Scars of Deception

"Ms. Wellington, completely getting rid of this scar is impossible. I believe you were well aware of the extent of your injury back when it happened. We can only diminish the visibility of this scar. The rest is beyond our guarantee."

I gazed at the recurring scar above my abdomen in the mirror, recalling the doctor's words from that afternoon at the hospital.

"So, there's no way to completely erase this scar?" I wondered.

I paused for a moment, then took out scar-fading ointment from the drawer and applied it to my abdomen.

Creak! The bathroom door was pushed open. Hearing the sound, I instinctively looked up, locking eyes with Theodore Beaumont's stern gaze through the mirror. He was tall, with a graceful and coldly handsome face.

Theodore averted his gaze from mine and focused on the grotesque scar on my abdomen. His elegant brows furrowed slightly, but only for a moment. Soon after, he silently exited the bathroom.

A fleeting surprise flickered in his dark eyes when he saw the scar. Even though he controlled it well, I caught that moment.

Married for two years, we didn't spend much time sleeping together. Moreover, every time, it was after turning off the lights that we made love. Perhaps he had touched it before, but in the heat of the moment, he didn't pay much attention. Today was the first time he clearly saw this grotesque scar.

I put away the ointment and left the bathroom.

Theodore was on the balcony, smoking, the ember of his cigarette flickering. I looked at his back, placed the ashtray beside him, and took a breath. "Sorry. I didn't know you'd be back tonight."

If I had known he was coming back, I wouldn't have left the bathroom door unlocked, giving him the chance to witness what just happened.

"When did you get it?" he asked, lifting his finger lightly, the cigarette butt falling into the ashtray, avoiding responding to my words.

It seemed like the first time he spoke to me about the scar. I took a breath and answered truthfully, "It's from four or five years ago."

He nodded and glanced at me, his brows slightly furrowed. "Where is the child?"

I hesitated for a moment, then realized his misunderstanding.

"No..." This wasn't from giving birth.

He didn't give me a chance to say anything more. His phone, lying on the bed, began to ring with a distinctive tone. He immediately turned to answer the call.

"Yeah, I'm coming right away," he responded, his voice softening as he spoke to the person on the other end of the line.

I watched as his rigidly handsome face softened and calmed, causing a twinge in my heart.

Seeing him about to leave after hanging up, I couldn't help but speak up, "Are you coming back tonight?"

With his coat draped over his arm, he turned to look at me upon hearing my voice, his expression somewhat stern but still maintaining his aristocratic demeanor. "Sleep early. No need to wait for me."

He wasn't coming back.

Bang! The bedroom door closed. I stood on the balcony, calmly watching the black car leave the yard.

I guessed Theodore was going to meet Cordelia Wellington, the person he loved. Anytime Cordelia called, he would drop everything to be with her.

Quite enviable, I must admit.

My marriage with Theodore was a business alliance, devoid of emotion. We married out of familial necessity, and so, we tied the knot.

I knew he had someone he loved, and it wasn't surprising. After all, everyone had a beloved person in their youth.

What surprised me was that Theodore's beloved was my sister, Cordelia.

Cordelia had been married for three years but suddenly divorced two months ago. If I hadn't accidentally witnessed her and Theodore embracing in the Wellingtons' Villa, I wouldn't have known that Cordelia was the one Theodore loved.

This kind of relationship was melodramatic but heart-wrenching.

To be honest, in our two years of marriage, Theodore had been a qualified husband. Although I knew he didn't love me, he took good care of me.

However, given the current situation, the days of this fine marriage were likely coming to an end.

In the middle of the night, I was awakened by the ringing of the phone. Honestly, not turning it off before sleep wasn't a wise choice.

Answering the call, I suppressed the irritation caused by being abruptly awakened and said into the phone, "Hello."

A soft voice of a woman came from the other end. "Theodore, be gentle. You're making me a little sore."

For a moment, I was stunned.

Theodore?

The soft voice of the woman on the phone sounded familiar.It was Cordelia.

My sleepiness vanished, and I glanced at the incoming call display. It was Theodore who called.

So, he called me in the middle of the night just to let me hear them making love?

Beep... The phone emitted a busy signal, and the call had been disconnected.

These two were playing quite an exciting game!

That call thoroughly disrupted my attempt to get back to sleep.

My mood was far from good.

Checking the time, it was 1 AM. It seemed like I needed to trouble the police.

I dialed 911, and a standard female voice on the other end said, "Hello, this is 911 for Kinetica. What's your emergency?"

