From Neglected Wife to CEO’s Obsession novel Chapter 115

Julia had posted a photo too.

It was taken by the sea, waves stretching out forever, three seagulls soaring across a sky so blue it almost hurt to look at. A man and a woman held a little girl’s hands, all three of them facing away from the camera. The adults’ outside hands were raised, both pointing toward the endless sky.

The woman’s dangling earrings glittered in the light. The man wore a shiny watch. The little girl’s dress was a soft, butter yellow. Every detail in the photo made it painfully clear: Remy hadn’t gone abroad for work at all. He’d taken Julia and Cindy out on a little family vacation.

I’d suspected it, sure. But now that it was right in front of me, the truth still stung, sharp and cold.

Every time Remy lied, every time he betrayed me, it was like he was laughing at how blind and helpless I’d been.

Just minutes ago, he’d told me he loved me. Now here he was, grinning in a family photo with his ex and their daughter. Was I just a game to him? Someone to keep around until he got bored?

No wonder Remy turned off his phone. If I’d called him, cluelessly interrupting their perfect day, I would’ve just ended up embarrassing myself.

My phone buzzed. Kailynn’s name lit up on the screen. She sounded furious. “Can you believe those two? How dare they!”

Georgia Bay was a big place, but everyone seemed to know everyone. Nothing stayed secret for long.

“It doesn’t matter anymore,” I said, my voice low. “Soon it won’t have anything to do with me. Let them live their little fantasy.”

Kailynn scoffed. “Since when do you just let people walk all over you? Or are you short on evidence for the divorce? If you want, I can introduce you to a private investigator. The best in the city.”

She didn’t get it. I wasn’t being weak. I just thought that if something could be settled quietly, there was no need to blow it up and drag everyone through the mud.

Plus, both my parents worked here. Too many people knew me. I couldn’t let my mess become their problem.

“Thank Liam for me, okay? If I need help, I’ll reach out. I’m handling it for now.”

Only the soft rush of the wind answered me, slipping quietly through the empty rooms.

Dad’s fishing rod was still propped up in the shade on the balcony. He’d been a university professor, a gifted painter, loved by his students. If he wasn’t teaching or painting, he was off somewhere with that fishing rod.

In the study, Mom’s zither rested on its stand, covered by a dust cloth she’d embroidered herself—lush green mountains and cypress trees, so detailed it looked almost alive.

Dad had been a famous artist. Mom had won national awards for her music, and her embroidery had been displayed all over the world.

I opened the cabinet Mom treasured most. Inside were photos from every chapter of my life, and theirs—from their first days together to now.

There was a thick, well-worn diary, too.