Easter With My Husband’s Mistress Novel by Astra Marlowe _ Novel



Easter With My Husband’s Mistress Novel by Astra Marlowe _ Novel

Easter With My Husband’s Mistress Chapter 01

On the day I finally found out I was pregnant after seven years of marriage.
I drove to the airport myself. I wanted to surprise Marcus with the baby news and take him straight to our family’s Easter reunion.
I waited four hours at the airport for Marcus Prescott, but he never showed up; instead, the girl he was keeping on the side appeared.
"Are you Marcus’s new assistant? Good. No need to wait for him—your boss exhausted himself this morning and is still sleeping it off abroad. Just drive me to the usual place."
I silently accepted the role of his assistant and handed her my phone. I watched, numb, as she typed in the address of a thirty-million-dollar villa I never even knew Marcus owned.
Along the way, she leaned back into the leather seat, playing voice messages with her best friend on speaker.
"Who says being pretty is useless?"
"The four hundred thousand spent on plastic surgery and breast augmentation was totally worth it, right?"
"I've already got this Mr. Prescott completely wrapped around my finger!"
"Not only did he give me three fully paid-off apartments downtown and a Lamborghini, but most importantly, once I graduate, he's sending me to London for my master's!"
"He even promised me that if I get pregnant, he'll give me even more!"
Facing her friend's doubts, the girl pouted, looking smug: "His devoted husband persona is totally fake, of course. The one he has at home is nothing special anyway."
Suddenly, she pointed her phone camera right at my face.
"Look at this woman Marcus hired. She’s so plain and faded—nobody would want her even if she tried to crawl into his bed, right?"
...
After saying that, the girl shoved my shoulder.
"Hey, wouldn't you agree?"
I played along with her words and nodded.
Then my gaze slowly landed on her face. The girl was named Olivia Bennett, very young, looking to be in her early twenties.
She was as exquisite as a porcelain doll; that four hundred thousand was indeed well spent.
She was still talking to her best friend, not bothering to lower her voice at all.
"Don't forget, we've known each other for three years!"
"Besides, doesn't Marcus just love highly educated women?"
"His wife is some high-achieving PhD, right? A total nerd. No wonder Marcus needs someone like me to actually have some fun."
"When Marcus came to our school to give that speech, he couldn't keep his eyes off me."
Listening to the sweetness in her words, my fingers tightened slightly around the steering wheel.
Just then, Marcus called Olivia.
"You've landed? Why didn't you tell me beforehand when you left?"
To my surprise, Marcus's tone sounded as if he were talking to a subordinate; his businesslike attitude made it impossible to tell he was chatting with his little mistress.
Less than a minute after the call ended, a phone buzzed again.
This time, it was mine.
Marcus's voice came through my Bluetooth earpiece, so affectionately clingy it was like he was a completely different person.
"Honey, I’m so sorry. A meeting ran over, and I missed my flight. I won't make it back in time to host the family Easter egg hunt today."
"Are you home yet? Did you try the Easter ham I ordered for you? How's your appetite? Don't push yourself with the cooking—I'll make you some fresh soup as soon as I’m back."
"I even had a custom artisan chocolate egg made for you... It breaks my heart that I’m missing our Easter traditions."
"I’d give anything to be holding you right now."
Yet just ten minutes ago, another girl's boastful voice was still echoing in my ears.
"You haven't seen what he's like in bed. Compared to his usual aloof self, he's a completely different person!"
A sudden wave of nausea churned in my stomach.
It wasn't morning sickness. It was pure, raw disgust crawling up from the depths of my soul.
I took off my earphones and took a deep breath.
Just then, Olivia held her phone up to my face. On the screen was a chat window with Marcus.
"Hey, assistant lady! Your boss said you’re supposed to carry my bags inside. Are you deaf?"
I didn't say a word, turned off the engine, and got out of the car.
I admit my curiosity got the better of me; I wanted to see their love nest.
The moment I pushed the door open, a wave of youthful exuberance washed over me.
Pink was everywhere I looked.
The sofa was piled high with plush toys, and every available cabinet was lined with figurines.
I subconsciously looked for traces of Marcus, but there were none of the potted plants he liked.
Nor was there the wine cabinet and cigar wall he relied on.
Inexplicably, I breathed a sigh of relief.
I was actually grateful that he hadn't brought his true self into this pink, plastic prison. I was scavenging for crumbs of his indifference just to keep my sanity.
Olivia casually tossed her coat at her feet, "Looks good, right? It's all decorated in the style I like."
I got a clear look at the necklace above her V-neck, and my lips trembled slightly.
"This necklace..."
Hearing this, Olivia leaned in, "Your boss is pretty generous, isn't he? "
"This is the birthday gift he gave me. I heard it's really hard to get."
When Marcus gave it to me, he said it was a limited edition and he only managed to snag one.
Staring at that identical necklace right now, I suddenly couldn't tell who was the afterthought—me or Olivia.
As I turned around, I caught a glimpse of the entryway out of the corner of my eye.
A giant sticky note was plastered on the wall, stinging my eyes and making my pupils constrict.
It was Olivia's class schedule, with several key courses circled in red pen.
Next to it were her exam times, accurate down to the exact minute.
Marcus was always teased by his friends for being a helicopter husband.
His notes app saved my dietary restrictions, my monthly check-up schedule was stuck to the fridge, and he even organized my family's pillboxes for me.
I always thought that was his instinct born out of love.
It was just a hobby.
Playing dad at home wasn't tiring enough; he had to raise another one outside.
"Do you want some?"
Olivia tore open a bag of local snacks, "I absolutely love this beef jerky!"
"The school cafeteria is awful. When your Mr. Prescott found out, he had his housekeeper make these snacks and pack them up for me every Sunday night."
She took a bite, "I bet his boring wife has no idea she's sharing her snacks with me."
I stared at the beef jerky in her hand, my nails digging into my palms.
Of course she didn't know.
I even thought Marcus had developed a craving for them, so I’d spent my Sunday nights in the kitchen helping the housekeeper, never knowing I was prepping snacks for his mistress.
"Ms. Bennett, did you know that Mr. Prescott and his wife have been together for seven years?"
"I know."
Olivia blinked, looking completely innocent, "What does that matter? It's not like I want to marry him."
"He gives me money and resources, and I keep him happy. We both get what we need."
She leaned closer to me, "And think about it, his wife is at home being a haggard housewife, dealing with daily chores every day. What passion can a man have when he goes home?
I'm different. I'm young and pretty; taking me out makes him look good."
She suddenly got excited as she spoke: "A while ago, I accompanied Mr. Prescott to a wine tasting event. It was quite high-class."
"Do you know why he brought me instead of his wife?"
I looked at her, not taking the bait.
"Of course it's because I'm the one he can show off."
She flipped her hair.
"I bet you've never seen Marcus’s home screen, have you? It’s a photo of me—taken in bed."
"Sure, his lock screen is still his boring wife. Talk about a total buzzkill, right?"
"Men are all the same, honestly. They want a trophy like me to show off, and a dull 'safe' option at home to keep the house warm."
I looked down, the irony hitting me like a physical blow.
"Anyway, you're dismissed. You can run along now, assistant lady."
Olivia waved her hand.
"Just drop the bags there. I’ll take it from here. Thanks for the ride, assistant lady—try not to get lost on your way out!"

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