"Oh, what a surprise to see you here as well."
I greeted her with a casual smile, not showing any particular interest.
Regina observed my fragile demeanor. Her attire exuded an air of elegance and sophistication, reflecting her refined taste. It appeared that Justin had been quite generous with his financial gestures towards her over the years.
I can't believe as these were supposed to be mine!
"Indeed, I am afflicted with leukemia. Justin went out of his way to make sure I was admitted to this hospital and assured me that they are highly skilled in treating leukemia." Regina's eyes burned with a mix of envy and animosity, yet her voice remained detached.
"Leukemia?" I was absolutely taken aback.
"Yes. According to Justin, your parents were highly knowledgeable about leukemia and had a history of working at this hospital. Thus, numerous treatments and methods have been left behind by them who worked here before." Regina couldn't help but bring up Justin in every single sentence she uttered.
Every single word she uttered was meant to belittle me.
The man I adored generously covered the medical expenses for his mistress, my rival, at the very hospital where my parents were once employed.
I smiled calmly. "I wish you a speedy recovery."
And following that, I readied myself to depart.
But as I was about to leave, Regina suddenly voiced her thoughts once more. "Oh, and Margarette, let me just remind you that Justin belongs to only’ me."
Her voice exuded self-assurance as she confidently expressed her thoughts.
I couldn't help but come to a sudden halt. Regina, who was standing right behind me, kept on talking. "Had it not been for your timely interference, Justin would have undoubtedly chosen to marry me, regardless of any circumstances. It's important to understand that the individual who isn't reciprocated in love often finds themselves in the role of the third party. Thanks to you, I've wasted countless years not being able to be with him. You relished all the things that I should have. Do you not feel any shame? It seems that Justin's feelings for you may not be as strong as you had hoped. So why still bother protecting something that's hollow?"
Indeed, she was right. Over the course of the last three years, Justin has consistently failed to provide me with any affection, instead choosing to shower me with his financial resources.
"If he has such strong feelings for you, allow him to express himself. There's no need for you to shoulder his burden." I then turned around and responded with a chilly tone.
Regina's words were clearly intended to provoke me. I was fully aware.
Even if this were the case, hearing it from Regina still managed to bring me down and make me feel incredibly uneasy. I supposed her affection for Justin had endured over the course of countless years.
Regina couldn't help but stifle a silent laugh. "He simply believes that you're a rather unfortunate orphan, so he didn't have the heart to express it too harshly. Furthermore, it's grandma who only holds you in high regard. Didn't you enter into a marriage with the Montefalcos because of this? Regrettably, Justin does not have any feelings for you whatsoever!"
For some reason, that was what finally triggered me and forced me to face her once more. "Oh yeah? What if there is a hint of affection in his heart for me? He displayed an intense level of passion in the bed with me anyway. He constantly plagued me, pushing me to the brink of breaking. Why do you suppose he made physical contact with me when he had such strong feelings for you?"
As soon as my words left my lips, I noticed a subtle shift in Regina's demeanor. And to my dismay, I turned around only to find the person I least wanted to encounter in this very moment.
"Justin!" she called out.
I was deceived and set up by Regina in order to tarnish my reputation in Justin's eyes.
I couldn't help but let out a sigh. As anticipated, I once again failed to maintain my composure.
I spun around and came face to face with that alluring yet slightly intimidating visage of my husband. His demeanor exuded an air of aloofness and discontent.
"I've come to see how my physical condition is doing." I reasoned when I added, "I unexpectedly caught sight of her. Feel free to engage in conversation. I'm leaving anyway," I said confidently, without a hint of guilt.
"How was it?" Justin abruptly halted me in my tracks.
"Your secretary has been provided with the medical report. He'll deliver it to you. Rest assured, I am not expecting a baby just as I told you," I grinned warmly.
Upon hearing my words, Justin couldn't help but feel a tinge of disappointment. His response caught me off guard, especially considering he never seemed enthusiastic about starting a family in the first place. It's quite unsettling to see his recent change in behavior.
However, when he saw Regina, all this reaction vanished in an instant. He was eager to address the issue promptly. "Now that you're not expecting a child, we can finally address the remaining issues and find a resolution as quickly as we can."
"Do we really have to discuss this here at the hospital? I mean, I skipped my meal due to the medical examination. I'm so hungry hungry now, I could practically faint!" A small smile graced my lips. The softness of my lips was undeniable. This was my typical flirtatious attitude.
Justin always found my playful appearance particularly appealing.
However, his demeanor had turned icy. "We can discuss this further once you've had something to eat."
"Shall we engage in conversation over a meal?" I was determined not to overlook it. I felt the warmth of Justin's hand in mine. "Well, I reluctantly came here for a checkup and now I have to assist you with Grandma. The least you could fo for me is take me out to lunch. I mean, can't we have a meal together, just the two of us? You know, If it weren't for me, you wouldn't find it so effortless to end our marriage."
