Chapter 9 He Put up a Great Facade

• As soon as I formed a plan, I picked up the call, forcing myself to greet him amicably when the call connected. “Darling!”
• “Honey, what took you so long to pick up? Are you busy?” Carson’s voice sounded gentle.
• “I was busy with stuff,” I ensured that I remained calm as I gave my reply. “Darling, I just received a call from President Smith. He told me that I need to go on a one-week business trip for an urgent matter, so I was planning to call you to tell you about it.”
• “That’s quite a long period for a business trip.” There was surprise in his tone of voice.
• “Yeah, while I don’t want to leave you and Keira, my company couldn’t find someone else to replace me.” I put up an act while complaining to him.
• “Nor do I want my darling to leave me, but you should prioritize your job. Worry not, as I will take good care of Keira.” As if afraid that I wouldn’t go on the trip, he began coercing me.
• “If that’s the case, I’ll leave everything up to you!” All I wanted was to hang up instead of listening to his falsities.
• “Darling, I love you! I will miss you!” He repeated the same words as usual, but I could then sense how insincere it was.
• Upon hanging up the phone, Isabella let out a sneer. “I heard what that b*stard said. He’s cheating on you with another woman while telling you all those sweet nothings. How can he be so shameless?” I wore a bitter smile while at a loss for words, as those were the very questions I needed answers to.
• “By the way, Lily, you did a great job just now!” She gave me a pat on the shoulder before asking, “You told him you would be on a business trip, so have you figured out a plan for your revenge?”
• I tried my best to not let my hatred toward him show as I nodded. While I did have a plan, I told him I would be on a one-week trip because I needed the time to clear my mind in order to mentally prepare for the facade that I would have to put up later on to fool him.
• After listening to what I said, Isabella nodded as she praised how meticulous I was before asking why did Carson call.
• “He said nothing, nor did I ask.” I recalled that he was the one who made the call, but he revealed nothing about himself.
• “Does he always greet you over the phone?” asked Isabella.
• I nodded in response. “As long as I’m not with him, he would give me three calls a day during meal times.”
• “He sure puts on a great facade!” Isabella seemed to have realized something after exclaiming in such a manner as she stared straight into my eyes. “Lily, something tells me that he’s, in fact, trying to get a hold of your whereabouts when he calls you in order to plan for his affair with Jolene.”
• What Isabella said startled me as I figured, She might be right... Carson would always ask where I am and what I am doing whenever he called. However, I never doubted his intentions prior to this, thus would always tell him the truth.
• Isabella and I exchanged a glance as we both realized how terrifying it was, a chill shooting up our spines as we did. Such meticulous preparation was the exact reason that Carson was able to cheat behind my back for such a long time. While I used to think that his calls were a representation of his love toward me, and that I was lucky to be able to find someone as considerate as him, it turned out that these were in fact the beginnings of my nightmare.
• After chatting for some time, Isabella retired to her room, while I had many recollections of the past as I lay awake in her guest room. Truth be told, Carson and I met because I was trying to turn down my childhood sweetheart Dylan Newman.
• When I was in my third year of my master’s program, my parents tried to force me into dating Dylan because not only they thought we were a good match, but also they liked him. However, I didn’t manage to fall in love with him, nor did I want to have my life dictated in such a manner, which was why I searched for someone who could act as my boyfriend in order to trick them, and that someone turned out to be Carson, introduced by Jolene.
• I thought he was a decent choice after meeting him, thus Jolene offered to talk to him about the matter in my place. While I had no knowledge of what she told him, he eventually agreed to impersonate my boyfriend, which was something I revered Jolene for.
• After that, I brought Carson to meet my parents, even going as far as giving him a makeover in an attempt to gain my parent’s approval. While I’d thought we should pass the test, we ended up failing miserably. Not only did my parents not like him, but they even actively humiliated him, which made me feel guilty toward him. It was under such circumstances that we came to know each other better.
• There was another time when I, Isabella, and Jolene went out to have fun one night, only to be ambushed by thugs. Carson’s timely arrival saved us from further trouble, so I began to develop feelings for him, and we established our relationship during the night of my birthday party when I was drunk.
• Meanwhile, I was reminded of the handsome man whom I met back in the hospital. That night, maybe it was him instead of Carson...