Once Bitten, Twice Shy

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Samantha was silent but her eyebrows twitched up as soon as Rochelle said that.

Rochelle analyzed the situation and said, “You know it in your heart, don’t you? As long as your real husband, Timothy, comes forward and makes public your marriage, every single accusation about you sleeping around and having a disgraceful private life would immediately be clarified. With a husband like that, no one would believe that you would go out and have an affair.

“It’s the same with all those other unwarranted accusations. Timothy just needs to speak up. As your husband and the man who shares a bed with you, your parents’ accusations would no longer hold water if Timothy comes out to support you. Compared to your no-good parents, Timothy—as the Barker Group’s CEO—would certainly be more persuasive.

“Furthermore, as your husband, it’s only right that he comes forward at this time and fends you against all those rumors. Don’t you think the reason your despicable parents dared to go against you is because they think your husband won’t show himself and help you?”

Indeed, Rochelle’s words—including each and every pause and stop—were all accurate.

Those accusations her parents made against her were only able to arouse public anger because her ‘actions’ had crossed the baseline of morality.

The reason why she could not defend herself was because her words were not credible. After all, she was a nobody. Secondly, her marriage with Timothy had been publicly broken off and her reputation had been sullied right from the outset. To top it off, plenty of unsavory things about her made the headlines, making it difficult to convince anyone of her innocence without any strong evidence.

Therefore, the simplest and most effective way was to have Timothy come forward.

Samantha understood that. She understood it with crystal clear clarity, but she did not think about it.

She opened her mouth but blurted a question out. “Chelle, if you were in my shoes, would you go to Jonathan and ask him to deal with it?”

“Heh.” Rochelle sneered and thought that it was a particularly funny question. She answered without even thinking, “Of course I will.”

After a pause, she added. “It’s much easier to use a person when there are no feelings involved.”

The words were so direct, they pierced Samantha’s heart instantly.

Indeed, Rochelle had no feelings for Jonathan other than hatred. That was why she had no qualms troubling Jonathan. Samantha, on the other hand…

Samantha closed her eyes.

Her relationship with Timothy had gone through a lot for the tension to ease a little, and she had yet to ask him clearly whether the person he loved was her. She feared that seeking his help for a particular matter would cause another misunderstanding, thereby breaking the balance between them once again.

When it came to Timothy, she had to be cautious for even the smallest of matters, even if it was for nothing other than to live peacefully together before that marriage was over.

Samantha was not prepared to think about that. She shook her head, opened her eyes, then looked at Rochelle with a touch of curiosity. “Chelle, you and Jonathan have been married for so long, but do you really have no feelings for him at all?”

She still remembered that there used to be a period when Rochelle’s relationship with Jonathan was not as stiff as it was. At that time, she could vaguely make out from their calls to each other that Rochelle wanted to spend her days living well.

After that, Samantha’s marriage was broken-off and she was kicked out of the country. She was in no state to take care of anything other than herself, and she had not been able to contact Rochelle for a very long time. When she finally managed to settle in and was able to contact Rochelle, the latter’s relationship with Jonathan had become like fire and ice.

“Feelings?” Rochelle muttered. Something seemed to flash in the bottom of her eyes, but it was barely fleeting. Following that, the familiar hatred returned to her expression and she spoke very clearly, “Does hating his guts and wishing he would go to hell count?”

Samantha tactfully kept quiet.

She and Rochelle were like sisters indeed, for their love life was the same.

Rochelle was in a very bad mood when Jonathan was mentioned. She got up from the sofa, walked to the wine cabinet, then took two bottles of wine from it. After getting another pair of wine glasses, she walked back to the sofa.

She gestured to Samantha. “Drink some.”

Samantha glanced at the two bottles of wine. She recognized them as being very expensive, with only a few bottles left in the world.

Rochelle uncapped the wine bottle but did not grasp it firmly, causing the wine to spill all over. Samantha could not help but feel a little distressed when she saw it and immediately reached out to straighten the bottle.

Rochelle understood what was going on in Samantha’s thoughts, so she smiled and said, “It’s Jonathan’s. Just let it spill. Drink all you like. Doesn’t bother me.”

Samantha was speechless.

Rochelle filled up the two glasses, then raised one and said, “To our friendship.”

Drinking was probably not a good idea during such a crisis, but there were times where people had to be irrational and indulge themselves a little.

Samantha had been depressed for so many years that the thought of letting herself loose never even crossed her mind. She also never got a chance to have a drink with Rochelle after returning to the country, so at that moment, she decided not to worry so much and just do whatever she wanted.

She picked up her wine glass, clinked it with Rochelle’s, then said with a smile, “Yes, to our friendship!”

The two looked at each other with a smile, raised their heads, then drank half the glass in one breath.

“Leave everything else aside for the time being. Tonight, we shall make this our night and drink till we drop!”

Rochelle picked up the wine bottle and filled their glasses again.

“Then I guess I’ll…give my life to my bestie!” Samantha said, then took another sip.

“It’s enough for us besties to be each other. Why do you need a scumbag man?” Rochelle came over, hugged Samantha, then started talking about her plans. “Sammy, we should work together to find a way to eliminate Jonathan and Timothy. Then we can inherit their property and be the richest widows in the world together!”

Samantha was amused by Rochelle’s words and started to use her imagination too. “Then what? We keep a couple of young men around and spend all our nights in debauchery?”

“That’s a must.” Rochelle patted her chest. “If it were up to me, I’ll enjoy a different one every day so Jonathan will spend his days in hell being cucked.”

Samantha gave her a thumbs up.

She really had to admire Rochelle.

“Unfortunately, the reality is different. We can’t kill them and we have to remain trapped in their marriage. It doesn’t do us any good and we have to endure all that humiliation…”

Samantha came to a sudden realization. “Yeah. They don’t treat us well, but they aren’t willing to divorce us and constantly leave us depressed. Why is it that we always have to do what they want!”

“I can’t take it anymore. The more we talk about it, the angrier I become. I need to give that bastard, Jonathan a bit of a scolding!” Rochelle took another glass of wine, reached out to the sofa and fumbled for her cell phone. She grabbed the device and glanced at it, but it turned out to be Samantha’s rather than hers.

She threw the cell phone into Samantha’s hand and reached out to get the one that belonged to her. Her fingers nimbly dialed Jonathan’s number, and while waiting for the answer, she turned her head and said to Samantha, “Don’t hold back now. Call Timothy and give him a good scolding. I’m telling you, it’ll feel amazing!”

Samantha held the phone and looked at it blankly..