Chapter 9
What I did not anticipate was that Julie was monitoring every move I made, as if
staking her claim over the remnants of my old life was not enough.
When she noticed that my phone had been deregistered, her lips curled into a triumphant smile.
Turning to Anthony, she wrapped herself around his arm like a predator celebrating victory.
“Honey,” she cooed, tilting her head to feign vulnerability, “since I got pregnant, I’ve been so worried your wife might confront me. Don’t you think it‘ s time we came clean about our relationship? I’m sure Daisy will understand.”
Anthony hesitated, his brow furrowing.
“Do you think so? I don‘ t know if she‘ 11 take it well.”
Julie pouted, tracing her fingers across his
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arm in practiced dramatics. “But we can’t keep this a secret forever. It‘ s better to be honest, don‘ t you think? How about after your anniversary? That way, we can start fresh.”
He mulled it over, then finally nodded.
“Maybe you‘ re right. After the anniversary, I’ll explain it to her–slowly. We can’t rush these things.
Julie’s face lit up, excitement flickering in her eyes. “And after that, you’ll bring me to your house, right? We’ll finally be a family.”
Anthony smiled faintly. “Of course. As long as Daisy agrees.”
**
Anthony and Julie spent a week in Japan, indulging in their fantasy of a perfect life together.
Julie was radiant, posing for pictures at picturesque tourist spots and hinting at their growing family on social media.
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But when they returned, Julie‘ s excitement reached a fever pitch.
“This is it,” she said, clutching Anthony’s arm as they walked up to the front door. “Our new beginning.
Anthony pushed the door open, stepping inside, but froze in place almost immediately.
The house felt… empty.
The furniture was still there, but it lacked warmth. The air itself seemed hollow,
stripped of the small touches that had once made the Manor a home.
The scent of the candles I had always lit
was
gone. The photos of us on the walls
were gone. Even the garden, where I had
lovingly tended to my collection of
succulents, was barren.
Anthony took a few steps forward, his gaze darting around in confusion. “What
happened here?” he asked, his voice rising.
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The butler appeared from the hall, bowing slightly. “Welcome home, Mr. Harris.”
Anthony turned to him sharply, gesturing around the room. “Why does everything look so different? Where‘ s Daisy? What happened?”
The butler’s face twitched with discomfort. “I’m sorry, Mr. Harris, but Mrs. Harris tidied everything up before she left. She said she needed to move out.”
“Move out?” Anthony repeated, disbelief etched into his voice. “Move out to where? Who told her to leave the house?”
The butler hesitated, his gaze flickering toward Julie briefly before he continued.
“She said… she said it was you, sir.”
“Me?” Anthony‘ s tone grew darker, his brows knitting together. “When did I ever say that? We were talking about
rescheduling our anniversary before I left for Japan, nothing more!”
Julie’s grip on his arm tightened as she
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spoke softly, “Honey, maybe she
misunderstood. You know how women can overthink things. Maybe she’s just upset.”
Anthony shook his head, his mind racing. “This doesn’t make sense. Why would she pack everything, leave the house, and…” His voice trailed off, realization creeping into his features.
Julie, sensing the shift in his mood, quickly tried to redirect his focus. “Well, it’s not all bad,” she said sweetly. “This just makes things easier for us, doesn’t it? Now we can truly start fresh.”
But Anthony wasn’t listening anymore. “Where is she now?” he muttered, his
voice strained.
The butler hesitated again, finally saying,
“She didn’t say, sir. Mrs. Harris only mentioned that she was… moving on.
Anthony’s heart raced as he grabbed his phone and dialed my number.
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The call did not connect. Instead, a cold, automated voice informed him that the
number had been disconnected.
Julie, still at his side, patted his shoulder, her tone light and dismissive. “Honey, calm down. Maybe she’s just sulking because you missed your anniversary. She’s probably trying to teach you a
lesson.
“I’m sure if she runs out of money, Daisy will come back. After all, you said she can’t live without you, didn’t you?”
