I Caught My Husband With His Mistress

Sophia Palmer had long come to terms with the fact that Dillon Palmer would never kiss her. Despite having shared many intimate moments, he had never once kissed her because he didn't love her.

"Feeling regretful now, aren't you?" Dillon said with a smirk. "So clever with that prenuptial agreement. If you hadn't signed it, you wouldn't have to come to me for money."

Before their marriage, Sophia had indeed signed a prenuptial agreement ensuring she wouldn't take a dime from Dillon. In his mind, she married him for the title of Mrs. Palmer and the potential gains it afforded, but Sophia knew her reasons had never involved money.

After their argument, sleep eluded Sophia. At first light, she got up to make some stew for her father.

Sophia arrived at the hospital early, just in time to catch the doctor's rounds. After discussing her father's condition, it became clear she would need a substantial amount of money for his future care.

"Don’t worry, Sophia, I'll be alright," her father said, trying to reassure her. "I can just pick up some medication and leave. Hospital stays are too expensive."

His private room cost hundreds of dollars a day—a considerable expense.

Sophia's father understood, despite her outward image as a wealthy lady, Dillon's attitude toward her was anything but supportive. He didn’t want his daughter shouldering the burden.

Sophia looked at him resolutely. "No, we need to follow the doctor's advice. Proper treatment is important."

"Don’t worry about the money. Dillon has given me some."

Her father seemed skeptical. "Really? Did Dillon truly pay for my treatment?"

"Sophia, don’t lie to me."

Three years prior, he had inadvertently driven a wedge between Dillon and his then-girlfriend by presenting a fake pregnancy report, leading her to leave the country. Dillon had spent a winter night in the rain at the airport as a result, contracting pneumonia. Since then, Dillon had been relentless, demoting him from research director to a minor position, all to make things difficult for Sophia.

"Why would I lie to you? If he hadn't given me any money, how could I afford the hospital bills?"

"Dillon's just been busy, which is why he hasn't visited. He was packing for a business trip last night the moment he got home. But he made sure to remind me to bring you something nourishing. Look, hearty beef stew with herbs. Eat up, Dad."

Worried her father might see through her facade, Sophia quickly busied herself with the pot.

Her stepmother, Evelyn James, was even quicker, opening the pot to serve the stew. "Let me help you with that."

"Tastes good, doesn't it? See how much your daughter and son-in-law care about you."

As Evelyn served the stew, she probed Sophia about Dillon. "Sophia, when will Dillon have time to visit? I should prepare properly for his visit."

It had been two years since she married Sophia's father, yet she had never met Dillon, the business magnate, nor enjoyed any perks of being the mother-in-law to such a wealthy family.

There was no way Dillon could come. Sophia had lied to keep her father from leaving the hospital prematurely due to financial concerns. However, her stepmother couldn’t sense her discomfort and kept asking. With no other choice, Sophia forced out an answer, "I can't say for sure. Dillon travels internationally a lot. Once he has some free time, I'll bring him over. For now, let me go settle the hospital bill with the doctor."

Sophia practically fled the room.

She was a terrible liar and dreaded that her father might notice her deception.

After much persuasion, she managed to convince the doctor to extend the payment deadline by a few days.

She sighed with relief and was about to return to the room when she saw Dillon approaching with a woman clinging to his arm, emerging from the obstetrics department.

What was he doing here?

Sophia wanted to avoid Dillon, so she quickly hid. Still, she couldn’t help but sneak a few glances at him, confident that he wouldn't notice her.

To her surprise, his eyes could look so gentle! Such a stark contrast to the sharpness and coldness he showed her.

The jealousy and heartache welled up, and tears stung her eyes.

"Mr. Palmer, what's so interesting over there?" Carolina Lopez asked with a smile that masked her inner jealousy, quickly figuring out what had caught his attention.

"Ah, that seems like Mrs. Palmer. Why would she be at the hospital? Is she unwell? Should we check on her?" she suggested.

"Ignore it," Dillon replied curtly.

If Sophia were truly sick, she would have used it as an excuse to pressure him to come home. She had that tactic down.

"But what if she misunderstands? Should I go explain?"

Dillon paused briefly. "Since when were you so interested in her affairs?"

Carolina hadn’t noticed his displeasure and continued in a playful tone, "I saw you were paying attention and thought you cared."

Her words caught in her throat when she saw the ice in his gaze.

"Do you think you can read my mind?" he said coolly.

Dillon seemed oblivious to the woman's worried look. "I brought you here for business today. Don’t get ahead of yourself."

"People around me should be sensible and follow the rules. If you can't manage that, go see Mr. Rose for a check."

The mere mention of Sophia's name had become a trigger for his anger. She asked him for money, and he was angry. If she didn't, he was still annoyed. Anyone who mentioned her name faced his wrath.

From Sophia’s vantage point, it seemed as though the two were kissing, as if an unseen hand was squeezing her throat, and she felt she couldn’t breathe.

She had loved him for five years, waited for 1,825 days, only to watch him kiss someone else.

He never even thought of turning to look at her!

Sophia wanted to escape, but for some reason, she couldn’t move. Her body felt drained of all energy.

"Hello, may I have a word with you?"

Sophia hadn’t noticed Carolina approach. By the time she came to her senses, Dillon was gone.

The woman in front of her had long, dark hair and bright eyes that seemed to draw people in. Most strikingly, she bore a resemblance to someone named Anne, to whom Dillon had once been devoted.

No wonder Dillon kissed her—it was always about Anne.

In the end, Sophia couldn’t compete with his idealized memory.

Sophia straightened her spine, gathered her emotions, and faced this woman's provocation head-on. She wouldn’t let herself lose to the other woman’s challenge.

"Alright."

...

In the café next to the hospital, Carolina sat with a self-assured air, sensing Dillon’s dissatisfaction with his wife.

"I’m sure you’ve seen me on TV or in magazines. The paparazzi have snapped plenty of pictures of me with Dillon," Carolina said, her tone full of pride.

Sophia remained unfazed. "Oh, there are so many of my husband's employees. You didn’t stand out."

Sophia had mistaken the famed actress for just another worker.

"I’m not an employee of Mr. Palmer’s. I’m a star, and I have a very close relationship with Dillon."

"Oh, so you’re the other woman. It’s surprising how bold mistresses are these days."

The term "mistress" made Carolina react sharply. "I am not a mistress. Dillon and I are truly in love. In a relationship, the one not loved is the third wheel. Mr. Palmer doesn’t love you."

Though Sophia had already accepted that truth, hearing it from the other woman felt like a slap to the face.