Holding the phone, I began. "Hello, I'm calling to report a prostitution case in Opulent Oaks."

Two hours later, in front of the police station.

"Seraphina, nothing really happened between Theodore and me. I was feeling unwell, and I called him to help me with medication. I don't know why the police suddenly came in and brought us to the station." Cordelia pleaded, looking at me with a pitiable expression.

I looked at her, nodded, and gave a slight smile. "It's okay. Since it's a misunderstanding, Cordelia, you should go back and rest. I've arranged for a car to take you. It's too late, and Theodore and I won't be able to send you."

Seeing that I didn't seem angry, Cordelia glanced at Theodore, her gaze intense. However, Theodore's mood appeared cold. Cordelia didn't say anything more and left.

I had driven here, and as Cordelia left, without waiting for the man beside me, I got into the car and took the passenger seat. It was already four in the morning, and fatigue set in. I planned to rest in the car.

But just as I sat down, not long after, the man in the driver's seat spoke, his voice low and somewhat stern. "Did you make the call to the police?"

Theodore's voice was low, carrying a hint of coldness.

"Yes." I nodded, feeling too tired to look at him.

"Why?" He didn't start the car, seemingly unwilling to leave.

I rubbed my temples, trying to shake off the sleepiness. I opened my eyes and looked at him with a hint of annoyance. "You disturbed my sleep in the middle of the night. I had to do something."

His voice remained low as he asked, "What? Disturbing your sleep?"

Seeing Theodore's confused expression, I blinked, realizing that he didn't know about the phone call.

I didn't continue explaining and closed my eyes to get some sleep.

Some things didn't need to be spelled out too clearly.

He didn't press further and started the car.

The next day.

I hadn't slept all night, so I took a day off to catch up on rest. It was evening when I finally woke up.

In the villa, Theodore wasn't around. I grabbed something to eat, and since my phone had been off, I turned it back on. Several missed calls popped up.

Apart from work-related matters, the other calls were from Cordelia.

I was about to call her back when the phone vibrated again, another call from Cordelia.

I answered the call without saying a word.

Cordelia's voice came through. "Seraphina, do you have some time? Can we meet?"

"No," I replied lazily, reclining on the sofa.

Cordelia seemed surprised by my straightforward refusal and hesitated for a few seconds.

"I'm coming to Crystal Clearhaven to see you," she said before hanging up, as if afraid I would reject her.

Fifteen minutes later.

Cordelia stood outside the door, dressed in a flowing aqua-green dress, her figure graceful, and her delicate face showing no signs of being over thirty.

I looked at her, raising an eyebrow. "You came quickly."

She smiled, "Theodore said the house in Opulent Oaks is too cramped, so he helped me buy a villa next to yours. It's not far from here." With that, she entered the hallway, scanning the house.

Cordelia turned to me and said, "Theodore bought this house three years ago. At that time, he said he wanted it to be our marital home, so the style and decorations were arranged according to my preferences. I didn't expect it to be kept this way until now."

Leaning back on the sofa, I nodded without changing my expression, saying casually, "Your taste has always been good, but after living here for two years, I've grown a bit tired of it. I'm planning to demolish and redecorate it soon."

Cordelia shifted her gaze from inspecting the house to me, her expression deepening. She then said, "Seraphina, Theodore and I have been together for five years."

Playing with my phone, I glanced up at her, raising an eyebrow. "So what? How does that concern me?"

"You..." Cordelia seemed taken aback by my response. She could almost not hold back the emotions on her face. "So, you're the other woman. Theodore doesn't love you. You and he are only together because of the alliance between the Wellington family and the Beaumont family. Now that I'm back, you should give Theodore's wife position back to me."

I leaned back, lifting my eyelids to look at her, and smiled faintly. "Okay, noted."

Cordelia furrowed her brows, unable to contain her emotions as she looked at me. "Seraphina, don't you understand? Theodore doesn't love you. Why do you insist on holding onto this marriage and breaking up Theodore and me?"

"Tsk." Sitting upright, I propped my chin with impatience and glanced at her. "After saying so much, are you here just to convince me to divorce Theodore?"

Cordelia was straightforward, nodding. "Yes, as long as you divorce Theodore, I will persuade him to give you a more substantial share of the assets, so you won't be at a loss."

I smiled lightly, nodded, and leisurely picked up the phone that had been on hold. I said to the person at the other end, "Mr. Beaumont, is this also what you want?"