The remaining comments were similar. 'Oh, my God!' Erica was so unsettled that she deleted the post in a hurry. It wasn't until then that she realized how many women coveted her husband!
What did Matthew do when he went out? How could he be so skilled at seducing women?
After the late lunch, Erica slowly made her way toward her car. Even though her legs were sore, she intended to visit the hospital.
At the hospital
Since the Su family members had just left, Phoebe, who was exhausted, closed her eyes, and the maid tasked with caring for her, settled in a chair.
Erica pushed the door and entered without knocking.
Surprised by the unannounced visitor, the maid jumped from her seat and asked, "Who are you?"
A charming smile lit up Erica's face as she pointed at the woman in the bed. "I'm here to see your lady."
"Oh!" the maid nodded. She glanced at the young woman again. Why did she feel as though this woman was familiar?
'Isn't she here to see a patient? Why did she come empty-handed?' the maid wondered.
Erica ignored the maid's puzzled gaze and sat on the chair beside the bed. As she was in no hurry to wake Phoebe, she quietly observed the woman.
Phoebe's face had lost its pink hue because of the blood loss and the surgery. Her eyes were closed, her breath was weak, and her lips were pale.
She was dressed in a hospital gown, and her slender arms, dull like her complexion, rested by her side. Her manicured fingers indicated that she was indeed from a wealthy family.
The sleeping woman woke, perhaps because she sensed someone's intent gaze. As soon as Phoebe turned, she saw Erica sitting by her side.
Her eyes flew wide open, and she became attentive. A trace of suspicion shone in her gaze as she questioned, "What are you doing here?"
"What am I doing?" Erica pouted so that Phoebe's attention would be drawn to her red lips. Before she came to the hospital, she asked a makeup artist to apply light makeup. Then, she contrasted it with tomato-red lip gloss. Her smile made her look more radiant.
In fact, she didn't know how she managed to walk into the hospital after getting out of the car. Thanks to Matthew, her legs were still trembling, and it was difficult for her to walk straight.
Irrespective of her discomfort, she had to share the news with Phoebe. Even if she had been unable to walk, she would have come in a wheelchair to show off to this woman!
Erica untied the silk scarf around her neck, fanned her hand as though it were hot, and said, "Why is it so stuffy in the ward? Is it going to rain today?"
Phoebe's gaze was drawn to the marks on Erica's neck. Her breath caught in her throat when she realized what they were.
Hickeys of various sizes on the woman's neck made it obvious what Matthew and Erica had done at home last night while Phoebe was alone in the hospital.
She grabbed the sheet tightly, and hatred filled her eyes. But she tried not to show any emotions. "What do you mean?"
"What do I mean?" Since a maid was in the ward with them, Erica was careful not to say anything of significance. By untying her scarf and exposing the marks on her neck, she had achieved her goal. Satisfaction coursed through her as she retied the scarf around her neck. With a charming smile, she said, "I'm here to tell you that Matthew doesn't care about you or the baby he made with you! While you suffered in the hospital, my husband and I spent the whole night sharing our bodies. How do you feel, Miss Su?"
Phoebe's face distorted as anger and indignation surged through her. She screeched, "Get out! You are not welcome here!"
The maid also frowned at Erica's odd behavior. "What are you doing here? Can't you see that Miss Su has not recovered yet?"
The smile on Erica's face became brighter and wider. She deliberately provoked, "Yes, I know she's sick, and that's why I came here to show off. Your lady is arrogant and dares to covet my husband."
Shock reflected on the maid's face when she heard the accusation. She hadn't known why Erica had behaved the way she did until this moment. Now, she saw Phoebe in a different light.
Just then, the door to the ward swung open again.
A man exuding an aristocratic aura stood in the doorway. The long black overcoat he wore above his dark blue suit and new dark leather shoes impressed on everyone that he was rich and had good taste.
Owen, dressed in a Western suit, peeped over the man's shoulder.
The sudden arrival of these two people brought relief to Phoebe as she thought Matthew would save her from Erica's pettiness. Her eyes filled with tears as she watched the man stride to the bedside.
However, in the next moment, her expression darkened when she saw the marks on the man's neck.
'How could they do this to me?!
Did they both come here to show off and hurt me?' Bitter thoughts and envy filled the woman.
Erica's heart skipped a beat as well. She hadn't expected Matthew to visit the hospital. Did he come here to protect Phoebe?
"Why aren't you resting at home?" he asked calmly.
'How can she have the energy to come to the hospital? It seems that she's fine, ' he deduced.
Erica felt as though he was questioning her. So, she stood and snorted, "Humph!" Then, she turned and stalked out of the ward.
Matthew followed her to the hallway outside, grabbed her wrist, spun her around, and said, "It seems that I failed last night."
Puzzled, she asked, "Failed at what?"
Their eyes met. The man answered expressionlessly, "You had the strength to leave the house. I need to work harder in bed."
It was then that he noticed that she had worn makeup today. While the tomato-red colored gloss added a mesmerizing shine to her lips, the slightly raised black eyeliner made her appear more mature. Matthew couldn't take his eyes off his wife!
A frown appeared on his forehead when he wondered why she needed makeup for a hospital visit.
He was sure that Erica had come here alone. Did she make this effort for Phoebe?
When he learned that she was going to the hospital, Matthew worried that Phoebe would make her suffer. And so, he had hurried over from the Theo Group.
'Work harder in bed? Oh, no! Does he have any idea of how difficult it was for me to come to the hospital? I may really have to use a wheelchair if he worked harder in bed!' "I'm going home now." Now that she had achieved her goal, Erica just wanted to catch up on sleep.
"Okay. I'll ask Owen to drive you home." Matthew didn't ask her to stay. After all, she should be resting at home.
'Ask Owen to drive me home?' Erica was unhappy with his proposal. "Are you going to stay with Phoebe?" Envy laced her voice as she searched his face for the slightest hint of emotion.
"Did you have something else planned for me?"
Erica shook her head and tried to suppress the bitterness in her heart. "No, I'm leaving now!" What else could she say? Erica didn't think that she could ask him not to stay with Phoebe. After all, she didn't believe that she was that important to Matthew.
She turned and took a step away from her husband.
Matthew cocked his head to the side when he noticed how strangely Erica was walking.
It then dawned on him that she was just pretending to be strong.
A mischievous smile added a boyish charm to his handsome face. In a few giant strides, he caught up to her. Before Erica could process what was happening, Matthew had scooped her up in his arms.
Clueless as to what caused the change in her husband, Erica's mouth hung open. The shock from his actions left her feeling parched. She quickly wrapped her arms around Matthew's neck and said, "Y-you… Aren't you going to stay here with Phoebe?"
"No, I just remembered I have something more important to do. I'll come to her again when I'm free." Matthew was not in a hurry to question Phoebe about her miscarriage. Now, the most important thing was his little wife, who couldn't walk because of him.
Blood rushed to Erica's face when she saw the curious expressions on the passersby. She buried her face in his chest. "Put me down. I can walk by myself…"
"You can walk by yourself? Are you sure? It seemed like…" The man lowered his head and whispered in her ear, "I really need to work harder tonight."
What Matthew felt when he had sex with Erica was so addictive and wonderful that he found himself even more enamored with her.
