“Time for bed. Sleeping here?”
Cedrick stood..
“Hmm. Whatever.”
She lay down immediately.
Her freshly dried hair felt warm and cozy, carrying a distinct tea fragrance from the shampoo she’d brought from grandma’s house today.
This shampoo wasn’t store–bought; grandma and villagers made it themselves using something called tea seed cake as the main ingredient. It left hair incredibly smooth, so she always brought some back.
Then, he went to sleep too.
Lucille recalled him asking her days earlier to return to the master bedroom, only for him to say she should sleep in the guest room… and then he slept there too…
Whatever. She shut her eyes and slept. She couldn’t be bothered to argue anymore. Besides, the master bedroom held multiple Porilinese Test books. If he stumbled upon her recent practice tests or her scores, trouble would surely follow.
Lately, rain always fell at night.
Shortly after Lucille drifted off, the pitter–patter of raindrops against the window filled her ears, while the scent of Traditional Herbal Shampoo enveloped her senses. It felt just like last night sleeping beside grandma in the countryside–utterly peaceful.
She slept exceptionally well that night.
Lucille woke to her alarm.
In her groggy state, she thought she was still at grandma’s–the quilt felt perfectly warm, the familiar scent of Traditional Herbal Shampoo filled her breath, and she was hugging grandma…
Wait!
17:15
Chapter 37
The Vouche
Hugging grandma?
She jolted awake!
How could she be hugging grandma?
She’d already returned from grandma’s house!
Opening her eyes, she saw the collar of navy blue pajamas, then higher, an Adam’s apple and stubbled chin…
Her mind buzzed. She flipped over instantly, pulling herself out of Cedrick’s embrace.
How did this happen?!
Clearly the master bedroom was better. The guest bed was too small. They needed the space of three people between them for safety!
Cedrick stirred just then, as if she’d woken him.
“This weather–always rains at night, clears up by morning.”
He got up, drew the curtains, and remarked, “The rain keeps people awake.”
Lucille: What did he mean by that?
“I’m heading to the office. I’ll be late tonight.”
After a quick wash, he left without another word.
She couldn’t care less when he returned. Once he was gone, she started a massive purge.
She packed all her Porilinese Test books–keeping only the early ones riddled with mistakes -and had Mylee call a waste paper collector to sell them.
The ring on her finger? She finally took it off. Cash it in!
And since she was selling, might as well sell the pair!
She searched everywhere but couldn’t find the other one.
Suddenly, she remembered the safe at home–filled with Cedrick’s things she’d never considered opening.
An idea sparked.
17:15
Chapter 37
28 vouchers
She didn’t know the safe’s code. Tried Cedrick’s birthday, Wrong. Obviously, it wouldn’t be
hers…
She recalled the home’s digital lock code–a meaningless, unfamiliar string of numbers to her
She tried the last four digits of the building access code. It opened…
Inside lay property deeds, gold bars, and probably everything important to him.
She easily found the jewelry box she wanted, the same brand as hers. But there was another jewelry box weighing down on a notebook.
She opened it to find yesterday’s silver ring…
Her hand rested on the notebook, torn inside–to look or not to look? In the end, “not looking” won. Yet as she withdrew her hand, the notebook slid out and fell to the floor, a photo slipping free.
It was a college photo of him and Maricela.
Truthfully, this meant nothing.
She’d long known about his ex–girlfriend. When she married him, she’d accepted his past–at least at that moment.
But now…
17:15
Chapter 38
Chapter 38