Chapter 2

2: 2

2

After I left the apartment, I went to the pharmacy near our complex.

On my way back, I ran into our neighbor, Ruby Lambert.

"Asher, my son mentioned you two are buying a new place. A villa, no less."

Her words left me baffled.

It was true I'd once thought about moving into a villa.

But my wife said she didn't like too much empty space, that our big open-floor unit was perfectly fine.

The truth was, I knew she was being considerate. She knew my company was strapped for cash.

Her family was well off, and these days she helped her father run their company.

And she understood me. She knew I wouldn't ask her to pay for a villa.

In short, she never looked down on me. She always let me keep my dignity.

It was only that in recent years, her family's company had declined a good deal too.

My wife was cool by nature, but our relationship was still solid.

That she would do all this to me over the bid left me heartsick.

"Asher, that villa's got to be expensive, right?"

Ruby's booming voice pulled me back.

I waved a hand. "Ruby, we're not buying any villa."

She quickly whipped out her phone and pulled up a chat log.

"Look, my son sent this to me."

"This is your wife, Regina, isn't it?"

In the photo on the screen, my wife was viewing a house with a man, beaming.

Only a sliver of the man's profile showed.

But going by his build, I was certain it was Sebastian Barnes.

Sebastian and I were in the same industry, so we'd crossed paths several times.

"Ruby, that's my wife, but the man isn't me."

Ruby's eyes went wide, and her expression turned a little awkward.

"Asher, Regina probably just went along to keep a friend company. Don't read too much into it."

"That girl seems cool on the outside, but she's got a good heart."

"I've got my dance group to get to, so I'll be off."

And with that, Ruby vanished from sight in a flash.

Painkillers in hand, I went home.

My wife had already changed into a business suit and was sitting on the couch.

I poured a glass of warm water and handed her the medicine.

"Regina, take your medicine."

She nodded. "Mm, I'll take it in a bit."

"Regina, once I win this bid, we'll move to a villa."

"The villas out in the western suburbs are really nice."

In that instant, her face went a shade paler.

Because the villa in the western suburbs was exactly the one she'd gone to see with Sebastian.

"I also hear Sebastian's planning to buy out there. We could be neighbors."

She set the glass back on the coffee table, frowning.

"Asher, do you know that Sebastian and I went to look at a house?"

"You don't need to test me. I only went to keep him company and check out the area."

Regina and Sebastian had grown up together, childhood friends, but there'd never been anything improper between them.

On that point, I still trusted her.

But now that she'd done all this for Sebastian, I couldn't help but doubt.

"Regina, I'm not testing you. I mean it."

"If I win this bid, my company takes off, and I want to give you a better life."

"Sebastian's competing in the bid too. So which of us do you hope takes it?"