After a decade of marriage, he remained distant and indifferent. I stood by him through tough times, so he assumed I could always handle them. “Why hire a nanny when you’re at home all day doing nothing?” His disdain was obvious. Yet he felt deep sympathy for his first love, even to the point of tears. I divorced him, split the assets, and started my own business. When we met again, he was working as a personal assistant for an older woman. 1 “Hurry up and wash these clothes; I need them for a meeting tomorrow,” Jasper said, tossing his clothes at me before heading into the bathroom. I held his shirt, my expression less than pleased. Jasper loved cleanliness; his clothes weren’t dirty and even smelled nice. But why did they have the scent of another woman’s perfume? “Hazel, why isn’t the floor mopped properly? The towel’s still wet,” Jasper shouted from the bathroom. “You’re home all day, and this is all you manage to do?” he added. When we first bought this house, I wanted to hire a housekeeper. During the early days of starting my business, I lived in the basement to save money, which left me with chronic back pain. When my mother-in-law found out, she mocked, “You think you’re some wealthy lady who needs a nanny?” “Back pain is just an excuse for being lazy. Work more, and it’ll get better.” “The house isn’t big; you can clean it yourself without wasting money on help.” I glanced at Jasper, but he was engrossed in his phone, not noticing me at all. Later, I found out that his first love announced her relationship on social media that day. 2 The next day, I got up early to prepare lunch for Jasper. He’s a real workaholic, often forgetting to eat when he’s busy. So, I decided to bring him lunch every day. That day, he actually finished it all and asked me to continue bringing it to the office. Sometimes, he would even tell me in advance what he wanted to eat. This made cooking more fulfilling for me. When I delivered the meal to the office, I ran into Daphne in the elevator. Seeing the lunchbox in my hand, she smiled and said, “Hey Hazel, bringing lunch for Mr. Lu again?” Daphne was a younger schoolmate from high school who joined Jasper’s company after graduation. On the 12th floor, she winked at me. I walked to the office door and saw through the glass a woman inside. She leaned close to Jasper, as if about to kiss him. 3 My mind went blank, and my body moved faster than my thoughts, rushing forward to pull the woman away. She was wearing high heels and stumbled when I tugged her, nearly falling. “Adeline!” Jasper rushed out from behind his desk and held her in his arms. Seeing Adeline in Jasper’s embrace was like being struck by lightning. Adeline, Jasper’s cherished first love who had gone abroad. They were the golden couple in school, famous throughout. Jasper’s deep affection for Adeline was known school-wide. Even after being with me, Adeline still had a place in his heart. Adeline was his youthful regret, and I was merely his reluctant choice. “Alright, Jasper, let go of me. Your wife is still here,” Adeline said playfully. Jasper gazed at her lovingly, then turned to me, his eyes instantly cold: “What are you doing here?” A dull pain surged in my heart. “Were you here to deliver lunch?” Adeline naturally took the lunchbox from my hand. Opening it, her eyes were full of disappointment: “This again?” “I’m tired of it,” she pouted to Jasper. I was stunned: “You’re… tired of it?” “Yes, I said the cafeteria food was bad, so Jasper gave me his lunch. Didn’t he tell you?” Jasper admitted nonchalantly: “Yeah, Adeline’s tired of it. Make different dishes next time.” He picked up his coat, stepped forward to hold Adeline’s hand: “Let’s go, we’re eating out.” “What about this lunchbox?” she waved the lunchbox in her hand. “Throw it away,” Jasper said casually. “It’s not that good anyway.” 4 Adeline threw the lunchbox into the trash right in front of me. She avoided Jasper’s hand, smiling: “Never mind, the ‘boss lady’ is here, how could I dare to have lunch with the boss alone?” She winked at Jasper and walked out of the office in her high heels. As she passed by, her gaze swept over me carelessly as if I were just a roadside rat. She seemed to inadvertently lift her hair, revealing a neck dotted with red marks—clearly kiss marks. It wasn’t until Adeline’s figure disappeared around the corner that Jasper withdrew his gaze, never looking at me once. “Aren’t you going to explain? Why is she here?” I asked, trembling. Jasper finally gave me a glance: “Her company had some issues, so she’s working as my assistant now.” “Aren’t you thrilled? Finally able to be with her day and night.” I couldn’t help but jab at him. “If you hadn’t come, I could’ve had lunch with her today and spent more time together.” He looked at me with a mocking expression. Silence flowed between us like a current, leaving us speechless for a long time. After a while, I suddenly chuckled, though my heart was full of bitterness. 