During a social gathering with friends, my husband’s former classmate sat on his lap and shared a drink. I didn’t think much of it. After all, if my husband were to like someone, it certainly wouldn’t be her. He often complained to me: “I can’t fathom how she got into college with her intellect!” “Every time, I have to fix her mistakes. She never knows anything and is as clueless as a pig.” Everyone knew he disliked her. Yet later, when her parents pressured her into marriage, he was moved to tears and spent a fortune to secure her freedom. Jasper Grey found himself entangled with a former classmate, who insisted he was the only one she would marry. Adeline Blake was the classmate in question. They were paired up for a graduation project. At the time, Jasper and I weren’t married, but we were already living together. Initially, Jasper complained to me daily, criticizing Adeline for her lack of intelligence. “I can’t believe she got into college. She can’t even manage basic calculations!” “Every time, I have to clean up her mess. She never knows the answer to the professor’s questions and is as clueless as a pig.” “I can’t take it anymore. If she holds back our team again, I’ll ask the professor to replace her!” … He complained incessantly but never replaced her. After graduation, I married Jasper, and he became the CEO of Grey Enterprises. However, Adeline’s name kept cropping up between us. One day, after returning from a class reunion, I could tell Jasper was upset. When he’s in a bad mood, his brows furrow slightly, and there’s a hint of irritation in his eyes. While he was showering, I secretly looked at his phone. The pinned message was from Adeline. I didn’t open it, but I saw her message saying, “Upperclassman, after graduation, I’m going back home to get married.” My heart skipped a beat. I couldn’t understand why Adeline needed to inform Jasper of her post-graduation plans or whom she was marrying. Especially after their reunion. That night, as Jasper lay beside me, his hands wandered. I wasn’t in the mood, so I couldn’t help but ask about Adeline. “Isn’t she your classmate? Why does she need to inform you if she’s going back home to get married?” I thought Jasper would immediately clarify to prevent any misunderstanding. But he suddenly sat up and looked at me with angry eyes, “Did you check my phone?” His outburst caught me off guard. The man who was so tender moments ago was now full of anger. I was bewildered and looked at him helplessly. Realizing his overreaction, Jasper quickly tried to soothe me, “I’m sorry, honey. I was in a bad mood today and took it out on you. Please don’t be upset.” He gently consoled me while explaining, “Adeline isn’t very bright. I didn’t even talk to her today, and she sent me that message. Who knows what she means?” Afraid I wouldn’t believe him, he showed me his chat history with Adeline. Their last conversation was six months ago. “She’s incredibly dense, can’t get anything right. Going back home to get married is good; at least she won’t be a nuisance to others.” He spoke with undisguised disdain, but it felt like a thorn in my heart that I couldn’t touch or remove. I didn’t know when, but Jasper’s attitude toward Adeline had subtly changed. In the first year after graduation, Jasper attended a friend’s gathering, and I didn’t hear from him until midnight. Just as I was debating whether to call him, I saw a friend’s social media post. In the photo, Jasper was sitting on a sofa with Adeline on his lap. They were linking arms, sharing a drink. Honestly, Adeline wasn’t particularly attractive—skinny and small, appearing malnourished. Among Jasper’s female classmates, she was unremarkable. To be honest, I agreed to Jasper’s pursuit because of his looks. There’s a saying online: even if you don’t consider family background, think about your kids’ genes. Plus, Jasper was outstanding and a good choice. And among the girls who pursued Jasper, they were either rich and beautiful or high-valued beauties. Yet he didn’t choose any of them, so why would he be interested in someone as unremarkable as Adeline? So when I saw that picture, I wasn’t too rattled. Before the gathering, Jasper had specifically told me Adeline would be there. He assured me he wouldn’t speak more than a word to her. So seeing that photo, I instinctively thought it was Adeline clinging to him. Because when I went to find Jasper, I had encountered Adeline a few times. She wore a worn-out white T-shirt, ill-fitting jeans, no makeup, and up close, you could see freckles on her face. Among a group of young, beautiful, vibrant female college students, she didn’t stand out. And Adeline would always avoid eye contact when she saw me. Due to Adeline’s calculation error, the whole team had to start over. She was teary-eyed, quietly apologizing to everyone, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to.” Back then, as the team leader, Jasper threw the data sheet at her face, “What’s wrong with you? Can’t handle the basics? If you can do it, do it. If not, leave!” Adeline was crying but bit her lip to hold back her sobs. She was so ordinary, so plain, even hard to spot in a crowd. So initially, I felt no threat from her. I thought Jasper truly disliked her. But how did things change in just a year? He even irrationally spent a million on her.
