"That bitch! She's trying to create a rift between you two again! Remember, darling, no matter what happens, you are now legally Mrs. Dreskin, and nothing can change that!"

Despite Aurora's reassurance, Claudia couldn't shake off her lingering unease. Feeling a little depressed, she typed another message.

“But what if there really is someone special?"

Aurora found herself at a loss for words. That would be the end of their marriage! Before receiving Aurora's reply, Claudia heard Bennett opening the door and enter the room.

Claudia felt nervous seeing Bennett, and she subconsciously put her phone down.

When he noticed her reaction, Bennett's gaze briefly flickered towards the phone resting between her thighs and then returned to her face. In a casual tone, he asked as if nothing had happened, “Have you had a shower?"

Under his scrutinizing gaze, Claudia's nervousness intensified. She initially nodded and shook her head in confusion but quickly grasped his question, replying hurriedly, "Yes, I've already taken a shower!" Bennett nodded in acknowledgment. "Alright, I'll go shower now."

After briefly holding her gaze, he then headed into the adjoining closet and proceeded directly to the bathroom.

As Claudia stared at the closed bathroom door, she breathed a sigh of relief but couldn't shake off her Lingering melancholy.

It felt like a tiny grain of sand had been dropped into her heart, causing an unsettling discomfort.

Just then, the screen of her phone, which was tucked between her thighs, lit up.

Glancing down, she read the message from Aurora.

“Regardless of anything else, remember you are Bennett's lawful wife!"

Claudia wasn't in the mood to reply anymore. So she turned off the phone screen and collapsed on the bed.

How am I ever going to compete with Bennett's sweetheart for him? She wondered.

Claudia felt her mind becoming a jumbled mess. In the past, her relationship with Anthony had Delilah as the third wheel. Now, just after opening her heart to Bennett, another similar incident cropped up.

Once bitten, twice shy.

It felt as if she had been thrown back into a time of turmoil and hurt.

Only this time, she was minus the youthful bravery and naivety she had back then.

If it turned out Bennett still harbored feelings for that other woman, Claudia resolved to step aside gracefully, ending their marriage.

After all, their marriage had been unconventional from the start.

Yes, the most dreadful outcome would be divorce.

She let out a deep sigh, an attempt to calm her swirling emotions. Just then, the bathroom door swung open revealing Bennett fresh from a shower.

Claudia felt a mix of sadness and guilt. Her first impulse was to avert her gaze, but no sooner had she done it than regret struck.