5 I turned and sat on the sofa, gritting my teeth: “So what, I’m not just coming today, I’ll come every day. I want to see how bold she is to stay with a married man.” “I’m the one on your marriage certificate, the company’s ‘boss lady’,” I emphasized. Jasper sneered: “‘Boss lady’? Only you care about these empty titles.” I caught my breath, feeling like something was blocking my heart. The air fell silent again. In a fit of pique, I stayed in the office, not wanting Adeline to come looking for Jasper again. Unknowingly, I actually fell asleep on the sofa. I was woken up by pain, my stomach felt like a blade was stirring it, twisting my insides into a bloody mess. Moaning in pain, Jasper finally noticed my movement: “What trick are you pulling again…” But seeing my pale face, he suddenly fell silent. “Stomachache again?” he asked softly, then picked me up and headed downstairs. 6 Adeline was holding a stack of documents, surprised: “What’s going on?” Jasper’s tone was gentle: “Hazel’s stomach issue flared up, I’m taking her to the hospital, I’ll deal with anything else when I get back.” Seeing Adeline’s gloomy face, I felt strangely satisfied, and my stomach seemed less painful. I snuggled into his arms. As soon as we got into Jasper’s car, I sensed something was off. The car was filled with cute decorations, and on the floor were crumbs, like potato chip bits. Jasper never allowed anyone to eat in his car. Once, I just ate a piece of candy, and he was displeased. Let alone putting so many decorations in his car; I once placed a clay figure I made myself, and he threw it in the trash, saying, “It’s an eyesore.” I sniffed and took out a small bread from my bag, but before I could open it, Jasper grabbed my hand, frowning: “Eat it outside.” “I’m so hungry, I promise I won’t mess up the car.” I pleaded with him. He insisted: “Eat outside.” Maybe my stomach hurt too much, my eyes reddened, and my voice sharpened: “I want to eat now! If Adeline can eat in your car, why can’t I?” Jasper’s gaze turned cold: “She was signing a contract with me, hadn’t eaten all day, and her low blood sugar acted up. At that time, you were at home, sleeping, playing on your phone, tending to flowers.” “Why do you think you can’t?” he questioned me. I opened my mouth but couldn’t say anything. When Jasper’s company was just starting, I followed him everywhere for business and investments. At banquets, high-proof liquor was poured down my throat, leaving me with permanent stomach issues. As the company gradually improved, I wanted to work there, but Jasper’s mother stopped me: “A woman shouldn’t be out in public all the time.” So I gave up my career to stay home full-time. My heart and mind were all for Jasper. Unexpectedly, this became his reason for thinking I was inferior to Adeline now. 7 The silent atmosphere in the car was interrupted by a phone call. Jasper pulled over and tersely told me: “Get out.” “What?” I was stunned. “Adeline twisted her ankle and is in pain,” Jasper explained. “What about me? What should I do?” I panicked. “It’s less than a kilometer to the hospital. It won’t take long to walk,” His face showed growing impatience, “When did you become so delicate?” The kilometer took me nearly an hour to walk. Lying alone in the hospital bed, I watched the patient next to me, who had just had surgery, being cared for by her attentive husband. He adjusted her blanket and made her comfortable. When she couldn’t eat after surgery, her husband patiently coaxed her with a bowl. I buried myself under the blanket, trying to use sleep to divert my attention. The hospital room door opened, and I looked up. Jasper had come. I thought he couldn’t let go of me, a smile forming on my lips. But when I saw who was behind him, my smile froze. 8 Adeline walked over, looking apologetic: “Sorry Hazel, I twisted my ankle and didn’t know who else to turn to, so I called Jasper.” “I didn’t know he’d leave you on the road like that. I’ve already scolded him.” Adeline seemed angry, glaring at Jasper. Watching their interaction, I felt colder than when walking alone. Their mutual understanding and intimacy made them seem more like a couple than Jasper and I did. “Adeline knew you were in this hospital, so she came to see you,” Jasper said, seeing I was silent, with a slight annoyance. Then, he handed me a menu: “Mom’s birthday is in three days, make a few dishes and get a cake.” “I didn’t know he would leave you alone on the street. I’ve already given him a piece of my mind.” Adeline glared at Jasper, clearly annoyed. Watching them interact made me feel even more isolated than when I was walking alone earlier. Their understanding and closeness made them seem more like a couple than Jasper and I ever did. “Adeline heard you were at this hospital and came specifically to see you.” Jasper looked at me with some displeasure when I didn’t respond. Then, he handed me a recipe. “Mom’s birthday is in three days. Go home, cook some dishes, and get a cake.” Adeline glanced at the recipe and exclaimed, “Wow, that’s a lot of dishes. I can’t make any of them. Hazel, you’re amazing.” Jasper