“Why is there a damn thing like this?” I muttered in disbelief at what I found on my husband's desk.

Women's underwear!

I became so angry that I dropped the bouquet that I intended to give to my husband, Felix, as a birthday present.

“Mrs. Richard...”

I raised my hand to silence Hans, the man who worked as my husband’s secretary. I didn’t need an explanation from anyone else. What’s more, I was still too shocked to see the panties. Moreover, I was still too shocked to see the underwear that made me think bad things about my husband.

On the other hand, my brain also kept replaying the memory of my clothes. And I was sure that the underwear was not mine. Even if it was mine, I knew better than to leave such an item anywhere.

“Is this why you won’t let me into this room, Hans?” I asked, my voice trembling.

There was no response from Hans, who was staring intently at the floor beneath his feet.

Seeing his reaction, I assumed again. It was possible that some of the people working under Felix already knew about this affair, and they were getting paid more to keep it all a secret from me. That wasn’t impossible for a wealthy man like Felix Richard.

“All right, just tell me which women often come to this room?” I didn’t give up trying to find out, even though I wasn’t prepared to hear the bad news.

“I don’t know. I just...”

“Ah, you must be paid a lot to keep my husband’s affair a secret.” I lost my temper and cut Hans off.

“Where is Mr. Felix?”

There is no point in asking other people about my husband’s affair. I will ask Felix directly in a state of readiness - not ready to hear the harshest thing. I don’t want our marriage to end this quickly.

“He left with a strange woman who suddenly came looking for him here.” Hans finally answered honestly.

Oh, so Felix’s affair was not with the woman who worked in his office.

The gravity around me seemed to disappear in an instant. I almost lost my balance hearing that. My heart, which was in full bloom to celebrate Felix’s birthday with a big surprise, was instantly shattered. Six months after we were married, Felix was already bored with me and having fun with other women.

Even though I was weak and felt nauseous, I would not remain silent. With the strength I had left, I took the lacy red panties and the bouquet and staggered with them out of Felix’s room.

I found several employees standing in front of my husband’s room door. Yes, they must have witnessed what would have happened to me if they had found out that my husband was having an affair. But I didn’t care what their response would be.

My nerves - the nerves in my body that don’t accept the fact that my husband has betrayed me make me feel like my whole body has suddenly gone numb. I walked away, half-conscious.

“Let’s go home, sir,” I told my private driver.

“Madam, are you okay?” he asked worriedly.

I smiled bitterly. “No.”

My brief answer made my driver stop asking questions. He immediately drove the car home.

During the trip, I could only stare at the ultrasound photo of my pregnancy. That was the gift I had prepared for Felix’s birthday. I intended to give it to him along with the bouquet. But the unexpected happened. It wasn’t Felix who got the surprise, but me.

I had prepared all of that since the doctor told me I was pregnant a month ago. I have kept that secret because I'm waiting today.

The world that I was building, which was almost solid with the presence of the fetus in my womb, failed. I thought that after six months of our happy marriage, our relationship would be even stronger with the presence of the little angel that would be present between the two of us.

As it turned out, it was a dream that couldn’t come true.

When I got home, I immediately ran to my room to spend time alone. I needed to sleep to forget today’s events a few moments before Felix returned home.

But when I opened the bedroom door, I found my husband lying on the bed while hugging a woman who was also lying with her back to the door, so I couldn’t see who the woman was.

Felix was so comfortable with the situation that he was unaware of my presence.

“WHAT THE HELL, FELIX?!” I shouted, holding back the strong vibrations throughout my body.

“WHAT THE HELL, FELIX?!”

My outcry made Felix turn his head and finally realize my presence. He looked surprised and immediately released his grip on the strange woman. But then he put his index finger on his lips, signaling me not to make a fuss.

Has Felix gone crazy? She told me to be quiet when she saw my husband hugging another woman in our room. I just screamed, which meant I could still control my anger. I could have taken the scissors in the closet and stabbed her right then. At least I was still trying to be sane when my heart wanted to go crazy.

“You cheated on me in front of me, and you asked me to be quiet? Where are your senses, Felix?” My anger was starting to peak.

I could see Felix's face panicked at my presence. He left the bed carefully so his movements wouldn't wake the woman beside him. Ah, how caring that man was. But for other women.

Felix came over to me and immediately pulled me away from the room.

