Chapter 3

Roberta's expression shifted.

"The most ridiculous part is why he finally agreed."

She rolled her eyes.

"He was afraid that if I ever got exposed, his precious wife would leave him."

A mocking laugh escaped her.

"So he figured if her mother was gone, she'd have nowhere else to go."

Roberta clicked her tongue.

"That old woman really is lucky. Imagine having a man plan that far ahead just to keep you."

Slap!

My hand struck her face before I even realized I'd moved.

Roberta's head snapped sideways.

For a second, she simply stared at me.

Then she screamed.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

Her champagne glass tipped over, spilling across the armrest and onto the floor.

A flight attendant hurried toward us.

Roberta pressed a hand to her reddening cheek.

"Are you insane?"

I was shaking.

"You're sleeping with a married man, manipulating him into abandoning his wife's dying mother, and you're proud of it?"

My voice rose.

"How can you say any of this without shame?"

The flight attendant quickly stepped between us.

"Ma'am, please calm down."

She helped Roberta move to an empty business-class seat several rows away.

It took several minutes before the cabin settled again.

Roberta accepted a warm towel from the attendant and wiped her hands.

Then she looked across the aisle at me.

"I hate women like you."

I stared back.

She sneered.

"Homewrecker this. Mistress that."

She gave me another slow look.

"Let's be honest. You're only angry because women like me can still get men to spend money on us."

Her gaze settled on my face.

"You're getting old."

My fingers curled.

Roberta smiled.

"I bet when you were younger, you weren't nearly this self-righteous."

"You..."

I started to rise.

The flight attendant immediately caught my arm.

"Please, ma'am."

I stopped.

None of this was her fault.

I forced myself back into my seat.

Roberta seemed even more pleased.

"Here's some free advice."

She leaned back comfortably.

"At your age, I'd worry less about me and more about your own husband."

My chest tightened.

She tilted her head.

"Men don't stay faithful to women who let themselves go."

Her eyes swept over my clothes.

"Go home and check his phone."

She smiled sweetly.

"Looking like that, can you really blame him for not wanting to come home?"

I picked up the fresh juice the attendant had just placed in front of me.

And threw it straight into her face.

Splash!

Roberta screamed.

The cabin erupted again.

Two attendants rushed between us.

A moment later, the chief purser approached.

Her name badge read MORGAN.

"Ms. Kaufman."

She gave me a strained smile.

"I understand you're upset, but please don't confront that passenger again."

I stared at her.

"Why?"

Morgan hesitated.

Then she lowered her voice.

"She's considered a VIP guest."

I almost laughed.

"A VIP?"

Morgan glanced toward Roberta before continuing.

"She's connected to Mr. Stephens."

My stomach tightened.

"Carl Stephens?"

Morgan nodded.

"Publicly, he's one of the executives overseeing the Moretti family's international holdings."

She lowered her voice further.

"People in our company know not to cause trouble for anyone under his protection."

Under his protection.

I gave a bitter laugh.

Of course she was.

The aircraft soon landed at our transfer point, though Roberta and I were both continuing on the same flight.

The moment the signal returned, I switched off airplane mode.

Then I opened Carl's messages.

Where are you?

His reply came quickly.

A photograph.

His office desk.

Laptop open.

Documents scattered across the surface.

Carl added:

Making money for my wife.

I stared at the words.

Then typed:

For me?

Or for someone else?

No response.

I waited.

Nothing.

I sent one question mark.

A second later, Roberta's voice drifted toward me.

She was on the phone.

"Someone threw juice all over me!"

Then I heard him.

Carl.

I knew that voice better than my own.

"Who dared upset my little Roberta?"

My entire body went rigid.

Roberta pouted.

"Some crazy old woman."

She glanced in my direction.

"It's all your fault. If you were here, she wouldn't have dared touch me."

Carl laughed softly.

"All right."

His voice was warm.

Indulgent.

"It's my fault."

A second later, Roberta's phone chimed.

Ding.

A payment notification appeared on her screen.

$500,000 received.

Five hundred thousand.

Again.

Carl chuckled through the phone.

"Go buy yourself something nice."

My fingers dug into my sleeve.

That was the exact amount my mother had needed to survive.

Carl had just sent it away like pocket change.

Roberta looked at the transfer.

Her smile appeared for barely a second before she deliberately forced it away.

"Hmph."

She turned toward the window.

"Money isn't going to fix this."

Carl sounded amused.

"No?"

"You're the one who said you missed me."

Her voice turned coy.

"You begged me to come spend New Year's Eve with you."

She crossed her legs.

"Otherwise, why would I get on this stupid flight and end up sitting beside some crazy woman?"

She pouted dramatically.

"You've ruined my mood. Five hundred thousand isn't enough."

Carl didn't sound annoyed.

Not even slightly.

Instead, he laughed.

"What about the villa?"

Roberta froze.

"What villa?"

"The new one I bought you."

Her eyes immediately lit up.

Carl caught it through the video call.

"There."

His voice softened.

"My little Roberta is smiling."

"I'm not."

She tried to hide it.

"But..."

She bit her lip.

"Fine. Maybe I'll forgive you a little."

Carl chuckled.

"Good girl."

My nails dug deeper into my palm.

"I'll make it up to you tonight."

Roberta's voice dropped.

"Three hours."

She smiled.

"Not one second less."

Carl laughed.

"You can have the whole night."

I sat there listening to my husband promise another woman an entire night.

And for the first time in ten years, I stopped wondering whether my marriage could still be saved.