Peni let out a soft sigh. She didn't want to say this, but looking at her mistress's face, she couldn't bring herself to avoid it. "Yes, ma'am."
Chloe didn't respond. She didn't care either because it wasn't her concern now. She couldn't see what they were doing. Even if they were wrestling and making a mess, Chloe wouldn't mind. Memories of the intertwined bodies accompanied by moans and wild sighs in Leonel's office still lingered in her mind. How could they do that in the office? Couldn't they find a moment to escape to a hotel?
Chloe's heart?
Don't ask.
It was shattered and shapeless. Even she was confused about how to piece it back together, as the fragments had become so small. It wasn't easy to unite them again. Only one question kept rooting in her mind. What had Chloe lacked in these five years for Leonel?
She had tried to be a good wife. Polite, maintaining her dignity, trying to keep up with Leonel's busyness, refining herself. Chloe even willingly dove into the kitchen to prepare meals for Leonel. But it wasn't crucial. Leonel remained Leonel. He was always turning away from her and returning to the same woman—Ester Gisella.
In the Grisham family, Chloe's position was strong because she was the beloved daughter-in-law. But it didn't apply to Leonel's heart.
That's why, for now, she was grateful for losing her sight. To her, the almost life-threatening accident had its blessings. When she saw Leonel and Ester again engaged in the same act, Chloe embraced her husband's absence.
"Prepare the car. I'm leaving now," Chloe said.
Her voice made Adrianna, who was playing with her phone while grumbling, quickly turn around. She smiled upon seeing Chloe and Peni in the living room. She hurriedly approached Chloe and promptly grabbed her friend's hand. "What are you doing, Chloe?" Adrianna asked, exasperated.
"What do you mean?" Chloe needed clarification.
"You let that snake come to this house?" Adrianna felt like shaking Chloe's head and untangling the mess that had settled there. "Ester, Sa. Ester. Your husband's mistress," Adrianna said firmly, staring at Chloe with an unreadable expression.
"Oh, just let it be. I'll provide a place for them instead of letting them breed in the wrong place."
Adrianna was taken aback. Her eyes scanned Chloe from head to toe. Then she placed her hand on Chloe's forehead as if checking for a high fever. People with high fevers usually babbled when they spoke. But not Chloe. She was perfectly normal. She immediately removed Adrianna's hand.
"Hey, we're going to be late. In New York City, nobody makes peace when they're running late," Adrianna nodded softly, walking alongside Chloe with a million questions. After bidding farewell to Peni, who looked worried as she watched her employer leave with Adrianna, Adrianna couldn't help but reflect on her first meeting with Peni. She was confident that Peni had taken good care of Chloe during their time in this house because, to Adrianna, this luxurious two-story house with two large pillars at the main entrance was nothing but a hellish place of suffering for Chloe, mainly because of Leonel.
"Are you sure?" Adrianna asked softly as they were on their way to the hospital. "We're talking about Ester, Chloe. Ester," Adrianna emphasized after hearing Chloe's irrational desire.
Asking Leonel to marry Ester because she didn't want her husband to have affairs out there and inviting his chosen woman under the same roof while Chloe was in this condition—wasn't it like handing her neck to the executioner? Adrianna was well aware that Leonel and Ester were two of a kind. Equally despicable.
"I'm sure," Chloe stared straight ahead. There wasn't much she could see; still the same as before, just a few points of light. And she was grateful for even catching those tiny rays of light now compared to when she first realized she couldn't see anything. Everything was dark, just like her bleak life.
"Let them do as they please in that house. I'm tired of waiting for Leonel to come home until midnight," Chloe smiled bitterly. "Not because of overtime, but because I can see him visiting that woman, Ly. So now Leonel can come home on time. I'm not worried anymore, and I won't lie to Mama. I'm tired, Adrianna. So tired."
Adrianna was speechless. Her lips wanted to say so many things about Chloe's desires and the collection of heartaches and shattered feelings caused by this beloved person's actions. As a form of support, Adrianna tightly held Chloe's hand. "I support you, Sa. Whatever you do, if it can alleviate the tightness in your heart, go ahead and do it."
"Oh, of course. The tightness will decrease day by day," Chloe smiled softly, and this time, Adrianna could see that the smile was starting to show brightness and a hint of happiness. "That's why I'm excited for therapy this time."
Though it felt strange, Adrianna nodded.
Meanwhile, in the dining room, Leonel lost focus several times. It wasn't on Ester's appearance, accustomed to wearing revealing clothes that showcased parts of her beautiful body. It was Chloe that occupied his thoughts. He couldn't fall asleep since he returned to the room across from Chloe's. Somehow his mind kept thinking about who was calling his wife in the middle of the night.
Speaking in a calm voice and from his current position, he could see Chloe's wide smile—the kind he hadn't seen in months. Usually, Chloe would display that smile when welcoming him; even if Leonel only saw it, he knew it was meant only for him. And now?
Oh god. What was he thinking?
"What's wrong with you, Darling?" Ester asked, sounding slightly annoyed.
"What do you mean?" Leonel realized he was already sitting in the driver's seat of his luxurious sedan. Since when? The breakfast event had already finished?
"I brought breakfast, but you seem unenthusiastic. It's your favorite food, you know."
Leonel blinked slowly but quickly regained control of the situation. He gently caressed Ester's cheek, which now displayed a pouting face. "Forgive me, okay? The work at the office is consuming."
"Are you sure?" Ester asked, still with a teasing tone. "Is there something else?"
Leonel chuckled. "Something else?" He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. The familiar scent of her perfume had filled the car and his senses since earlier. "There's nothing else I'm thinking about except work and you."
"You," Ester smiled and continued, "But because you weren't focused earlier, the breakfast turned out to be less. Aren't you hungry?"
"No," Leonel grinned. His gaze shifted to her slightly revealing cleavage. His fingertip, which he had used to trace her neck earlier, now moved slightly upward, paying attention to the owner's reaction, who had closed her eyes with her lips gently bitten.