Chapter 5



The hotel was vast, a sprawling complex where Kallie and Linsey were simply involved in distributing magazines. Kallie made her way to Building A, while Linsey ventured off to Building B.

As Kallie, laden with a cart brimming with magazines, sought out the freight elevator, a biting, sarcastic voice reached her from behind.

“You’re really going to great lengths just to catch a glimpse of Jake, huh? I can’t believe you’d resort to this kind of menial labor just to sneak around. If you’re that desperate to see him, I could just swipe a room card for you.”

Kallie stopped dead in her tracks and then slowly turned to face Sarah, who stood there with a smug, confrontational air, quite the contrast from the demure facade she presented around Jake.

A subtle shift crossed Kallie’s face as she motioned for Sarah to step aside.

However, Sarah was far from done. Her tone sharpened even more. “Are you so jealous that I’m with him that you followed him all the way here? You tried to sneak into the hotel. Are you planning on catching us entering the same room?” Her voice was not just challenging but laced with mockery.

Kallie could only signal her denial, but before she could offer her defense, Sarah cut her off with even more biting remarks. “Or what? Are you here to catch us having sex? Please, get a grip on reality. You should know your place.”

Kallie swiftly responded with a gesture, saying it was Sarah who should know her place since Jake would never fall for this side of her.

Though Kallie had never felt lesser than anyone due to her muteness, except in Jake’s presence, she found herself despising her inability to vocally challenge Sarah’s cruel words.

Sarah’s smirk widened. “Gee, I don’t get your hand signals. Let me tell you this. Don’t delude yourself. You think you’re entitled to be his wife? To Jake, you’re nothing more than a pet dog.”

Kallie’s eyes grew wide. She opened her mouth to object, struggling due to her damaged vocal cords. “That’s not true!”

“Don’t bother trying,” Sarah taunted. “Why waste your breath explaining when you could just bark like a dog to entertain me instead?”

Sarah paused, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “Oh, my mistake. I forgot you can’t even do that. You can’t even bark like a dog. Why don’t you play the part of a dog on the ground for us?”

Sarah sneered at Kallie, her gaze filled with derision.

Then, abruptly, a hand reached from behind and grabbed Sarah’s hair firmly. “You’re nothing but a shameless mistress. How dare you torment Jake’s lawful wife? Can’t you distinguish between decency and disgrace, you bitch?”

The grip on Sarah’s hair was so fierce that it nearly ripped her scalp, her agony manifesting in a scream as she tried to fight back.

Linsey reacted quickly, catching Sarah’s outstretched hand and sharply slapping her across the face.

“How dare you hit me back? Who do you think you are?” Linsey demanded, her voice icy.

Teetering in her nearly four-inch stilettos, Sarah stumbled backward from the force of Linsey’s slap, losing her balance. Sarah fell right at Kallie’s feet.

The next moment, however, Sarah’s expression shifted from anger to a pitiful plea. She clutched at Kallie’s ankle. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause any trouble. It’s just that I met Jake earlier. We’ve been together since we were teenagers. I never intended for him to leave you. Please, don’t hurt me…”

Kallie, taken aback by Sarah’s actions, stood frozen in shock.

Suddenly, a cold, stern voice cut through the air. “Kallie! What are you doing at this hotel?”

Startled, Sarah turned to the voice, tears welling up as she feigned innocence. “Jake, please, don’t be angry with her. It’s all my fault. I instigated this. Whatever she does to me, I brought it upon myself…”

Linsey, appalled by Sarah’s audacity, interjected sharply, “Don’t be ridiculous. I was the one who hit this bitch. Kallie had nothing to do with this.”

Jake, his expression unreadable, simply helped Sarah stand on her feet and fixed his gaze on Kallie, his voice devoid of warmth. “Kallie, you really disappoint me.”

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