Filed to story: When His Wife Can’t Forgive
At some point, she had stopped feeling anything when it came to Joshua.
Whatever he did or said, it no longer stirred any emotion in her.
So this was what indifference felt like.
“You can’t stand seeing me idle, can you?” she said flatly. “Fine. I’ll go help Georgia. If my blood ends up in the food, that’s your problem.”
Joshua frowned. “Alicia, there’s no need to be sarcastic.”
Alicia fell silent, choosing not to say anything else. Had it not been for unfinished business, she might have slapped him right there.
The air between them grew thick with tension. Alicia knew Joshua cared too much about appearances to come near her anytime soon.
So, after her shower, she locked the door and pulled out her phone to check the file Caden had sent. A password was required to open the document. The software only allowed one incorrect attempt before locking it permanently.
Alicia didn’t dare risk it. After making sure no one was nearby, she called Caden. The phone rang for a while.
Just as she was about to hang up, a groggy voice answered, sounding like he had just woken from a nap.
“What is it?”
The tone was almost like a lover’s murmur.
Perhaps because they had been intimate more than once, Alicia’s heart skipped a beat.
“The file you sent me needs a password. What is it?”
There was a pause before Caden replied.
He pried his eyes open, realizing it was already night.
He couldn’t remember exactly when he had dozed off.
All he knew was that both his body and mind felt completely at ease. After Alicia left, he had planned to rest on the sofa for just a moment.
With the lingering cold and several nights of poor sleep catching up to him, he drifted into a deep, exhausted slumber the second he shut his eyes.
It felt oddly satisfying.
However, he couldn’t quite figure out why it felt good.
It had been a peaceful, dreamless sleep. It took Caden a few seconds to process her question, and then he finally answered, “The password is my birthday.”
Caught off guard, Alicia asked, “And when is that?”
Caden’s stubbornness flared up. “Go look it up yourself.”
Alicia sighed in frustration. “Really? Can’t you just tell me?”
“No,” he replied curtly.
Alicia found herself speechless once again.
It seemed she’d have to figure it out herself.
Since birthdays had multiple digits, Alicia wasn’t sure how long the password would be or which part to use, so she kept the call connected, just in case she needed to ask him something else.
She quickly pulled up Caden’s personal details online. “How many digits is the password?” Alicia asked over the phone.
There was a faint rustling on the other end of the line, like the sound of fabric shifting.
Caden’s voice came through, accompanied by the sound of footsteps. “It has six digits.”
“But your birthday has eight digits. I don’t have to include the first two?” Alicia asked.
“Correct,” he confirmed.
Thereafter, Alicia carefully entered the password.
It didn’t take long until the file was unlocked.
Alicia let out a breath of relief and was about to hang up when she suddenly heard the unmistakable sound of a zipper being undone on the other end.
Recognizing it immediately from past encounters with Caden, her heart skipped a beat.
“What are you doing?” Alicia asked, startled.
Surely, it couldn’t be what she was thinking. Could he really be that desperate?
Caden paused for a moment and asked, “Why? Are you curious?”
Alicia’s instincts told her that nothing good could come from this. She was about to refuse when the clear sound of running water echoed through the phone. She couldn’t comprehend what he was thinking.
Caden casually said, “Did you hear that? I’m just taking a leak.”
Alicia silently cursed him under her breath.
“I didn’t expect you to be into this sort of thing,” Caden said, his tone as if he were discussing something completely ordinary.
It was as if Alicia was the one being inappropriate.
Alicia rubbed her forehead, not even bothering to chastise him for his actions.
Without missing a beat, she replied dryly, “Sounds like your urination’s got a problem of bifurcation. Maybe see a doctor when you get a chance. Men’s health issues only get worse the longer you ignore them.”
Caden was speechless.
Moments later, a knock came at Alicia’s door.
“Alicia, why did you lock the door?” Joshua inquired.
His voice was soft, but Caden could still make it out.
She then ended her phone call.
A frown creased Caden’s brow as he glanced at his phone, his mood darkening slightly. She was at the Yates Mansion.
Joshua’s late visit had clear intentions.
Caden tried to brush off the unsettling feeling, deciding not to focus on such minor details.
He then washed his hands, disinfected his phone, and took a shower.
Alicia, after a pause to compose herself, opened the door.
“I lock my door every night,” she explained calmly.
Joshua entered without hesitation.
He surveyed the room with suspicion but found nothing out of the ordinary.
Dismissing his suspicions, he remarked, “I thought you were guarding against me.”
Alicia kept her thoughts to herself but responded, “If I were guarding against you, why would I be here at the Yates Mansion?”
Suddenly, Joshua shut the door and gently held her face, admiring how she looked fresh from her bath.
Alicia’s face tensed.
She had thought her menstrual period would deter him, making her less appealing-a notion he typically adhered to.
However, his current expression hinted at uncertainty. Joshua tenderly caressed her face, examining her features closely.
“How long has it been since your period started?” he asked.
Clenching her jaw, Alicia replied tersely, “Three days.”
“It’s almost done, right?” He prodded further.
Internally, Alicia felt a surge of annoyance.
“It’s still quite heavy,” she responded, her words a mix of defiance and hope to repel him. “You’d better not proceed.”
Joshua laughed softly, easing the tension. “I had no plans of pursuing that tonight, but Alicia, remember, there are many ways to make someone happy, and it’s not limited to just one,” he teased, softening his words to keep the conversation light yet suggestive.
Alicia was nauseated by the thought of his sexual experience with Lilliana.
Recalling Joshua’s past remarks about her being dull, she adopted a look of puzzled ignorance.
“I-I’m at a loss,” she admitted.
Joshua, barely holding onto his composure, suggested, “You could use your mouth.”
The suggestion filled Alicia with revulsion.
She fought to mask her disgust as she searched for an excuse.
“But I don’t know how,” she protested.
“I can show you. You’re a quick learner, a straight-A student. I’m sure you have a knack for this too,” Joshua reassured her, taking her hand and guiding it below his belt.
“I must leave shortly, so please be quick.” His whisper was intimate. “I’ve been waiting for this moment since our divorce, you know?”