He followed behind Scarlett disgruntledly, though the latter seemed oblivious to his foul mood. She carried nothing, having delegated it all to Jonathan, who was beginning to suspect this woman was sent here to be the death of him.As Scarlett prepared to begin another round, Jonathan finally had enough. He planted his heels on the ground and intervened. "It's just the three of us eating. What's the point of you getting so many things? That's more than enough. Let's just go home."Instead of complying, Scarlett did not even bother to spare him a glance. She continued tossing a few potatoes into his basket, her reply earnest. "That simply couldn't do! I promised to make you a good, fulfilling meal earlier, and a few measly dishes wouldn't cut it. I've always repaid kindness by spades and, similarly, enmity, so please be rest assured. You will not be disappointed by this meal."Her words rendered him speechless. Was she trying to stab him with her words?Jonathan had to applaud her for h
Jonathan sat on the couch with Norman, catching up over their drinks. Still, their gazes unconsciously strayed to Scarlett's bustling silhouette, her habitual moves flowing into one another—synchronized and methodical.The sight of her mesmerized the pair.As both Jonathan and Norman hailed from wealthy families, they had almost never tasted the cooking of their own mothers. Their mothers had been women who refused to get their hands dirty, let alone cook a full meal. Now that Scarlett was cooking especially for them, Jonathan and Norman felt a sense of warmth neither had experienced. It was a kind of feeling that was difficult to put into words.Unlike Scarlett, Jonathan knew nothing about cooking. He was a man who preferred to use brute force; a task as meticulous as cooking simply wasn't in his nature. Norman, on the other hand, was a bon vivant at heart. He had shadowed a Freyan chef once as an apprentice, his experience providing a wealth of knowledge in the preparation of exquisi
Jonathan glared at Norman irritably. His words were blunt, unrelenting. "Hey, you've freeloaded enough. I'm not giving you a ride back. The door's over there. See yourself out, eh?"Norman retracted his gaze from Scarlett and bumped Jonathan once. "God, are you turning into a Scrooge? What's all this rush? Can't I sit for a while before leaving?"Jonathan's expression turned serious. He leaned closer to Norman and told him solemnly, "We've been inseparable since we were kids, which is why I'm not wasting my breath talking nonsense with you. There are certain things you ought to know my limits for, and this is one of them. You know what I'm talking about, don't you?"Norman might appear to be a carefree individual, but he was, like everyone else, a normal person with an eye for beauty. The way he looked at Scarlett was apparent to Jonathan. Jonathan knew he himself looked at Scarlett the same way, just more naked and direct in comparison to Norman's furtiveness.In order to prevent jeop
She hesitated for a long time, for there was something she had wanted to discuss with him for a long time now. Instead of delaying it further, Scarlett decided to bring it up now. "I have something to ask you," she began. "Can I find a different place to stay?"Jonathan did not expect her to ask him that. Without hesitating, he denied her request at once. "No fucking way! Where do you plan on going?"Scarlett lowered her head, her voice pleading. "I don't mean that. I'm not saying I want to leave you. I just hope you can arrange for me to stay at a different place. Too many of your acquaintances frequent this place. Remember what happened last time? Besides, it's too far away from my college."Jonathan grew even more displeased the more she spoke. If he could, how he wished he could chain her by his side in a large house where she belonged to him and only him. She wouldn't have to leave, nor would she be under the scrutiny of other men outside the four walls of her confinement.But Jon
Scarlett sighed as his color returned bit by bit. Jonathan had always acted like a tyrant who expected everyone else to cater to his needs. Now that he was sick, he acted like a spoiled child who needed her to care for him instead. Scarlett couldn't be bothered to explain to him the contents of the soup; it was nothing but a folk remedy. Would he have known about it, even if she had enlightened him?After he'd finished the bowl of soup, Scarlett got him another one. As he started to sweat slightly, she then fetched a towel from the bathroom to wipe away his sweat. Her actions were gentle, and Jonathan enjoyed the warmth and coziness it brought him as she swept his hair to one side. However, Scarlett's action of brushing aside his hair inadvertently revealed the scar of a recent injury that caused a rush of memories to subsequently flood her mind.If she wasn't mistaken, this injury of his must have been from the time he came to rescue her but ended up being hit on the head by her. Her
As Jonathan remained silent with his eyes shut, Scarlett let out an exasperated sigh. No matter what, there was no way she could free herself from his hold. If Jonathan wanted her to sleep by his side, so be it.Admittedly, she was rather exhausted as well. After worrying about Ms. Zimmer for the better part of the day on top of preparing an entire meal for Jonathan and Norman, her energy had long been depleted.If she allowed herself to sleep for a while, she could potentially recharge. Scarlett closed her eyes resignedly, unaware she had fallen into Jonathan's trap.As for the scheming man, he glanced at the sleeping woman in his arms, a peculiar smile on his face. Scarlett's meticulous care of him had been excellent.If his being sick warranted this degree of gentleness from her, he wouldn't mind making himself sick once in a while.It puzzled him how he could lose control like this, considering it was the first time he tried Scarlett's dishes. He had always been healthy, his gut he
