The Winter That Wasn't Chapter 2

To the outside world, Aaron was the perfect husband.

He would leave business dinners early.

"Apologies, gentlemen. My wife made mushroom soup. I have to go home and try it."

He would coldly reject any advances from female secretaries.

Even a slight cold would make him frown with worry.

"Clara, honey, I called Dr. Liu to come over and check on you."

He remembered every anniversary. He knew all my habits.

Until six months ago.

My father died of cancer, and I inherited the family company and fortune.

That's when my perfect husband started showing his true colors.

He disappeared for a whole night, missing my father's funeral.

When he finally rushed in, he smelled of a perfume that wasn't mine.

At the same time, my secretary, Jessica, told me that Aaron, the company's vice president, had been embezzling funds.

She traced the money to a villa in the suburbs.

The deed was in the name of Aaron's childhood friend, Lily.

I thought I had been too focused on work and neglected our marriage.

So, I cut my business trip to Germany short.

But when I got home, my grandmother, who suffered from dementia, grabbed my hand at the door.

Her cloudy eyes were filled with terror. "Clara, run!"

Before I could comfort her, Lily walked in.

"President Wen, Aaron said he left a file at home and asked me to fetch it."

Seeing Lily, Grandma fainted.

Three days later, while I was in a meeting, Grandma's caretaker called.

Grandma had fallen from the third floor of the villa. She was dead.

I broke down, screaming at the caretaker.

"I told you a thousand times! Even if you leave for a minute, lock her door!"

"I'm so sorry, Miss Wen. She wanted hot milk, and the microwave in her room broke. I thought it would only take a second..."

Noah helped me up from the floor.

"Mom, it wasn't her fault. I saw it. It happened in the blink of an eye. Great-grandma just ran out and fell."

Aaron held me, looking mournful.

"The dead are gone, Clara. Grandma wouldn't want to see you like this."

At the funeral, Aaron was the picture of a devoted husband-in-law.

Everyone envied me.

But years in the business world had sharpened my instincts. Something felt wrong about Grandma's death.

I hired a private investigator to look into the caretaker.

She disappeared right after quitting. And a large sum of money had been transferred into her account.

The sender was Lily.