4#04

4

I tossed and turned all night, unable to fall asleep. It wasn't until the first rays of sunlight peeked through the curtains that I finally dozed off into a fitful sleep.

I awoke at nine o'clock to find that Dexter had already left for work.

He'd left a note on the nightstand, informing me that he'd prepared breakfast in the kitchen. I crumpled the paper and threw it in the bin before getting up to start my day.

Since leaving my job, I rarely went to the office, but today I decided to surprise Dexter with a home-cooked lunch.

Although I hadn't been around much in the past couple of years, most of the employees still recognized me.

I made my way to his office without any trouble. As I opened the door, I saw Dexter and Scarlett sitting across from each other, sharing a meal. At first glance, everything appeared normal.

My unexpected arrival startled them both. Scarlett quickly stood up, but I noticed she was barefoot on one side.

Though she swiftly slipped her foot back into her heel, I had clearly seen her bare foot entwined with my husband's leg under the table, creeping upwards like ivy.

Dexter, ever the smooth operator, regained his composure almost immediately. He turned to me with a look of pleasant surprise, "Darling, what a nice surprise!"

I played it cool and lifted the lunchbox in my hand, smiling sweetly, "I thought I'd bring my beloved husband a nutritious lunch. But it seems I'm not on time, am I?"

I glanced at the half-eaten food on the table, feigning disappointment.

"Not at all, you're right on time. I'm not really enjoying this food anyway. Let me see what you've brought me." Dexter eagerly took the lunchbox from me.

I noticed Scarlett's face fall when he mentioned disliking the food on the table. I couldn't help but smirk.

"Why are you just standing there?" Dexter frowned at Scarlett, gesturing for her to clean up.

"Oh, right!" Scarlett snapped to attention and began hastily clearing the table. In her rush, she knocked over a dish, spilling thick soup onto Dexter's upper thigh.

Without hesitation, Scarlett grabbed a napkin and started wiping it off. Her actions seemed practiced and familiar.

"What are you doing?" Dexter's expression darkened as he roughly pushed her away.

Caught off balance, Scarlett fell to the floor. She looked ready to protest but stopped when she saw Dexter's warning look. Only then did she remember I was still present.

"I'm so sorry! It's all my fault, I'm so clumsy. Mrs. Keaton, please don't misunderstand. I was just being careless. I'm truly sorry!" Scarlett apologized profusely, hanging her head.

"It's alright, I know it was an accident," I said magnanimously, acting completely unfazed.

"Honey, enjoy your meal. I'm heading to the ladies' room," I said, placing my phone face down on the table before exiting the room.

Once in the restroom, I locked the door and put an earbud in my ear. I had installed a monitoring app on my phone before coming. Soon, I could hear their conversation through the earbud.

"Do you know how close we came to being discovered just now? You need to be more careful in the office," Dexter chided, his voice laced with annoyance.

"I'm sorry, alright? It wasn't intentional! How could I have known she'd show up unexpectedly? Besides, she didn't seem suspicious earlier, did she? You're being overly cautious," Scarlett replied, her voice trembling as if she might cry.

Dexter's tone softened as he tried to calm her, "Okay, I was too harsh before. Don't be upset, please?"