Chapter 3

I started to head upstairs, but Brandon blocked me.

"Audrey, what do you mean? We have a guest today, how can you make her eat takeout?"

"Guest?" I slowly turned my head, looking at Chloe. "She's just your company's secretary. What, am I, your wife, supposed to personally wait on her?"

Chloe immediately teared up. "I'm so sorry, Mrs. Miller, I've caused you trouble."

She picked up her bag, looking hurt. "I-I'll leave right away. Please, don't argue with Mr. Miller because of me."

Leo rushed forward first. "Mom, how can you be so rude? Aunt Chloe is my friend."

My younger son chimed in, "Yeah, Mom, you cook every day anyway. What's wrong with making Aunt Chloe a meal? Dad married you so you could do these things, didn't he?"

Their righteous indignation made me feel like a complete joke.

The slap from that afternoon started to sting again.

My husband, whom I'd spent my youth with, and my children, whom I'd risked my life to bear, were all siding with someone else.

I couldn't help but let out a cold laugh. Audrey Foster, you are such a failure.

Brandon, however, misunderstood, thinking I was throwing a tantrum.

"Fine, if you won't cook, then don't. Come on, Chloe, I'll take you out to eat."

Both sons clamored to go along.

As they left, Leo deliberately took Chloe's hand, flaunting their closeness in front of me.

He usually disliked physical affection, even with me, he rarely let me hold his hand.

Now, he was so eagerly trying to please Chloe; he really seemed to like her.

I thought I'd be heartbroken. I instinctively touched my chest, but it felt hollow, filled only with an endless chill.

After showering, I simply went to sleep.

The next morning, no one knocked on my door to remind me to take the kids to school.

I ended up sleeping until eleven.

After waking, I took another shower, washed my hair, and checked my phone. Julia had booked a slew of appointments for me.

Besides getting a haircut, buying clothes, and beauty treatments, there were over a dozen aesthetic procedures.

When I got into the car, Julia looked at me as if she wanted to say something.

"What's wrong?"

She gave an awkward laugh.

"I just didn't expect that there wasn't a single dress in your closet."

I silently followed Julia. First, we went to the hair salon, where my messy hair was styled into loose waves.

Then I bought dozens of new outfits.

For the last appointment, Julia took me to the most reputable aesthetic center to consult about postpartum tightening and repair.

Coming out of the doctor's office, my face was flushed. "Julia, does it really have to be like this?"

Julia was matter-of-fact. "This isn't just a health issue. It's about psychological and physiological satisfaction, and that's extremely important."

To be honest, I had been bothered by leakage for a long time.

And Brandon had even complained during sex.

Over time, he stopped touching me.

Sometimes when I initiated, he'd go hide in another room.

Julia was right, sex was a very important thing.