Hidden Desires - Family Secrets-Chapter 203 Had I seen it wrong? Part1

I glanced at the clock, realizing that the time to clock in at work was drawing perilously close, yet I was stuck, unable to extricate myself.

In a bid to avoid detection, I had no choice but to silence my phone, fearing that my boss might call to inquire about my absence as the start time approached.

I’m not sure how much time had passed, but it seemed like Betty and Michael had finished their meal, and the sound of the TV had also ceased.

At this point, I had lost all sense of time, my legs numb, just hoping for a chance to escape.

"The dishes can wait. Let’s go buy your luggage and stuff..." After the TV was turned off, I finally heard Betty’s voice.

They were preparing to go out shopping again, but Betty mentioned buying luggage, not clothes for Michael as I had expected.

Just then, I heard the sound of them approaching the door, apparently starting to change their shoes.

If they were at the door changing shoes, I figured I could peek out and probably see their backs, hopefully without them noticing me.

I took a deep breath and cautiously peeked out.

Through the balcony’s frosted glass, I could vaguely see Betty and Michael’s figures.

Betty was bending over to put on her shoes, her buttocks prominently displayed due to her posture, while Michael stood behind her, waiting.

At that moment, I saw Michael’s hand casually stroke Betty’s buttock, which took my breath away.

I nervously replayed the fleeting scene in my mind.

What was going on?

Had I seen it wrong?

Or perhaps it was a normal gesture by Michael, distorted by the frosted glass of the balcony door.

Could that really be the case?

Before I could snap out of my daze, the sound of the door opening and closing jolted the room into silence.

I remained on the balcony, too scared to move, the sound of the closing door pulling me back to reality.

I listened intently for over six minutes, making sure there were no sounds before I slowly turned the balcony door handle.

The kitchen that greeted my eyes was empty, with only the remnants of the meal Betty and Michael had just eaten left on the counter.

Though scant, the meal looked lavish.

I leaned in to smell the dishes; Betty’s cooking always had a unique, delicious aroma, but now, that scent seemed different in my heart—it was still delicious but not as it used to be.

At this moment, I no longer felt hungry.

I walked out of the kitchen into the living room, where several shopping bags from a clothing store lay on the sofa, containing the clothes they had bought that morning.

The clothes were bought, but now they were out buying luggage?

I didn’t have the energy to ponder this further.

I went to the door, slipped my cold feet back into my shoes, and slowly opened the door to leave.

I turned on my phone, and it was already past the time to clock in at work.

Even if I went now, I couldn’t clock in and would be marked as absent.

After considering my current state, I realized I wouldn’t be able to focus at work anyway, so I called my boss and made up an excuse to take the afternoon off.

After getting the time off, I just stood on the busy street, unsure of where to go or what to do.

I couldn’t stay at home because I didn’t want to run into Betty and Michael if they came home early.

My mind kept replaying the scene I had just witnessed at the door.

Did Michael really touch Betty’s buttock, or was it just an unintentional movement of his hand that, due to the glass, caused a refraction of light and a misunderstanding?

I wandered aimlessly down the street, feeling like there was no place for me in this vast world.

As I walked, I found myself in the bustling city center.

I was aimless when I arrived, but since I was here, I decided to try and clear my mind.

However, the noisy atmosphere only added to my agitation.

I walked aimlessly, constantly revisiting everything in my mind.

From the first time Michael entered my home as a child to this... his second return, I’ve always felt uneasy, constantly on edge.

Even though I had firmly accepted him back from abroad, a slight wariness lingered in my heart.

What exactly happened in the twenty days I wasn’t home?

The broken surveillance system troubled me deeply, like a thorn in my heart that I couldn’t remove.

And the scene I had just witnessed, whether real or imagined, I couldn’t be sure; perhaps I was overthinking, leading to hallucinations and misunderstandings.

Regardless, Michael would be leaving home in a few days to continue his studies abroad and start job hunting, which slightly eased my mind.

As I aimlessly searched through the mall, I unexpectedly spotted two very familiar figures—it was Michael and Betty, shopping in the mall.

The mall was crowded, which made it easier for me to stay hidden.

They were buying some household essentials, something I never bothered with as Betty always managed our home.

Seeing them shopping for household items, I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of guilt.

After Betty and Michael finished their morning shopping, they returned in the afternoon to pick up household essentials.

I realized I might be overthinking things.

Should I start seeing Betty and Michael in a different light?

Once this thought settled, I felt a wave of relief and decided to drop the pretenses and stop being so secretive.

Rubbing my cheeks, I prepared to join Betty and Michael.

Since I had taken the afternoon off, I might as well help Betty with the shopping for the house.

I couldn’t let Michael take all the credit.

As they drew closer, their backs were to me, but as I approached, I noticed they were at a stall picking out bed linens.

A strange feeling stirred within me.

We already had plenty of bed linens at home, so why was Betty buying more?

Was it just out of curiosity, or was she preparing to send these with Michael abroad?

Although domestic textiles are top-notch, the bulkiness of taking them abroad seemed impractical.

Pondering this, I decided to get closer to overhear their conversation, but the mall was too crowded to catch any of their words.

They stood at the textile stall, pointing and discussing, with occasional smiles flashing across Betty’s face.

I saw a stall selling hats, glasses, and masks in another direction and quickly ran over to buy everything.

I stood in front of the mirror, putting on a hat, glasses, and a scarf, wrapping myself up tightly.

After paying, under the curious gaze of the shop owner, I hurriedly followed them.

But when I reached the textile shop where they had been, Betty and Michael were nowhere in sight.

I stood there, turning my head 360 degrees, but the crowd was too thick to spot them.

I rushed around searching, but after a long while, there was still no sign of Betty and Michael.

Had they already left the mall?

I hurried to the mall’s main entrance, where a busy flow of people and traffic buzzed outside.

This five-story mall was massive, and searching for two people in this sea of faces was like finding a needle in a haystack.

Encountering them earlier was a stroke of luck, but now deliberately searching felt futile.

Sometimes things don’t work out when you try too hard, but happen unexpectedly when you don’t.

At this moment, I regretted my actions.

If I had known, I wouldn’t have gone shopping.

I pulled out my phone to call Betty but couldn’t think of any excuse that wouldn’t arouse her suspicion.

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With a heavy sigh, I slowly started walking home.