The substitute husband who has been insulted

Episode 19

Richard's eyes abruptly widened with surprise. Clutching his pen with a grip that seemed to intensify his agitation, he rapped the writing instrument against the desk with a series of pronounced taps. "Where's your head at now, eh?" the man snapped, his gaze as piercing as a spear's tip.

Delon blinked in stunned silence, his mouth agape as he realized his own blunder. It was understandable since Delon had never met the boss's wife. "I... I'm sorry, Sir. I don't know!" Delon profusely apologized, bowing deeply.

A heavy sigh escaped Richard's lips. He savagely yanked his tie loose, then slumped back into the chair with a huff. "Find out!" Richard commanded, insisting on results but indifferent to the methods his assistant might use to fetch the information.

After pausing for a beat, Delon quickly gathered his thoughts regarding how he could acquire information about the pregnancy. Suddenly a name sprang to his mind, inspiring a nod of eager resolve. He promptly reached for his cell phone and promptly dialed a known contact.

Within seconds, his call was answered, and Delon brimmed with enthusiasm, heedless of his boss's evident shock.

"Hello, Caty!" Delon greeted, triggering Richard to choke on his breath.

A name all too familiar rang in Richard's ears. Indeed, Richard had unresolved grievances with a woman named Caty. Five years earlier, on the day of his grandfather-chosen wedding, Richard had escaped. They hadn't spoken since. Now, Delon seemed to be summoning a storm between the estranged couple.

"Is it urgent, Delon?" the woman inquired from the other end of the line, her voice clear as Richard's speakerphone function was on.

"No, just needed to ask you something. You must answer without any follow-up questions!" Delon asserted.

"Alright, go ahead."

Delon inhaled deeply before putting forth his question, "Cat, what are the signs of pregnancy?" he asked without any prelude.

"Umm... Symptoms vary. Some experience nausea, headaches, fainting, while others may have none at all. But hey, which woman have you impregnated, Delon? I didn't think you had it in you," Caty responded with a chuckle.

"So that's how it is. It's not me, it's the boss!"

"What?" Caty exclaimed, her voice reverberating in the ears of both men.

Richard leapt from his seat, almost toppling over in his haste to silence his assistant.

"Delon! Is Icad back already?" Caty persisted enthusiastically.

Delon froze as he turned and met his boss's glaring eyes. His lips sealed under Richard's firm hand, he nodded, understanding his mistake. Meanwhile, on the line, Caty's voice continued to clamor for Delon's attention.

Once sure the coast was clear, Richard grabbed Delon's phone and ended the call. Only then did he release his hold.

"Delon!" Richard thundered, the resonance vibrating right through Delon's eardrums. Richard's entire being tensed, underscored by his ragged breathing.

"I'm sorry, Sir. I was just confused about where to start. Caty's now a gynecologist, that's why I asked her," Delon apologized, bowing partially, "Please forgive me, Sir!" perspiration starting to moisten his brow.

"No way! I don't want to see her, Delon. What if she comes here, eh? Your mouth!" Richard griped, nudging Delon's backside, albeit feebly.

Richard was at a loss as to how to apologize to Caty and her family; facing them was not on his immediate agenda. He was simply not ready.

"Wait! Nausea? Headaches? Could it be…?" Brushing aside his irritation, Richard suddenly remembered Caty's answer.

"Your wife is pregnant, Sir?"

"I don't know! But the symptoms seem similar. Just leave! If Caty shows up, turn her away. Tell her I'm not back yet!" Richard barked, settling back into his chair.

"Understood, Sir. We have a meeting with an international client in thirty minutes. It's at the Green House Cafe," Delon said before finally exiting the room.

Richard's thoughts drifted to his wife. His black pupils darted over to a desk calendar, grabbing it as he recollected. "Two months ago to this date, I vowed before God and your parents to stand by your side. Perhaps everything I've done thus far still falls short of repaying your life's greatest gift, and you seem stressed. I hope my leaving has brought you happiness, Velyn," he murmured, picturing her.

He opened his mobile banking app, reminded that he had yet to provide for his wife. His fingers swiftly navigated to transfer a sum into his wife's personal account, which he had obtained on their single day of marriage. Although Velyn had scorned him then, the financial support he offered likely seemed meager. After typing a message, Richard promptly prepared for the meeting.

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At the Villa...

Velyn's frustration grew with no new information from the villa caretakers, who only shared tales of Richard's past with his grandfather. Amid her despondency, she received a bank notification on her ever-present phone, on alert for any word from Richard.

Her brow furrowed in confusion at the astonishing amount transferred to her account. Her eyes widened, counting the zeros to be sure she saw correctly. Repeated checks confirmed her vision was accurate. A six-figure sum with three digits upfront was indeed unexpected.

"Richard Dirgantara?" Velyn whispered the sender's name in disbelief, her shock mounting.

Another notification followed; a different amount from the same sender. "My God, what's this?" Velyn wondered aloud.

Then, a message from an unknown number appeared on her phone. "Sorry for forgetting to give you support these past two months. 300 million for you, and please give the 30 million to our househelp who I didn't manage to pay." ~Richard.

Velyn's mouth fell open, her heart pounding at a fiercer tempo. Trembling fingers pressed the call button on the number. She took several deep breaths and swallowed hard while waiting for the phone to connect.