Chapter 3

Audrey hastily sat up when she heard a series of knocks on the door. Her hand automatically grabbed something around to wipe her tears. She stared at the wet part of the pillowcase and sighed.

*knock* *knock*

“Coming!” she yelled to let anyone know outside that she’s on her way to open the door. She swallowed a lump in her throat before pulling the door inside to see who was disturbing her sentimental moments. As much as possible, Audrey didn’t want to face anyone but in the back of her mind, she was hoping that the person behind the door was Shane who was ready to apologize and tell her that it was all an act. She would forgive him of course, and everything should go back to the way they used to be during their honeymoon trip.

Her anticipation dropped from 101 to 0 when she found the housekeeper standing outside the room, holding a phone in her hand with a worried expression painted on her face.

“What is it?” Audrey asked, glaring at the phone the housekeeper was holding. She thought it might be Shane who was calling and asked the housekeeper to let him talk to her. Well, after she turned off her phone when driving back to the Villa after the press conference was over, Shane would have really wanted to call her, and unfortunately couldn’t reach through.

“The young master called to check if you’re home now. He was worried when he couldn’t contact you,” Rebecca said and slowly handed the phone. “He wanted to speak with you, Miss Audrey.”

Audrey couldn’t help but scowl at the phone instead of taking it to talk with her husband from the other line. After a good two minutes, she grabbed the phone and gestured the housekeeper to leave. She took a deep breath and closed the door as she put the phone on her ear.

“Hey,” she mumbled as nothing happened. She married a superstar and some things were better to get clarified first before jumping to a conclusion. Audrey was giving him a chance to say what he needed to tell her. She only wanted him to be honest with her, and she could always be patient and understanding.

“Baby, are you home? I tried calling you but your phone seemed to be off,” Shane said. He sounded concerned.

‘Baby? Hah. Me or the fetus on Stephanie’s womb?’ Audrey thought. She wanted to say it out loud but was afraid it will complicate things. She. Need. To. Hear. Him. Out. First. Is she kept boring in her mind.

“Is something wrong? Did I disturb your sleep?” Shane asked when she didn’t reply and let silence have its way. “Baby?”

“I’m fine, Shane. My phone’s turn off,” she muttered after some time. “Aren’t you going home?”

Home. Audrey dreamed of having a home for both of them to go back to at the end of the day after the long endless work they have to finish. If all he said on the press con were lies, Audrey knew she could still enjoy her dream life with him and that’s what she was hoping for. Shane just had to say it was all for an act. But even if it was, the plot didn’t make Audrey happy. Who would be glad to know that your husband impregnated someone else and announced it to the public while she, the legal wife was hidden to protect her from the chaotic circle where her husband belonged.

It was Shane’s turn to be quiet. When he hesitated to answer right away, Audrey knew something big was hindering him. And she wished it was not what she thought it was.

“You can’t go home, is that it?” she confirmed her speculation. “It’s fine but can you tell me the reason? Why can’t you go home, Shane? Did something happen, perhaps?” Audrey was crossing her fingers as she sat down on the edge of the bed while facing the window.

“Audrey… I have some matter to discuss with someone and my presence is necessary to fix this problem. I… I don’t want to be away from you as well. It may take a few days or a week. I don’t know,” he mumbled like he was about to burst into pieces due to the difficulties he was going through.

“What is the problem?” Audrey’s body started to shake when she asked the question. Since she wanted to hear him out, she had to bear with the pain in case the truth wasn’t in her favor. “You can tell me, Shane. Am I not your wife?”

‘And do I have to remind you that we’re married? That we can share our thoughts and compare, solve problems together, and live the way we wanted? Why are you contemplating now? Don’t you trust me? Have you ever thought that it hurts the most when you hide anything from me?’

“Shane, you’re here. I want to eat clams, can you get me some?” Audrey heard a familiar voice speaking from the background. “It looks like the baby wanted to have it as well. Look, he’s moving to my side. Did you feel it?”

A bitter smile curved on Audrey’s lips when she recognized that voice. It was Stephanie Solis. Shane’s ex-lover and rumored girlfriend for a month. Right, she didn’t know what exactly happened to the two of them in detail when they were said to be ‘dating’ before she married the actor. Maybe he slept with her and got her pregnant? Audrey’s thoughts were a mess, and she wished she could simply jump off a cliff and let the wind blew away her worries and doubts.

“Audrey, I’ll call you later. Please have a rest and eat on time. I have something to do now,” Shane said in a panic, but he tried to leave a kissing sound from the other line. Usually, Audrey would giggle because of it but at the moment, she felt betrayed. “See you,” he added before hanging up the call.

‘He even hanged up,’ she thought. Audrey weakly laid down with the phone on her chest. “Why can’t you say it to me, Shane? Are you planning to make me a fool again?”

Audrey remembered getting up all of a sudden and rushed outside to Shane’s car. She left the villa without saying anything to anyone in the house. She drove to Nathan’s apartment since she had nowhere to go. Or if she tried to go somewhere else, she might not be able to come back again. Audrey didn’t want to rush her decision and before she could decide on something she might regret in the future, she would endure it on her own quietly until she gathered all the courage she needed to face reality. The reality that her marriage life might be over too soon.