Unmasked My CEO Ex-Husband’s Regret novel Chapter 3

Elara usually cooked her daughter's meals herself.

Today's breakfast was exactly what Melody requested: custard pastries, savory scones, and warm oatmeal.-

The oatmeal had been set in the slow cooker the night before.

After heading downstairs, Elara took the prepared dough and ingredients out of the fridge to mix the filling.

Once the pastries were steaming on the stove, she asked Mrs. Gable to keep an eye on them and went upstairs to wake Melody.

Eating her favorite food put Melody in a great mood. She swung her legs happily and chattered away. "Mommy's pastries are the absolute best."

"Thank you, Mommy. You work so hard."

Elara's eyes crinkled in a smile, all her exhaustion melting away as she placed another custard pastry on her plate.

Melody said thank you, took two bites, and suddenly stopped, staring blankly at the half-eaten pastry.

"Are you full?" Elara asked.

Melody looked at her, shook her head, and whispered, "Mommy's pastries are so good. If only Daddy could have some too."

"Mommy, did Daddy come home yesterday?" she asked carefully.

Elara's heart tightened, but she kept her expression neutral and her tone firm. "No."

She would no longer lie to cover for Julian and drain her child's trust in her.

Melody lowered her head in disappointment, taking tiny bites of her pastry. When she finished, she asked again, "Did Daddy not come home because he got drunk at work?"

Elara felt a wave of bitterness. Before she could figure out how to comfort her, Melody looked up again.

"Mommy, can I make Daddy a cup of honey tea?"

Afraid Elara would say no, Melody quickly explained, "When Daddy used to get drunk, you always made him honey tea. I want to make it for him too."

The fact that her child held no grudges and still cared for her father's health gripped Elara's heart like an invisible hand. She felt both fear and hatred.

She feared her daughter's hopes would be dashed again, leaving her hurt by Julian once more.

She hated Julian for his coldness.

He used to say Melody was his little princess, so how could he be so cruel as to pour salt on her wounds?

Elara tightened her fists, calculating her next move, and gently guided the conversation. "Melody, do you want to make it and take it to Daddy's office?"

Melody nodded enthusiastically, her eyes sparkling. "Can I?"

"Yes."

Elara agreed, then put on a conflicted expression. "But if you go to his office, you'll be late for school."

The joy that had just surfaced froze on Melody's face. She stared blankly, doing the math in her head, and her face fell.

The smile in Elara's eyes slowly faded. "...Alright."

After setting her things down in the office, Elara took the fruit to the secretariat, distributing pounds of freshly flown-in cherries to the assistants.

The secretaries were just as guilty as Leo. Taking the gift only made them more afraid to look the boss's wife in the eye.

Elara pretended not to notice, sweeping her gaze across the room. "Is there a new colleague who hasn't arrived yet?"

Everyone froze.

Elara smiled warmly. "Make sure to save some for her. If there's not enough, I can have more sent over later."

The staff hastily insisted it was plenty, their eyes darting away nervously.

Elara smiled and exited the room.

None of them wore that sickly sweet perfume.

But when she mentioned the absent new colleague, their discomfort had been palpable.

It seemed everyone knew exactly who Julian was sleeping with.

A chill settled in Elara's heart.

She rarely interfered with Julian's career, but she used to bring Melody to the office occasionally. She had only stopped this year to help Melody adjust to kindergarten.