Married with the Broken Hearted CEO novel Chapter 18

Isa transferred the cake she bought onto a plate.
“It’s ready!” she said with a cheerful voice and shining round eyes.
Chadwick stood near the table. He looked at the cake with curiosity.
“I bought this from the new bakery near the orphanage,” she shared.
“Why cake?” he responded.
“Huh?”
“Why did you buy cake?”
“Ahhhh. Because I heard from the orphanage that the kids gave her a birthday gift before she goes out.”
The orphanage gave her a gift?
Chadwick displayed an accusatory frown between his forehead when he heard about this. He, the husband, failed to give his gift to his wife. But the children, whom Adira met for the first time, did not forget to show their gratitude.
“I am not sure when is her exact birthday. But I think giving her a cake is good,” Isa added.
Chadwick stared at the lady’s excited face. Then he remembered that on Adira’s birthday, Isa came into their house, crying, and then hugged Chadwick in front of his wife.
‘We hugged each other during my wife’s birthday,’ he said inwardly and tasted the bitter taste at the tip of his tongue.
He kept the words hidden inside his throat as he bit his lower lip.
“Ahhh, does Adira like sweets? Does she like cake?” Isa tossed a curious question.
“Adira? She lik…”
He stopped.
Chadwick found it hard to answer the question.
When he was answering his board exam before, he answered all difficult questions at ease. However, when Isa asked about Adira’s favorite, he felt like he received the most unenviable question ever.
‘I don’t know anything about her,’ he admitted.
Adira’s favorite food, color, place, wine, dress, tv shows, movies… Chadwick does not know any of those. All he’s aware of is that she’s an annoying wife who wanted to get pregnant by having a sex with him.
Abruptly, his face was covered with dark clouds and Isa noticed the shifting of his expression.
“Ahhhh, I almost forgot,” Isa uttered.
Still frowning, Chadwick lifted his head to see her.
“You and her did not date for real. And you two got married out of convenience. That’s why you don’t know anything about her favorites, right?”
Chadwick felt worse after hearing that.
‘Why? This is an obvious fact so why am I getting more annoyed?’
Seeing Chadwick looked left to right, as if troubled by his own thoughts, Isa sees the need to change the topic at this point.
“I wonder what takes Adira too long,” she murmured, simply looking at her wristwatch.
The frown on Chadwick’s forehead has decreased.
Isa came here because she said she was invited by Adira; on which, does not make sense.
“How did Adira invite you?” he asked her.
Isa placed down the knife near the plate of the cake and smiled sweetly at Chadwick. “She asked me to come visit the house again.”
Behind the innocent beam, a smirk is hiding. As Isa said this, she remembered how Adira answered her when she asked her to come and eat with her.
[“There are days when you suddenly barged inside our house. Didn’t you do it the other night? So, if you ever visit my husband again, who knows, I might change my mind and consider playing with you.”]
Adira said that she might change her mind and consider playing with Isa if she comes back at their house again. Isa accepted the challenge, and that’s why she came here.
“I think I and your wife can be friends for real,” Isa added.
Friend? The wife and the woman who keeps on clinging with her husband?
Neil, who’s listening from the corner, had his doubts.
Chadwick ‘s secretary is sitting on the sofa while watching the two at the kitchen.
Neil promised that he would never go home unless Isa went out. He was also like this in the hospital when Isa volunteered to take care of Chadwick. He never leaves the two alone inside the hospital room.
So, he stayed with his boss side, because he thinks that Chadwick is a fool married man who can’t even push Isa away.
‘If only my wage wasn’t huge, I might have already resigned,’ Neil told to himself.
Of course, it is just a bluff.
No matter how poor his madam Adira is in his eyes, he can’t be jobless.
Thus, if there’s anything he can do for his pathetic madam, then it is to sacrifice his time to watch over Chadwick and his other woman.
“Oh! I have a good idea!” Isa suddenly gasped.
Neil and Chadwick looked at the jolly lady, who always seems she’s in a good mood.
“Why don’t we invite my brother?”
Fury overcame Neil, he almost jumped up in shock. His face crumpled as he stared at the shameless lady in the dining room.
“Today is my brother’s birthday. But we don’t have the chance to celebrate it. Can I invite him too and tell him to come here?”
