Chapter 2

The two of them played off each other and decided for me.

Afraid I'd say something else, Melinda pulled me up at once, her whole face fawning. "Nellie, I'll cook tonight. I'll make your favorite dishes."

I said nothing. I only wanted to know what game the two of them were playing.

Before long we were back at the mansion.

Melinda acted like she'd come home, pulling out a pair of pink slippers and slipping them on.

Those pink slippers were something Herman had bought.

He'd said they were for me, but they were too small, so I'd left them in the shoe cabinet all this time.

Only now did I understand. So they had been meant for Melinda all along.

And the mansion I lived in now, I'd only moved into six months ago, and I had never once invited Melinda over.

The way she moved like she was in her own home, the slippers, all of it made it plain that she'd been here in secret, many times.

After washing her hands, she went straight to the kitchen, tying on an apron like the lady of the house, and even turned back to say to me,

"Nellie, you've had a long day. Go rest for a while. I'll call you when dinner's ready."

"Herman, don't just stand around either. Go wash some strawberries for Nellie, she loves them. Third shelf in the fridge."

Anyone who didn't know better would have thought I was the guest.

Herman smiled at me too. "Nellie, go rest first. I'll help Melinda with the cooking and call you when it's done."

It looked like he cared about me, sparing me from any work.

But in truth, were these two about to set up house right under my nose?

I said nothing, turned, and went upstairs. But I sat down on the stairs.

Herman and Melinda even craned their necks to check, and thinking I'd gone up, they exchanged a glance and then kissed.

Did they find this exciting?

I didn't want to watch any more, and slipped away quietly.

A little over half an hour later, dinner was ready.

Sitting at the table, I ate in silence.

Melinda kept putting food on my plate and kept finding things to chat about.

Herman answered with his words, but his face grew redder and redder, and his expression looked a little off.

I quietly turned on the video function on my phone and filmed under the table for a moment.

After dinner, I went to the study and opened my phone, and saw that during the meal the two of them had been under the table, brushing their legs together with their feet.

Just then, Herman knocked on the study door.

"Nellie, it's time to rest."

Herman came in carrying a glass of milk.

I nodded. "Go to sleep first. I still have some company matters to deal with."

"Then don't work too hard."

"After all, I've always been helping you run the company. I just don't want you wearing yourself out."

Herman set down the milk and turned to leave.

I pressed the remote and locked the study's smart lock from the inside.

And then.

On the computer, I opened all the surveillance feeds.

Because I collected many valuable pieces of art, when the mansion was being furnished I'd had hidden cameras installed with no blind spots.

I'd never mentioned this to Herman, not deliberately hiding it, just never thinking it mattered.

And I'd never once looked at the feeds, since nothing had ever gone missing.

Now, whether anything had ever gone missing was hard to say, but my man was gone.

Across several of the feeds, I saw Herman and Melinda. They were on the bed in my master bedroom.

They were tangled together, kissing passionately, while the wedding photos Herman and I had taken ahead of time hung right above their heads.

Just then Melinda's phone rang. She quickly pushed Herman away and said with a laugh, "Herman, it's got to be our son sending something!"

Herman's face lit up at once. "I've been missing my son. Answer it, quick!"