“Alice, Clara is sleeping. Please don’t scream,” Felix whispered.

Felix cut my heart by saying Clara, a name that was very familiar to me. I didn’t know how that woman suddenly came back into my husband’s life or if Felix had never really left Clara and was still in touch with her behind my back.

“Your ex-girlfriend?” I asked, confirming with a raging feeling.

Felix nodded slowly, full of guilt. He held my hand to assure me there was nothing between them. The thing was, I had seen him hugging Clara. And the underwear I found at Felix’s workplace wouldn’t make me believe they were no longer in a relationship.

“Why marry me if you still love Clara, Felix?” I asked, full of hurt.

Our marriage was the result of an arranged match by Felix’s family. They never approved of Felix’s relationship with Clara, so they chose me to be Felix’s wife. Yeah, then their relationship broke up while they still loved each other.

“I don’t love her anymore.” Felix stared at me sharply.

“But you hugged her in front of me!” I raised my voice again.

Felix exhaled slowly. “Alice, lower your voice!” he reprimanded gently.

“Then what should I do? Should I join you two and hug you, too, Felix?” I couldn’t. My calmness was gone, and I only worried about losing Felix forever.

I hadn’t even had time to tell Felix that I was pregnant with his child.

Felix didn’t seem to understand what I meant. I didn’t know why he suddenly became so stupid. If only he could position himself as me and see me sleeping in our bridal room with another man, would he act calmly as if he hadn’t seen anything?

“I’m sorry,” said Felix, pulling his ear with his hands. His face did not understand my anger at all, but he apologized.

He gently rubbed my cheek. “I haven’t told you about Clara,” he continued, now showing a sorry face.

“What is it? Do you want to admit that you had an affair?” I replied quickly.

“Clara is pregnant with my child, Alice. She’s seven months pregnant.”

When I heard Felix's confession, I was struck like a lightning bolt. He said it without looking at me but gripped my hand tightly. Instantly, I pushed his hand away and walked backward, feeling a tightness in my chest.

Felix had never told me before that he had had sex with Clara. We had been together since we were children, and there had never been the slightest secret between us, except for my feelings for him, which had grown in the last fifteen years.

This time, I couldn’t say anything. I was so devastated to receive a gift that repeatedly hurt me.

“Alice, I didn’t expect anything like this to happen either.” Felix came closer again and tried to hug me.

“Let go!” I shouted at him in disappointment.

“I swear, Alice. I didn’t know about it until a few months ago when she came to me and told me about her pregnancy.”

“Then what business is it of yours? Clara has a husband, doesn’t she? It could be their child. Why do you believe that?”

Felix nodded in agreement. “But she got married five months ago. Meanwhile, she is seven months pregnant. Then, today, she met me at the office and said her husband divorced her. I felt guilty about that and...”

“And you intend to beat her to make up for your mistake?” I cut his word in quickly.

I never expected something like this to happen to me. I trusted Felix when he said that he could accept me and that he already loved me, even though, at first, he only thought of me as his younger sister. But what I saw Felix doing with Clara just now made me regret trusting him.

“No - no, Alice. I’ll only be with her until she gives birth.” Felix denied my statement.

He gently wiped away my tears. But his tenderness meant nothing because he had already broken him.

“How will you take care of her? You have a family, too, Felix.” I brushed aside his rough hand.

“I’m not leaving anyone, Alice. You’ll stay with me. I’ll just let her stay here until she gives birth. I promise.”

Was Felix serious about what he said? Just seeing Clara made me depressed, let alone living with her. Maybe I would stay with Felix, but being between Felix and Clara was too painful.

“If Alice doesn’t allow it, it’s okay, Felix. I can go to a shelter or live on the streets.” Clara came over to us.

Felix turned and shook his head at Clara. “No, Clara. You’re going to stay here. This is my house, so don’t worry.” He calmed Clara down but didn’t calm me down.

“But Alice...”

“Alice is my business. Come on, I’ll take you back to rest.” Felix embraced Clara, and they left.

I sat on the floor, limp. Felix had said that he no longer loved Clara. But with Clara’s return to his life, I was confident that his old love would grow back. No way that wouldn’t happen.

Then, I would be the one to be cast away.

I glanced at the dining table, where Felix and Clara sat beside them while talking to their baby in Clara’s belly. And I was alone. Cooking for all of us was like being a maid watching my master’s intimacy.