Could he be inferior to Justin in every aspect possible? It had been one text; she didn't have to be this angry at him over something so trivial.The more Jonathan thought about it, the angrier he got. Without thinking, he slapped her across the face, his slap merciless and even more brutal than Scarlett's.The sheer magnitude of his slap elicited tears of agony from her. Just as she prepared to leave, Jonathan caught hold of her, preventing her from sprinting out the door.Never had he felt such distress, as if a noose was tightening around his throat, squeezing any and every remaining air out from him.Jonathan had always been privileged, and he had never experienced such turmoil. He supposed Scarlett was the only person who could make him feel this bitter. Not just bitter—angry, resentful, and intensely so.He found himself unable to bear this any longer, but he couldn't very well slap her and leave. If she made him unhappy, then he would make her unhappy in return, too. That was si
Scarlett did not turn to meet his gaze, for she had already caught a glimpse of his brooding expression from the mirror. His face was carefully blank, not a hint of emotion present on his features. Scarlett's heart contracted painfully. Did that mean he was still angry? Was he here to torment her again?No matter how stubborn she was, Scarlett harbored an inherent aversion to such matters. She not only disliked her involvement in them, she feared having to be an active participant. Jonathan had a tendency of making her feel oppressed—that much had always remained true, even now.As for Jonathan, he looked at her but was at a loss as to how he ought to explain things to her in the aftermath of it all. He wasn't used to apologizing—he hadn't had to apologize for anything in his life, ever—but when it came to Scarlett, he didn't want her to misunderstand.After a long pause, he stuttered, his face red. "I'm the one at fault earlier. I shouldn't have done that."He left as quickly as he'd
Scarlett knew there was no real solution to the problem between her and Jonathan. The both of them were just choosing to ignore what had happened between them.There was nothing left for them to do to fix what had been broken.Until now, she still felt as if she was in a dream. Was she really married to Jonathan? Was she really living with him in such a lavish house? She found it hard to wrap her mind around it because it was all so surreal.The warm water in the tub sloshed gently over her body, and she felt her eyelids droop. These few days have been tough, and she hadn't been able to sleep well. All she wanted to do was fall asleep in this tub. If she were any less rational than she was right now, she probably would've just fallen asleep in the tub.Scarlett changed into a simple set of pajamas after her bath, completely ignoring the sexy lingerie set that Jonathan had picked out for her. She could probably wear that lingerie set if she were alone but she couldn't possibly w
Jonathan's tone was loving and teasing, and she was immediately transported back to the carefree times she had spent with Jonathan at university. Back then, they didn't have much to worry about and could just enjoy dating each other without reality holding them back."Have you had breakfast? I'm making breakfast right now. Do you want some?" Scarlett asked."No, thank you. I don't like eating in the morning. You can go ahead and enjoy your breakfast," Jonathan replied. Jonathan never got into the habit of eating breakfast; after he went overseas, he had less reason to have breakfast. As such, he never ate breakfast anymore. After Scarlett had finished her food, Jonathan drove them to city hall to sign the necessary documents for their marriage.The entire time, Scarlett felt as if she were in a dream. Everything that was happening seemed so surrea. The absurdity of the events and the fact that she had not slept well in two days only made her more dazed. Scarlett hadn't realize
Scarlett immediately understood what he was trying to say and bashfully lowered her gaze. Since when had he become so sleazy? Going overseas had done nothing to teach him to be a better man. Scarlett didn't know how to answer him, so she stared silently at the ground. Suddenly, she thought of something and raised her head to say, "Jonathan, I have to tell you something. I can marry you, but you must promise me one thing. We won't have a wedding ceremony."Jonathan was upset by that suggestion, and he huffed, "What? No ceremony? Are you planning on just getting married in secret? Is it that embarrassing to be married to me? Is that why you don't want a ceremony? If you don't want to marry me, just tell me! You don't have to do all this to show how reluctant you are to marry me!" Jonathan had no idea what was going on in her head. What woman would outright refuse to have a wedding ceremony? Any woman would love to have a grand ceremony to celebrate her marriage, but now that Sca
