From Neglected Wife to CEO’s Obsession novel Chapter 20

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Remy’s phone kept buzzing nonstop. He was completely buried in work.

I kept telling him to just go to the office, but he stared at me with tired, red eyes and said, “Avery, whether you believe it or not, you’re the one I love most. You’re all that matters to me. Everything else is not important.”

After we finished my mom’s memorial, Remy’s assistant Mike called, sounding frantic. Something huge had happened at the company, so Remy had to go in right away.

He looked at me, clearly torn, hesitate to head out but worried about leaving me home alone.

I tried to sound reassuring. “Go ahead. The company’s finally doing well. Don’t let me be the reason things fall apart again. If you’re really worried, just hire someone to help me out. Preferably a young girl.”

Remy moved fast. That morning I mentioned it, and by afternoon he was back, with a new helper in tow.

His black Mercedes rolled into the driveway. From the back seat stepped a woman in a white dress, big shiny earrings swinging as she moved—something about her looked oddly familiar.

She turned, bent down to help Cindy out, and said something quietly. Cindy nodded, slipping her tiny hand into the woman’s.

Remy got out from the other side and came straight to me, gesturing at the woman. “Avery, this is Julie—the caregiver I hired for you. I checked her credentials, she’s good.”

Julie was petite, maybe about five foot three, with long, thin hair that looked dry and brittle. She was so skinny it seemed like a strong breeze could knock her over, but her face was strikingly pretty. From the nose up, she even looked a little bit like me.

“Looks like we’ll be in your care, Julie,” I said politely.

Julie smiled, her voice raspy but gentle, her tired eyes softening. “No problem. Just let me know if you need anything. I’ll do my best to take care of you both.”

Cindy led Julie to the guest room. I turned to Remy, still a little uncertain. “Where’d you find her? She looks pale and kind of out of it, and there’s no spark in her eyes. Did she get a health check? Cindy’s so young, I’d hate for her to catch something.”