After listening to people praise Charis all day long, Janet returned home with a heavy heart. Ethan was
busy cooking in the kitchen when he heard Janet come in. He walked to the living room whilst stirring the
egg in the custard bowl.
He looked up at her and asked, “What would you like to have tonight? Shall I make some pasta?”
Janet put down her bag and glanced at him. He was wearing a gray shirt and a pair of slippers. An old
apron clung to his torso. He looked like a family man. Janet didn’t know where he learned to cook and be
the best partner who looked after his wife. Instead of feeling lucky, a pang of unease settled in her heart.
She couldn’t help but wonder if he had cooked for anyone else before and looked at another woman the
same way he looked at her, which always made her weak in the knees. Perhaps he had treated Charis
the same way in the past.
The multitude of thoughts wrecked Janet’s peace at once.
She glared at Ethan and opened the bedroom door. “Cook whatever you want because you’re going to
eat by yourself.”
With that, she slammed the door, Ethan stood there, staring at the closed door.
He knew that Charis’ arrival might have ignited her jealousy. Ethan hoped that Janet would get jealous
because it meant she cared about him. At first, he liked it; she looked adorable. However, the jealousy
had turned into something vicious, separating them. Ethan couldn’t take it anymore. He felt depressed.
He walked to the door, hoping to explain to Janet that he and Charis weren’t close. However, Ethan had
already made it clear before. Mentioning it over and over again would only make it seem like he was
trying to hide something from her.
Therefore, Ethan chose to remain silent. He couldn’t tell Janet that Charis liked him because it would
only amplify her insecurity. The situation was a tricky path to tread. The weather gradually turned cold at
night.
Janet took a quick shower, and lay on the bed, wrapped in a blanket, facing the window.
Just then, she heard rustling sounds. Knowing that it was Ethan, she closed her eyes, ignoring him.
Since Ethan wanted Janet to stay in his room, he practically turned her old bedroom into a storage room,
making it impossible for her to move back.
Ethan gently lifted the blanket and lay beside Janet, resting his head on his arm. The bed rattled under
his weight.
A depressing atmosphere prevailed in the room. Ethan turned and glanced at the back of Janet’s head.
Noticing his presence, Janet moved away from him, pulling the blanket closer to keep a safe distance
from him. Ethan closed his eyes and let out a weary sigh. Janet seemed cold and distant, so he didn’t
dare to touch her. He didn’t want to do anything that would increase her anger.
Janet didn’t sleep well that night. The next morning, she walked to the company in a daze. The company
was only a couple of blocks away from their new apartment, so she walked to work every day. But today,
the road ahead was under construction, so Janet had to take a different route. Autumns were dry in
Seacisco. The leaves of the ginkgo trees had turned yellow. Janet stopped and admired the beauty of
the trees dotting the silent street. Just then, a loud screech caught her attention.
She spun around and saw a car darting toward her. Janet had no time to dodge. She fell to the ground in
fear,
Fortunately, the car skidded to a halt a couple of inches in front of her. Just as she was about to get up,
she saw a hand reaching out to her.
“I’m sorry, Ma’am. I was on the phone and didn’t notice you in front of me. Are you hurt?”
Janet was still in a state of shock. She looked up and saw a man examining her with concern. He was a
handsome man who seemed to be able to effortlessly win women’s hearts with his mere looks.
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