Chapter 1
During a gathering with friends, my husband, Kevin Graham, was asked a question by his buddy in Froise.
"What are you going to do with your lover, who's two months pregnant with your baby?"
Kevin smiled while helping me cut up my steak, and he replied in Froise, "Evie doesn't like children. I'll get Kandi Chutnam to give birth to the baby and send them overseas after that. At least I'll have a child of my own."
Tears streamed down my cheek as I ate my steak, and Kevin asked nervously, "What's wrong, Evie?"
I wiped away my tears and replied with a smile, "I must've used too much hot sauce."
However, there was no hot sauce on the table. I was crying because I understood Froise.
Evie's POV:
Kevin Graham had forgotten that I had once studied Froise, and he picked up the language because he was trying to court me. I snapped out of the reverie when I noticed Kevin looking at me as he leaned in close. "What are you thinking about, honey?"
I looked back at him without speaking, and I tried to pour myself a cup of lemon tea. When I touched the pot, Kevin took it from me. "You don't need to do such a little thing by yourself, honey." He proceeded to fill my cup.
Kevin's friend, Aaron Sachs, was seated opposite, as he tried to cover his snigger. "Can you both stop being so lovey-dovey in front of everyone else? It's insulting to single people like me."
All Kevin did was glance at him with a chuckle. "You should know by now that I'm whipped. If it bothers you, well, I'm sorry to say you'll have to tolerate us."
"Fine. I'll just focus on eating," Aaron said haughtily, but he was staring at us like he was expecting drama to unfold.
I looked up slightly at Kevin without warmth in my eyes, but he did not seem to notice the difference. Kevin leaned close to me and kissed me on the lips before asking softly, "What's wrong, honey? You've been staring at me for a while."
"Yes, I am. I just wanted to make sure the man who claims to love me so much is as steadfast as he says."
Kevin was taken aback, and a flash of panic was seen in his eyes, but he quickly composed himself. When he looked at me again, his eyes were filled with love and adoration for me. "Don't joke about this, honey. I can't bear to even think about you leaving me."
I lowered my eyes to chuckle softly as I pulled my hand away when he pressed it against his chest. He still remembered what I said before. When I agreed to be with him, my only request was that he remain loyal to me. I told him once, "I will never forgive you if I ever find out you cheated on me."
Kevin only had eyes for me then, and when I talked to him about this, he grabbed my hand right away and made a promise, "It took me one year to finally win your heart, Evie. I won't do anything to hurt you. If I ever do something like that, may I be cursed to grow old alone!"
I had no lack of suitors because I was a beautiful woman, and the first time Kevin laid eyes on me, he made it his life mission to win my heart. I had been hurt by my first love before and became quite resistant when it came to love, but Kevin finally managed to touch my heart, and I gave him a chance.
However, I found out four months ago that he was keeping a young lover as his mistress. It instantly shattered my belief in true love. I thought I would get into a huge argument with him, but instead, I was unusually calm.
I stayed by his side calmly, and I started to pull away from him as I quietly started to make arrangements for the remainder of my life. I had only one week left before my visa was approved, and I would leave Kevin then to begin my new life.
After dinner, Kevin leaned against my shoulder drunkenly. "Let's go home, honey."
Aaron followed behind us and called out to Kevin, "Aren't you coming with me to get drinks? Everyone is waiting for us at the next location."
Chapter 2
Kevin did not even look back at Aaron as he continued leaning against me, and he went on to reject Aaron's invitation, "I'm not joining you guys. It's time for my wife to take her medication, and I have to accompany her home."
Aaron scoffed but did not persist.
That was when I received a text. [Guess if Kevin will accompany you home to take your medication or come party with me?]
I stopped in my tracks as I stared at my phone's screen. Kevin noticed this, and he turned to look at me. "Is there something wrong, honey?"
That was when I quickly turned off my screen and said on purpose, "Nothing. It's just a taunting text from your lover."
Kevin frowned, and he tried to take my phone from me, but that was when his phone started ringing. It was Kandi Chutnam's special ringtone. I raised my phone in front of him. "Do you still want to see the text on my phone?"
He stared at me as his eyes twitched slightly. "D-Don't bully me when I'm drunk, honey." He nuzzled my neck lovingly as he spoke.
I pushed his head away and said calmly, "You should pick up that call. It's been ringing for a long time."
Kevin finally got up. He wanted to tell me that he would be picking up the call at the side, but before he could say anything, I was already walking toward the exit where the driver was. Kevin was surprised, but he quickly snapped out of it when he heard the sweet voice on the other end of the call.
I could see how delighted Kevin was from the car window when he was speaking on the phone. The look in his eyes had sobered up, and he no longer looked drunk as before. I turned away while trying my best to suppress the hurt I felt. I knew that he would not be coming home with me tonight.
As I expected, I received another text from Kandi right after Kevin hung up. [You've lost, Evie Lundlum. Kevin cares most about the baby and me right now.]
