Chapter 405: His Wife Has Become Someone Else’s Wife
Chapter 405: Chapter 405: His Wife Has Become Someone Else’s Wife
"Not at all. You’re not interrupting," Renee Jennings said, her tone growing even gentler. She sensed that Bear was a very introverted girl.
"That’s good." Bear quietly sighed in relief.
Renee Jennings raised a hand to smooth her hair and asked, "Bear, what can I help you with?"
Bear pursed her lips, seeming to find it difficult to speak. "It’s about my mom and dad."
Lying on her bed playing on her phone, Michelle Fuller perked up her ears to listen in.
Renee Jennings gave a slight nod. "It’s okay," she said patiently. "You can take your time."
"My dad was suddenly transferred to another city by his company back in March," Bear said, her gaze trembling slightly. "He only came home once, during the May Day holiday."
Renee Jennings asked, "And after that?"
Bear frowned. "I usually live at school. After the college entrance exams in June, I noticed what looked like signs of a man living in our house. But my dad clearly hadn’t been home for two months."
Renee Jennings also frowned slightly. "Bear, what did you find?"
"There were short hairs on the floor and the sofa," Bear said, her expression grave. "My mom and I both have long hair, so there’s no way we’d be shedding short hair."
Renee Jennings nodded and asked, "Anything else?"
"Also... the men’s slippers sometimes show up in my mom’s room." Bear lowered her gaze and said in a low voice, "And there’s a new razor in my mom’s bathroom."
"And another time, I came home for break and saw a pair of men’s under...wear drying on the balcony..."
Bear took a deep breath, gathered her courage, and looked at Renee Jennings on the screen. Her eyes were rimmed with red as she asked in a trembling voice, "I need to know... is my mom... is she... having an affair?"
Renee Jennings furrowed her delicate brows, looking at the girl on the screen with a complex expression. "Do your mom and dad have a good relationship?"
"I think so," Bear said thoughtfully. "I heard my dad pursued my mom for two years before she agreed to be with him."
"As far back as I can remember, my dad has always been really good to my mom. He’d brush her hair, give her massages, wash her feet..."
"He’d get off work early every day to buy groceries and cook dinner, then wash the dishes before going back to the office to work overtime. My dad is also a very romantic person; he was always surprising my mom."
Renee Jennings nodded and remarked, "It sounds like your dad is truly a good husband."
"He is!" Bear agreed wholeheartedly. "A lot of people say my mom really hit the jackpot with him!"
"But if your parents’ relationship is so good, why would your mom cheat?" Renee Jennings found it puzzling. She ventured a guess, "Could it be that your dad came back secretly?"
This was the same question Bear couldn’t figure out.
’Dad is so wonderful, so why would Mom cheat on him?’
"Actually, I asked my dad," Bear explained. "I asked if he ever came back to see Mom secretly, without letting me know."
"My dad said that I’m his treasure too, and if he came home, he would definitely see me. He wouldn’t just secretly visit Mom."
Renee Jennings said softly, "Your dad isn’t just a good husband; he’s a good father too."
"Yes!" Bear nodded emphatically, with glistening tears welling in her eyes. "My dad is a really, really great person! If Mom really did something to wrong him, I’d be so heartbroken for him."
"What about Orion?" Renee Jennings said. "I’ll ask him for you now."
Bear was sitting in the living room. Upon hearing Renee, she stood up, walked to the perch, and held her phone up in front of the Pip. "Orion, do you see the lady on the phone?"
Orion tilted his head and chirped like a whistle. "I see her, I see her! What’s going on?"
"Hello, Orion." Renee Jennings waved at him. "Are you Bear’s friend?"
"Bear? Who’s Bear?" Orion asked, confused.
Renee Jennings then asked, "Bear, what does your family call you?"
Bear replied, "Rainbow."
"Okay." Renee Jennings nodded. "Orion, are you Rainbow’s friend?"
Orion chirped again cheerfully, "Yes, yes, yes! Do you want to be my friend too?"
"Yes, can I?" Renee Jennings asked with a smile.
Orion: "It’s not out of the question!"
Renee Jennings’s lips curved into a smile. "Then from now on, we’re friends."
Orion: "But I don’t even know your name!"
"My name is Renee."
"Okay, got it!"
"So, can I ask you a question?"
"What question?"
"How long has it been since you’ve seen Rainbow’s dad?"
Orion blinked his small, deep black eyes. "A long time! His wife belongs to another man now!"
Renee Jennings: "You mean Rainbow’s mom?"
Orion: "Yup! She’s having a grand old time with another male!"
"Did she bring another male home?"
"She did!"
Renee Jennings frowned. "So when she brought the male home, Rainbow wasn’t there, right?"
"Nope!" Orion nodded his head emphatically. "Rainbow Mom always tells that male, ’My daughter is coming back tomorrow, so don’t come over.’"
"So as long as Rainbow is home, that male doesn’t show up, is that right?"
"Pretty much! Anyway, Rainbow Mom doesn’t dare let Rainbow find out about this!"
"What about Rainbow Dad? Does he know about this other male?" Renee Jennings asked.
Orion immediately squawked, "Of course! Rainbow Dad found out a long time ago. They even fought because of that male!"
One day, something urgent came up, so Rainbow Dad couldn’t go buy groceries and cook dinner.
So he messaged Rainbow Mom in advance to let her know and offered to order takeout for her.
Rainbow Mom told him not to worry about takeout, saying she would just make something simple for herself.
When Rainbow Dad saw her reply, he figured out a way to finish his work early, hastily bought some groceries, and rushed home, hoping to get back before Rainbow Mom settled for a simple meal.
But, to his complete surprise, when he walked in the door, he saw a pair of men’s leather shoes on the shoe cabinet—and they weren’t his.
His first reaction was to think that Rainbow Mom had bought him a new pair.
But when he picked them up, he found that the shoes were old; the leather surface and soles were covered in dust.
Rainbow Dad’s brow furrowed, his expression growing solemn. It felt as if an invisible hand was squeezing his heart, making even his breathing feel heavy.
He pressed his lips together tightly, his hand holding the groceries clenching into a fist.
Just as he was telling himself to calm down and not let his imagination run wild, a joyous shriek of laughter suddenly came from the bedroom.
It was a voice he knew intimately, but he had never heard his wife laugh with such giddy, unrestrained pleasure.
Rainbow Dad’s breath hitched, and he closed his eyes in pain.
He silently walked into the living room, placed the grocery bags on the coffee table, and sank onto the sofa, his face dark.
Orion stood on his perch, watching him curiously. When another peal of laughter came from the bedroom, he flapped his wings and flew over.