Chapter 547 Departure
“Anna, why are you sitting alone in the living room?” Josephine’s voice roused me from the depths of my grief. With a start, I rearranged my features into a smile and turned to look at her.
“Michael has had a long day,” I explained lightly. “I came down to let him have the room to himself.” “Well, so have you!” Josephine exclaimed indignantly as she took my hand.
“You deserve a good night’s rest just as much as he does.”
Her concern warmed my heart. I smiled up at her gratefully. As my mind had been occupied with Michael’s deception for over two days, the overwhelming wave of sadness was not that easily dispelled.
“Mom,” I asked tentatively after a long silence. “Do you think Michael and I will have a long and happy marriage?”
I never had cause to suspect that before. At the same time, I have never felt as lost as I did.
“Why do you ask such a question all of a sudden?” Josephine regarded me with surprise.
“It’s nothing,” I mumbled, deciding against divulging my troubles. “Just curious for your opinion.”
“You two have been together for a long time,” Josephine said firmly as she stroked my hand. “The hurdles you have overcome together would have destroyed other couples. After finally being together in the same house, I’m sure the two of you will never be unhappy again.”
I knew that Josephine only said that for our sake. I would have been very happy to hear her say that back then because it reaffirmed my assertion that our marriage was indestructible.
I’m not so sure anymore.
“Having lived with Dad for so many years, have you ever found out about any lies he might have told?”
“Does conning me into marrying him count?” she joked. “Apart from that, your father-in-law has never hidden anything from me. Though I wasn’t very fond of him when I married him, he has been a good husband to me over the years. I am very content with what I have. Most women spend an entire lifetime searching for precisely this.”
Despite her usual austerity, Josephine’s face seemed to shine with happiness at the mention of Lincoln.
I felt a little envious. How rare it is to witness such a strong foundation of respect and mutual trust in a marriage spanning several decades. I once thought that Michael would never lie to me. Sadly, how things have changed.
What would you do if you found out Dad lied to you about something? Would you be angry?”
I did not know how to face Michael when he woke up. I was in desperate need of guidance.
“Deception is also a form of love,” Josephine replied sagely. “When you find out that your spouse has lied to you, the first thing to do is to figure out how to mend the trust.”
Her beady eyes were fixed on me. “Did something happen between you and Michael, Anna? Did you fight?”
Taken aback by my mother-in-law’s shrewdness, I hurriedly denied it.
“No, we didn’t fight.”
It was true. Our earlier exchange could hardly be constituted as a quarrel. When he arrived home earlier that day, the conversation between us was nothing but civil. One might argue that my depression was self-induced.
I could tell that she did not believe me. “I noticed your expression this morning,” Josephine said gently. “Why don’t you tell me about it? I may be of help.”
“Mom, there really is nothing between the two of us,” I insisted. “I’m sure it has been a misunderstanding. We’ll sort it out between ourselves. You don’t have to worry.”
I was not going to involve Michael’s parents in our problem. Besides, I have not even figured out what the problem was. It would undoubtedly be embarrassing for me if I confronted him only to find out that I had misunderstood.
“Well, I won’t force you if you aren’t ready to talk about it,” Josephine said after a prolonged silence. “Remember, if Michael ever bullies you, you come to me. I will definitely be on your side.”
Returning her smile, I felt warm and fuzzy on the inside. The burden I have been carrying seemed to have eased slightly.
“You must be very tired over the past couple of days,” Josephine continued with a gentle pat on my shoulder. “Go back upstairs for some sleep, won’t you? There’s nothing that can’t be solved.”
“Okay then, I’ll do that. Good night, Mom.”
With a final nod at her, I stood up and trudged back upstairs.
Michael was still sound asleep. I stood by the bed and studied his face, feeling the torrent of complex emotions welling up within me.
I lay down on the bed after standing over him for a long time. I took care to turn my back to him as the sight of his face irritated me. To be completely honest, I was still a little angry. Being deceived made me feel like I have been wronged.
I fell asleep after laying restlessly in bed for what seemed like a long time. The next thing I remember was being woken up by his ringtone.
Michael answered in a calm and inscrutable voice.
As he did not turn on the speaker, I did not manage to hear what the person on the other end of the line was saying or whether the person calling him was a man or a woman.
“Okay, don’t worry, I’ll be there soon.”
The caller said something in response before Michael hung up and immediately started getting dressed.
My heart sank after seeing him in such a hurry. I was sure he was aware that the phone call had woken me up, yet he did not even offer a word of explanation after hanging up.
After watching him get dressed, I stopped him right before he headed out of the door. “Where are you going at this hour?”
He looked back at me. “I have something I need to deal with. I may be back late. Don’t wait up for me.”
There you go again. My heart felt as if it was ripped anew with another lie.
“What could be so important that it must be addressed in the middle of the night?”
My intuition told me that he must be looking for the woman he accompanied to the hospital. I was determined to keep him from going until he could offer a reasonable explanation.
“I’ll explain this matter to you when I get back,” Michael explained evasively as he pecked my forehead. “I’m really in a hurry now. Be good and wait for me here, will you?”
I was infuriated that he still refused to tell me where he was going or what he was going to do.
