The next day.
Emma sat in the living room watching TV when she heard Emily coming downstairs. She snapped back to reality and momentarily froze upon seeing Emily, then quickly regained her composure.
"Emma, I'm heading to work," Emily announced as she stood in the foyer changing her shoes, her face calm and unruffled.
Derek had disappeared the previous night after she fell asleep, and there was no sign of him when she woke up. And the kids had already left for school.
Approaching Emily with a smile, Emma inquired, "Don't you want breakfast? Last night..." Emma hesitated, then continued, "Did you sleep well?"
Emily nodded lightly and replied, "Derek came back in the middle of the night yesterday. Did you know that?"
"I... I just knew that..." Emma averted her eyes and sighed, "Derek is a workaholic. When he's focused on work, he forgets everything. Emily, don't be upset with Derek for this, okay?"
Emily stared at Emma for a moment, kindly smiled, and remained silent.
"Of course, I won’t be mad for that," Emily finally said, curling her lips into a smile. "I was just wondering why he came back so suddenly."
Derek's unannounced return struck Emily as odd.
"Maybe... Maybe he was just too busy to inform you," Emma replied with a smile.
"I hope so." Emily threw those words out before walking away.
As soon as the door closed, Emma let out a sharp sigh of relief and slumped onto the couch.
"Ma'am," the housekeeper entered from the doorway, "I saw on the news that Mr. Scott is back from his business trip. Will he be home for dinner today?"
Emma forced a bitter smile and said, "Prepare as usual."
She couldn't reach her son, and she had no idea if the other one would come back. With things spiraling out of control, she felt lost about what to do.
She had already lost a son, and now she would say anything to keep things under wraps. Emma fought back tears welling under her eyes.
When the afternoon arrived, Emma drove to the kindergarten to pick up the kids from school.
"I have good news for you guys," Emma said with a smile, "Your daddy is back!"
"Wow, really?" No one was happier than Diana. She covered her face and exclaimed, "Grandma, hurry up and drive. I want to go back to see daddy!"
As she drove, Emma interjected, "We don't need to be in such a hurry. Your daddy won't be back until a little later."
"Okay." Diana's disappointment turned to excitement. "I'll wait no matter how late Daddy gets home!"
Unseen by Diana, Emma's eyes betrayed a sense of helplessness. Pushing down the emotions in her heart, Emma softly said, "This time, your daddy traveled on business and worked a lot. People get extra cranky when they're stressed, so remember to be considerate of your daddy later."
Chris frowned. "Do you mean that daddy's temper has gotten worse, Grandma?"
"Sort of," Emma sighed.
"But," Aaron spoke faintly, "Daddy's temper at work shouldn't be brought home, right?"
"That's all I'm saying." Emma stroked a few of the children's heads. "When your daddy gets back, you'll see that Aaron has grown taller again, Chris's hair has grown longer, Ian has two pimples on his forehead, and our Diana has gotten prettier again..."
"Half a month is not a long time, but it's definitely not a short time either. As long as you're human, you change."
"So don't be surprised when your daddy isn't the same as he used to be."
"Haven't you guys changed too?"
Emma explained while dead-pinching her palm and mentally convincing herself over and over again.
It was six o'clock at night, and dinner was ready. The four kids played in the yard while waiting for daddy to come back. Even Aaron, who had always disliked daddy the most, frequently looked towards the door this time.
Separated from his daddy for half a month, he misses him dearly.
When Aaron once again gazed at the empty road at the entrance, disappointment filled him. "Is daddy not coming back today?"
Emily, having already finished her work and returned home, smiled and reassured him, saying, "Your daddy is busy at work; it's normal for him not to come back. Come on, let's eat first. We'll eat and then continue to wait afterward, okay?"
The four children obediently nodded.
After dinner, twilight descended, and the four children waited until drowsiness overcame them. Emily bathed the children and tucked them into bed. After three or four bedtime stories, the children drifted off to dreamland.
Glancing at the clock, Emily noted that it was already eleven o'clock late at night. Derek hadn't returned yet. It seemed like he wouldn't be back tonight. Emily lost her smile and walked into the master bedroom to get ready for bed.
Just then, Emily's phone rang. It was Louise.
Why was she calling so late at night? Emily was puzzled but answered the phone.
"Emily, if you have time, check the news on your cell phone," Louise said with a hint of inexplicable worry.
Emily was a bit confused. "Does the news have something to do with me?"
"It's about Derek," Louise replied.
Emily's heart sank inexplicably.
She took out her cell phone, and before she could tap on the news page, a message came in at the top of the notification bar: "Derek, the president of the Scott Group, was dancing intimately with a dancer at a bar late at night, arousing suspicion."
Emily clicked on the news, and the following were all comments from netizens:
"My God, Derek used to be distant from women. Why is he messing around after only half a month of marriage?"
"Isn't his wife beautiful enough? Why is he cheating outside?"
"He claimed to be married for five years. Is he already tired of it, seeking excitement and freshness? Derek loves Emily so much; he couldn't cheat on her within marriage. It must be someone's maliciously edited picture! I don't believe it!"
Emily didn't want to believe it either.
But the paparazzi captured these pictures with remarkable clarity, and the bar's laser lights illuminated Derek's face, revealing features not much different from those half a month ago. The only noticeable change was his apparent weight loss and sharper facial contours.
In that moment, his thin, sharp lips formed a smile, and his slender hand was gently holding the dancer's chin.
Emily's heart sank instantly.
Louise expressed concern through a series of messages, angrily accusing Derek of being an asshole. Despite this, Emily had no desire to respond, choosing instead to stand in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the scenery with a puzzled expression.
If the news was accurate, it meant her husband hadn't made it home in time tonight because he was dancing with a performer at a nightclub.
A teasing expression said nothing, but the Derek Emily knew could never have committed such an act.
While she could comprehend his sudden indifference and detachment, it was difficult to believe that a man who had distanced himself from women for over twenty years would suddenly start frequenting nightclubs.
Just then, a snowy headlight swept by the villa's entrance, and a black car entered the courtyard.
Emily stood on the stairway, her gaze clear and cold as she observed the man in the black suit slowly walking in.
Half a month had passed, and he didn't appear to have changed much. However, the aura surrounding him made her feel increasingly unfamiliar.
Was this truly the man she once loved?
Despite the deep love still lingering within her, seeing him in person made her realize that her heart lacked the profound emotions she had imagined.
Emily found herself immersed in profound self-doubt.