The Wife He Forgot to Marry novel Chapter 28

Yulen stared at the urgent project files on his desk, a headache building behind his eyes. He could only try to placate Tallulah. “You take care of Mom for now. I’ll be there as soon as I finish up my work.”

Tallulah’s face fell. So, he was just going to leave her alone to deal with a raving Willow? Yulen felt a pang of guilt, but business always came before family matters. He offered a few more soothing words and then hung up.

*

Winona waited in the private dining room for about fifteen minutes before the client arrived. When the man in a crisp suit walked in, her mind went blank.

“Winona, long time no see,” the man said with a warm, elegant smile, extending his hand.

Winona forced a laugh, fighting back the fear rising in her throat. “Micah. I wasn’t expecting it to be you.”

Micah Linden had been a senior in her university club. He had also sexually harassed her on multiple occasions. As the son of a wealthy and influential family, her complaints to the university administration had gone nowhere. Her only recourse had been to avoid him, but he was persistent, and she'd had several close calls. Micah had likely planned to wait until after she graduated to make his move, but shortly after, she married Yulen, and Micah disappeared from her life.

Seeing the tension in her expression, Micah’s smile deepened. “Relax. We’re just here to talk business. I know you’re married. I’m not about to hit on a married woman.”

After the meeting, Winona quickly left the restaurant. She hailed a cab home, but a persistent feeling that a car was following her made her uneasy. Worried it was Micah, she told the driver to head to the Locke family's villa first. Once they arrived, the car that had been tailing her finally drove away.

Seeing her defiance, so different from her usual compliance, Yulen’s face darkened with anger. “We’re husband and wife. Why are you drawing such clear lines between us? My mother is your mother. We’ve always had an understanding: I handle the business, you handle the home. I make the money, you take care of the family and the elders. What’s wrong with that?”

Winona gave a scornful smile, tempted to ask him if they were really husband and wife at all.

“Yulen, I’m tired from work. I don’t want to fight with you,” she said, turning and walking toward the villa.

Yulen stared after her, a storm of emotions churning in his eyes.