Chapter 2
Secret Affair
I opened the car door and slipped into the driver's seat while Ethan remained standing out there with a frown. "I'll drive, honey."
I fastened the seatbelt and said, "I insist. You can't possibly think about performing a surgery after a flight. You'll be exhausted."
He nodded, no longer protesting, and took the passenger's seat with his surgical kit.
I hit the gas and steered the wheel.
Before the car drove out of the garage, I deliberately turned the steering wheel, hitting the pillar with the trunk and drawing a grunt from the trunk.
Blood drained from Ethan's face. He got out of the car before it was pulled to a stop.
I casually left the car and trailed behind him. There was a dent in the rear.
Ethan growled, "Look what you've done!"
I protested innocently, "It's just a minor dent. Why are you so worried about it? I'll get it repaired tomorrow."
He was still upset. "It's not about that! Did you see the dent? Can't you be more careful in the first place?"
A shadow darkened my expression. "Are you for real? The first thing you cared about after getting out of the car wasn't my well-being but the car's condition? Are you suggesting that you've hidden something in there that's worth more than me?"
He choked on his words and struggled to excuse himself. "Honey, I didn't mean to snap at you. I'm sorry I lost my temper."
I steeled my expression. "If you're so worried, you can just open the trunk and check on its condition."
He changed his attitude when I moved to open it. "It's fine! It's dented anyway. Let's not waste any time. We should hurry."
The comments flooded my vision.
"Say, does Tonya know that something is up? Why do I get the feeling that she did it on purpose?"
"No way! A wicked and petty woman like her would've caused a scene if she discovered their infidelity."
"So what if she knows? She's the home-wrecker in this situation. If she hadn't forced Ethan to marry her to repay his debt, Ethan and Ava wouldn't have broken up in the first place."
The revelation stunned me.
My parents were Ethan's benefactors as he was an orphan. That was why he worked at my family's hospital after he graduated from university.
He was the one who pursued me, not the other way around.
At the beginning, I turned him down because my parents and I had agreed that my spouse had to take my surname.
When he learned about our decision, he went to my parents and begged for their approval.
He declared his love for me and expressed his willingness to take my surname.
My parents were moved by his determination. They also knew I had feelings for him, so they granted his wish.
"Honey, what do you think about Ava?" I gauged his reaction.
He shot me a wary look upon hearing my question. "Why do you ask?"
My expression betrayed nothing as I answered, "I caught her slacking off a few times. I'm considering firing her and finding a new nanny."
He exhaled in relief and casually said, "I'm the breadwinner, while you're the homemaker. You can decide what to do with our home."
The comments were filled with laughter.
"I bet you that Ethan would lose it if Tonya fires Ava."
"Oh, absolutely! I bet he's cursing her out in his mind right now."
"Ethan and Ava always have a tryst in the next room after Tonya falls asleep. If she fires Ava, it's going to be so much harder for Ethan and Ava to meet up."
"Remember the time Tonya left for a business trip? Ava wore Tonya's lingerie and seduced Ethan. He was so aroused. He called her a vixen, and she replied that he liked that side of her."
I felt nauseous seeing the comments share their excitement about the pair's secret affair.
If thrill was what they were after, then I would gladly grant these adrenaline junkies their wishes.
Chapter 3
Like a Roller Coaster Ride
I stepped on the accelerator, and the car sped out.
It startled Ethan, who was observing the trunk through the rearview mirror. He instinctively clutched his seatbelt. "Honey, slow down! You're going too fast!"
I answered calmly, "We're running late. We need to rush to catch the flight."
Then, I stomped my foot on the accelerator.
There was a speed bump ahead, so I finally slowed the car down.
Still, he lurched in his seat.
He tightened his grip on the grab handle. A wave of unease went through his face, and I could tell that he was green at the gills.
If this were how he was feeling, I could already imagine how badly the one hiding in the trunk was suffering.
The thuds sounded from the trunk were a symphony to my ears.
I glanced at the pallid man who was trying his best to keep his eyes on the road. Then, an idea occurred to me as I asked, "Honey, did you hear something? I think a mouse has snuck into the trunk."
As soon as my words left me, the noise in the trunk immediately stopped.
Ethan was looking anywhere but at me. He forced a chuckle and tried to gaslight me. "Is that so? I only hear the engine roar. You must've misheard."
I frowned deeper. "No, I didn't. Something's inside our trunk! I'll park over there to check it out."
When he saw that I really was going to pull the car to a stop, he couldn't hide the look of panic on his face. "Honey, I'll miss the flight if we stop now. How about you drop me at the airport first and send the car for repair later?"
I only said those things to light a fire under his ass. Since he decided to play the denial game, I might as well play along. "Fine. Sit tight. I'm speeding up."
His only response was to blanch and clutch the grab handle tighter.
The comments were outraged.
"Poor Ethan. Poor Ava. She's bruising everywhere. Tonya really is a wicked woman."
"There's no need to get upset. Once Tonya's money goes to Ethan, he'll make her pay for what she did."
"I can't wait for Ethan to divorce her and throw Ava a grand wedding!"
I arched my brow, barely hiding a sneer.
'What a greedy little man. He wants to take my wealth by using me as a stepping stone? Well, pigs will fly before that will ever happen.'
There was a crossroad ahead, and I didn't hesitate to gun down that winding road.
Ethan frowned at my choice. "Honey, it's difficult to navigate the road. Why don't you switch routes?"
