You Have the Right to Keep a Secret Love

Chapter 53: She is not just an individual, but also a...

Mr. Lao Dong's complexion was very poor, and he appeared quite flustered. After a moment of hesitation, he hoarsely implored Qi Xi, "Xiao Qi, my wife doesn't know yet. I was temporarily bewildered. You must help me keep this secret, please."

Faced with this situation, even though she wasn't directly involved in this marriage, Qi Xi felt somewhat powerless and defeated. As a woman herself and as a junior whom Mr. Lao Dong had cared for, she felt deeply struck by this. She couldn't understand why he would do something like this. "Aren't you deeply in love with your wife? Why would you do something that hurts her like this?"

Once Qi Xi saw through Mr. Lao Dong's facade, he stopped concealing it. He desperately clutched his hair, then sat despondently on the office sofa. The calm demeanor he had feigned earlier had finally shattered.

With a sense of helplessness, he said, "In my heart, I only love my wife. I have no true feelings for Nana. When Nana first joined the company, I was the one who hired her. Her family situation was indeed difficult, with sick parents at home. I felt sorry for her, so I took care of her a bit more. We would have meals together and all that."

"My wife is highly educated, with a higher degree than mine. She has a doctoral degree and is now an executive in a company. She's great in every way, but because she's so outstanding, she's never had that kind of admiration for me. Half a year ago, she got a promotion and now her salary is even higher than mine. When I face my wife, I often lack a sense of accomplishment. But Nana is different. She doesn't know how to do anything without me. She comes to me for advice on everything, as if she can't accomplish anything without me."

Mr. Lao Dong's voice was filled with regret and pain. "I didn't know back then that she was deliberately pretending. I was blinded by my desires and thought she was just an ignorant child. Over time, I lost my sense of propriety. During one dinner when I had too much to drink, she said she would take me home. But when I woke up, we were already in a hotel, and everything had happened."

At this point, Mr. Lao Dong urgently explained, "But my heart has always belonged to my wife. She and I are soulmates. I have never betrayed my wife in my heart. I just lost control momentarily and fell into Nana's trap."

Qi Xi didn't say anything else; she simply asked, "And then she started to control you step by step?"

Mr. Lao Dong's expression was regretful, "Yes, I didn't expect that after we became involved, she changed completely. She wasn't the innocent girl who admired me anymore. She became demanding, asking me for things constantly. One moment it was a handbag, the next moment it was jewelry or cosmetics, or even trips. I became like her personal bank, and she took advantage of my position as the HR director. She started taking extended sick leaves and even skipped work altogether. I've covered for her multiple times, but she was never satisfied."

Mr. Lao Dong's tone was one of self-reproach, but Qi Xi still felt he wasn't truly remorseful. His story didn't seem entirely truthful. If he had just fallen into Nana's trap while drunk and had a one-time affair, why did he have a couple's mug with her on his desk? Why did Nana have such an air of authority, and why was Mr. Lao Dong willing to be blackmailed by her for almost a year?

Even if Nana was cunning and deliberate, she had only recently graduated. Judging from her behavior towards Qi Xi earlier, she didn't seem like someone with deep manipulation skills. Could she really outwit Mr. Lao Dong, who was experienced in handling people?

Qi Xi pondered how their extramarital affair had developed, who initiated it, whether there were both physical and emotional infidelities, and only Mr. Lao Dong knew the answers. But regardless, the fact of betraying his family and wife was undeniable.