But right now she didn't have the strength to manage her daughter's emotions. Her gaze fell back to the stack of printed message screenshots on the ground. The panic and pain all transformed into a flame of rage burning in her chest.
She had clearly warned Becket not to bring this matter before me. Yet he'd still dared to deliberately sabotage the relationship between me and Lennox.
She gradually calmed down, gathering all the papers, returning home, leaving Summer with the servants, then rushing to Becket's place.
At that moment Becket was still angry, because this morning Lennox had left without a word. He'd smashed the belongings in his house to ruins. But when he saw Lennox standing outside the door, his face immediately lit up with joy. Then he remembered the chaotic scene in the living room, his voice revealing obvious panic, quickly searching for an excuse in his mind. "Lennox, why didn't you tell me you were coming today? I—"
Lennox didn't let him finish. One hand clamped around his throat, her face flushed scarlet with fury, like a demon crawling up from hell. "Becket Thorne, you deserve to die."
She never imagined this Becket, who always pretended to be weak and innocent, acting like he'd never compete with me, behind the scenes had such a disgusting face.
Survival instinct made him flail with both hands, repeatedly striking at Lennox's wrist. But she didn't let go, instead squeezing even tighter, each word spat out with bone-deep hatred. "I warned you from the very beginning. What's between you and me could never let Aaron find out. Yet you dared to secretly tell him. You're just a toy I keep on the side. If you don't know your place, then don't blame me for being ruthless."
With that, Lennox's face was ice-cold. She threw him to the ground, her entire body radiating cold, murderous intent.
Becket clutched his throat, coughing violently, gasping in huge gulps of air. He'd never seen her this angry before. Never seen eyes as terrifying as Lennox's in that moment. Just last night the two of them had been intimate together. Yet today she could look at the person who'd lain beside her like an enemy.
He didn't need to guess. Lennox had discovered everything. Yet this home-wrecker still gritted his teeth, refusing to admit he'd sent those taunting messages to me. Yes, those lines of text I'd received in the dead of night.
Now he was crying and begging again, eyes full of desperation looking at Lennox. "So that's what I am in your eyes. I only dared to secretly hope for just a little bit of you. Even one ten-thousandth would be enough. I never dared dream of anything beyond my reach. And I would never say anything to your husband."
He knew full well that whenever tears fell, Lennox would soften. But this time he miscalculated. Lennox's face remained terrifyingly dark. Even at this point he still dared to lie.
Without hesitation, Lennox threw the printed photos from the folder I'd left straight into his face. "Never dared? This is what you call never dared."
The sharp paper edges sliced several bloody cuts across his face, but he didn't dare pay attention to them. When he read the contents on the papers clearly, he completely panicked. He never expected everything had fallen into Lennox's hands.
He crawled forward, clinging to her pant leg. "I was wrong. I said things I shouldn't have. But I did it all because I love you. I just wanted to be with you openly and legitimately."
I didn't need to witness the scene to imagine Lennox's ice-cold expression in that moment. "Openly and legitimately. Looks like you still don't understand your place. The person I love, the person I chose as my husband, is Aaron. And you're the one who pushed him away from me. Now you have to pay the price."
Right after that, Lennox raised her foot to kick him, but was stopped by one sentence. "But I did it all because I love you."
I don't know how Lennox reacted. Only that she'd made her final move. She stared at him intently, as if wanting to emphasize every word.
I didn't need to think to know he was desperately trying to find himself an escape. His past, I'd investigated it. A child raised in violence, abandoned by his father, deserted by his mother. Since entering college he'd sworn he had to climb to the top. Three months ago he became assistant to the CEO at Whitmore Corporation. The moment he first met Lennox, he'd identified his target. Though outwardly she was the model wife who loved her husband and child, in his eyes rich people all had affairs. Once in bed, no one could resist temptation.
And he'd actually succeeded. From a nobody assistant, he'd become the man lying beside my wife.
Once he tasted luxury, his ambition exploded. He didn't want to stay hidden forever. He knew Lennox had a daughter, and children were easier to manipulate than adults. He'd gradually won the little girl over when I wasn't around. And I, the cuckolded fool, had no idea.
The instant he learned I'd left, only one thought filled his mind. The opportunity had arrived.
I'd once thought someone like him had nothing but an innocent face. But it turned out that behind that smile was an entire shattered childhood. A violent father, a mother who'd run off with someone else. He'd grown up under beatings and the pitying stares of everyone. I could imagine how he'd endured such humiliation growing up. Beaten, despised, forgotten. Only when he entered college did he begin to see that life could be different. Luxurious. Respected.
He swore he'd never let anyone trample him again. He had to become someone above everyone else. Never having to bow his head to anyone's contemptuous gaze again.
Three months ago he slipped into Whitmore Corporation as assistant to the CEO. The very first time he met Lennox, he'd identified his prey. No matter how many rumors he heard about her love for me, he didn't care. In his eyes, every wealthy person eventually softened. He believed the more devoted they appeared to their spouse, the more addictive forbidden fruit became.
And then he'd actually succeeded. From a nobody, he climbed into my wife's bed. I don't know how long they'd been performing behind my back. But I knew clearly that after that night I'd lost something I could never get back.
After being pampered by Lennox, he began dreaming bigger. No longer wanting to stay in the shadows. He wanted status, wanted to be public, wanted my entire family, including my daughter. He knew Lennox had a young daughter, a child easily softened, easily bought. Step by step he'd moved closer, worming his way into the little girl's life.
And I remained completely blind, completely trusting.