Chapter 5

Without waiting a second longer, I tried to unlock Derrick's phone. And... it really unlocked.

My eyes widened when I saw a message from Kendall at the top. I opened it immediately, and it was just one unread message.

[Okay, see you tomorrow, Derrick.]

This seemed like a reply. It meant they had been texting before. But it looked like Derrick had deleted the earlier messages. My husband was being cautious.

I let out a frustrated sigh. My suspicions weren’t confirmed yet, but I wasn't going to stop here. I would uncover all Derrick's lies.

"Honey, turn off the lights. It's late."

I jumped at Derrick's voice. Slowly, I put his phone back in its place and turned off the light. I lay down beside Derrick, who was already back in dreamland.

-

This morning, my usual routine awaited me: cooking, cleaning the house, and taking care of Gillian and Derrick.

Maybe starting next month, I'd hire a housekeeper to have someone focus on looking after Gillian. I didn't want her to be neglected because I was busy with the company. At least I could work more peacefully knowing someone was taking care of Gillian and her needs.

I heard Ruth talking to Derrick in the dining room. They seemed to be having a serious conversation. My curiosity was piqued, so I brought some croissants for their breakfast.

"Do you remember Sonia, my friend from Bosnea, Derrick?"

"Yeah, Mom. I remember."

"Her daughter works in Jaketon now. She wasn't comfortable at her daughter's place near the office. She wants her to stay here," Ruth explained to Derrick.

"I'm okay with whatever you decide, Mom," Derrick replied, still chewing his food.

"But I think it won’t be appropriate for a woman to live here, Mom. She's not related to Derrick," I objected.

"Hey, how can you say that? This is Derrick’s and my house. You're just a guest here, a daughter-in-law!" Ruth protested.

I took a deep breath.

Her response was always the same. I could easily move to my luxurious apartment in the city’s prime area, but it’s not the right time to reveal my true identity.

"Besides, Sonia’s daughter will stay in the side unit, not in the main house with us. She’ll be bringing her things this evening," Ruth added.

Well, it was a relief that she would be in the side unit. But still, I had a bad feeling. My intuition told me something unwanted was going to happen.

"Alright, Mom. I'll try to come home early this evening," Derrick said.

"Why come home early, Derrick?" I asked, puzzled.

"Why are you always suspicious? I just want to help Mom welcome our guest." Derrick seemed annoyed, glaring at me.

Fine, let him come home early. It was actually better. He wouldn't have a chance to meet Kendall outside.

"Honey, why did you arrange a school shuttle for Gillian without discussing it with me?" Derrick suddenly asked after finishing his breakfast.

"Oh, starting next month, I'll be working. It’s safer if Gillian uses the school shuttle," I replied, making Derrick raise his eyebrows, seemingly in disbelief.

"I actually wanted to discuss it with you, but lately you've been coming home late every night," I continued.

"Ha! Acting like you want to work. Are you jealous of Lorraine? It makes sense for her to work. She took a course after vocational school so she could work in an office. But you? Who knows what you graduated in? Pretending to want a job." Ruth and Derrick laughed out loud.

'Laugh all you want now. At the beginning of next month, you'll be stunned to discover who I really am.'

"Do whatever you want, honey. But you’ll pay for Gillian's shuttle yourself."

What a stingy husband.

"I'm leaving now. Bye, Mom." Derrick got in his car and drove off.

-

Ruth had been busy all afternoon preparing for her guest's arrival. She asked me to cook extra food and clean the side unit that had been vacant for a long time.

I prepared various dishes and set them on the dining table. I also made two kinds of snacks and put them in jars.

I changed the bed linens in the unit and mopped the floor, making it smell fresh.

"Hello."

It seemed Ruth's guest had arrived.

I was still in the kitchen when I heard Ruth enthusiastically welcoming her guest. My curiosity got the better of me, so I slowly went to the front, carrying two glasses of tea and two jars of snacks.

"How’s your mom?" Ruth asked.

"Oh she's fine, Ma'am. She sends her regards to you," the woman replied.

Why did her face look so familiar? Where had I seen her before?

"Don't call me Ma'am. You can just call me Aunt Ruth since we'll be staying together. Sarah, this is Sonia’s daughter. Her name is Kendall."

W-what... Kendall...?

No wonder she looked familiar.

"Why are you just standing there? You're being rude to our guest!" Ruth snapped, seeing me stunned in shock.

Alright, I guess I had to be extra careful dealing with this homewrecker Kendall.