Facade of Love

Chapter 1

Facade of Love

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Chapter 1 The Ugly Scar

“Ms. Yvette Scott, it’ll be impossible for this scar to completely heal. You probably had an inkling of how severe your injury was the moment when it happened. All we can do is make it fade. We can’t guarantee anything else.”

I could not help but recall the doctor’s words from the hospital this afternoon as I looked at the long scar marring my abdomen in the mirror.

Was there truly no way to completely erase this scar?

After a moment, I took some ointment from the drawer and applied it to my abdomen.

Squeak…

The bathroom door opened. Hearing the noise, I instinctively looked up and met Idris‘ stern gaze in the mirror. He was tall and slender, with a handsome and cold face.

Avoiding my gaze, his eyes fell on the grotesque scar on my abdomen. His handsome eyebrows furrowed slightly for merely a moment before he silently exited the bathroom.

I caught a fleeting look of surprise in his dark eyes when his eyes landed on the scar. He masked it

well, but it could not evade me.

We had been married for two years, and we did not sleep together much. Moreover, we would always turn off the lights before making love. Perhaps he had felt it before, but in the heat of the moment, heCcontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

never paid it much attention. Today was the first time he had clearly seen the ugly scar.

I put the ointment back and left the bathroom.

My husband, Idris Young, was smoking on the balcony, the end of the cigarette in his hand flickering. Looking at his back, I placed an ashtray beside him. I took a shallow breath and said, “Sorry. I didn’t know you were returning tonight.”

If I had known, I would have locked the bathroom door to avoid what just happened.

“When did you get it?” He put out his cigarette in the ashtray, answering my question with another

question.

This was the first time he had asked about the scar. Taking a deep breath, I replied truthfully, “Four or five years ago.”

He nodded, glanced at me, and subtly frowned. “What about the child?”

I paused for a moment, realizing he had misunderstood.

“It’s not…” from giving birth.

Chapter 1 The Ugly Scar

Idris did not give me a chance to explain further. His phone, which he had left on the bed, started ringing. He recognized his unique ringtone and immediately turned his head to pick up the call.

“Mm, I’ll be right there.” His voice softened as he responded to whatever was being said on the other

end of the line.

Watching his stern face soften, I felt a twinge in my heart. As he hung up and prepared to leave, I could not help but ask, “Will you be back by tonight?”

His coat was hanging over his forearm. He looked back at me upon hearing my question, his expression somewhat heavy. He maintained his usual poise as he dismissed me. “Don’t wait up. Get to bed early.”

The hint was obvious. He was not coming back.

Bang!

The bedroom door slammed. I stood on the balcony and calmly watched his black car pull out of the

yard.

He was probably going to see Moore, the person he cared about the most. All he needed was a phone call, and he would drop everything.

It would be enough to make anyone jealous.

My marriage to Idris was a business arrangement devoid of love. Our families both had their own goals, which eventually led to our marriage.

Knowing he had someone else in his heart did not surprise me. After all, who could stop themselves from yearning after their first love?

What did surprise me was that this first love of his was my sister, Moore Scott.

and my

Moore got married three years ago. If it were not for her sudden divorce two months ago accidentally running into them embracing in my family yard, I would have had no idea that she and him had

anything going on.

Although the situation was melodramatic, it was also heartbreaking.

Frankly speaking, Idris had been a qualified husband for the first two years of marriage. Even though I knew he did not love me, he took good care of me, making the marriage tolerable.

However, considering the current situation, it seemed like the end of our mutually–beneficial marital life was approaching.

In the middle of the night, I was awakened by a phone call. Not turning off my phone before bed was really not a wise move.

I answered the phone, suppressing the irritation that instinctively surged in me. “Hello?”

A soft female voice came from the other end of the line. “Iddy, I’m in pain.”

Chapter 1 The Ugly Scar

What?

Idris?

After listening to the soft voice on the phone, I recognized it as Moore’s voice.

My sleepiness vanished. I looked at the caller ID: it was Idris who had called.

Had they called me in the middle of the night to give me a live erotica performance?

Doot, doot…

The busy tone came, and the call was disconnected.

Hah!

That call completely ruined my sleep.

I was not in a good mood.

I looked at the time. It was one in the morning. I figured it was fair to involve the police.

I dialed 911, and a bland female voice answered. “Hello, this is Lake City’s 911. What is the nature of your emergency?”

Holding the phone, I said, “Hello, I’d like to report a prostitution case in the Clear Lake neighborhood.”