Chapter 2 Suspicions That Are Hard To Face

• Kevin and Tania's faces kept flashing before my eyes. I wanted to confirm my suspicion, but my inner self vehemently denied it. There was no way I could accept this truth. This can't be true!
• Kevin loved me. From the moment we met and got to know each other, to falling in love and finally building our family with our three adorable children, he had always showered me with affection. We had never argued over the past ten years, and his tender love had only strengthened my faith in him. How could he possibly betray me? No, that's impossible!
• That being said, it wouldn't make sense to accuse Tania either. I didn't even know her before she came to our house. There was no grudge between us from the past or present, and she was definitely one of the highest-paid professionals in her field.
• In fact, it was my decision to hire her. She was two years older than me and seemed to be a competent and organized person. After graduating from high school, she entered the profession and became an accomplished housekeeper.
• When I hired her, Kevin seemed somewhat unimpressed. He even asked me privately, "Don't you think she's too young for the job? Can we trust her?"
• "Does her age make her unreliable? She's not only attractive but also skilled at her job! She's an accomplished housekeeper, you know. You're being overly cautious," I replied. I even teased him, saying, "If anyone should be worried, it's me!"
• He gently pinched my cheek and replied, "What are you thinking? Stop worrying about such nonsense!" Then, he embraced me and playfully nibbled on my earlobe, saying reassuringly, "Alright, as long as you're comfortable with her. She's here to assist you, and she's the one who will keep you company every day. I'm just concerned that she's young and might not stay for long. In that case, we'll have to find a replacement soon. That would be troublesome!"
• To our surprise, Tania turned out to be very dedicated to her job. It had been almost eight years since she started working for us! As far as I could remember, we had gotten along well during these past eight years, and I treated her like a sister. How could she possibly betray me? Besides, if she were behind this, Kevin would have noticed that I wasn't feeling right after taking the medicine. He would have asked if it worked, and he would not have... I couldn't even bear to think about it.
• I wasn't sure if it was because I hadn't taken the medicine or if the cat's condition had alarmed me, but one thing was certain—I wasn't in my usual lethargic state. Like a spirit awakened from confusion, I was unusually alert. Every cell in my body was on edge, and I was extremely agitated.
• Fear prevented me from closing my eyes. The night seemed endless, but what chilled me even more was that no one came to check on me, nor did anyone ask if I had eaten.
• I had to face the truth. In the past, I had been sleeping alone every day, with no one caring about me. It seemed that Kevin didn't care as much about me as he appeared to. That night, for example, the care I had expected from him was absent. Could he have become accustomed to my constant lethargy?
• As the day slowly dawned, Ria, who had been sleeping deeply under the blanket, gradually woke up. At first, its gaze was unfocused, and it weakly meowed a couple of times. Then, after a while, it started moving its limbs. A moment later, it stretched vigorously and rolled over, nestling against me with its limbs tucked under its body. It returned to its original sleeping position, but it still seemed sluggish. It appeared that the cat wasn't fully awake yet.
• Its state was eerily similar to how I felt every time I woke up, which deepened my suspicions. Feeling utterly helpless, I pulled it to my chest, burying my face in its soft fur while silently shedding tears. I didn't understand why this was happening. Who could be doing this to me?
• After a long time, I looked up and gritted my teeth, telling myself I couldn't just sit around waiting for something terrible to happen. I had to find out the truth! With that decision, I realized I needed to be careful not to raise suspicions. I had to continue pretending to sleep. First and foremost, I had to figure out who had given me the medicine and their motive.
• With these thoughts in mind, I clung to hope, wanting to believe that it was Tania who did this. Perhaps, that would make it easier for me to accept reality. However, life had a way of delivering a quick and harsh reality check. It hurt so much that it seared through my bones, and the truth was much crueler than I had imagined.