was at the company where I worked at the next morning.

The supervisor raised her brows at me in surprise.

I'd mostly been running late because of being caught up in Joe's mess and cleaning up after him then providing his needs at the same time so it was natural for her to be this shocked to see me walk in earlier than before.

The supervisor called me into her office.

"Racheal, would you be interested in joining our staffs working overseas?

There's an offer,and you're the best employee worthy of it." She asked carefully.

"Your skills are top - notch and there's no one here that rivals that. I didn't want to bring it up before as I was worried fo-"

"I will take that with a bunch of thanks, ma'am." I interrupted her.

Her eyes widened a little. She cleared her throat, "Is…something up at home,Racheal? You fought with your husband or something?

I noticed you threw a bouquet in the trash can last night also."

A light smile touched my lips and I shook my head.

Fight? Nah. Joe never engage in an argument with me.

Instead,he would give me a look an elder would give to a child mindlessly throwing tantrums.

My phone buzzed twice. When I checked it out,I saw it was Joe.

His voice rang out from the phone's speaker in a gentle but slightly displeased time.

"Swamped up with many duties today? I found the dining table empty."

He stopped,taking in a deep breath. "It was our anniversary yesterday,and I prepared something for you."

"Oh?"my brows perked up.

"What something?"i tried not to sound interested.

"A ring,a beautiful one to be precise. It was one of the lead items on sales yesterday."he replied and I heard sounds as if he was looking for something.

"How come it's not here tho? I kept it in my coat,but i can't find it."he remarked and I scoffed lowly.

I remember seeing a shiny ring wrapped around Nelly's slender finger in the picture last night.

I guess the gift he got for me needed a test to be run on it on his childhood sweetheart's finger.

"It's alright; I didn't get you anything after all."I brushed his words off.

"I really did got you a gift, Racheal. You aren't,by chance,angry right?"

"Why would I be?"I breathed out.

"I have to go now, there's a lot to do here."I added before ending the call.

Starting from that day,my relationship with Joe grew into a silent wave of ocean that could decide to swerve to any direction with no questions asked.

Few days later,I was invited for dinner by his mother; a rare event since she never for once saw me as the wife of her son,only Nelly was the golden girl worthy of being her daughter in-law.

I honored her invitation, nevertheless.

I arrived there at her house by taxi.

She could have stayed in the packhouse but she wanted a taste of life in the human world so she made Joe get her a penthouse there.

When I entered,she was directing Joe's friends go set the table.

As soon as my presence was registered,the room went into a state of silence,amidst which someone muttered, "Why call her here? She would drag Joe home with her,not allowing us have drinks."

I pretended not to have heard that and took my seat.

Joe soon arrived with Nelly by his side.

I saw that the ring was no longer on her finger.

Nelly dashed into the kitchen to chat with Joe's mother like she truly belonged there.

Joe pulled the chair beside me back and sat down.

He brought the ring out of his pocket and turned to me, "it's just like I'd guessed, Racheal. It was in the car this whole time."he smiled, twirling the ring in his hand gently as if it were such a precious object.

How could he not have any reluctancy to him?

Joe took my left hand, and slides the ring in one of my fingers without taking notes of my facial expression.

I stared down at the ring,a strong feeling of repugnant in me.

How long has he been lying to me with such ease?

From the kitchen,his mother's voice came out in a warm texture, "oh,Nelly,leave all these jobs for Racheal - it's only right she do it,not you who is only a visitor here tonight."

Nelly grabbed her and and shook it lovingly, "come on,aunty,I missed you." She purred.

"You did? Oh,Nelly.." Joe's mother drawled out as she threw a glance in my direction.

"I was begginning to think you'd forgotten all about Joe and I. Everyday,I longed for your company and it seems the earth was stuck in a place.

You're always welcome to visit often,my dear."she replied pulling Nelly closer.

She then looked at me and said out of pretended innocence, "Racheal, I don't think I have formally introduced you to Nelly,or have I?

Oh,my old brain. This is Nelly,my adopted daughter.

She and Joe has been tight friends ever since so their being so close is totally natural!