joked, “If you want to learn, have Hazel teach you. She’s always in the kitchen, so she’s most familiar with these.” Adeline laughed and shook her head. “No way, I’m a modern independent woman. I’m not going to spend my days cooking and cleaning for others.” Her words pierced my heart like a thorn. I once had dreams of pursuing a career, but now I’m just someone who’s always in the kitchen. — Three days later, I went to my mother-in-law’s house alone. She didn’t even look up and directly instructed, “Go make dinner, and remember to use less salt.” I spent the whole morning in the kitchen, finally bringing the last dish to the table. Jasper finally arrived, with Adeline following behind him. My mother-in-law warmly greeted, “Adeline, come in and sit.” She held her hand and chatted, clearly liking Adeline very much. Adeline, with her flattering words, made my mother-in-law laugh and smile. I stood beside them, nervously twisting my apron, feeling completely out of place. My mother-in-law glanced at me and instructed, “Adeline loves tomato beef stew. Go make another serving.” I silently walked into the kitchen. It was another rainy day, and my back was starting to ache. Forty minutes later, I brought the dish to the table. My mother-in-law kept serving Adeline food, and Jasper poured her soup. From afar, they really looked like a happy family of three. I walked towards Adeline, but suddenly tripped. I couldn’t hold the plate steady, and hot soup spilled all over my arm, instantly reddening and swelling it. At the same time, Adeline shrieked as some soup splashed on her arm too. Jasper jumped up, and my mother-in-law yelled at me, “You can’t even handle such a small task! Worthless!” She raised her hand to hit me. Jasper stopped her, “Mom, take care of Adeline’s hand first.” She found some burn ointment and carefully applied it to Adeline, gently reminding her to avoid water. I returned to the room alone, my arm hurting so much that I couldn’t stop crying. Jasper pushed open the door and entered, holding a tube of burn ointment. “You got burned too, didn’t you?” “My mom can be blunt. Don’t mind her,” he said. “Besides… it really was your fault today. You couldn’t even hold a plate properly.” He added. Noticing my silence, he sighed and left the room, probably to comfort Adeline. After all, she was always delicate and afraid of pain. Back in high school, even a paper cut on her hand would make Jasper worry endlessly, I thought sarcastically. Sitting for a while, I started feeling hungry. I hadn’t eaten a single bite of the feast I prepared. Just as I opened the door, I saw Adeline. She stood there with her arms crossed, smiling as if watching a good show. — Ignoring Adeline’s intentions didn’t work. She spoke softly, “Hazel, I really admire your thick skin. After all this, you still shamelessly stick around Jasper.” I paused and looked back at her, my gaze firm. “Aren’t you the shameless one? When Jasper was a poor kid, you chose to go abroad and abandon him. Now that he’s powerful, you come running back.” She sneered, “So what? As long as I beckon, he comes running like a puppy.” She coldly replied, “If I were you, I’d wisely choose to divorce. At least that way, you’d get a decent settlement.” “What if I don’t want a divorce?” I challenged her. “As long as I don’t divorce, you’ll always be the secret affair.” Her expression changed, and she snapped, “The once high and mighty lady now enjoys being a hidden mistress.” Saying this, she raised her hand to slap me. I quickly grabbed her hand, but she showed a satisfied grin. The next moment, she deliberately fell backward, tumbling down the stairs. “Adeline!” Jasper rushed over, shoving me aside harshly, and my forehead hit the railing. Trembling, I touched my forehead, and the sight of blood stung my eyes. Jasper picked up Adeline, his gaze colder than ever. “If anything happens to Adeline, I’ll make you pay a hundredfold.” “Jasper!” I called to him, enduring the pain. “There are cameras here.” He paused but still left with Adeline in his arms. I went home alone, hastily bandaging my forehead. Late at night, Jasper returned and slipped into bed, bringing a chill that made me shiver. “Adeline’s fine. It’s just that her foot injury from a few days ago worsened from falling down the stairs today. She might need to stay in the hospital a bit longer,” he said casually, his hand wandering on me. I smelled perfume on him and felt a sudden wave of nausea. With Adeline in the hospital, unable to fulfill his needs, he sought me instead. Just as I was about to push him away, the phone rang, breaking the silence. I answered it, frozen by the news on the other end. The thunder outside crashed down at that moment, and the rain that had brewed all day poured down, as if weeping for my plight. 11 “What’s wrong?” I held Jasper’s hand tightly. “My dad… he… he…” My voice caught in my throat, unable to continue. By the time I quickly changed my clothes, Jasper was already waiting in the car.
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