“I can’t wait to see his face,” Felix spoke while rubbing Clara’s stomach.

“He’s a boy. He’ll be very handsome like you,” Clara replied, followed by laughter from both of them.

That was my dream, but Clara got it from Felix.

I admit that I was devastated to see that Clara always managed to attract Felix’s attention throughout the day in various ways. Felix even preferred to accompany Clara at night rather than me.

When Felix was with me for just a few minutes, Clara would call for Felix for various reasons, whether screaming in pain or calling for Felix to show that the baby in her belly was kicking.

I needed the same attention, too. There was never a good time for me to tell Felix about my pregnancy, and now my husband was ignoring me.

If it weren’t for our unborn child, I wouldn’t want to stay between the two of them. To hell with a short marriage!

After all, I don't want to live with a man who hasn't finished with his past. Felix also looks like he would happily live with Clara and their future son. His desire was very clear. Felix is ready for a family, but not with me.

I didn’t want my child to be born without a father.

“What are you cooking, Alice?” asked Felix, who came to me, rubbing my head.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make breakfast for you two,” I replied curtly.

Felix chuckled and kissed the top of my head gently. No matter how sweet he was, I wouldn’t melt down as long as Clara was in this house and Felix gave her attention.

“You seem still angry,” Felix teased.

“Hey, why do you care? I don’t have the money to pay for your concern.” I laughed, pretending to return Felix’s joke when what I said was my own opinion.

The smile on Felix’s face faded. He was offended by my words, but I didn’t care. I was also too fed up pretending to be nice to Clara, preparing everything for Clara’s comfort in this house. Instead of keeping it to myself, I thought it would be better to get what was on my mind out in the open.

But it’s so hard for me.

“Alice, if there’s a problem, just tell me,” Felix said, trying to comfort me.

“No, Felix. I’m just not in a good mood.”

“Are you sure?”

I nodded slowly. There were so many things I wanted to say, but my mouth couldn’t get them out straight away.

I wanted to say that I didn’t like Clara being here, that I didn’t like Felix acting like Clara’s husband and ignoring me, and much more. But I already know how Felix would react if I said all that.

It would disappoint me.

“Alice’s bad mood is because of me, Felix.” Clara joined in and got closer to me.

She then clasped her hands together and looked at me sadly. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said.

I took a long breath. “Please, don’t talk to me,” I replied, turning my back on her.

So far, I have managed to avoid talking to Clara because I am sure she has an evil plan to destroy my life by showing herself to Felix and me again. Several times, I saw her smiling triumphantly at me when she managed to get Felix to pay attention to her.

“Alice, please.” A heavy sigh was heard from Felix’s voice.

“Don’t be angry with her, Felix. I’m to blame for making her uncomfortable with my presence.” Clara spoke so sweetly.

“So, just go!” I sneered again.

Felix’s gaze turned gloomy, showing his anger at my attitude. Ah, I hate pretending to be nice to a cunning woman. But oh well.

“My goodness, you have such a big belly, Clara. You must be starting to feel overwhelmed.” I rubbed her belly like a neighbor who was happy that Clara was about to give birth.

But it was just an act.

I swear on my baby’s life, it was just acting.

I didn’t hate Clara’s unborn baby at all. However, my relationship with Clara has been full of disagreements since the beginning because Clara always started arguments with me.

Felix and I had a family-like relationship before. I considered him my older brother, and he thought of me as his younger sister. Behind that, I fell in love with him seventeen years ago.

“It’s difficult but delightful, Alice.” Clara stared at her belly. “Ah, Felix. Can you take me to the doctor for a routine check-up today?” Felix responded to Clara with a nod and a sincere smile. He reached out to stroke Clara’s stomach.

Felix smiled contentedly at my slightly gentle demeanor. “You guys continue talking. I have to take care of something for a moment.” Felix was gone a moment later.

I’m done with my acting. I ignored Clara and refocused on my cooking. But Clara followed with her big smile and her narrowed eyes mocking me.

“If I can’t get Felix, neither can any woman, Alice. Even if it’s you, I’ll make him leave you.” Clara threatened me as she grabbed the spoon of soup from my hand.

I looked into her eyes, which showed her seriousness about what she was saying. I did suspect that Clara wanted to take Felix away from me.

She’s cunning!

“Oh yes, one more thing. I’m telling you, this is not Felix’s child.”