To the outside world, I was simply Ralph Dickerson's wife: a woman who didn't work, designed jewelry at home, and occasionally helped her husband out. Nobody knew I was the sole heiress of Henson Group.
Sitting at the front desk was none other than Lisa Perry.
She looked even more innocent than in the photos. Long hair draped over her shoulders, eyes that seemed clean and harmless. Beneath her loose-fitting blazer, her belly had already begun to show.
Who would have guessed that behind that guileless face lurked a woman clinging to another woman's husband, eyeing his money and his home?
"Hello, how can I help you?" Her voice was syrupy sweet, her smile flawless.
"I'm here for Ralph Dickerson." I kept my tone flat, letting my gaze drift over the slight swell of her stomach without a flicker of expression.
The smile on Lisa's face froze for a split second. She scrambled to recover. "Mr. Dickerson is in a meeting. May I ask who you are?"
"I'm Molly Henson."
I stated my name calmly and watched the color drain from her face in an instant. Her fingertips went white where they gripped the edge of the desk.
She knew exactly who I was. Ralph Dickerson's lawful wife.
She snatched up the phone, pressing her voice as low as it would go, but I caught every word. "Mr. Dickerson, your wife is here… She's at the front desk right now."
Less than thirty seconds later, Ralph came half-jogging out from the back, a thin sheen of sweat glistening at his temples.
"Babe, what are you doing here all of a sudden?" His smile was stiff, his eyes darting involuntarily toward Lisa. He was so rattled he could barely hold it together.
"Nothing going on at home, so I thought I'd come see you. Maybe take you to lunch." I looped my arm through his naturally, my voice warm and easy.
"Sure, sure, let's go upstairs to the restaurant." He steered me away as fast as he could, not wanting me to linger a second longer.
In the elevator, I spoke as if the thought had just occurred to me. "That receptionist downstairs seemed sweet. She must be new, right?"
Ralph answered so fast the words practically tripped over each other. "Yeah, just an intern. I barely notice those people."
I let out a soft "oh" and said nothing more. Inside, I laughed at that pathetic lie a thousand times over.