Hold My Tear, I’m Getting My Wife Back (Leanne Castillo) novel Chapter 520

Tina was sprawled on her bed, gossiping on the phone with her best friend, spilling the latest on her tangled affair with Phillip.

Her friend teased, "Aren't you about to get engaged to Alfred? What's all this mess about?"

Tina was at a loss herself.

Phillip always had a way of unsettling her, inch by inch prying into the steadfast foundations of her heart.

"It's like having a lover, I guess," she declared brazenly. "After all, marriage is pretty much about doing your own thing, right? Might as well have my fun with Phillip."

Her friend gave her a virtual thumbs-up. "Making Phillip your lover? Girl, you really dare to dream."

Tina buried her face in her pillow. "But I really like him, what can I do?"

...

Phillip had just stepped out of the conference room when his assistant handed him his phone: "Your mother's calling."

Without breaking stride, he answered, knowing Jennifer wouldn't be wordy. She cut straight to the chase, "Heard from Penelope she saw you and Tina at the hospital this morning. What's that about?"

"She fell into the water, caught a bit of a cold," Phillip replied.

Jennifer was curious about when they had reconnected but hearing someone approach him for business, she held back.

"Go on with your work; I'll have some chicken soup sent over to help her recover."

After hanging up, Phillip dove back into work, his afternoon split into endless halves of busyness.

Tina, after taking her cold medicine, dozed off for most of the afternoon. Waking up, she heard voices in the distance.

Phillip was back, inquiring about her condition from the housekeeper in the living room.

"She spent the afternoon in the study, and then took a nap. Hasn't woken up yet," the housekeeper said.

"Did her fever break?" Phillip asked.

"Still a bit of a low fever when she checked before sleeping."

As they spoke, Tina, in her pajamas and slippers, sleepily wandered out to him and wrapped her arms around his waist.

The housekeeper discreetly exited, and Phillip guided Tina to the couch, checking her forehead for fever.

Tina obediently sat, but Phillip, concerned about her temperature, decided to fetch a thermometer. Tina, however, pulled him back down beside her, climbing onto his lap.

"Let's check that fever first," Phillip tried to reason, attempting to disentangle from her embrace.

"I'm burning up," she whispered, her fingers deftly working on his suit buttons and loosening his tie.

Phillip caught her wandering hands, "Stop that."

As Jennifer entered, Tina sat on the couch with the innocence of a schoolgirl, hands on her knees, the picture of propriety.

Jennifer handed over a thermos of chicken soup she'd brought, the warmth of home in a bowl. Tina thanked her, the act of drinking the soup bridging the awkward silence.

"How did you manage to catch a cold?" Jennifer inquired with concern.

"Got caught in a draft," Tina improvised.

The mismatched stories made Jennifer pause, "Phillip mentioned you fell into the water."

Ah, if only the truth wasn't so embarrassing. Tina glanced at Phillip, surprised he'd shared even that much with his mother.

"After the fall, there was the draft," she quickly covered.

"Seems like the weather's been tricky lately. You young folks need to be more careful; getting sick is no joke," Jennifer chided gently, then added, "Phillip's been swamped with work. It's hard for him to look after you properly."

Tina caught the hint, "I’m feeling better today, so I won’t trouble Phillip anymore. I'll head over to a friend's later."

Phillip gave her a look, "You're not well yet. Stay put until you're better."

In front of elders, Tina knew better than to argue, even as she played the part of the uninvited guest with nowhere else to turn.

"Your engagement might be off, but you're still family. Our home is your home, especially when you're not feeling well. No need for hotels," Jennifer assured, the warmth in her words wrapping around Tina like a blanket.