Take My Breath Away

Things at ZL Group were going smoothly, as usual.

Matthew adjusted his tie and flicked a mote of dust off the sleeve of his five-thousand-dollar suit jacket as he strode past the personal assistants' office. After getting settled in his own office, he called Paige in.

"Good morning, Mr. Huo," she said pleasantly.

With a slight nod, Matthew took out his phone and tapped at the screen. "I'm sending you two photos," he explained. "Go and check if this lipstick is one of the ones Mrs. Huo bought when she went shopping with my mother, or one that I asked you to send to the villa."

As soon as he was done speaking, the phone in Paige's pocket vibrated twice. "Yes, Mr. Huo!"

When she was gone, an evil smile appeared on Matthew's face. He knew the lipstick was most likely Erica's own! He was waiting for his wife to be embarrassed.

If that happened, he guessed that her anger would be something to see!

Meanwhile, Erica was taking pictures of a vase on campus when a question suddenly flashed through her mind. Was the lipstick her own?

Setting her camera down, she went looking through her backpack. Where previously there had been two lipsticks, now there was only one left.

Deep in thought, she reached into her pocket and produced the lipstick Matthew had taken the pictures of. It was definitely one of those she and Debbie had bought together.

She seldom actually used the lipsticks after buying them, so she hadn't recognized her own one earlier.

Thinking of what she had done in front of Matthew, she began to think she was doomed!

After all, Matthew even had pictures. Surely, he was going to have someone find out whose lipstick it was.

If it turned out to be hers, how humiliating it would be.

'What should I do? What should I do?' she asked herself over and over.

After spending some minutes panicking, she decided simply that she would not admit to anything. She would never talk about this matter again. As for Matthew, if he brought it up again, Erica would just change the topic.

It wasn't a perfect solution. Still, it was the best she could come up with.

Erica went on with her day without incident—until her last class in the afternoon was over, when she got a call from Matthew. "I'd like you to come to my office," he told her.

Trying not to sound worried, Erica asked why. She was immediately suspicious that he had figured things out.

Having expected her to be on guard, Matthew casually said, "It's about Ethan."

Erica bought it. "Okay."

A sho

Erica, Gwyn ran over to her with Godwin and Godfrey following close behind.

"Aunt Erica, Aunt Erica!" the three kids chanted, grabbing her legs and arms and practically smothering her in hugs.

At first sight of Matthew, though, Gwyn left Erica and rushed over to him happily. "Uncle!"

"Hi, Gwyn," Matthew replied, sweeping her up in his arms with surprising affection.

"Oh, Uncle, we haven't seen each other in such a long time!" Gwyneth pouted, holding onto his neck in a rather spoiled manner.

"Yes, you've certainly grown taller!" he remarked.

Seeing this and glancing at the two little boys in her arms, Erica couldn't help but think, 'Is Matthew fonder of girls than of boys?'

Upon entering the living room, they found Sheffield holding Evelyn's shoulder. One of them was talking and the other laughing.

Sure enough, Sheffield was doing all the talking, and Evelyn was doing all the laughing.

Erica was a bit surprised when Matthew came over and took her hand. "What are you doing?" she whispered in his ear. "I thought you were angry at me."

"We can put our fighting aside for the time being," he explained quietly.

"Look around you. The family gathering is more important. We can pretend to be a happy couple for a few hours." Erica made a face, but her husband failed to notice.

After the greetings were done with, Evelyn pulled Erica aside and asked, "How's it going?"

It was a casual question on the surface, but Erica knew what she was really asking about. Rumors of the campus violence and the matter with Tessie had made their way through the family, and Evelyn herself had already called Erica once, asking about what had happened.