Take My Breath Away

"Huh? She's married? No wonder Dad didn't agree to let you date her. Now I can see why you are unwilling to let her live with you. This is so sad!" Erica exclaimed.

Matthew hadn't expected her to react like this. He had believed that his explanation would help settle her confusion. His expression soured when she didn't understand. Erica, however, didn't notice and continued to ask, "Since she loves you, why did she marry another man? Did she fall in love with you after she got married? Did her husband refuse to divorce her when she told him about her feelings for you?"

"Why would her husband divorce her?"

Matthew's frustration continued to grow. Why was it so hard for Erica to realize that she had misunderstood his relationship with Paige? Unfortunately, it appeared as though no matter what he said, she was unwilling to let go of her misconceptions. Equally, Erica was shocked by Matthew's question. Confusion coursed through her, and she questioned, "She didn't ask her husband for a divorce? Then maybe she doesn't love you."

"Shut up!"

The sudden change in Matthew's temperament scared her a little. So, Erica pursed her lips and stared at her hands.

After a short while, uncomfortable with his silence, she mumbled, "You must be angry because I learned of your secret! But, seriously, the nightgown is beautiful. Are you going to ask her to wear it for you tonight?"

To her surprise, this time, he answered, "Hmm."

This was not the response Erica was expecting. 'Does this mean that I will be home alone tonight?' Excitement coursed through her at the thought.

At dusk, a woman rang the doorbell of the villa. She carried a delicate gift box in her hand.

When Erica opened the door, the woman handed the gift box to her and said, "Mrs. Huo, Mr. Huo bought this for you. He would like for you to wear it tonight. He also asked me to tell you not to go to bed until he returns to the villa." The expression on the woman's face indicated to Erica that she was uncomfortable with this assignment. Matthew had ordered her to bring the item in the gift box to Erica.

When Erica examined the bag, she found that it only had a logo on it. Unfamiliar with the company brand, she frowned as she asked, "What's this?"

"You will know after you open it. Mrs. Huo, if there is nothing else, I will return to the office now."

Erica nodded. "Thank you! Who are you?"

"You're welcome, Mrs. Huo. I'm Paige Shen, Mr. Huo's special assistant. Please feel free to call me if I can be of any help in the future," Paige replied in a composed manner.

Erica's mouth fell open, and her eyes widened with shock. 'So, this is the woman Matthew likes!'

She studied the assistant. Paige was dressed in a black work suit, and her long chestnut hair was tied in a neat bun. Her facial features were delicate, and she had a refined air. One only had to look at her to know that she was a white-collar worker.

Thoughts of the nightgown flooded through Erica's mind again. 'It seems as though Matthew likes mature, flirty, and charming women!'

Paige was puzzled by Erica's expression. Why was Erica shocked when she heard her name? Paige couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong, Mrs. Huo?"

"Oh, nothing. Please, don't let me keep you! You should come over more often!" Erica smiled at Paige. Her tone seemed to be full of enthusiasm!

Paige didn't know what was going on, nor did she understand the underlying meaning of her words. Thinking that Erica was a hospitable host, she returned the smile and said, "Mrs. Huo, you're so kind. Thank you. Bye."

"Okay, bye!" Erica waved her hand. She returned to her room after Paige drove away.

A few minutes later, a woman's scream originated from the master bedroom on the third floor. Erica's cheeks turned crimson when she saw the clothes in the box!

Now she understood why Paige had such a strange expression when she delivered the gift box! But, why would Paige give the nightgown to her? Shouldn't Paige be wearing it for her romantic night with Matthew? Confused and impulsive, Erica pulled out her phone and texted Matthew.

"Why did you have the nightgown sent here?"

The phone buzzed, indicating that she didn't have to wait long for Matthew's reply.

"Didn't you say that you wanted to have five sons with me?" Obviously, he still remembered what she had said in his office this morning. Was he planning on having a romantic time with her tonight?

Back then, he had said that she needed to change her style. Was this the style he wanted?

'This doesn't feel right.' "You not only asked Paige to buy the nightgown for you but also asked her to bring it to me in person. Can't you see that you are hurting her?"

"Come to my office now. I need to tell you something face to face!" Matthew replied.

'He wants me to revisit his office?' Erica shook her head as she texted back. "No. Let's talk on the phone!"

"Would you prefer that I tell you that you are as stupid as a pig on the phone?"

Erica's eyes widened with surprise as she was not expecting such a reply. Unaccustomed to being treated like this, she vented her anger by hammering on the bed and screaming, "Matthew, you're a pig! A big pig! A stinking pig!"

But it didn't seem to help. Still angry, she grabbed the nightgown, crumpled it, and threw it on the bed.

Erica held back her anger as her fingers flew over the keypad. She texted back, "Mr. Huo, I'll leave you alone now."

Half an hour later, Erica received a message from Matthew, which read, "Don't be so upset. There is nothing intimate about my relationship with Paige. She and I are just boss and subordinate. She has a good relationship with her husband."

"Oh, so, your love is unrequited? I'll keep the secret for you!"

Erica's stubbornness and inability to accept his explanations exasperated Matthew. He struggled to contain his emotions. "Your stupidity has reached a new level." He wondered why there was such a stupid woman as Erica in this world.

He didn't know that Erica would use his messages to cause trouble. As soon as she saw the insult, she took a screenshot of the sentence and the previous taunt, "Would you prefer that I tell you that you are as stupid as a pig on the phone?" and sent them to Wesley. Then she texted, "Dad, I'm unhappy. Look at what Matthew is saying about me. He despises me. I want to come home."

As Wesley was busy, he didn't reply for a while. Erica paced in the bedroom as she waited. As soon as she heard the notification, she grabbed her phone and read the message. Wesley had written, "It's a good thing you and Matthew chat and text so often. I'm sure Matthew wasn't being rude.

You're indeed not bright. I can sense from his tone that he is doting on you. Can't you see that?" Erica was even more confused now. Did Wesley have X-ray eyes? How could he interpret a person's emotions just by reading these cold words? "Dad, I found out that the girl in Matthew's heart is his female special assistant. Unfortunately, she is married, and his love is unrequited!"

"Look at this situation positively. Now, you have the opportunity to consolidate the relationship between you and Matthew so that he can divert all his attention to you."

Erica suddenly felt as though she was competing with other girls for Matthew's love, just like the plot of a TV series about the emperor's women. "Are you advising me to attract the attention of a man who doesn't love me?"

"If you are going to think like this, then I can't help you," Wesley replied.

Erica rolled her eyes at the text. "Dad, don't you know that irresponsible men always say that?"

"If you will not change the way you think, then there's nothing I can do about it."

For a moment, Erica was speechless. 'Okay, you win. I will remember this.' "Wesley Li, when you and Mom are old, I'll take you and my mother out for a drive. Then, I will stop at a busy place, and force you to watch as my mother chats with other men."

Wesley replied calmly, "I've never regretted letting you marry Matthew. It's such a pleasure to see that all you can do is complain to me. You can't leave him even though you dislike him."

Erica sent Wesley a crying emoticon. She was so angry that she burst into tears. No one seemed to understand her, and she felt unloved and helpless.