Neil could not believe how shameless this woman can be. Unable to swallow down his frustration anymore, he will stand up and say these thoughts about this. But before he could, Chadwick gave his answer to Isa.
“No.”
Neil ceased. He watched at his boss’ back, waiting for his next words.
“We can’t invite Geoffrey. Besides, I think he won’t come too.”
Neil just heard that name for the first time. His boss is always with Isa, but Chadwick never said anything about a man named Geoffrey.
Isa pouted her lips, as if sulking.
“Really? Can’t you just help me for once?”
Chadwick scratched his nape. He knew what Isa wanted to do. She’s looking for a great excuse to see her stepbrother who she has loved for a long time.
“I thought I can have an excuse to celebrate my brother’s birthday,” she murmured.
Chadwick flinched.
Just now, he heard her talked about the man she loves. Usually when this happens, Chadwick will feel so jealous he thinks all of his bones became so weak. However…
‘I don’t feel bad anymore,’ he said inwardly.
Even if Isa said that she wanted to see Geoffrey so bad, Chadwick does not feel sad.
Kring~ Kring~
The ringing phone broke the silence.
Chadwick and Isa looked in the direction where the rings came from. It is from Neil.
Wondering who might be calling during this late at night, Neil gets his phone. The shape of his eyes doubled as soon as he saw the name of the caller.
Neil looked at Chadwick then back at the screen.
He does not have the time to hesitate whether to answer the call since he’s afraid Adira wouldn’t call anymore if he wasted time. So unable to report to his boss that Adira is calling, Neil answered the call.
“Y-Yes Madam?” he answered, stuttering.
Chadwick’s eyes widened then narrowed at his secretary.
Adira has Chadwick’s number!
‘Why did she call my secretary instead of me?!’ Chadwick complained inwardly.
[“Is my husband at home?”]
Neil turned his head to his boss and Isa.
‘I can’t say that miss Isa is also here,’ Neil thought.
“Y-Yes madam! And I am still here. I AM HERE. I WON’T LEAVE. I WILL NEVER LEAVE HIM.”
Behind Chadwick, Isa had this grin on her lips while watching Neil. She knows that Chadwick’s secretary is doing his best to hide the fact that she’s in the house.
A few days ago, Adira embarrassed Isa many times. Therefore, Isa wanted to get back to her as much as she can. Besides, she cannot let go of Chadwick’s special feelings for her.
“Then, will madam go back home tonight?” Neil asked the quiet Adira.
However, before he could hear her answer, Isa suddenly shouted.
“Is that Adira?!”
Neil gaped at the girl who looked clueless at first sight. Isa seemed like an idiot happy go lucky girl who thinks that world peace is possible.
When Adira dropped the call all of a sudden, Neil felt fear and anger. He glared at Isa, who probably shouted purposely.
Chadwick might have not noticed how sneaky Isa is, but Neil can.
‘This b*tch,’ Neil said in his head while staring at Isa.
The real clueless man, Chadwick, asked his secretary. He cannot think of complaining to Isa because his mind was filled with Adira, and the reason why she called Neil.
“What did Adira say?” he asked.
From Isa, Neil’s eyes tended to his boss.
“Madam asked if you are home,” he answered in slow pace. Before he continued, he glared back at Isa again. “Then she hung up the call when she heard Isa’s voice.”
Isa felt the black aura around Neil, and so, she did not give him the chance to continue.
“That’s great,” she said loudly with a clap.
Chadwick looked back at the positive Isa.
“She must have heard me and remembered that she invited me here. Adira must be on her way home now.”
Although Chadwick had doubts, he chose to believe and trust Isa.
“So, can we invite my brother? The more people, the more it will be fun,” Isa insisted.
Geoffrey did not answer. He just looked at Isa with an unreadable expression. Well, yes or no, Chadwick already knew that Geoffrey won’t come here even if Isa begs him too.
“Silence means yes,” Isa cheered, pointing Chadwick. She grabbed her phone and dialed her stepbrother’s number.
Neil’s jaw dropped while watching the two. ‘I’m out of this,’ he surrendered internally.
Chadwick watched Isa waiting for her brother to pick up her call.
“Oh? He’s not even answering my call,” Isa uttered, looking at her phone screen.
As expected. Geoffrey won’t come here for Isa.
Long time ago, even when Chadwick knew that Geoffrey won’t be coming, he felt so angry and jealous. But now, he feels numb.
