“Keep your phone with you at all times. Don’t let me lose track of you.”
I knew what that phone meant, but I still smiled sweetly. “I understand. I’ll be good.”
Alexander patted my head approvingly.
After that, my life became that of a housewife. Every day I cleaned, cooked, and waited for my husband to come home from work.
The rest of the time I did yoga and beauty treatments.
Life seemed to pass peacefully. A year later, I started hinting to Alexander that I wanted to work again.
“Honey, I’d like to get a job. Once we have kids, I won’t have the chance anymore,” I said, clinging to his arm.
He thought for a while before agreeing.
I didn’t go back to my old company since he was a shareholder.
Madstead, I found a job at a small startup.
It was busy with long hours, but I felt a long–lost sense of freedom.
I had a coworker help me order a new phone with a new number. At work, I secretly researched Alexander and that woman.
I found her Instagram and copied all her posts to study later, to avoid being discovered.
During this time, Alexander suddenly showed up at my desk to “pick me up, but really to check on me. Luckily he didn’t find the new phone.
He brought fancy afternoon tea for my coworkers, charming them all with his manners.
When my aunt called asking if Sophia could stay with us, I agreed without hesitation.
Even though Alexander hadn’t laid a hand on me in the past year, I was still afraid.
When I brought Sophia home, she gazed lovingly at Alexander sitting on the couch reading.
In that moment, a crazy idea formed in my mind.
My one chance had arrived.
12
Sophia resembled me somewhat, but that wasn’t enough. I needed to make Alexander see that another woman was more suitable as a replacement.
I started subtly guiding Sophia.
One weekend while shopping together, she noticed me staring at a white dress.
“Olivia, if you like it, why don’t you try it on?” she suggested.
“No, I was just remembering the past. I was wearing a white dress like this when I first met your brother–in–law.”
“Then you should definitely try it on! Give Alexander a nice surprise,” Sophia urged.
I pulled her away. “It’s different now. Back then I had just graduated, still with a youthful innocence. I can’t pull off that look anymore.”
