Hidden Desires - Family Secrets-Chapter 149 I was likely in for another sleepless night

Luna seemed pleased with my appearance, her eyes soft with warmth.

I hadn’t looked in a mirror from start to finish.

After dinner, Luna walked me to the door, her eyes filled with reluctance.

As I was about to leave, I thought about asking her to stop having me followed, but I held back.

No matter what I said, she would have someone on my tail, invisible and ever-watchful.

She did it under the guise of protection.

My mind, however, was preoccupied with resolving things with Betty, so I let it be.

I glanced back at Luna and the villa I had lived in, hailed a cab, and headed towards my destination.

The car moved through the familiar city streets, stirring a whirlwind of emotions within me.

My destination was a law firm.

I met with a lawyer and explained my situation directly.

The lawyer drafted a simple divorce agreement for me: all assets would go to Betty.

I wanted nothing, leaving with just the clothes on my back.

As I signed the document, a moment of hesitation gripped me, but I quickly scribbled my name under the husband’s signature.

I left the rest to the lawyer, providing him with our home address and Betty’s phone number.

In my rush, I hadn’t managed to get a new phone, so I instructed the lawyer to proceed with Betty’s signature first.

I broke protocol by paying in full upfront and took down the lawyer’s number, securing his promise to expedite the process.

Stepping out of the law office, I faced the bustling street under the scorching sun, unsure of my next move.

Should I buy a ticket and flee somewhere far?

I decided to stay another day, waiting for the divorce to finalize.

I found a hotel and checked in, but peace eluded me as I lay on the bed.

The moment Betty signed those papers, my marriage—and my connection to my family—would end.

What would come next?

My heart raced unexpectedly.

Lying in the hotel bed, sleep was a stranger.

Though physically recovered, my mind was foggy, restless.

At Luna’s, my days were filled with nothing more than eating and sleeping—a life I never wanted.

Time seemed to crawl.

I wondered if the lawyer had visited my house yet, if he had met Betty.

My world felt devoid of color, the days a wasteful continuation of life.

People say time is precious, and wasting it is like a slow suicide.

What was I doing then?

The drive that once sustained me was gone.

The appointment letter I clung to felt like nothing more than a scrap of paper now.

My only remaining ties were to Betty and the home that was no longer mine.

Living felt like a burden.

In my previous job as a department head, I always told my team to value time and do meaningful work.

Now, trapped in this vicious cycle, I couldn’t apply the same advice to myself or find a way out.

I had never felt so defeated.

Was this all a test or punishment from fate?

I remembered that my luggage was still at the previous hotel, possibly considered abandoned by now.

My laptop was there too.

With nothing but time on my hands, I got up from the bed.

It was getting dark as I stepped out of the hotel.

Nearby, a shop was still open.

I walked in and bought a hat and sunglasses—not for fashion, but to avoid recognition.

I wasn’t sure if Betty had called the police, and I needed to keep a low profile.

I chose to walk instead of taking a cab, hoping to calm the storm inside me.

As I approached the hotel where I had previously stayed, a pang of pain shot through my heart.

Time marched on, and I found myself standing at the hotel’s entrance.

Despite my best efforts to avoid it, my gaze involuntarily drifted towards the entrance of my company.

It was quitting time, and my colleagues were trickling out.

"You know, what the heck happened to Justin? We can’t even talk about it at work. It’s so weird. His phone’s been off too," said one of my notoriously nosy female colleagues, her face marked by curiosity.

"Don’t ask what you shouldn’t," snapped a male colleague who was usually on good terms with me.

"It’s definitely something to do with his family. Didn’t your sister see his wife coming to the company every day? She even camped out there one day. No clue what their beef is, but Justin shouldn’t be dragging his wife through the mud like this. She’s such a looker, and now she’s a mess, like some crazy woman..." another gossip chimed in, naturally siding with the woman, thriving on the chaos.

"It’s weird, though, she hasn’t shown up yesterday or today," the two women prattled on, oblivious to the fact that I, the subject of their gossip, was overhearing everything.

True colors show in tough times, and this was the rawest form of people I was witnessing.

Their footsteps faded into the distance, none recognizing me.

Hearing their conversation left me frozen in place.

Although they didn’t say much, I caught enough.

Betty had been coming to the company looking for me daily, turning herself into a shadow of her former self.

Betty, always so well put together, now being called a madwoman...

I shook my head, trying to dismiss these thoughts.

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Maybe their words were exaggerated, spiced up.

Could Betty still be degrading herself for me?

She had Michael now, a new love...

I recalled everything I heard and saw that night, pushing away any sympathy I felt for Betty.

I adjusted my mindset and headed back to the hotel.

Upon arrival, just as I suspected, my belongings had been removed by the hotel as unclaimed property.

However, the hotel service was commendable; they had kept everything for me.

I expressed my gratitude, looking at the pile of luggage, feeling utterly drained at the thought of moving it.

After some deliberation, I checked into another room, and with the help of the staff, moved my luggage there.

Coincidentally, the window of this new room offered a view of my company’s building.

The original hotel had nothing of mine left, just a bit of a deposit.

I decided to stay, perhaps clinging to a last shred of attachment to my company, or maybe hoping to catch a glimpse of Betty coming to look for me.

It would be like a final farewell, a last look at her.

Lying in the hotel bed, closer to my company, closer to my memories, only made sleep more elusive.

My laptop lay beside me, having spent the last few days in the hotel room.

It was through this device that I could see everything at home.

Now that it was back with me, all I had to do was open it, type in a specific URL, and I could see everything at home.

Though I was away from home, my heart was heavy with concern.

I thought about opening my laptop to check on things at home, but I feared seeing something I didn’t want to see.

I was also afraid that seeing Betty in a pitiful state might soften my heart.

I shifted my gaze away from the computer, deciding not to look.

Tonight, in this room that wasn’t mine, I was likely in for another sleepless night.