In the Herbert family…
Maria tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. She glanced at her cellphone, but there were no calls or messages.
Unable to bear it any longer, she got up and held her phone, unable to resist making a call.
Her hands trembled with nervousness and excitement as she dialed the number.
She had secretly installed a camera in that room, a secret even Sampson didn’t know.
Now, it was her only card to threaten Matthew.
If he truly cared about Dolores, he wouldn’t let an explicit video of her circulate on the internet.
Matthew stared at his phone, conflicted, his finger hovering over the screen. Just as the call was about to disconnect, he answered.
“Matthew!” Maria exclaimed, surprised that he picked up.
She had thought he wouldn’t answer her call.
Matthew remained silent, unfazed by her happiness or anger. His mood couldn’t be influenced.
Gradually, Maria calmed down. Clutching the quilt in her hand, she squeezed and released it a few times before speaking, “Did you watch the video? It’s quite impressive, isn’t it?”
Matthew’s eyes lazily half-closed, the storm within them quiet.
“Let’s meet. I’ve booked a room at the S&H Hotel, room 108. I’ll be waiting. You don’t have to come, but I promise the video of Dolores will be shared all over the internet, becoming the subject of obscenity for every kind of man.”
With that, she hung up, her heart still racing.
She felt nervous.
But the thought of meeting Matthew filled her with excitement.
She left her messy bed and hurried barefoot to her closet, searching for the perfect outfit for tonight.
Her closet was filled with expensive skirts and dresses, yet none of them felt suitable for this occasion. None of them felt beautiful enough.
But it was too late to go shopping now. She had to take out each garment and try them on one by one.
She was filled with excitement, like a young girl in love, about to meet the man she had long admired. She wanted to look stunning and present herself in the most beautiful way possible.
She wanted to leave him amazed and make him fall in love with her…
Maria yearned for Matthew to fall in love with her.
Dolores stepped out of the bathroom and was met with Coral’s enthusiastic gaze. It was clear that Coral knew what Dolores had done in there.
Embarrassed, Dolores lowered her head and said, “I’ll go check on Samuel.”
With those words, she made her way towards the room.
She couldn’t bear Coral’s piercing stare.
“Dinner will be ready soon,” Coral called after her.
Pretending not to hear, Dolores entered the room.
She only emerged at dinner time.
Simona had found her “Daddy” and no longer wanted Dolores. During dinner, she eagerly ran to sit beside Matthew, declaring, “I’m sitting with Daddy.”
Jessica went to pick her up, saying, “You’ll sit with me.”
She was afraid that if they stayed longer, Simona wouldn’t want to leave Matthew.
It wouldn’t be a good thing, considering Matthew wasn’t her father.
“No, I want to sit with my daddy,” Simona clung tightly to Matthew’s arm.
No one could separate her from her Daddy.
“Simona…”
“Let her sit with me,” Matthew said calmly.
Jessica pondered for a moment and then replied, “Don’t mind her. She doesn’t understand.”
“I don’t mind,” Matthew allowed her to sit. “No need to be so formal. Just think of this as your home. I know divorcing Dolores made you unhappy, right?”
Matthew could sense Jessica’s lukewarm attitude towards him.
Since everyone was aware, Jessica decided not to hide it anymore. “You and Lola are already divorced. There’s no reason for me to bother you like…”
“Regarding the divorce, I think there’s a misunderstanding,” Matthew interrupted, speaking deliberately. “Dolores and I haven’t filed for a divorce certificate, so we aren’t actually divorced.”
“What?” Jessica looked at her daughter in surprise and asked, “Is this true?”
Dolores nodded honestly.
Jessica found this information incredibly shocking. She had always believed that Matthew and Dolores had severed all ties.
“So, legally, we’re still husband and wife,” Matthew’s subtext indicated that it was reasonable, acceptable, and lawful for Dolores to live there.
“Coral, you can handle things tonight. I have somewhere to go.” He wasn’t going to eat dinner at home, but he didn’t want Jessica to feel uncomfortable living there, so he had informed her about the divorce.
“Aren’t you going to have dinner at home?” Dolores asked, regretting her words immediately; they seemed redundant.
He chuckled softly and replied, “I have something to attend to. You can continue staying in that room. Samuel is there, so you can take care of him.”
Matthew had made the arrangements well, and Dolores was grateful. She nodded and said, “Thank you.”
“We’re husband and wife, there’s no need to be so formal,” he emphasized the first part of his sentence. By saying that to Dolores, he was also sending a message to Jessica, letting her know that Dolores was now with him.
Matthew stood up, but Simona clung tightly to his arm. “Where are you going? Can I come with you?”
She blinked, looking up at him.
Matthew playfully pinched her little nose and refused, “No.”
“Why?” Simona asked, disappointment evident in her voice. She wanted to go with him.
What if he left and never came back?
Then she would have no father.
No, she couldn’t let him leave so easily.
Matthew patiently coaxed her, “Do you want me to like you?”
Simona nodded without hesitation, “Yes.”
“If you listen to what I say, will I like you?” he asked.
“Right!” Simona replied with certainty.
“Then, wait for me at home like a good girl,” Matthew said.
Simona hesitated but eventually nodded, saying, “Well, you have to come back soon.”
She was afraid that if she wasn’t obedient, her father wouldn’t like her.
Matthew went upstairs to change his clothes. His attire had become wet when Simona tried to wash his face, and his clinging shirt was a little uncomfortable.
He opted for an all-black suit, exuding a sense of valor and nobility. Under the light, he looked magnificent and incredibly handsome.
However, his indifferent expression deterred people from approaching.
Simona was stunned when she saw him descending the stairs.
Jessica was in the middle of feeding her rice but forgot to open her mouth as she stared at Matthew, her eyes wide open and filled with admiration.
“Simona,” Jessica called to bring her back to reality.
Simona refocused and sighed, “Daddy is so handsome.”
Her father was undeniably the most handsome.
Jessica was almost startled by Simona’s reaction. She was just a young child, yet she was already infatuated with Matthew’s looks.
As Matthew reached the entrance, Simona suddenly slid off her chair and ran over, stopping a short distance away from him. She looked up at him and asked, “Daddy, will you still come back? You won’t abandon us, right?”
Samuel had told her that their father didn’t want them, so she was afraid that Matthew wouldn’t return once he walked out that door. She feared he would abandon them again.
Her eyes reddened, and her voice grew hoarse as she pleaded, “Don’t abandon us.”
She was genuinely terrified.
She couldn’t bear to be separated from her father.
Meeting her worried gaze, Matthew walked over, patting her head gently. He spoke firmly, “No.”
Simona’s happiness returned, and she grinned, saying, “Kiss.”
She stood on her tiptoes, reaching out her hands to hug him for a kiss.
Matthew bent down as per her request. Simona wrapped her arms around his neck and planted a kiss on his cheek, unintentionally transferring some of her saliva and leftover rice.
Matthew was momentarily speechless.
Internally, he was convinced that he must have committed terrible deeds in his past life, which was why God was punishing him in this life by sending two mischievous little devils along with Dolores.