Chapter 2 Being Deceived

The sight of her husband accompanying another woman for a prenatal check-up hit Yvonne like a bomb going off inside her skull, leaving her dizzy and unsteady on her feet. And the shock rattled her, making her accidentally hit the dial button.

A few seconds later, Julian's voice drifted out from the exam room. "Hello?"

Yvonne kept her gaze locked on him through the half-open door, her throat tightening until her words shook hesitantly. "Where are you right now?"

Her mind spun in chaos. The doctor called that woman Julian's wife. Then what did that make her? Eight weeks ago lined up with the night he had sex with her for the first time. So, her husband had slept with another woman during the same week?

The weight of that thought nearly tore her apart. Tears blurred her vision as she squinted at the woman's face, and recognition struck like a blade.

Rita Adams. The name screamed inside her. The very woman who had lived in Julian's heart for years.

Yvonne remembered stumbling across Rita's picture in his study once, tucked away but cherished.

Stories about them had floated around too-how they had met overseas, how their shared passions had made them inseparable, how everyone had thought they were destined to be together. If not for her marriage to Julian, they would have been the couple people envied.

Only now did Yvonne grasp the truth. Rita had returned. And Julian had taken Rita back into his life.

It dawned on her with a cruel clarity-the wife he wanted had never been her. Her eyes filled until the tears slipped free, and the realization cut deep.

Had he already been with Rita before he had slept with her? The lipstick stain on his collar came rushing back to her memory. She finally understood. That trace must have belonged to Rita.

A heavy knot twisted in Yvonne's stomach, but hope, fragile and foolish, kept her eyes fixed on Julian's back, desperate for him to come clean.

Inside the room, his gaze flickered toward Rita before he answered, his tone smooth and detached, "I'm in a meeting at the office. Why are you calling?"

The lie cut through her like ice. For a moment her thoughts scattered, leaving only the burn of betrayal and rage. A bitter smile tugged at her lips, mocking herself for ever expecting honesty.

There was no point in pressing further. Any question would only humiliate her more.

She ended the call without a word. Her body gave out as she slid down the cold wall, her hand clamping over her mouth to stifle the sobs that broke free.

A nurse passing by stopped, concern etched on her face. "Are you all right?"

Meanwhile, something unsettled Julian. He turned his head slightly, as though sensing eyes on him, but the hallway beyond was empty. A faint frown creased his face.

Yvonne had never once defied him. For years she had bent quietly to his will, yet this time she had hung up before he even could. The abruptness gnawed at him.

An instinct urged him to leave and search for her. He stood up abruptly.

"Julian, who was it?" Rita's voice quivered as she tugged on his sleeve, her delicate face tilted up in practiced vulnerability.

The moment broke, and Julian steadied himself. "Just work," he said evenly.

He eased his sleeve from her grasp, turned back to the doctor, and continued in that same calm voice, asking about the dos and don'ts during a pregnancy.

After Julian turned his focus back to the doctor, Rita's gentle mask slipped. Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly as she pulled out her phone beneath the table. Fingers moving quickly, she sent a message, saying, "I just spotted Yvonne at Kumvine Hospital. Check why she's seeing an OB-GYN."

Later, at the hospital entrance, Julian walked Rita to the car, his voice calm and detached. "Go home and get some rest."

Her hand froze on the door handle, and she turned back with a wounded look. "You're not coming with me? I don't want to be alone tonight... I'm scared."

His reply was immediate, smooth, and distant. "I've got things at the office that need attention."

Rita's fingers curled tightly against her palm, but within seconds she replaced the frustration with a sweet, understanding smile. "All right. I'll wait for you at home."

Julian gave a short nod, watched the car roll away, and then headed for his own vehicle.

On the drive back, he dialed Yvonne's number again and again. Each time, the call rang unanswered until finally her phone switched off.

By the time he sat at his desk, the weight in his chest had settled into something cold and heavy. His phone rested in his hand, his face shadowed by a stormy scowl.

Stacks of documents sat waiting, but the ink on the pages might as well have been invisible. His mind refused to focus.

The silence broke with Andrew Pearson, Julian's friend, barging into the office, grinning ear to ear. "Julian, congratulations! You're going to be a father!"

Julian's eyes darkened further, his jaw tightening. Clearly Andrew must have caught wind of his accompanying Rita for a prenatal visit and jumped to conclusions. His voice came out sharp. "Stop spouting nonsense-"

But Andrew cut him off, too excited to notice the warning edge. "You really don't know yet? Yvonne was sick at a tea party today, looked just like morning sickness. Everyone's saying she's pregnant!"