You don't have to worry about it and it's no use stalking your husband when he is out. After all,you trust your man, don't you?" There was a command tone underlying her words.

"That's right,Racheal. You're always trying to find out what I'm up to and it makes me uncomfortable.

We are all good people here and we won't drag Joe in an unsolvable mess." One of his friends and active shipper of the duo,Garry Gates chipped in with a smug face.

"Besides,we are all starting a business up and as part of our start up, it's only necessary we spend long hours out from meeting investors and all.

Nelly even passed out days ago from drinking too much with a client and landed herself in the hospital bed!

If both Joe and her truly have feelings for each other,they would be together now."

My brows furrowed up in confusion.

What business are they talking about?

What company?

Wasn't Joe stable and contented in his current job?

Realizing too late that he'd allowed his mouth run too much,Garry fell into a pit of quietness as he exchanged unsettling stares with the others.

I couldn't figure out if I was the one eating the meal or the meal was the one eating me up as I just kept shoving spoonful of the food inside my mouth but my stomach felt vain.

The food tasted bland,maybe if it was tasty,I would have been slapped back to consciousness fully.

The dining table was quiet in a creepy manner after the erstwhile drama.

When we were done eating,a heavy downpour of rain started outside.

Joe approached me.

"Racheal,I have to drop Nelly off at her apartment as it would be hard to find a taxi in the rain.

Why don't you spend some time with mom pending the time I drive her home?"

"Alright."I answered as I watched him closely.

He wanted to say some other things but he dismissed it,and gave my hand a little squeeze before walking off with Nelly.

I picked my mobile phone,and booked a ride,brushing off Joe's mom insistence that i remain in her house.

In the room,the patters of the rain on the roof,the coldness it brings with it left me bare and disgraced.

Not long after,a warm temperature surrounded me.

It was Joe. His clothes were wet and his hair dampened.

He wrapped his hand around me.

"It's my fault, Racheal. I shouldn't have left you alone but Prolly is helpless,more she has a young son and I just wanted to help a bit.

It was me who brought her to the dinner,so it was also my responsibility to make sure she get home safe and sound."

"You could have stayed with my mother tho."he added with a hint of a scold.

I turned to look at him,my eyes staying glued in his eyes.

"Was you driving her home the only option available?"I questioned.

"Huh?"he was befuddled with my sudden question.

I sighed,balling my hands beside me.

"Garry and others drove there, didn't they? They could have dropped her off or better still,she could have called a cabman."

I watched as Joe's face got clouded wuth shame and guiltiness.

"I..just wanted to.."

"You just wanted to be of help."I cut him off,rolling my eyes to the side, finding everything preposterous.

Joe inspected me before speaking up.

"You aren't jealous,are you,Racheal?"he asked as if it would be a crime if I was.

When I didn't respond,he picked up his words,"Nelly is just a sister to me. She's a divorcee,single mom,and not balance financially, that's a lot worry for her to bear alone."

But what about me?

I'm physically and mentally drained. I am supposed to feel married,but I am always sleeping alone on our matrimonial bed every night.

Although I am the Luna,the pack members rarely gives me full respect.

Concerning finance, I'm a mess!

But he hasn't for once worried about me!

My stomach tightened and i gnashed my teeth,feeling my body heating up in wrath.

I looked at Joe sharply.

If my eyes are nails,that brown eyes of his would have been dug out by now.

"Good. Now you'd even quit your job to help someone? To start a new business with them?"i tried to keep my voice low. I yanked his hand off my waist, drifting away from him.

He blinked rapidly and pulled hus necktie back to order.

"You don't know,Racheal,that this business is a joint one. We are all snatching such great opportunity to build something…huge, reliable and more better."He looked at me with affection-stricken eyes which I found so disgusting now!

"You'll be a mother very soon,Racheal, stop overthinking things. You wouldn't want to give birth to a jealous child, would you?"

My heart sank.

'But the child is no more.' I wanted to reply but his phone's ringtone didn't gave me the chance.

He accepted the call,and a small vibrant voice rang out.