A tear streamed down my cheek, and when Kevin suddenly opened the car door, I quickly turned away. He sat inside and tried to pull my face toward him. "What's wrong, honey?"
His concern only made it more painful. I took a deep breath and lowered my eyes to hide how hurt I was, and I replied casually, "I'm really tired right now. Are you coming home with me?"
Kevin smiled and stroked my hair. "I'd love to come home with you, honey, but I have an emergency at the office right now. I'll make sure to be home as early as possible to accompany you, all right? Don't be upset."
He cupped my face and leaned forward to kiss me, but I pressed my finger against his lips while glancing out of the car at Aaron. "Stop it. Someone is taking a video of us being intimate. You should leave for the office now."
I pushed Kevin out of the car and instructed the driver to leave right after locking the doors.
About two minutes later, Kandi called me. "Don't you feel disgusted kissing Kevin? Do you know his lips have been all over me, including…" She did not finish her sentence and started laughing maliciously.
I hung up while trembling, and I got the driver to stop the car as I rushed out toward the railing and threw up incessantly.
It was midnight, and Kevin was still not home. I checked my phone numerous times, but Kandi stopped sending me new taunting messages. The only explanation for this was that they were both frolicking in bed.
I laughed bitterly as I got out of bed, barefoot, to find every present Kevin had ever given me. I went into a daze as I stared at all those expensive presents. They reminded me of how, when Kevin and I first got together, he would buy everything I liked for me, even things that I gave second glances to. I used to think I must be the luckiest woman in the world to have someone like him who pampered me so much.
However, things were different now. I arranged for the presents to be delivered to Kandi a week later.
Chapter 3
Since Kevin's heart was with someone else, those presents should belong to the person he loved the most. I was about to cut up the suit I had given Kevin as a present with a pair of scissors when he suddenly came home. He came looking for me in the bedroom, and I answered him without stopping the cutting.
Kevin walked toward the closet, and he almost dropped the takeaway in his hand when he saw what I was doing. "Honey…" He came over to me quickly and crouched to grab my wrist. "What are you doing…"
I tilted my head at him as his face turned pale while looking at me in disbelief. I smiled and gently pushed his hand away. "Three stray kittens came wandering into the garden today, and I wanted to use this piece of clothing to make them a nest."
Kevin's lips tightened, and it took him a while to finally say, "But honey, this suit is the only present you've ever given me. I don't wear it often because it's too precious to me."
I lowered my eyes as I continued cutting up the suit. I knew that it was the only present I had given him, and I was cutting it up on purpose. Kevin kept watching as I cut, and he finally said, "Evie, I want a new present from you now that you've cut up the only present you've given me."
That was when I finally looked up at him. I smiled and agreed. "Alright. I did prepare two presents for you."
Kevin's eyes brightened as he pulled me gently into his arms. "Did you really get me new presents, honey? Where are they?" His excited voice only chilled me to the bones.
I did not push him away, but looked past him to see the takeaway box. It smelled delicious, and I knew he had brought me seafood chowder. As my body had always been weak, he would buy me seafood chowder only when he upset me, or if he felt guilty about something.
Kevin would take the time to drive through half the city just to get me my favorite seafood chowder, and the appearance of this dish proved that he must have had a lot of fun with Kandi tonight, which guilted him enough to go out of the way in the middle of the night to buy me that chowder.
I laughed self-depracatingly and said softly, "You'll get your presents after a week."
Kevin stopped bugging me about the presents and led me to the dining room. He plated the seafood chowder in a bowl, and his eyes were slightly shifty when he served it up to me. "You haven't had anything to eat tonight, Evie. You must be ravishing. Have some supper."
I picked up the spoon to gently stir the chowder, but the moment he turned to get a glass of water, I tipped the bowl over. Kevin was startled and quickly came over to check if I had hurt myself. I watched him coldly, and Kevin looked up to meet the distant look in my eyes.
He quickly pulled back and blinked as he looked at me. "It's alright, Evie. I can get it for you tomorrow for breakfast if you'd like." I could feel him trembling, and if this was before, I would never bear to see him acting so cautiously around me. I would have held him in my arms and whispered sweet nothings to him.
However, all I did now was stand up coolly. "It's fine. I've recently gone through a change of appetite. I don't like seafood chowder anymore." And I did not like Kevin anymore, either.
Kevin had no idea what had happened to me, but he quickly noticed my change. This prompted him to stay by my side the next few days.
Graham Corporation had just started being stable for six months, and I had seen how difficult it was for Kevin to achieve what he has today. It was also the reason why he had been spending less and less time with me. I was supportive of him and understood his situation.
If this were before, I would have been overjoyed to see him push all of his work aside just to spend time with me, but now, it was giving me a headache just to see him by my side all the time.
Kandi's special ringtone kept ringing and ringing, but he ignored it and did not seem like he wanted to leave my side.