I brushed him off. "It's a faster route."
The car swayed on the winding road. He kept bumping against the window.
Heavy thuds kept coming from the trunk.
"Let me take over the wheel." Ethan forced through gritted teeth, his hand still holding the handle.
I shook my head. "It's impossible to stop on the highway. Don't worry. We're arriving at the airport soon."
Before he could protest, I added, "Stop distracting me with your voice. What if we get into an accident?"
He immediately straightened his posture and smiled bitterly. "Thanks, honey. Slow down. There's no need to rush. Your safety is my top priority."
I nodded in perfunctory fashion, but my foot remained pressing on the pedal.
Ethan was as white as a ghost, but he kept observing the trunk through the rearview mirror from time to time. He was clearly worried about the person inside there.
I sneered.
It seemed like he still didn't understand the gravity of his current situation. Since that was the case, it was time to bring out the big guns.
I slammed on the brakes, causing the speeding car to skid to a stop with a painful screech.
It caught Ethan off guard, causing his head to bump onto the roof of the car.
I deprived him of the chance to berate me by hitting the accelerator and sending the car sliding across the road.
Chapter 4
A Sinking Car
I switch between speeding up and slowing down the car.
I could see from my peripheral view that Ethan could no longer control the emotions skittering across his face.
Finally, he started to retch as he shakily volunteered, "Honey, let me drive. I insist."
Once again, I turned him down. "We're almost there. You should take a nap. I'll wake you up when we arrive."
He froze at my words. His eyes widened at my refusal as he stared at me unblinkingly.
The comments were discussing my motives.
"I think Tonya is tormenting Ethan on purpose. Is anyone else thinking the same too?"
"No way! That lovesick fool is deeply in love with Ethan. She would never make him suffer if she could help it."
Just as the comments suspected, Ethan voiced their thoughts. "Honey, are you doing this on purpose?"
When I saw the skeptical look on his face, I played up the dumb bimbo routine. "What do you mean? What are you accusing me of?"
He kept his gaze on me. "You're a skilled driver, but you're driving rather recklessly tonight."
My fingers tightened around the steering wheel as I answered plaintively, "It's dark out. Besides, there's heavy fog. I can't see clearly."
I changed the topic by asking, "Also, why are you asking me that? Are you doubting me for something I didn't do? Are you perhaps crying wolf? Are you… cheating on me?"
He involuntarily loosened his tie in a fit of panic.
I knew him well enough to know that he only did it when he was uncomfortable, and he only ever did it when he was lying.
"There's no such thing. I'll never betray you! You know very well you're the only one for me." He met my gaze affectionately, his smile as gentle as ever.
I would've believed him if it weren't for the fact that I was aware that Ava was in the trunk.
I lowered my lashes to hide the disdain in my eyes, but I replied softly, "Yeah. I believe you."
However, I didn't stop driving the car recklessly. If anything, I made it much, much worse.
Now, he had to clutch the seatbelt and the grab handle at once to steady himself.
I was overjoyed to hear the noise in the trunk getting louder.
Thanks to the comments, I learned that Ava was suffering. There were a few times she was on the brink of passing out in the trunk.
It caused an uproar in the comments. Some were concerned about her well-being, while the others were berating me for my actions.
"Did anyone notice that? Tonya keeps shifting her gaze upward. I don't like this, but could she have discovered us?"
''You're clearly seeing things. There's no way she can see us!"
I smiled at the comment sliding past my sight, and mouthed a sentence, "I see you."
It frightened them.
"Damn it! She just admitted it!"
"No wonder she's torturing Ethan and Ava! It turns out she has discovered their affair!"
"Adultery is unforgivable, so they have it coming! Good job, Tonya! You need to teach them a lesson!"
Those words caught me off guard.
I thought the audience all sided with them, but the last comment proved me wrong.
At the same moment, a few new comments appeared.
"How are you going to get back at them, Tonya? You're arriving at the airport any minute now."
"Yeah! You should keep driving to the airport and open the trunk in public! Let everyone see the homewrecker's face!"
"Don't forget about Ethan. You should make them both suffer!"
The comments that expressed indignation on my behalf put a smile on my face.
My smile widened when I found that Ethan was struggling to hold back nausea.
I slammed on the accelerator, but my voice sounded nervous. "Honey, the brake isn't working!"
He worriedly reached his body over to grab the wheel. "Remove your foot from the pedal! We need to stop the car!"
"It's not stopping!"
I steered the wheel to turn the car, making it crash into the guardrail.
The momentum of the car caused it to skid right into the river.
I opened the door to find Ethan swimming toward the trunk.
I approached him and grabbed his arm. "Honey, I'm cramping up!"
He glanced at me and then at the sinking car.
I pretended not to see his panicked expression and dragged him down with me.
Whenever he tried to swim up, I would drag him down further and further.
After this back and forth, both of us became exhausted and were now choking on water.
The comments flooded my vision.
"Oh, my god! The trunk is locked! Ava can't open it from inside!"
"Someone save Ava! She's about to pass out due to low oxygen! She'll die if nobody saves her!"
"Good. She deserves it for being a homewrecker!"
A team of police was posted at the highway exit. They came to our rescue when they saw our car plunging into the river.
After both of us were saved, the remaining police officers swam back ashore.
An officer who trailed behind's gaze darted to the sinking car.
He stared at us with a frown, asking, "I heard someone calling for help in the trunk. Is there a third person in the car?"