Threads of Deceit: A Wife's Reckoning

After dinner, their daughter begged to watch cartoons.

Cecilia Nelson was holding the remote control, flipping through TV channels, when she was suddenly drawn to an image that flashed across the screen.

That profile, that coat...

It was clearly her husband, Sebastian Hughes.

He had his arms around a woman.

The woman's face wasn't fully visible, but she was leaning against his chest like she had no bones.

This was a live food show, and Sebastian was supposed to be in a meeting right now. If he appeared on this show, it meant he had lied to her.

Cecilia felt a wave of panic.

Could Sebastian be cheating on her?

"Mom, Mom, I want to watch cartoons. Hurry up and switch to the cartoon channel!"

Her daughter's urging pulled Cecilia back to reality.

On the screen was a food review live stream that Cecilia often watched.

In a moment of distraction, the scene had already switched to the kitchen.

But she knew this restaurant—she and Sebastian had just been there on a date a few days ago. It was a very romantic restaurant.

"Molly, be good and watch your cartoons. I have something to do!"

After settling her daughter, Molly Hughes, Cecilia returned to the bedroom. Her expression was grim.

She hoped she had seen it wrong!

She made a video call. The harsh ringtone went on for a long time, and Cecilia's heart kept sinking.

Was Sebastian really on a date with another woman?

Pick up the phone!

Just as she was about to break down, the video connected, and the camera shook.

But it wasn't Sebastian who appeared on the screen.

"Hello, Mrs. Hughes. Are you looking for Mr. Hughes?"

Cecilia was stunned. "Zachary, why is it you? Where's Sebastian?"

Zachary Evans was Sebastian's assistant.

She was the one who had recruited him into the company. Because he was detail-oriented and tactful, she had specifically arranged for him to help Sebastian before she left the company.

Facing his former boss, Zachary answered very formally, "Mrs. Hughes, Mr. Hughes is in a meeting and can't take your call right now. When he's done, I'll have him call you back!"

Cecilia nodded. She knew Sebastian had a habit of not bringing his phone to meetings.

She stared at the screen carefully, and after confirming that the background behind Zachary was the company office, she let out a huge sigh of relief. "Okay, tell him to come home early when he's done!"

After hanging up the video call, Cecilia's face immediately showed an expression of great annoyance.

She thought she might have really seen it wrong!

Sebastian was a good husband whom everyone praised.

Not only was he handsome and talented, but he also doted on Cecilia and Molly to the extreme.

How could such a good man cheat?

Eight o'clock in the evening.

Cecilia was giving Molly a bath when Sebastian made a video call.

She pressed the answer button, and Sebastian's handsome face appeared on the screen, accompanied by his gentle and refined voice, "Honey, Zachary said you called me. Sorry, I was in a meeting just now and didn't have my phone."

"Daddy!" Molly happily splashed water in the bathtub.

Cecilia held the phone in one hand while stopping Molly from playing in the water with the other.

When she looked at the screen again, her gaze fell on Sebastian's clothes. "Honey, why did you change clothes?"

Cecilia remembered clearly that Sebastian had been wearing the coat she prepared for him when he left that morning.

Hearing this, Sebastian's expression showed some grievance. "Zachary was clumsy and spilled coffee on my clothes. Luckily, you were smart and reminded me to keep spare clothes in the break room, I would have had to meet clients in dirty clothes today."

Cecilia's eyes flickered, and she followed up on the topic. "Since you met with clients, didn't you take them to a restaurant for dinner?"

"The client said he wanted to go home to celebrate his wedding anniversary with his wife, so we made plans for next time!" After answering seriously, Sebastian asked with some confusion, "Honey, what's wrong?"

"Nothing!" Cecilia responded, then asked, "When are you coming back?"

"Soon!"

Cecilia could feel the love in Sebastian's eyes. Such a gaze couldn't be directed at another woman.

Seeing her staring at him blankly, Sebastian smiled mischievously. "Are you missing me after just one day apart?"

Cecilia was afraid he would say something more mushy, so she quickly said, "I still need to bath Molly. Drive carefully. I'm hanging up!"

Sebastian got home quickly. When he came in, he took off his coat, kissed her and Molly first, then took the storybook from Cecilia's hands. His tone was gentle and considerate. "Honey, you've been tired all day. Go take a bath first. I'll read Molly a story. Molly, is that okay?"

"Okay!"

Cecilia left the children's room. She watched as the dim yellow light softly illuminated Sebastian, creating a warm and peaceful scene.

She shook her head. How could such a family-oriented and considerate man cheat?

Although that coat was expensive, it wasn't custom-made. It could just be a coincidence that someone else had the same one.

Besides, Zachary had answered the video call she made to Sebastian. If he could get Sebastian's phone, it meant they were together.

She had no reason to suspect anything else.

When Cecilia came out after her bath, Molly was already asleep.

"Honey, do you want to wash your coat?"

As she spoke, she picked up the two coats draped over the sofa.

One was the suit Sebastian had just worn home, and the other was the coat with coffee stains.

"No need!" Sebastian had just entered the bedroom, but returned to the living room and pulled the coat from Cecilia's hands. "You don't need to wash this one. Zachary already sent it to the dry cleaners!"

Cecilia nodded. No wonder she didn't smell any coffee when she got close to it just now.

"Honey, why do you and your clothes smell like women's perfume? Whose is it?"

Sebastian laughed and teased, "Honey, are you getting jealous over nothing again?"

After saying this, he stepped forward and hugged Cecilia, his hands wandering inappropriately over her body.

Although Cecilia had been a housewife for several years, she maintained her figure very well.

Plus, now that the company was making money, she had put a lot of effort into taking care of herself.

Cecilia wasn't a sloppy woman. On the contrary, she was very attractive. Even staying at home, she always radiated a woman's charming appeal!

It was precisely because of this that she didn't want to believe her husband would cheat on her when he had such a beautiful woman with skin like cream.

But anything was possible.

"Let go!" Seeing Sebastian still acting calm, she frowned. "Zachary said you didn't have contact with any other women at the company today. Don't you think you should explain where the perfume smell came from?"

Cecilia's beautiful, big eyes scrutinized Sebastian.

Sebastian was very handsome, the kind of handsome that people couldn't forget.

His face was the initial pull. It was the gateway to the knowing, the loving, and the staying. Sebastian seemed to be teasing her on purpose, watching her pout with a smile on his handsome face.

Probably afraid that continuing the silence would really make her angry, he quickly restrained himself, raised his hand to tap her nose, and said in a doting low voice, "Stop being jealous."

His large hand on Cecilia's waist applied a little force, pulling her soft body close to him, then he quickly kissed her on the lips. "You're always overthinking. Don't you think this perfume smell is familiar?"