Chapter 49

Alexia returned to the Reed residence around 9:00 pm after the company dinner ended. The house was dark, a clear sign that Calvin hadn't returned yet. After taking a shower, she went to the kitchen to make a hangover remedy, deciding to wait for him so that she could thank him in person. Time passed, and the remedy started to cool, but there was still no sign of Calvin. Hesitating for a moment, she finally dialed his number. The call took a while to connect, and when it did, the background noise of laughter and chatter was unmistakable. She went on to ask what time he'd be back. But before Calvin could respond, a stranger's voice came through. "Hey, Calvin's drunk. You're his wife, right? Can you come pick him up?" Alexia instinctively wanted to refuse, but the thought of Calvin, drunk and helpless, combined with the fact that he had helped her earlier that day, left her no choice. "Can you please send me the address? I'll be there," she said, her tone resigned. The location was