But Anthony did not respond, his jaw tightening. He turned to the butler and the maid. “Search the house. Look for anything she left behind.”
After a short search, the butler found my discarded SIM card in the trash. Realizing Julie was still in the Manor, he decided to keep it away from prying eyes.
The butler also chose to protect the box as well, knowing Julie could sabotage or
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intercept anything personal I had left.
Downstairs, Julie flitted about like she already owned the place, her voice filling the empty Manor.
“I could move in here for a while,” she chirped, her tone saccharine. “That way, I can keep you company, honey. After all, it’s such a big house for just one person.”
Anthony, leaning against the banister with self–assured smirk, nodded. “Of course. Daisy will come back eventually, just like you said. She always does. But she needs to learn a lesson for leaving without a word.”
Julie grinned, wrapping her arms around his. “Then I’ll head back to the villa to pack a few things. We‘ 11 sleep here starting tonight, won‘ t we, honey?”
Anthony tilted her chin up and kissed her.
“Exactly. Take the driver and pack quickly. I want you back here by dinner.”
Julie nodded, her smile widening. “I
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won’t take long.”
As she left, the butler, who had been silently observing the exchange, approached Anthony with a hesitant expression.
“Sir,” the butler began, his voice steady but cautious, “there is something Mrs. Harris left for you in the study. I believe you should see it.”
Anthony‘ s smirk deepened. “See? I told you Daisy wouldn’t leave without a clue. She’s too predictable. Could it be a surprise anniversary gift? She mentioned it at the hospital.”
The butler remained silent, unwilling to confirm or deny his master’s assumptions.
In the study, Anthony spotted the neatly wrapped gift box on his desk. On top of it was a SIM card, deliberately placed by the
butler.
Anthony‘ s brows furrowed slightly as he
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picked up the SIM card. “What’s this? Is there something I should know about this?”
The butler cleared his throat. “The maid found it in the trash by your bed, sir. We believe it belonged to Mrs. Harris.”
Anthony chuckled lightly, twirling the card between his fingers. “Daisy‘ s SIM card, huh? Maybe she left me a message. Open it. Let’s see what’s inside before I get to the gift box.”
The butler inserted the card into a spare phone, his expression carefully neutral. As the messages loaded, he handed the phone back to Anthony.
Anthony scrolled through the messages, expecting something heartfelt, a message pleading for reconciliation, or even an explanation for her sudden departure.
But his smirk vanished as his eyes darted across the screen. “What is this
actually?”
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Anthony stared at Julie‘ s provocative texts on the screen, each word a dagger slicing through his composure.
[Julie: You were sick on purpose to prevent me from being alone with Anthony last night, right? I didn’t expect you to be so cunning after I told you about our relationship.]
His face darkened as he read further, his grip on the phone tightening.
[Julie: Our relationship has come this far, so you can’t even do anything about it, Daisy. We even have a baby, so I hope you’ll just accept it without causing trouble.]
And then, the final blow.
[Julie: We’ll be in Japan tomorrow. Make sure not to disturb us anymore, or I’ll share our affair online.]
Anthony‘ s knuckles whitened as his smirk melted into a deep scowl.
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Then there were the photos–dozens of them–Julie and him in intimate poses: dinners, vacations, moments he thought were private. Each image hammered home a truth he had not been ready to face.
The butler stood nearby, his hands folded neatly behind his back, watching Anthony carefully but saying nothing.
Anthony’s chest heaved as he set the phone down, his breaths heavy with a mix of realization and regret.
Without a word, he turned his attention to the gift box on the desk. His movements were no longer confident but sharp and erratic, his unease growing with each passing second.
He ripped away the wrapping paper with a sense of urgency, expecting and hoping for a sign that I had not truly left. But inside, he found something far colder than he anticipated.
The credit cards he had given me, the car
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keys, and the divorce papers.
At the very top was a simple note written in my neat handwriting, “I wish you happiness with your new woman.
