I pecked his forehead and left the house in a rush. Only after getting out of the apartment and onto the bus did I regain my composure. Did I just give my consent to let Christopher stay in the same house as me, and on the same bed, no less?
I rubbed my chin in confusion. He bought the apartment with my ID, and now he’s staying there. The only difference was that I had moved in. Something is off. Why is that?
Anyway, the company I signed a contract with was generous. I had made up an excuse saying that I was sick yesterday, telling them that was why I had not made it to work, but the manager did not seem to mind at all. He even asked me to take a good rest at home and to only come to work the next day. The manager even muttered something along the lines about not having to worry about me going elsewhere since I had signed the contract.
Shouldn’t it be the other way around? I was the one who should be worried about losing my job for playing hooky on the job. He made it sound as if I was an intangible asset of the company. Well, as long as I still have the job, right?
Trailing the corridor, I eyeballed the employees around. It seemed like a legit operation as there was a myriad of licenses displayed on the walls.
Forget it. I shouldn’t get too suspicious. Things are as good as they can get since my job and contract are intact.
With that thought in mind, I went to the HR department to claim my work attire and documents before heading back home. As soon as I reached downstairs, I received a call from Sabrina. She sounded cheery on the line. “Eve, I have really great news to share with you! Crystal has been exposed online as a homewrecker, and everyone is bashing her! It’s so satisfying to see so many people backing you up.”
“What news?” I asked impassively.
“Oh my, have you lost your memories or something? So many reporters surrounded you yesterday at the restaurant. Have you forgotten all about it?” My friend’s disappointment in me was apparent even through the phone.
“Nobody is interested in affair news anymore unless it has to do with someone famous. Lyle may seem like somebody, but in reality, he can’t even compare with his grandmother, Sharon. Unlike you, Crystal is a famous up-and-coming artist who has won prizes and is an overseas graduate. She’s someone whom the public acknowledges. I mean, her image in the public’s eyes is impeccable.”
“So, this news has garnered a lot of attention?” I asked, still oblivious to the point that Sabrina was trying to make.
“You’d better hurry and get to a news station. Or maybe you could go on your phone to check what people say about her on the Internet. I bet you’re going to be beyond elated to read them. They basically said she’s a slut disguised as a nun; a b*tch that snatches another woman’s husband, and a homewrecker even. It’s such a delight to read those comments.”
Sabrina did not even stop to breathe in between her words. I noticed that there was a newsstand right opposite the road, so I dashed over to the newsstand and bought a fresh copy. Sabrina turned out to be right. Crystal’s face was all over the cover, and there was only a blurry silhouette of me in the corner.
The image of Lyle and Crystal hugging was extremely crisp, however, and the article below the picture detailed how the duo had tyrannized me — the wife. It vividly described how Lyle chose to cheat on me after I had risked my life saving him, portraying me as the poor wife who had been taken advantage of.
I couldn’t help but be troubled at the sight of the image of Lyle hugging Crystal. With his hands hugged around my cousin, the man seemed like he owned the world; he seemed as if he no longer had eyes for any other person.
Having said that, I was still beyond elated to read the article. Crystal had been toying with me all this while, even to the extent of using Lyle to belittle me. It seemed like she had forgotten the fact that unlike me, she had a reputation to maintain. She would be the one to suffer public wrath when she was exposed. Too bad that I was the one who married Lyle, and not her.
“So? Have you seen it? I bet you’re so happy that you’re even thinking about giving the editor of the newspaper a kiss, right?” Sabrina chuckled.
“Yes, I am over the moon, so much so that I feel like singing a triumphant song to announce my victory.” I chuckled.