I asked a friend to investigate the situation. It turned out Adeline’s parents favored her brother over her. To gather a dowry for her brother, they pressured Adeline to return home and marry right after graduation. Initially, Adeline refused to go back, but her parents somehow found out where she worked and caused a scene at her company. They introduced her to an older divorced man, whose ex-wife left because he was abusive. When Adeline refused to return, they physically assaulted her and even forced her boss to fire her. Jasper’s upperclasswoman, who worked at the same company as Adeline, informed him of the situation. Jasper dropped his company business, not only saving Adeline but also transferring a million to her parents. The condition was that they wouldn’t bother her anymore. When I received the notification of the transfer, I was shocked. Before I could message Jasper, he texted me first. “Honey, something urgent came up. I’ll explain when I get home tonight.” I thought there was an issue at work, so I rushed to the office. But when the elevator doors opened, I saw Jasper carrying Adeline like a princess, walking towards his office. My legs felt like lead, unable to move. I watched as Jasper laid Adeline on the sofa and gently kissed her forehead. “Don’t worry, I won’t let anyone bully you.” He tenderly wiped the blood off her face with his jacket. I stood there for a long time, unable to process what I was seeing. I never imagined infidelity would happen to me, especially with someone I didn’t even consider a threat. It’s not that a “Cinderella” doesn’t deserve love. But she shouldn’t use her vulnerability as a way to intrude on my marriage. I laughed at myself. So this was his urgent matter. On the way home, I held back the sting in my eyes. My heart thudded with resentment with every beat. At home, I saw the freshly pressed suit I had prepared for Jasper still hanging. Suddenly, I felt so ridiculous. I tore the suit from the hanger, cut it to pieces with scissors, and threw it in the trash. If he likes trash, let him stay in the trash. After all, trash and the trash can are a perfect match!
Jasper didn’t come back until midnight. I didn’t greet him at the door like usual. And the first thing he did after coming home was head to the bathroom to wash up. I saw his phone light up with a message from Lydia Bennett. I felt the name was familiar. I recalled she was also part of the graduation project group. I listened to the running water from the bathroom, picked up his phone, and entered the password. But when I saw the chat with Lydia, my breath caught. The room was silent, except for the water and my heavy heartbeat. “Adeline is a good girl. When we worked on the research together, I could see she liked you.” “Seeing you married, she hid her feelings. She planned to go back home to not disturb you, or she wouldn’t have gotten tangled up with her parents.” “She sacrificed so much for you. I don’t believe you can’t feel her love.” “Treasure the one in front of you. If you miss out, you’ll regret it forever.” Jasper’s reply was simple. Just one word: “Okay.” The only sounds in the room were the running water from the bathroom and the echo of my pounding heartbeat. “Adeline Blake is a good girl. When we did research together, it was clear she had feelings for you.” “She saw you get married and kept her feelings hidden. If she wasn’t afraid of interfering, she wouldn’t be planning to go back home, nor would she be tangled up with her parents.” “She’s sacrificed so much for you. I can’t believe you haven’t felt her love.” “Treasure the person in front of you, or you’ll regret it for a lifetime.” Here was Jasper Grey’s response. A simple “okay.” But it shattered all my fantasies about love. With every moment he allowed Adeline Blake into his life, my heart broke a bit more. I switched off my phone and pretended nothing had happened by marking Lydia Bennett’s last message as unread. I opened the drawer, signed my name on the divorce papers. I didn’t want to fight anymore. I wanted to be happy. In this relationship, I had given and tried. But the door to happiness never opened for me. When Jasper Grey finished his shower, I lay on the bed pretending to sleep. In the darkness, I heard him pick up his phone. A few minutes later, he lay down beside me. Once, he would cling to me at night, holding me like an octopus. During a business trip, he once messaged me at three in the morning. “Without you by my side, I can’t sleep.” Now, as I listened to his steady breathing behind me, my heart slowly turned cold. I finally understood what it meant to break down in the early hours, while someone else sleeps soundly till dawn. The next day, Jasper Grey left for work early. As I was about to leave, I received a friend request from Lydia Bennett. “Let’s meet.” At the meeting place, Lydia Bennett eyed me with hostility. “You’ve heard about Adeline Blake, right?” “Honestly, I support Adeline being with Jasper Grey.” “She doesn’t have your background or looks, but she loves Jasper Grey. She’s willing to give up her future to comfort him when he’s sad.” “Unlike you, who graduated and became a rich wife, spending your days arranging flowers and sipping tea. Do you even know how much pressure