Chapter 10

Brandon parked the car in front of the mansion. Before he got out, he glanced at his phone again. He frowned when he realized that Roxanne still hadn't replied to him. Normally, she would always reply instantly, no matter what he sent her. It was rare for her not to reply, especially after five minutes. Could she have fallen asleep in the bedroom? When he got out of the car and was about to head inside, he heard a voice call out, "Brandon." Brandon froze and looked up. Nicole was standing at the front door and smiling at him. "Where'd you go? I've been waiting for you for so long." Brandon furrowed his brows and instinctively checked his surroundings. He also looked up to check the window of the bedroom he shared with Roxanne to make sure there was no one there. He then quickly grabbed Nicole and pulled her into a corner. "Why'd you come to my house? Didn't we agree that it would only be me going to your place, and that you can't come here? I don't want Roxanne to find out about this," he said a little frantically. Nicole only chuckled. "What are you even worried about at this point? Your father's dead, and Roxanne is also—" Brandon interrupted her. "I've already told you. Both of us are in our mourning periods right now, and we can't let anyone get anything on us. The Slewmans are completely dependent on me now, so you have to think about the bigger picture," he said with a sigh before pushing Nicole away. "Alright, you should go back for now. I've promised to spend Roxanne's birthday with her. We can talk some other time." Nicole had more to say, but Brandon didn't give her the chance. He hurried into the house and went straight to the bedroom. When he got there, he found the door open. He walked in and called out, "Roxanne?" No one answered him. Brandon noticed that the bed had been made neatly, as if Roxanne had left for quite a while now. The house was just too quiet, and he found himself standing there in a daze. Usually, Roxanne would skip and bounce over to him. Even when he pushed her away, she would still persistently cling to his arm and ask him to take a look at her new nightgown. There had been red ones, black ones, strappy ones, and even lacy ones. She had tried something different every time just to lure him into bed. Brandon admitted that Roxanne looked the best in a red, strappy piece, but reason told him that he couldn't betray Nicole. Moreover, today was Roxanne's birthday. Each year, she would wait at home for him to celebrate with her, even though he had never kept his promise. This time, however, he had canceled all his other plans just so he could spend her 25th birthday with her. Roxanne had once said that a person's 25th birthday was a turning point in life. She had hoped that that would be the year when she would have a husband and a child, but since he couldn't give her a child, he at least needed to give her a great 25th birthday. And yet, she was nowhere to be found. Not only that, but her clothes, shoes, and even cosmetics were all missing too. The only thing left behind was the wedding ring sitting on the bedside table. Brandon picked up the ring and held it in his palm. After a moment's hesitation, he walked into the closet. When he checked the cupboard, he saw that his present was still sitting inside, untouched. A look of disappointment flashed across Brandon's eyes when he realized that Roxanne hadn't even used the key to open the cupboard at all. A housekeeper was dusting the hallway right then, and Brandon went to ask her, "Have you seen my wife today?" The housekeeper answered, "I saw her leaving with a suitcase. When I asked her about it, she just said that she was going on a trip." Brandon's eyes darkened. It seemed like Roxanne truly was angry this time. She must've been angry because he had asked her to shoulder the blame regarding the photo issue involving Nicole. And thus, she was throwing a tantrum and even skipping the 25th birthday that she cared so much about. However, Brandon didn't like women who didn't think about the bigger picture, and he decided to let Roxanne be. She would obediently return home to him in a few days anyway. It had always been this way for the past few years. Roxanne had always been the one to give in and seek him out. This time would be no different. Brandon placed the wedding ring back where he found it and headed downstairs. He didn't believe that Roxanne could stay away for more than three days.