He then took me to a nearby shop so I could change into dry clothes and avoid getting sick.
“Are you all right,Mia?I’ll call a taxi to take you home.”I shook my head and asked,“Are you not coming back with me?”
“I have work—”
“Are you going to drop Vanessa at her place now?”
“What?”Xavier looked taken aback that I saw through his excuse.
His expression shifted from indulgent to guilty and angry as he answered carefully,“I’ll be home right after that.Please understand—Vanessa is a single mother and she’s really ill.What if something happens on her way home?”
I cut him off before he could continue.“I understand.You want to take her because she’s sick and can’t take care of herself,while I can very well go home by myself.”
After saying that,I turned around and tried to walk away,but Xavier hugged me from behind.
"You just have to learn to adapt.I can't always indulge you,but from now on,I'll be by your side to take care of our children."
He leaned over and gave me a gentle kiss on the cheek.
Before I even got home,Xavier's friend Theodore sent me a message.
"Sister-in-law,Vanessa is very ill,so Xavier can't come home tomorrow."
Xavier was planning a big party tomorrow to welcome Vanessa's team,but since I don't agree with merging our teams,it seems my husband doesn't want me to come.
Reading the message,I shuddered,feeling awful.
At the same time,Vanessa's latest Facebook status came to my phone.
In the video,a moon rose slowly from between the mountains,casting a golden glow across the sky.
Exclamations echoed from all sides.The camera panned,revealing Xavier's fleeting figure,yet his face still beamed with happiness.
"I once loved you,but for some reason I had to leave you.I'm so glad I'm back with you,and that you chose me again.Love forever,Xavier."
Seeing those final words frozen on the screen,my heart tightened,a dull pain slowly growing and spreading.
A self-deprecating smile played on my face,yet a deep sadness settled within me.
Xavier,what's your expression when you see the official divorce agreement?
In the days that followed,not seeing Xavier brought a certain peace,but on the third night he returned—and Vanessa was trailing behind him.
“Several murders have happened recently near where Vanessa lives.I didn’t feel safe,so I brought her home to stay for a while.Once the police catch the killer I’ll take her back,”Xavier said calmly,as if he were merely informing me.