I opened the chat window and typed. [It's my first time seeing someone so proud of being a mistress. I truly admire your self-justification skills.]
That night, Leon didn’t return.
For once, I slept through the night peacefully.
The next morning, I was woken by the sound of Leon entering the bedroom.
He stood by the bed, attempting to explain himself. “Honey, after the business dinner, I attended a charity auction. It was late, so I didn’t come home.”
He held up a gift box, his face full of smiles. “Guess what this is?”
“I don’t know,” I replied flatly, uninterested in playing along.
Noticing my lack of enthusiasm, he grabbed my hand, his tone softening, “Don’t be mad, okay? It was my fault yesterday.”
He placed the box in my hands and said, “This is your birthday gift. I saw it at the auction, and the first thing I thought of was you. Oh, and happy birthday.”
If he hadn't mentioned it, I had almost forgotten my own birthday.
I opened the box and saw a rose-shaped coral necklace inside.
“By the way,” he added excitedly, “I’ve booked a hotel tonight to celebrate. Let me put this on you—you’ll be the most radiant rose there.”
I turned my head away. “Let’s wait until tonight.”