Chapter 3
“You even quit your job because Vivian wanted to start her own business?” I pushed Derek away, trying to get rid of him who no longer had me on his mind. Derek wasn’t expecting this. He explained, “You got it wrong. We started the business all
together. It was a good chance and we wanted to seize it. It’s a simple thing.”
Derek pulled his tie and went on staring at me with his loving
eyes.
“Don’t overthink about it. You need to be more mature, mom–to-
be.”
Mom–to–be? But our baby had gone.
I wanted to tell him about the abortion.
Suddenly, his phone rang.
The moment the call got through, I heard a childish voice. “Dad, where are you? I miss you.”
Derek turned to me in a panic. He hurried to muffle the receiver as he rushed to the bedroom.
Shortly, Derek went out of the bedroom after getting changed.
“I’m sorry, Georgina. Vivian told me that her kid had fallen ill and wanted to see me. I…”
I shook my head, telling him that didn’t mind it at all. “Don’t
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worry about me. You may leave as you wish.”
Derek kissed me on the cheek. Holding me in his arms, he swore, “When we go through the company’s startup phase, I won’t meet up with her alone. I’ll spend all my free time with you and the baby.”
I received messages from Victor and other two of his friends right after Derek left home.
“Georgina, Vivian is in trouble now. Can you let Derek go help her?”
I didn’t reply to their messages but discuss some details about my job in the overseas office with Joana.
I saw Vivian’s new post on Facebook.
Vivian: “The two most important men in my life.”
The photo showed Derek and her baby, sleeping peacefully.
Derek’s startup went smoothly. He soon got his first project.
He invited me to his celebration party while kept making promises to me.
“I will spend more time with you and the baby. Tell me if there’s anything you don’t like about me. I’ll try to change.”
Yet, just as we arrived at the restaurant, I saw the waitress dumbfounded to see me. She mumbled, “How come he changes his plus–one?”
She spoke in a low voice, yet I could hear her.
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I halted when Joana sent me a message asking me to come to the company to double–check a few details.
Derek’s face darkened. “Can’t you cancel your work today for me?”
I shook my head.
I had given him many chances before.
Every time I needed him, he always said that he was at work and never asked what for.
Last time, I brought lunch for Derek. One of his colleagues wanted to befriend me because she wanted to know where ! bought my clothes.
When Derek saw us exchanging contacts, he blamed me for always keeping an eye on him.
He told me that he felt suffocated under my control, and thus forbade me to disturb him at work.
Yet now, Derek asked me to abandon my work for a celebration party which was unconnected to me.
Derek paced back and forth
“Georgina, I brought you here because you always think that something is going on between Vivian and me. Yet now you take the initiative to leave. This is your own request. Don’t blame me afterward.”
I nodded. What for? I wouldn’t be jealous anymore.
Joana and I confirmed all the details about my overseas
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working plan. I would be leaving the next Sunday. Joana then looked at me with sympathy. “You looked thinner these days. What’s going on between your husband and you? Still fighting?”
I didn’t answer the question. I wasn’t sure what to do. Maybe I was just waiting till the last minute.
Suddenly, a friend request popped up. It was the waitress from the restaurant. I accepted it and she sent me a video.
In the video, Vivian was holding the wine glass with her mouth, trying to make Derek drink from the glass. His buddies were barracking all the time. The waitress then sent a message along. with the video.
Waitress: “I always hate women like you, home–wreckers!”
I didn’t expect this. I said nothing but sent her a photo of my marriage certificate. She replied “Wow” before blacklisted me.
I resent our chat history to Derek and turned off my phone.
I needed to handle a lot of paperwork. When I was done with work, I turned on my phone and Lucy’s call came in.
She sounded quite mean and rude.
“Georgina, where the hell have you been? Derek’s in the police office now! It’s all your fault!” I didn’t understand, so I asked, “What happened?”
Lucy’s voice was trembling. “What happened? What did you send to him? He suddenly beat others! Even Vivian couldn’t stop him!
“Now the police have him. You have to go over there and check
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what is going on now!
“You’re such a terrible wife! You get jealous for no reason again, right?”
Lucy hung up the phone, leaving me no chance to defend myself.