That’s when Chadwick realized an important factor that will affect his whole life.
‘I don’t like Isa anymore,’ he said deep down.
And the reason why his feelings change? He doesn’t want to admit that it is Adira’s fault.
“My brother did not answer my call,” Isa said undertone.
To comfort her, Chadwick said, “Maybe Geoffrey is busy right now. You said he has many part time job, right?”
“Hmmm yeah. I hope he is just busy in work.”
The two did not know that the people who they were thinking about right now, were actually together at this moment.
Hours passed.
It is already 12midnight, but Adira isn’t home yet.
Neil fell asleep on the sofa. Isa, who got tired of waiting, also fell asleep while ducking her head on the table.
The last man standing is Chadwick.
Sitting on the couch, Chadwick looked at the vintage clock hanging on the wall.
If Adira isn’t home during this hour, that only means she won’t be coming back tonight.
He fetched a sigh and massaged his temple.
Chadwick stood up and looked at sleeping Isa. No matter how close they are, letting her sleep in his house all night isn’t good.
He must wake her up and tell her to go home.
Dragging his feet on the way to the dining room, he approached the sleeping lady. When he arrived by her side, he was about to shake her. However, he stopped when he heard Isa’s murmurs while sleeping.
“B-Brother… Don’t go. Don’t leave me alone,” she whispered. Then, a tear fell down her cheek.
Isa loves her stepbrother so much. Chadwick knew that. Although Geoffrey dated a lot of women, Isa will overlook it and still continue to harbor feelings for him.
Usually, Chadwick felt okay being her comfort zone whenever she’s sad. He would wipe her tears and hug her all might until she feels okay.
But not anymore.
He can’t raise his hand and wipe her tears.
If there’s a person whom he wanted to wipe her tears, then it is… Adira, his wife.
When he saw her crying inside the hospital room, he had these weird feelings rise inside of him. He wanted to hug her, to calm her and to wipe her wet cheeks.
But Adira tried to appear strong in front of Chadwick, as if she does not need his help.
“Ahhhh, cold,” Isa whispered, hugging herself in sleep.
Chadwick looked at her and doubted if he would wake her up.
‘Maybe, I can let her sleep for few minutes,’ the gentleman thought.
Well, Neil is here so maybe it is okay to let Isa sleep more.
Chadwick searched for something to use to give Isa warmth. On the sofa, he saw a new red blanket which he had not seen before.
So, he grabbed the red blanket. He went back to Isa and wrapped it around her. At the exact time, the door opened.
Chadwick heard footsteps coming.
When he tilted his head, he saw his wife.
Adira stood near the entrance while staring at Chadwick, and how he sweetly wrapped the blanket around Isa’s shoulder.
It took him seconds to realize that he was doing something that would make Adira misunderstand again.
However, Adira does not feel jealous at all. She felt okay seeing her husband wrap a blanket around Isa because she expected this. However, her mood changed when she saw the blanket.
Adira’s eyes suddenly fumed in anger.
The red blanket that Chadwick used to warm Isa is none other than the blanket Adira received from the orphanage!
She was so happy to receive the gift from the kids. So, she washed it by herself and even ironed it.
But Chadwick used that for Isa?!
Gritting his teeth, Adira jolted towards the dining room.
“Y-You’re h…”
Before Chadwick could finish his words, Adira already snatched the blanket away in a harsh way.
“Hmmmm,” Isa groaned and opened her eyes slowly.
Neil, who also heard the noise, woke up. He rubbed his eyes as he sat up. When his blurry vision became clear, he saw Adira standing in front of his boss. All his senses went sharp.
It isn’t just because Adira is here, but Neil also saw the anger in Adira’s face for the first time.
“Oh?” Isa gasped, looking up. “Adira is here.”
Adira did not look back at Isa. Instead, her piercing eyes stayed at Chadwick.
“A-Adira,” Chadwick stuttered, upon seeing her angered face for the first time too.
Adira detached her quivering lips.
“I don’t care if you take care another woman,” she said with cold tone. “But there’s a limit.”
Carrying the red blanket, she walked inside the room and left everyone.
The small wind coming from her shook Chadwick’s hair.
Looking at the blank space, Chadwick froze.
He doesn’t feel jealous of Isa and Geoffrey.
But when Adira got angry like that, his heart throbbed so hard, as if all of his body was broken into pieces.