Chapter 21: All Set
After breakfast, Robert, who had promised to stay home with me, received a call and hurriedly left, mentioning some urgent matters at the company. Of course, he assured me he would be back soon.
For some reason, hearing the word “company” from him plunged me into contemplation.
Robert, who was supposed to return shortly, didn’t come back until midnight. I heard the sound of his car entering the yard.
Unexpectedly, he came directly back to my room. When he entered, I could smell the strong scent of alcohol on him. He bent down to look at me for a moment, then went to the bathroom to take a shower. In no time, he began snoring.
I opened my eyes and glanced at him. He lay with his back to me, and that familiar figure seemed increasingly distant.
I intentionally turned over abruptly, causing the bed to shake. I called out to him softly, but he showed no response. It seemed he had consumed quite a bit of alcohol tonight.
I wondered what was on his mind. Did he return to my room because of our argument last night, fearing I might become suspicious? Or did he have some other plans? I couldn’t tell.
But I couldn’t miss this golden opportunity.
I quietly got out of bed, locked the door, and observed him for a while. His snoring remained steady, so I slowly moved to his side. I located his phone and turned off the silent mode.
To save time and avoid the risk of him waking up, I directly transferred all call records, phone contacts, frequently interacted chat records, and messages to my new phone.
I also checked the remote monitoring on his phone, but the records were not extensive. Mostly, it consisted of footage of me lying in bed, suggesting that he had become numb to such scenes when checking the surveillance on his phone.
There were only a few pictures of the children in his photo album, nothing noteworthy.
After saving everything, I placed the phone back where it belonged, But I always feel something is not right there.Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.
It was too clean, impeccably devoid of any signs of peculiarity. I glanced once more at the peacefully sleeping Robert before silently leaving the room and heading to the study.
Still unable to find the key, I returned to the room disappointed and lay back down on the bed.
The next day, Robert informed me that he had to go to Whitby for contract negotiations and would be back tomorrow. I inwardly rejoiced – it seemed like luck was finally on my side. However, I feigned reluctance, saying, “Can’t you come back tonight? Whitby is so close.”
“Honey, business is tough these days, fierce competition! Can’t help it. We’ll likely have to treat their leaders to dinner tonight as part of the courtesy. It’s uncertain when all the socializing will end. Returning home late at night would affect your rest. Tomorrow, I’ll visit two more clients nearby!” Robert complained. “Maintaining relationships with old clients is essential. They only care about profits, no matter how long we’ve been cooperating!”
“Aren’t we always working with those clients in Whitby?” I looked at him. I was quite familiar with Whitby’s situation since I had negotiated those deals in the past.
“Yups, but you haven’t been in touch with the market for a long time. It’s getting more competitive, and our profit margins are getting thinner!” he vented.
I didn’t engage further but suddenly asked him, “Honey, why can’t I find my phone? I need to call my parents. I miss them.”
“Wait for my return! We can call together. Today is not a good time. I’m afraid you might say something wrong and make them worry. After all, you haven’t contacted them during this period!” He then got up and said, “I’m in a hurry. Rest well! Just wait another half day.”
Seeing him in a rush to leave, I didn’t persist. I knew well that he was stalling for time.
After seeing him off, I went upstairs directly and quickly sent a message to Scarlette, asking her to arrange a visit to the hospital.
Scarlette promptly replied, “OK, I’ll contact you right away! Wait for my message!”
Ten minutes later, she messaged me again, “All set, ready to go at any time!”