For the Greater Good

Fiona's voice carried a hint of urgency as she and Phillip walked into the adjacent room.

Her increasingly labored breathing mixed with the creaking of the bed frame. Each sound felt like a hammer hitting my heart.

I bit my lip hard as my eyes gradually turned red. I did not know how much time had passed, but the next room eventually became quiet.

"We should be more careful. Don't let Timothy find out."

Phillip scoffed. "Relax, he loves you so much. What can he do even if he finds out?"

Fiona's voice carried a touch of guilt. "Don't say that... He's a good person. I don't want to hurt him."

I closed my eyes and sneered. In their eyes, I was just a fool they could manipulate at will.

When Fiona pushed open my room door, her face was still flushed.

I pretended to have just woken up. "Fiona? Where were you?"

"Honey, there's something I want to discuss with you." She sat on the edge of the bed. "You know my sister died suddenly in a car accident. She didn't even leave a child. It's so pitiful. She loved babies more than anything. I don't want her to leave with any regrets, so I've decided to have a child with Phillip through IVF. You'll understand, right?"

She caressed my cheek with the same hand that had just been caressing another man.

"IVF? Or did you two already..." I suppressed the anger surging inside me.

She immediately grasped my hands, her eyes brimming with sincerity. "Honey! How could you think of me like that? How could I ever betray you? You're the love of my life!"

Tears welled in her eyes. "It's purely a medical surgery to give my sister a child. I swear, there's nothing between us!"

What masterful acting. She had just stepped out of another man's bed and could already utter such words in the blink of an eye.

"Honey, remember. I'll only ever love you!" She hugged me tightly, but I could smell the odors on her.

I closed my eyes, fighting back nausea.