Chapter 23

Recruiting Allies Ivanna shook her head, saying. “The surveillance footage I got was too blurry. Also, I couldn’t see the woman’s face because Matthew’s arms blocked her face.”

“Do you have the footage now?” I asked.

She quickly sent me the footage, and I saw many people on the street that night. Matthew’s figure in the video was fleeting. He wore the same overcoat I had ironed for him, making his tall figure stand out in the crowd.

His left arm was around a woman in a pink top. His large frame obscured her figure, so I zoomed in on the footage, but it made no difference. I still couldn’t make out the woman’s face. 1 “He’s quite the schemer,” I said as my tears clouded my vision.

Ivanna silently approached and sat beside me before putting her arm around my shoulder. I held the phone, choking on my tears as I said, “That night, I saw his figure on a live stream on TikTok. I sent him the video link immediately.”

I paused, tried to calm down, and spoke again. “Matt found a restaurant, removed his jacket, and stood in the hallway when he video–called me! Hahaha, I can’t believe how sly he is. He lied to me so effortlessly!”

I laughed maniacally as I poured myself another glass of wine and downed it. Ivanna didn’t stop me, either.

“You shouldn’t have lied to me, Ivanna. I.

“When you saw Matthew and me at the cafe, I was only giving him a piece of my mind and warning him not to break your heart. That’s why I didn’t want you to know that I met him alone,” Ivanna explained and sipped her wine. 1 I suddenly broke down as all my pent–up anxiety, fear, and helplessness erupted. I told Ivanna everything I knew, including what had happened after he let Ava fall last night and the continued lies.

“What do you plan to do?” Ivanna asked, her voice calm.

“I can’t just let Matthew bully me like this. He hurt me, so he must pay for what he did. Not just for me but for my daughter. I want to reclaim everything that’s rightfully mine!”

“Are you serious?” Ivanna asked again.

I firmly nodded as Ivanna analyzed all the possibilities with me. I felt stiffened with every word and understood the reasoning she presented. She feared I might lose everything I had if I took such a resolute However, could I return to how things were if I didn’t take action? The answer was clear to me. No!

Thus, I nodded and said with determination, “I’ve made up my mind, Ivanna!”

She stared at me intensely before saying. “I’ll help you!”

My mind was clearer than usual when I left Ivanna’s place. Later, Matthew returned home and played with Ava in our cramped living room, Since Ava w was a naive child, she babbled to him about how lovely Ivanna’s big house was. I feigned ignorance and pretended to be preoccupied with preparing dinner. However, I expressed how much I liked Amethyst Apartments.

Meanwhile, I secretly observed Matthew. Though he tried to seem engaged, I knew he wasn’t entirely focused.

During dinner, he intentionally asked me why I suddenly visited Ivanna. I responded casually, but I could tell he was uneasy about me visiting her.

The following day, I dressed meticulously before dropping Ava off at daycare and heading straight to my company building. When I arrived, I entered Matthew’s office, but he wasn’t there yet.

Johnson saw me and hurried over. “Madam, why are you here?”

I looked at his fawning smile and recalled the disgusting image of him in my phone, thinking about how he was part of Matthew’s repulsive circle. I said, “I’ll be working here starting today.”

“Uh…working?” My statement caught Johnson by surprise, and his expression stiffened.

“What? Is it that surprising?” I asked deliberately.

“N–Not at all, Madam! You should’ve returned to work long ago! I certainly haven’t forgotten how powerful you were back then!” Although he nodded smilingly, I knew he wasn’t sincere.

“Prepare an office for me,” I demanded.

Johnson hurriedly left, and I knew he would inform Matthew about my arrival.