CHAPTER 2

Twilight began to reveal itself. Her beauty can bewitch the eyes of anyone who sees it, including the woman who is in two bodies.

The woman was engrossed in her snack, accompanied by a glass of tea while gently stroking her distended stomach while watching the news that the body of a man had been found rotting from being submerged in water for days.

However, what shocked her was when a newsreader explained that the man's body was her mortal enemy—Brian, the son of one of his late parents' business relations. She remembered that the man had not appeared for a long time since his company went bankrupt, when she got the news back, the man had already become a corpse. The woman immediately chuckled, she didn't expect to see the tragic ending of an arrogant man who always irritated her when she met him.

"The world has gone completely crazy," she commented.

"Are you coming to pay your respects, madam?" asked the waiter.

"Are you out of your mind, Maria? If I came, all eyes would be on me and they might suspect me. I have to call Rose, she must be devastated."

Lucia, the wife of a property businessman is quite famous in this country. She feels lucky that her husband—Ethan, is so elegant and reliable in managing the business they built together, even though Rose's close friend is now replacing her job. What a funny fate. Her best friend has been engaged to her nemesis since childhood—Brian.

However, lately she's heard the bad news, and several projects have been hampered due to one or two things, but until this moment Ethan is reluctant to tell her more clearly and is less open to her.

If it weren't because her being heavily pregnant, perhaps Lucia would have tried to help out a little. However, she finally handed over all the property business affairs to her husband because her condition began to weaken after entering the third trimester.

"Maria, please pour some more tea," she begged the maid.

The faithful maidservant immediately followed her master's orders. "Very well, madam."

Lucia took another sip of the tea to freshen her mouth, the sweet taste of the cookies she was enjoying felt even more delicious with the warmth and freshness of the tea she was drinking.

"Are you not home yet, sir?" she asked the waiter.

"Not yet, madam. Maybe soon."

"Give me my phone, it's too late."

"Okay, madam," replied the waiter as she grabbed the employer's cell phone stored on the nightstand. "Here, madam."

Lucia grabbed the flat object, then looked up her beloved husband's number from the call contact list, then immediately called him. One or two times she tried, but the result was still the same, Ethan did not answer.

Lucia was a little restless because lately her husband had been looking down because of work problems, whereas she didn't have much room to help because of her condition.

However, not long after, a car engine was roaring into the house's courtyard. Lucia rose from her place with heavy steps and walked towards the yard to greet her beloved husband.

"Honey," she greeted, kissing Ethan's cheek tenderly, even though the man didn't warmly welcome her.

"Take this," he said, handing him his briefcase.

"Want to eat first or take a shower first?"

"Bath."

"Well, let me ask Maria to prepare. You rest first."

Ethan plopped down on the sofa and took a deep breath. Meanwhile, Lucia was busy organizing what her maids had to do. "Maria, prepare hot water. Then you, please warm dinner for us," she ordered the other maids.

"Yes, madam," they answered in unison as they walked away.

Lucia went back to her husband and helped take off Ethan's shoes and socks, that was her way of showing her devotion as a good wife. However, unlike the case with Ethan, he began to get sick of seeing the woman in front of him who no longer attracted his attention.

"Lucy," he called by the nickname Lucia.

"Yes?"

"Couldn't you have put your make-up on? At least, to be pleasing to the eye."

Lucia was stunned again. Ethan said piercing things to her. However, she tried to be strong and took it as a reprimand from her husband. "I've made up."

"Where do you make up from? Look in the mirror, your face is pale, not fresh to the eye," he protested.

"I guess because the lipstick is too dark—"

"No! But your face is wrong. I don't understand how your face can change drastically since you were pregnant. Dull, dirty and even a bit fat," he interrupted.

"I'm sorry, Ethan," Lucia whispered as she lowered her head.

"I'm fed up. When I get home, I want to see something nice, not like this. If I know you're half-hearted to please me, I better not go home and find another woman," he threatened.

Lucia took a deep breath, she knew it was just empty words, so she tried to keep herself from getting emotional. "Yes, Honey ... I understand. Starting tomorrow, I will make myself even more beautiful."

Ethan got up from his seat and then cleaned himself in the bathroom. As for Lucia, still stunned from being disappointed. It's not like this, but because of the pregnancy factor that makes her appetite increase, she only focuses on providing complete nutrition to the fetus and ignoring other things.

She reached for Ethan's suit. She was surprised when she smelled a rather strange fragrance, even though she had just tasted it. She inhaled the scent deeply, but it made her even more confident that it wasn't her husband's perfume.

Whose perfume is this—she thought.

She reached for her cell phone, then dialed the phone number of someone she often calls in all conditions—Rose.

Tuuut tuuut tuut...

Not long after, the voice of someone connected on the phone line.

"Hello," she said.

"Hello, Rose. Are you busy?" Lucia asked in a whisper, she was worried that Ethan would know that she called Rose to ask her best friend about her husband.

"Not really, I'm resting."

"Have you heard about Brian?"

"Uhm, I've got the news and am now preparing to go to mourn."

"Ah, I see. I'm sorry for the loss of my fiancé—"

"We broke up about two weeks ago actually."

Hearing that, Lucia felt even sadder for her best friend. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Ah ... you are pregnant, how can I add to the burden on a woman who is pregnant heavily."

"You're so understanding, I'm so touched. But Rose . . . can I ask you something?"

"Yes, why?"

"Ethan... he came home upset, did something happen?"

There was a sigh from there. "Our project is having problems, even losing money."

"Gosh... he deserves to be upset. Is there anything I can do?"

"I don't know, the only thing that can help is an injection of funds . . . again."

Lucia took a deep breath. Not long ago she sold back some of her assets to save her husband's business, and now the company is in trouble again and needs funds.

"I don't know, Rose... I don't know if it can help or not. If we can, it's best if we end the business in this area."

"Are you crazy?! Ethan would be mad if you did that," she shrieked.

"Yeah, I know. Ah... never mind, my head hurts thinking about that."

"Think carefully, all of this is for the sake of your business continuity as well, for the future of you and your children."

Lucia sighed. "Yeah, let me think again. Oh yeah, there's one more thing."

"What?"

"Ethan's suit smelled like a girl's perfume."

Rose didn't answer right away, she was silent for a moment. "Really?"

"Yeah, I know the smell of Ethan's perfume very well. You're always beside him all day, he doesn't play with other women, right?"

"Oh my . . . of course not. I think he might have bought a new perfume."

"Are you sure?"

"Don't you believe me?" she asked back.

Lucia shook her head slowly, of course she didn't mean it that way. "It is not like that-"

"Don't think about unnecessary things and focus on your womb. I have to go to mourn, I'm sorry."

"Okay, thank you—"

Tuuu tuuut tuuut...

Rose hung up the call, she was reluctant to have a long talk with Lucia. Not without reason, she was worried that the naive woman would ask more questions and raise many suspicions.

She stared at the pile of things her best friend and husband gave her—Ethan.

She knew all of this was wrong, but the blue delight she couldn't resist. She looked at her reflection in the mirror, showing lots of red marks and traces of the love fluid from Ethan on her body.

The woman smiled broadly as the cigarette smoke filled the room. "I'm sorry, Lucy ... I just snatched a little of your happiness," she whispered.

She immediately got up from the bed, then changed clothes to rush off to the residence of his ex-fiancé who had passed away. She chuckled, at least she had managed to make a fortune for that stupid man—she thought.