The Contract Wife Tries to Leave - Chapter 93
“What kind of relationship? There’s nothing! We’re just acquaintances…!”
Philipp’s voice grew louder, almost as if he were trying to cover something up, which only confirmed Johanna’s suspicions.
He was busy wiping away his nervous sweat with a napkin, while the woman, Tasha, smiled knowingly, as if she were enjoying the entire situation. Johanna glared at both of them in turn.
“Did you two sleep together?”
“Pff—!”
Philipp spat out the coffee he had been drinking at the blunt question.
Tasha muttered, “Oh dear,” as she pulled out a handkerchief and gently wiped his mouth. Philipp, eyes wide, coughed repeatedly, avoiding Johanna’s gaze. His obvious guilt made Johanna’s heart go cold.
“N-No, that’s not it. Tasha is just…”
“So, am I going to have a new stepmother?”
Tasha’s outrageous comment left both Johanna and Philipp frozen.
Still smiling brightly, Tasha draped her arm around Philipp’s neck.
“Why not? Isn’t that the kind of relationship we have?”
“W-Wait, what…?”
“……”
At this point, missing the obvious would have been foolish. It was clear the two were having an affair. Johanna couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh, astonished by the absurdity of it all.
“Father, have you lost your mind?”
“N-No, I… I didn’t…!”
The truth was, Philipp barely remembered anything. That night at the tavern when he met Tasha, he had been so drunk that he blacked out completely. When he woke up the next morning, he found himself completely naked.
Tasha had appeared before him in a bathrobe, simply saying, “Last night was wonderful.” Philipp knew exactly what that meant, and he had panicked.
He couldn’t be certain whether anything had actually happened between them, not with his hazy memory. But Tasha had been incredibly kind, even offering to help him out when he was being chased by loan sharks.
Philipp wanted to believe that her kindness was genuine. He pushed down his guilt about his wife and children, telling himself that maybe it didn’t matter. When he was with Tasha, he felt free from worries and fears, happy in a way that was intoxicating—just like his addiction to alcohol and gambling.
“I can’t believe this… I never saw this coming.”
Johanna’s voice, cold and laced with bitterness, filled the room.
“You found out Mother passed away only a few days ago… and yet, here you are, having an affair? Have you completely lost your mind? Do you even know how Mother died?!”
Johanna’s fury finally erupted, and she shot up from her seat, shouting at her father. Philipp’s eyes flickered like a candle in the wind as he looked up at his enraged daughter.
Meanwhile, Nella, who had been observing the situation from a distance, sensed that things were taking a dangerous turn. She quickly rushed to the coachman. It was her duty to report anything that could put Johanna in harm’s way.
“Mr. Cain, you need to head to the estate immediately and fetch the Marquis. I think we might need him here.”
“What? Why? Did something happen inside?”
“Yes, well… it seems like this argument is going to drag on… and I have a bad feeling about it. Please hurry!”
“Alright, I’m on it.”
Cain quickly mounted his horse and rode off, disappearing into the street. Nella, after making sure he was on his way, rushed back into the coffee house.
As she had feared, the atmosphere inside had grown even more tense.
“Aren’t you even a little sorry for what you did to Mother? She spent her entire life suffering because of you, and she ended up dying a painful death from her illness…! How can you still call yourself a human being?!”
“Hold on, Marchioness of Neubitz. You’re being too harsh. How is Philipp to blame for your mother’s death? Didn’t she die from an illness? She lived long enough for someone with a terminal diagnosis. And besides, we didn’t have an affair. We met after she passed away.”
At Tasha’s shameless remarks, Philipp went pale, and flames of fury ignited in Johanna’s eyes. She glared at Tasha as if she wanted to strangle her. Never in his life had Philipp seen his daughter this enraged.
“How can you even open your mouth and say that? Shut up.”
“Good heavens, is that how a lady of your status speaks?”
“Better than someone walking around with her head held high after having an inappropriate relationship with a recently widowed man.”
“Inappropriate relationship? I already told you, we didn’t meet while your mother was still alive, did we?”
It was clear that reasoning with this woman was impossible—she was utterly delusional. Johanna sighed heavily and rubbed her forehead, feeling like a weight had lodged itself in her chest. The betrayal and boiling rage churned inside her like molten lava.
“Excuse me, let me interject for a moment.”
At that moment, Nella, who had been observing the situation from the sidelines, suddenly stepped forward.
She glanced briefly at Johanna for approval before clearing her throat and speaking firmly to Tasha.
“I’ve been listening for a while, and you’ve been quite rude. Do you even know who this is?”
