Rita's world seemed to tilt on its axis. If Esther was telling the truth, then who exactly was Jefferson?
The gravity of the situation dawned on Rita—this was an emergency.
She quickly said to Esther, "Are you free tomorrow? I'm going to ask for the day off and fly out to see you. We need to talk face-to-face!"
Esther's tone shifted to one of concern, "Sure, I'm available. And don't stress too much, okay, my friend? At least this Jefferson guy hasn't done anything to hurt you. Try to look on the bright side."
"But he's lied to me, Esther, and I don't even know why. I have to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible. I'll see you tomorrow." Rita hung up the phone with a mix of determination and dread.
She berated herself for being so naive.
It was as if she had been under some spell, blindly trusting Jefferson from the start without a single doubt.
She felt a rush of anger and embarrassment at her own gullibility.
Rita hastily packed a few essentials, planning to head straight to Esther's city the moment her workday ended.
As she prepared for bed, her phone rang.
It was Jefferson.
Once, such a call would have brought her joy, a sign that he was keeping in touch. But now, everything was tainted.
She watched the phone ring until the screen went black. She was at a loss, unsure of how to confront him about his deceit.
The next day, as soon as the clock signaled the end of her shift, Rita was out the door. She didn't hesitate, catching the first flight to the restaurant in the neighboring city where she and Esther had agreed to meet.
Upon seeing Rita, Esther couldn't hide her surprise. "Wow, you really look different now, Rita."
Rita managed a weak smile, knowing full well how much she had changed since leaving her hometown.
Skipping the pleasantries, she pulled out her phone and showed Esther a photo of Jefferson.
She had taken it shortly after he had moved into her house, albeit secretly.
But Esther was certain, "That's definitely not Ken. I'm one hundred percent sure. This man is much taller than Ken!"
Rita's voice was desperate, "Do you have any idea who this could be? I'm even starting to question if his name is really Jefferson."
Esther shook her head, "I've got no clue. I don't live in your city, remember? But could he be some kind of celebrity or something? He certainly has the looks."
Rita rolled her eyes, "Yeah, I fell for those looks! He doesn't seem like a liar, does he? And why me? If he wanted to get married, he'd have plenty of options... I just don't get it."
Esther looked at her friend with sympathy, "Rita, you've changed so much! You used to be so confident, remember? You always believed you deserved the best, didn't you?"
Rita let out a heavy sigh, "But everything's different now, isn't it? Even my own parents have turned their backs on me. Let's not talk about that. What do you think I should do about this liar?"
Esther's expression grew serious as she weighed her words carefully. "Look, I just want you to tread carefully, okay? We have no idea why he's done what he's done. And it's definitely not safe for you to be snooping around after him by yourself. Who knows how he might react if he finds out you're onto him and his lies are unravelling?"
Rita's resolve was firm. "But I've got to get to the bottom of this, don't I?"
Esther's face lit up as if a light bulb had gone off in her head. "Oh, hold on a second. I just remembered—I know someone who could help. There's this private detective here in the city, really top-notch. He's got connections and resources all over, even in your city. Let me give you his number."
She rummaged through her purse before handing Rita a business card. "He's not cheap, but he's worth every penny."
Rita took the card, her determination unshaken by the potential cost.
"Money's not an issue. I need answers. Thanks so much, Esther."
Their meal was a brief affair. Rita was too preoccupied with the urgency of her situation to linger over dinner.
She needed to get in touch with this detective immediately—he seemed to be her best shot at uncovering the truth about Jefferson.
Rita bid a hasty farewell to Esther, her mind already racing ahead to the next step.
She stepped outside and, with the detective's business card in hand, she dialed the number. To her relief, the detective answered with a casual, easy-going tone that put her slightly on edge.
He was straightforward, saying he'd take on her case as long as she was willing to put down an 80 percent deposit upfront.
After Rita agreed to the terms, the detective immediately invited her to come to his office.
"I'm actually at my office right now, which is a rare occurrence," he explained. "If you can make it soon, we can start unraveling this mystery together."
Grateful for the prompt service, Rita wasted no time. She thanked him and hurried to the address he provided.
Her heart pounded with a mix of anticipation and anxiety as she navigated her way to the detective's office.
But as Rita stepped through the door of the office, her heart sank into her stomach.
There, in the flesh, stood the last person on earth she ever wanted to lay eyes on again—Robert Hum!
He was positioned right in front of the detective's desk, and as their gazes locked, a look of surprise spread across his face.
It was clear he hadn't expected her to walk into this part of his world, and Rita realized she had just made one of the biggest blunders of her life.
Robert's eyes widened in disbelief, and he blurted out in a mixture of astonishment and excitement, "Oh my god! Rita?? Can you believe this? I'm actually here hiring this detective to track you down. And now you just waltz in out of nowhere? That's just... it's incredible!"
Rita's eyebrows knit together in a deep frown, her voice tinged with skepticism and indifference as she replied, "What do you want from me, Robert?"
Robert's demeanor softened, and with a hint of reproach, he said, "Oh, Rita. How could you forget? We're in a contract marriage, remember? Don't be so cold, okay?"