Just then, Scarlett heard someone call her name from behind her, "Scarlett?"Scarlett turned in confusion and realized that it was the school counselor. She never expected to see him here, and her heart was filled with warmth at the sight of him. She hadn't seen him since graduating, so she didn't think he would still remember her. She hastily wiped the tears from her face before greeting him with a brilliant smile, "Mr. Brown! Why are you here?""I had nothing to do today, so I thought I would drop by to play basketball. How's work? Why aren't you here with Jonathan? I can't believe it's been a year already. Time really flies … I still remember when Jonathan would play basketball, and you would cheer for him from the sidelines. I miss all of you, so come by with Jonathan next time! By the way, don't forget to send me a wedding invitation when both of you get married. After all, I've got my eye on both of you, and I'm sure you will end up together. I remember how nice Jonathan trea
"Hey! What are you doing? Are you going home now?" Scarlett asked."Of course! Where else would I go? Didn't we just break up? Why are you calling me again? Don't tell me that you miss me already!" Teresa's voice which was filled with glee, came from the other end of the receiver. Hearing her voice made Scarlett feel much better than before, but Scarlett was worried that she would no longer be so happy after Scarlett tells her the truth. She didn't want her problems to affect the lives of those around her. Since she made a mistake, she would be the one to bear responsibility, and no one else should have to suffer because of her … especially not her best friend.Scarlett hesitated before asking, " Teresa, do you like your job?""What's not to like? I love it! Being a teacher is my dream! My students are obedient and understanding. My job also gives me a sense of accomplishment! Why are you asking me this now? I've told you before that my dream is to be one of the best teachers in
As she spoke, Scarlett attempted to push Jonathan away, but he was too strong. She couldn't fight back at all. She felt like a fragile child in front of Jonathan, and he could crush her into pieces with just a little force. Jonathan leaned in and whispered coldly, "Do you think I’m still as compliant as before, allowing you to push me away repeatedly? Let me tell you, I’m not the same. How well do you think you know me? Let me make it clear, I will get what I want, including you!" Scarlett sensed the threat in Jonathan's words and looked at this unfamiliar man with some caution. She asked cautiously, "Jonathan, are you threatening me? What exactly do you mean? Why don't you just tell me instead of playing games? My time is not free, so let me go if you won't talk. I still have to work tomorrow." Scarlett was truly exhausted at this moment. Listening to her colleagues discuss Jonathan in the office had already put her on edge. After work, she spent so much time walking aroun
Jonathan did not take her comments to heart and continued coldly, "You came home quite late, Scarlett. It seems like you've learned to enjoy life more now, huh? Weren't you just a bookworm before? Why are you so late today? You've changed a lot after starting work and made more friends, huh? Tell me, who were you out having dinner with just now? A colleague? Your boss? Or is it your boyfriend? Whoever it is, it seems like he takes good care of you, and since you were having so much fun with him, why bother coming back home in the evening?" Scarlett could hardly believe the cruel words that came from his mouth. When did Jonathan become so heartless? Although he could be a bit carefree before, he would never say such things to her. In Scarlett's eyes, Jonathan had always been gentle and caring, completely different from the person uttering these words now. Scarlett felt infuriated and couldn't help defending herself, "It's not what you think! I was just having a cup of coffee with
The two best friends chatted, and before they knew it, time had passed as they enjoyed their coffee. Soon, night fell, and the sky that was once adorned with the setting sun was now full of twinkling stars. It was beautiful, but it also reminded Scarlett of the day she parted ways with Jonathan. That day was just like today, a beautiful night with bright stars. However, things had changed, and she could never sit here and talk with Jonathan as she did that day. Teressa noticed the shift in mood from across the table. After hesitating, Teresa couldn't help but speak up, "Scarlett, Jonathan ... He's coming back soon." Teresa didn’t know the details of Scarlett and Jonathan’s relationship, but she knew they went on a trip together during their final year while everyone was looking for internships. It was quite sudden since Scarlett barely hung out with Jonathan. Then, there were rumors that they were dating, but Jonathan went abroad to study soon after, and Scarlett never menti
Scarlett sighed heavily at these words. “Yeah, there’s no way our small magazine can get an interview with the great Jonathan Leonard. Only those major news outlets have the qualifications for that. It’s his first time returning to the country after going abroad, so this is big news. The media would be busy with this, but it’s certainly not for us to handle.” Just then, the editor-in-chief of the office suddenly appeared. He must have overheard their discussions outside and sternly said, “Am I paying you to gossip around? You’re all good for nothing. You’re all itching to gossip now that I’ve eased up on you?” Once he roared, everyone fell silent. They either looked down at their computers or pretended to be busy with their work. No one responded to him. Who dared to oppose the editor? His words were final. However, Scarlett, who had always disliked this editor, felt grateful to him at this moment. She thanked him silently for saving her from her colleague’s gossiping. This wa