Chapter 23

Anderson had a vague sense that something was amiss.

First, last night he wanted to make love to Emily, but she refused, claiming that her period had started during her shower. Anderson had indeed felt the pad and didn't think much of it initially. It was only on his way to work this morning that he recalled Emily had had her period just a fortnight ago. During those days, Emily was unwell and didn't cook, opting for several takeout meals instead. Reflecting further, Anderson considered that Emily's menstrual cycle had always been irregular; perhaps it had just come early this month.

Next, Amanda hadn't replied to his messages. To avoid Emily discovering any chat logs on SMS or QQ, Anderson and his extramarital partners communicated through Alipay. It must be said, the creativity of youth is different—this was a trick Sophia taught him, which he then taught Amanda. With notifications for new messages disabled on the app, Anderson only saw Amanda's message when he was washing up before bed. He replied, "Getting ready to sleep," and then asked, "Missing your husband?" But Amanda didn't respond; Anderson assumed her boyfriend was nearby and she couldn't reply.

By the next morning, Anderson still hadn't received any word from Amanda. Parking his car at the office building, Anderson dialed her number. After a few rings, Amanda answered weakly, "Hello..."

"Just woke up? If you can answer the phone, he's not home?"

"...Yeah..."

"What's wrong with you? Feeling unwell?" Anderson speculated that Amanda might be upset because he had neglected her over the weekend, so he gently coaxed, "Still mad at me? I told you, I had to spend the weekend with my wife, so I couldn't respond promptly."

He hadn't mentioned to Amanda that his wife wasn't in Eldoria over the weekend, fearing their schedules might clash. Anderson tried to soothe her, "How about I take you out for lunch? What would you like? Japanese food or coffee?"

There was a long silence on the other end, long enough for Anderson to think the signal had cut out. He called out a few times before Amanda finally spoke, "Let's not meet for a while, and let's stop messaging for now."

Anderson was taken aback, "Why... why say this all of a sudden?"

Amanda lay in bed, rubbing her aching temples, her voice weary, "My boyfriend is getting suspicious. I need to be more careful for a while."

Anderson's heart sank, his brow furrowing, "Does he know about us?"

Amanda felt guilty. Last night, it was her other flirtation that Michael had discovered, but she couldn't let Anderson know she was chatting with someone else. She fabricated, "Yes, he saw I was messaging you... luckily, I had cleared the earlier chats and you hadn't replied, so I managed to explain it away."

Anderson had never met Michael but had heard Amanda's descriptions of his looks and character—an uncultured brute, reminiscent of his brother-in-law. With his heart pounding, Anderson confirmed again, "So he doesn't know who I am?"

"He didn't ask..." Amanda grew impatient, "Even if he did, I wouldn't admit it. It was just one message."

Sensing her irritation, Anderson patiently reassured her, "Alright, don't worry. Let's do as you said and not contact each other for now. Let me know when things settle down on your end."

After some more comforting words, he ended the call.

As Anderson ascended to his office, his mind was preoccupied with reviewing his recent encounters with Amanda, scrutinizing if he had made any slip-ups. Passing by the office without sparing Sophia a glance, who had been bragging to her colleagues about spending the weekend at her "boyfriend's" place, his heart sank, feeling like a piece of rotting meat tossed into the garbage.

Tears welled up in her eyes as Sophia opened her photo album, looking at the "secret" photos taken a few days earlier, unable to control the dark and complex emotions surging within her.

Meanwhile, Amanda shuffled to the bathroom in slippers to wash up, her face drawn and weary, dark circles under her eyes. Michael hadn't slept at home last night. He didn't confront her about the suspicious messages on her phone but left with a look of disappointment, saying he would stay at his parents' house. He said if she didn't believe him, she could call his mother to confirm.

Amanda spent the night anxiously drafting multiple messages to Michael—one moment explaining that the app notifications weren't what he thought, another moment hinting that her suspicion was because Michael's whereabouts were unclear, and then apologizing, suggesting they celebrate his upcoming birthday with a getaway. Michael only replied, "The Canton Fair is coming up, I'll be busy at the shop," and sent his parents' location, saying he was too tired to drive and would talk later.

The cold response infuriated Amanda, feeling as though her efforts were unappreciated. She spent the night tossing and turning, contemplating ways to cover her lies.

In contrast, Michael slept soundly and contentedly. He remained asleep until his sister stormed into the room and slapped him awake. He groggily sat up, his voice hoarse, "Amanda contacted you again? Don't be so petty. Didn't you tell me not to mention you in front of Adong?"

Letting go, Lizi didn't want to worry their parents and whispered, "What's going on with you two?"

Yawning, Michael replied, "I may be a walking ATM, but I won't let myself be used."

Lizi's curiosity was piqued, "How badly did Amanda cheat on you?"

Michael rolled his eyes, "Nosy."

"Tell me."

Michael sighed, "More than once."

"Ha! Michael, you had it coming."

Despite her teasing, Lizi suggested that if he wanted to break up, he should do it cleanly and without drama, considering the families' ties.

Michael grabbed a pack of cigarettes, tossed one to his sister, and muttered, "Got it."

Leaning against the desk, Lizi lit her cigarette and probed, "So, who did you take to Shenquan? Not even I could know?"

Exhaling smoke, Michael mocked in a falsetto, "That's my little secret."

His thoughts drifted to someone else, wondering if they had gone to the law firm and if Anderson had bullied them last night.