"Daddy,why don't you come meet me? I badly want to see you!"

Joe's eyes twitched a little and he rolled over to the end of the bed,covering the speaker of the phone with his hands.

He jumped off the bed and left the bedroom.

Moments later,he returned and waltzed into his closet. He came out,dressed in dried clothes,ready to head out.

"Nelly's little boy is a bit under the weather and he wishes to see me.

I'll go and come back soon. This is the last time I would be meeting with her like this.

After this, I'll have more time for you and our baby."he came to peck me on my cheeks.

"You should start going."I nodded like the understanding wife I've always been.

Immediately he left,I picked up my phone to follow up with ny supervisor how the relocation plans were going.

My phoine vubeated and Garry's, alongside Joe's other acquaintances, messages flooded inside.

"Sister in-law,Nelly's son is sick,can you tell Joe to go over?"

I ignored their messages, focusing on the chat with my supervisor.

After that,I logged into my social media account and after checking out two posts,I stumbled on the one on Nelky's wall.

"Two important men in my life." A picture of Joe sleeping,with her son also far into the night in his arms was paired with her texts.

I chuckled,too tired to get angry or jealous.

Joe's entrepreneurship journey was moving effortlessly.

He got his first project,and invited me out to a celebratory banquet out of his full excitement.

As we waited for someone to come take our order,Joe yaps on, "I am going to be the best dad ever to our baby,Racheal. Our baby would be so proud of me.

I'll pay more attention to you guys,and won't let you suffer. If you notice anything out of place,you just tell me,and I will fix it."

I barely nodded at his words.

He carried the cup of water before him and drank some before returning it back to the table.

"With all hands on deck,our company is going to higher places. Garry has been single for long, mainly because he didn't have a stable job yet but he's going to settle down very soon now that everything is shining brightly."

I grumbled under my breath, already tired of his words.

Why am I here listening to all these talks that has got nothing to do with me?

He clasped his hands on the table and slouched his figure forward,"so,if you have a very good lady from reputable packs to recommend,one that is good for marriage,let me know,we could set up a blind date for both of them."his eyes deepened as he smiles.

I scowled a little,then pulled my eyes away from him

He's like a little kid when he's happy.

He starts giving information you requested and that you didn't request.

A waitress arrived and shot me a long stare before leaning closer to say some words to Joe.

"Who is she? Where's your wife? You aren't cheating on her,are you?" She said that loud enough for me to hear.

My breathing hitched as I weighed the waitress' words.

The same moment,my supervisor texted me and told me to return to the office for urgent matters.

"You can't skip few hours of work to be with me?"Joe sounded pissed.

The earlier cheerful look on his face has been replaced with a frown.

I felt happy that he was now experiencing the disappointment I got whenever I reached out for him to support but he just turns me down.

Once,I had gone out of my way to take his meal to his workplace.

One of his colleagues had admired my outfit and asked for my digits, but Joe has turned me into a stalker because of that.

He always tokd me how suffocating I was by poking nose in his business also.

He would throw excuses of having a lot on his desk to me when I needed his help but he wanted me to abandon work for him now?

I laughed hysterically in my head.

I watched as he paced tho and fro in the restaurant,his hands at each side of his hip.

"You're the one leaving now,Racheal. Later, don't be jealous about Nelly and I beng together. And it seems also that you don't really have faith in us.

I brought you out here to clear all misunderstandings but here we are."he stated, throwing his hands up in the air.

Jealous?

A surge of coldness envelopes me and I chuckled.

I had long stopped being jealous ever since I figured it was useless in this love triangle.

I will soon step away for their blissful match to bloom.

Everything about my travel abroad was finalized and my supervisor told me I was to depart the coming Sunday.

After this, she examined my body and observed, "you don't look too good, you've lost a lot of weight. Is the cold war still on?"

I didn't respond, perhaps because I was waiting for the final verdict on everything.

I went back to my cubicle,letting out a sigh when a friend request popped up on my screen.

I accepted it,and not long after,she sent me a video.

"You're the most disgusting mistress ever!"she wrote under the video.