Chapter 3

I needed to get Caleb away from here!

I hurried upstairs and dug in the study for Caleb's laptop. After that, I used his work email to urge his company's executives to submit project progress reports. Then, I deleted the email and all its traces.

Caleb was a workaholic, and so were his employees. He had merely loosened up a lot since Maura returned to the country. Nowadays, it wasn't surprising if he urged his company executives to speed up work or vice versa.

After doing all that, I headed back to my bedroom. It wasn't long before Caleb came rushing upstairs to tell me, "Something just came up at the company. You'll take Maura to the hospital instead."

I pretended to be surprised, nodded, and intentionally asked, "Isn't it too late for you to work overtime now?"

Caleb didn't answer as always. He just kept going on with his instructions. "Come home after you finish the hospitalization procedure for Maura. I'll check on her at the hospital after I wrap things up at work."

That was how it was, huh? I could whisk him away from Maura, but I couldn't take his heart from her. Maura continued to be the only woman he had eyes for.

I went downstairs again while dazed by the situation. By then, Maura had already headed outside. Two cars were parked outside the Goode residence, making it clear that she was upset and didn't want to sit with me.

Along the drive, I kept asking myself, "What was the point of such a marriage?"

The word "divorce" repeatedly rang in my ears. Even so, I also feared I couldn't go back to living with my parents if I went through with the divorce.

I slumped in my seat and silently cried. I couldn't remain in this limbo anymore. Caleb would put up with me sometimes, but Maura wouldn't.

That said, I wanted to know whether Maura was Ms. S. Also, what were her intentions toward my darling Caleb?

…

I completed Maura's hospitalization procedures by 11:00 pm.

The doctor said Maura needed stitches, which caused Maura to whine and bawl like a child. She insisted that she would only do it if Caleb were there.

A doubtful expression shrouded the doctor's face as he examined the wound. "How did you injure your inner thigh? Normally, an injury on the back or the front of one's thighs would result from falling. Plus, it would often come with knee or pelvis injuries.

"It's… unlikely for one to get hurt in this spot."

The doctor wasn't sure how that happened, but I knew. It was obviously Maura's twisted plan to hurt herself and gain Caleb's attention.

Maura looked unable to justify things. She lowered her head and muttered, "I don't know… but it hurt a lot, so I forgot how it happened."

The doctor seemed too uncomfortable to ask more questions, so he only reminded me to alert him when Maura's husband arrived. He would come over to stitch her wound then.

"I'm afraid Maura's husband can't be here. He's in the SI-CU," I blandly stated.

"Wait. Then, who was she asking for when she threw that tantrum earlier?"

"That would be my husband," I answered.

The doctor was speechless. Before exiting the ward, he gave me a judgmental stare, as if saying the upper social circles had messy relationships.

I sat at Maura's bedside. The latter was already playing games on her phone and was even in the mood to take selfies. She didn't seem like she was in pain.

"What do we do about the wedding now that Charles' health isn't doing great and you're injured?" I deliberately tested her.

Maura didn't seem to care one bit. "My injury won't affect anything. It'll be fine in a few days. Besides, Caleb can take Charles' place if Charles can't make it. After all, it's common in royal families' order of succession to let the patriarch's son inherit things."

She likely noticed my grim expression after saying that.

That was when she finally put down her phone and smiled at me. "I'm joking. Caleb and I are just so close that we love everything about each other. I only joked about that because I see you as family. You won't take any offense, will you?"

It was plain as day that she was angering me on purpose.

Yet, I could only smile in return and shake my head. "Why would I be offended? We're family! That said, you should know your limits when joking around. We aren't living in older times with outdated social structures and rules.

"It'd be a huge scandal for us if what you said got out to the world. Who knows? Maybe even the Goode family's stock prices may be impacted."

Maura seemed to realize I wasn't an easy target. She picked up her phone and bossed me around. "I'm thirsty. Get me some water."

She was a patient and held a senior status in the family over me. So, I had no reason to refuse her.

I later returned to her ward with some hot water. Standing outside her door, I realized she seemed to be speaking on the phone with someone.

"Don't worry. Winifred looks after me well, and I'm lying in bed like a good girl. You don't need to come over. It's just… the doctor says I'll need stitches. I'm a little scared.

"Could you bring me some sweets or desserts like you used to when we were in school? I won't be scared if you do that."

She had likely sensed I was outside her door. Because of that, she peered at me and said into the phone, "I'll be waiting for you!"

Then, she hung up and smilingly looked at me. "Thanks. Caleb says he'll be here soon, so you can head home and get some rest."

I handed the glass of water to her while calmly asking, "Have you and Caleb known each other for a long time?"

A smile spread on her face as she nodded. She held the glass with both hands like an innocent, blushing girl. "We were schoolmates. Caleb used to look after me in school, but I had to leave abroad for my studies.

"I thought we would never meet again after I learned he was getting married. Little did I expect to bump into Charles when I returned to the country. Everything seems like such a coincidence."

While saying that, she even showed me an old photo of her and Caleb from her phone. They were group photos, but Caleb wasn't looking at the camera in any of them. Instead, he warmly gazed at Maura, showing his side profile. Meanwhile, Maura stared straight into the camera and beamed.

I had no idea my frosty husband was capable of such an emotion.

My hands kept shaking. I could only grip the hem of my sleeves tightly to avoid looking like I had lost my composure.

"Caleb was such a hothead back then. Now, he's much more manly and mature."

She spoke to me like she described her lover for over ten years. It made me appear like I was the mistress wedged between them.

"Winifred, I heard you and Caleb are in a marriage of alliance. Ultimately, it means you two got married for benefits. Do you genuinely love each other?" Maura suddenly spun the topic onto me as she gazed at me with her beautiful eyes.

"Of course!" I raised my tone, not wanting her to detect any cracks in my marriage. "Caleb and I love each other. If all marriage alliances were purely for benefits, wouldn't it mean younger women that marry older men are only after their money?"

Just then, the glass landed on my foot, and the hot water inside it scalded my ankle.

That was also when Caleb entered the room.

I instinctively bent down to try and protect my wound when Caleb abruptly pulled me upright.

"Winifred." He seethed like he was suppressing his rage. "Come with me!"

I limped as he dragged me out of the ward and onto the balcony at the end of the hallway. Throughout that, I stumbled and nearly fell several times.

"Why do you insist on saying such things to Maura?" Caleb questioned.

Maura had tricked me. She timed everything well before triggering my emotions and framing me. Hopelessness filled my eyes as I took in Caleb. "Why didn't you ask me if my leg, which Maura bashed a glass of hot water against, hurt?"

"That's because you deserve it."

I chuckled, a tear escaping the corner of my eyes.

All those TV shows where mistresses pretended to be innocent after causing trouble weren't accurate. I realized then that a man would always view a woman as innocent if he loved her. It wouldn't matter if he saw her committing a heinous act with his bare eyes because he would always believe her.