered through the tall glass doors, held open by the handsome doorman, Amelie felt the tension leaving her body. For the first time today, she felt comfortable and calm.

Although she rarely stayed there as a guest, one of the penthouses was always reserved exclusively for her. This privilege allowed her to skip the check-in and go straight to the elevator. However, as she walked past the receptionist's desk, a peculiar scene caught her attention, prompting her to approach the desk nonetheless.

"Sir, I've already told you, this hotel does not accommodate pets. Besides, you made a reservation without mentioning your pet, so there was no way we could have known."

The tall, slender girl behind the receptionist's desk offered the guest an apologetic look. Amelie shifted her eyes to the man who was having issues checking in.

He was tall and slim with a strong build, which he couldn't hide even under the baggy shape of his black tracksuit. He looked like a celebrity desperately trying to conceal his identity—his face was hidden behind a black face mask and designer sunglasses. The only thing Amelie could discern was his messy black hair, which shone like raven feathers under the dimmed, warm lights of the lobby's chandelier.

Pressed against his chest was a little orange corgi puppy, comfortably snoozing despite the slight commotion caused by its owner.

"But I specifically stated that I was going to stay with a dog, and your manager told me it was alright. Where am I supposed to go now? It's too late to find a new hotel!"

Although he seemed quite upset and even nervous, his deep voice remained calm and respectful.

"Sir, I don't think it's possible that someone from our management team said that. Perhaps if you give me their name, I could call them and ask––"

"I don't think this is necessary, Miss Yang."

Upon hearing the hotel owner's voice, the receptionist girl immediately offered Amelie a bow accompanied by another guilty expression now directed her way. The guest, too, fixed his deep brown eyes on the woman but remained silent, waiting for her to continue.

"Please proceed with checking in as usual and inform every single member of the management team and staff that I myself allowed this man to stay with his puppy."

Mrs. Ashford then turned to face the guest and smiled, "Welcome to Emerald Hotel. I hope you will enjoy your stay here."

The man was clearly caught off guard as the only thing he could blurt out was almost incomprehensible "Thank you!" followed by a very fast nod that finally disrupted the puppy's sleep. Amelie responded with a polite but reserved nod and walked away, her mind already drifting away from the mysterious man with a corgi puppy in his arms.

The second she closed the door to the penthouse behind her back, her phone vibrated with the incoming call from her best friend.

"Lizzy¹, your timing couldn't be better."

The woman on the other line responded with a chuckle and asked, "So? How did it go with Richard?"

Amelie couldn't help but sigh and Elizabeth realized everything right away.

"He refused to talk about it. It was the first time during the years of our marriage that he was actually rude to me. Defensive and rude. I guess... This is my answer."

Elizabeth released an angry groan but quickly collected herself, "I'm sorry, Lily. Of all the arranged marriages we have witnessed, I have always hoped yours will remain untainted... It puts our lives in perspective now. What a shame."

Amelie took a seat beside the tall window and pulled her knees closer to her chin as she listened to her friend. Even when Richard reacted so harshly to her subtle confrontation, her mind still somehow refused to believe that her suspicions were true. But now that she heard Lizzy's words, she suddenly felt small and utterly confused.

"Lizzy..." she started quietly, her voice half-muffled as her lips were hidden behind her knees, "Do you think Richard would be upset if I took a lover too? Do you think he would be jealous?"

The woman on the other line sighed, "Lily, I..."

"Never mind. Well, it's already late and I am kind of tired so I think I will go to sleep now."

"Alright. Sleep well."

Amelie threw her phone onto the bed and turned her face sideways, her eyes focused on looking through the thick glass of the window. Despite the lateness of the hour, it seemed like the city refused to go to sleep, and so did her frantic mind. Her head was still filled with hundreds of questions that she couldn't find an answer to.

"I am pathetic. My husband brought home another woman but I am the one who is running away and hiding. It is my house too. It is legally mine. So how come I have to be the one to leave with my tail between my legs?"

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, her nails dug into her skin as she hugged her shoulders.

"I have to go back. I will go back tomorrow and see everything for myself. No matter who she is, I can't allow her to push me out."

***

"You really are a troublemaker, huh? I had to go through so much trouble bringing you here and yet here you are, sleeping, not a care in the world. I guess it's nice to be a dog. I hope I will be reborn as one of those too!"

The man removed the sunglasses and his black mask and looked at the sleeping puppy. He then released a long exhale, slid his hands over his soft black hair, and walked up to the tall window of his penthouse suite. Then, he looked down at the bright city lights below him and smiled,

"Amelie Ashford... I did not expect to meet you this soon. What a serendipitous occasion!"