Jasper Grey is under? Do you care about his feelings?” Hearing this, I wondered if I misheard. “So that’s why you encourage someone to be a mistress?” “Adeline knows Jasper Grey is married but still goes after him. That’s not love she’s missing; it’s a slap.” “You know Jasper Grey has a family, yet you urge him to cheat. What’s wrong, are you lacking both sense and morals?” Lydia’s face turned a mix of colors, trying to argue, “Jasper Grey isn’t happy with you. He likes Adeline. If you were smart, you’d let go and stop deceiving yourself.” Just then, the server brought a freshly brewed coffee. I grabbed a cup and splashed it in Lydia’s face. Coffee dripped from her head, still steaming. She covered her face, screaming, “Willa Grey, are you crazy!” I didn’t hold back, even throwing the cup at her head. “If you dare disgust me again, next time it won’t be coffee; it’ll be acid!” Under the server’s surprised gaze, I left calmly. Later, I found out Lydia is Adeline’s cousin, so no wonder she supported her. When I first got together with Jasper Grey, my parents warned me to reconsider because of his background, but I was determined to be with him. After marriage, I stepped back to support Jasper Grey’s career, watching him rise step by step. Even friends said without me, Jasper Grey would still be working for someone else. I suddenly remembered his words when he confessed to me, promising word by word. “Willa, I promise you, I will work twice as hard to give you the life you want. I’ll be good to you forever and never let you down.” He said it and did it. But now, he says he’s unhappy with me. I didn’t even need to guess the truth in Lydia’s words. If Jasper Grey didn’t complain to her, how would she know? If he hadn’t prompted Lydia, how would she have come to me? Thinking this, my heart ached intensely. I messaged the board, stating I would take over company matters starting tomorrow. I also contacted a lawyer to divide assets between Jasper and me. In the evening, Jasper Grey made a full dinner waiting for me. When I came in, he warmly took my bag. “Why are you home so late today, honey?” Though he smiled, I sensed something was off. When a man suddenly becomes enthusiastic, he must be guilty of something. Sure enough, during dinner, I got a text from the HR Department. “The deputy GM recruited this girl as an assistant. Did you know about this?” I opened the resume he sent. Adeline Blake’s ID photo was glaring at the top. I glanced at Jasper Grey, who was serving me food, and laughed at myself. I initially wanted to part peacefully, but I changed my mind. I told HR to approve Adeline Blake as Jasper Grey’s assistant. The next day at the company, I saw Adeline being guided through the business by a supervisor. Seeing me, she greeted me warmly, “Madam Grey.” I glanced at her. Unlike before, her arrogance and provocation were undisguised. “Ms. Blake, since you joined the company, you should follow the rules and focus on your duties. Keep your little thoughts in check.” I deliberately put on a stern face to warn her. Sure enough, Adeline’s gaze changed. Seeing no one around, she dared to speak up, “Sis, you’re old. You can’t compete with me for Jasper.” “Be smart and step down from the CEO’s wife position.” Her provocations were blatant, no longer the weak, scared girl she pretended to be. I couldn’t help but admire her acting skills. I raised an eyebrow, “Well, I’ll be waiting then.” Don’t let me down. She didn’t know that the CEO of Grey Enterprises wasn’t Jasper Grey. It was me, Willa Grey. Grey Enterprises is my family’s business, but I wasn’t interested in running it. After marriage, when Jasper was struggling to find a job, I suggested he take over the company. At first, he refused, “I’m a man. I want to earn a good life for you with my own efforts.” Until later, even my dad saw his abilities and approved of him. Only then did he replace me in handling the business. Because we both have the surname Grey, people thought Jasper Grey owned Grey Enterprises. Like Adeline, the fool. When Jasper saw me at the company, his face changed, forcing a smile, “Why are you at the office, honey?” I shrugged, “Bored at home, thought I’d come to the office to kill time.” While talking to me, his eyes kept darting to Adeline at her desk. I patted him lightly, “The new assistant is nice.” Hearing this, Jasper’s smile instantly faded, and I stopped teasing him, heading back to my office. That night at home, Jasper hid in the bathroom for half an hour. When I was wondering, I heard him lowering his voice, “Don’t worry, I’ll come get you!” The next second, he slammed the glass door open, the frame hitting the wall loudly. He stormed over, grabbed my wrist, and demanded angrily. “Is this fun for you? She’s just a young girl. Why are you picking on her?” “I told you she’s my upperclasswoman, why take it out on an innocent person?” I was bewildered, not knowing what happened. Jasper barely contained his anger, threw my hand aside, dressed, and stormed out, “If anything happens to her, we’re done!” The door slammed shut. I was baffled by Jasper’s outburst, feeling resentful. I opened my phone, and the first social media post was from Adeline Blake.
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