After My Husband
After My Husband 5

Chapter 5

Part 5

Adrian did not come home until the next morning. As soon as he came back, he started explaining, “Jesse had a high fever all night. It wouldn’t go down.”

Jesse was Sophie’s child. To my ears, the name felt like a foreign word.

“Is everything okay now? Why didn’t you stay longer? It must be hard for Sophie to handle a sick child alone,” I asked after offering a curt nod.

Adrian paused mid–motion when taking his coat off, a flicker of annoyance crossing his features. “Are you being sarcastic again?” He sighed, the sound heavy with weariness, real or feigned, I could not tell. “Look, I didn’t sleep all night. I’m very tired.”

“Then you should get some rest. I’m going to work.” I turned around and reached for my bag.

“Madeline….” He pulled me and spoke.

“What is it?”

“We’ll make it up for the anniversary celebration next time, okay?”

A ghost of a smile played on my lips, devoid of any feeling. “I’m not mad.”

He looked at me inquiringly and hugged me, a gesture that felt as empty as his promises. “There’s a company team–building event this weekend,” he mumbled into my hair. “Let’s go together.” Adrian’s family background was much better than mine. He was a local, and I stayed here after graduation because I married him. His colleagues and friends did not think much of me.

Despite their loathing to interact with me, however, they often asked Adrian to have me help them with simple sniffles or coughs because I worked at a hospital. In the past, I would frequently bring Adrian meals or medicine whenever he had stomachache at his office, but he never introduced me to his colleagues.

I snapped back to reality and replied, “No, I might have to work overtime next weekend.”

“Well, suit yourself.” Adrian gritted his teeth and hissed.

I did not go, but I did not expect him to take Sophie instead. My phone buzzed incessantly when I was writing medical records in the office. I had to open it and found out that someone had added me to the group chat for Adrian’s company’s team building event.

The pictures from different activities in the event streamed in, and a lot of them featured Sophie. She was having a great time with Adrian’s colleagues, blending right in.

During one of the activities, Adrian carried Sophie in his arms like a princess, lifting her from one end of the lawn to the other. Meanwhile, Sophie held onto Adrian’s neck, pressing her cheek against his chest. If she lifted her head just a bit more, she could have kissed his chin.

Everyone in the group chat was cheering them on, tagging the two and saying they were a perfect match. Given Adrian’s high position in the company, people were eager to flatter him. One after another, they lined up to comment on how well–matched they were.

Since I had been added to the group, it would not look good if I pretended not to see it. So, I followed the crowd and typed two words in the chat, [Perfect match.] I also added a clapping emoji.

31:01

Chapter 5

With a click, I exited the digital charade and put my phone on silent mode. By the time I finished writing the medical records, it was already dark. I took out my phone and found that Adrian had called me dozens of times. One WhatsApp message after another popped up.

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