The meaning behind my words was clear. And there was no way Justin could deny my request.
Regina glanced at my arm. Despite the intense jealousy consuming her, she managed to keep a calm and collected demeanor. "Indeed. Justin, would you mind joining her for a meal? You two can have a conversation about the issue over a meal."
"Well, it seems that she possesses a greater sense of reason than you do. Anyway, I know of a hidden gem of a restaurant in the area that serves absolutely mouthwatering dishes. I've been longing to go for quite some time. Take me there, Justin." I chimed, even sounding to make Regina feel more jealous.
Given Regina's desire to uphold her noble and kind persona, I couldn't help but feel a satisfaction seeing her envious gaze.
Nevertheless, Justin still manages to inflict pain on me, especially when, just before we depart, he quickly approaches Regina and said, "Regina, please return to your room and get some rest. I'll return shortly.
It's disappointing that Justin actually agreed with me and made sure to gently remind Regina. Particularly when Regina slightly tilt her head beyond her shoulders to give me a vengeful stare that she still wins this one against me.
"Yes, I am aware." Regina pressed her lips together, responding with empathy.Unable to tolerate the wait any longer, I swiftly whisked Justin away from the hospital.As soon as we reached the exclusive restaurant I had mentioned, I wasted no time in placing a generous order for multiple delectable dishes. "Duck soup, prawn meat dumplings, garlic beef bone marrow..."These dishes are packed with essential nutrients.Once I placed my order, I made sure to inquire with Justin about his culinary preferences. "What would you like to have?" I asked him."Feel free to indulge in a delicious meal. I'm not hungry," Justin replied with a distant look on his face.I couldn't help but break into a warm smile. "Of course. Would you be interested in having dinner with Regina after you have already consumed enough food to satisfy your hunger? You could consider getting a meal for her. There is no doubt that the food served at this establishment is of the highest quality.”I attempted to bear with t
"I told you, don't be too greedy!" Justin's face was filled with a deep sense of sadness.However, fear did not consume me. I was on the verge of losing it all anyway, so what was there left for me to fear?With the child growing inside me and my last bit of self-respect on the line, I was determined not to make any compromises this time."I believe we don't need to finish this meal. I already lost my apettite." I grabbed my bag, my face devoid of emotion. Justin was fully aware of the depth of my affection for him.However, he had exploited my emotions, oblivious to the fact that I would also experience heartache.Once I left the restaurant, I took a moment to collect my feelings before returning to Montefalco's ancestral home in order to see grandma.Grandma was incredibly kind and loving towards me, just like a grandmother should be. Despite my disagreement with Justin, I couldn't overlook the significance of his grandmother.In addition, grandma has been experiencing some health i
“Mother, I’m here to see Grandma. Since Grandma is going to rest. I’ll go ahead now.” Even if Justin’s mom didn’t ask, I still told her the reason why I came.As she looked at me leaving, I could still see from my peripheral view how Justin's mom glared at me with such pity.I guess I was too sensible. I hid everything inside and never complained to grandmother. And I let Justin do whatever he wanted.“Would you like to spend the night here? I asked the kitchen staff to buy wild yellow fish. It tastes good,” Justin’s mom said calmly.Although she was asking for me to stay, her attitude didn’t change at all. It was still dull that I couldn’t tell whether she was asking that to me wholeheartedly or out of force.I appreciate the effort in whatever way she must have learned about the yellowfish. Perhap, my mother-in-law was only doing this because she pitied me, her thin and fragile-looking daughter-in-law, especially after asking me to stay and have dinner with them.And I somehow appre
[MARGA’S POV]Her son was really full of nonsense!However, it would seem that none of this reasoning from Justin would ever work for his own mother. Wilma looked at him coldly. “I am not your mother for nothing, Justin. I know how poor you’re in lying, so don’t pass the blame to your wife. You’re such a disgrace!”Although Justin’s way of blaming me for not being able to provide a child yet made me shock, I was even more surprised when my mother-in-law actually refused to believe her own son. She’s a very good lawyer after all.Justin frowned. “I’m telling you the truth, mother.”“Enough, Justin. I am no fool to believe your lies.”Somehow, Justin wasn’t lying about the part where he wanted a child. However, he just didn’t want to have it with me. As a matter of fact, he didn’t want to have this marriage with me at all, which was why we’re even having this divorce. I am well aware that if they were to discover the truth about me being pregnant with his baby, Justin would undoubtedl
[JUSTIN’S POV]With my mother’s connections, she could easily find many good men to introduce to Margarette.For some reason, the thought of Margarette marrying another man, with all her obedient and charming ways being monopolized by someone else, made me feel a little suffocated. I have to admit, even though we’re headed for a divorce, I still can’t bring myself to let another guy have her that easily. It’s like giving away a copy of Regina to someone else.Damn this possessiveness, creeping up again. Yet, I just turn my back on my mother, refusing to escalate the argument further. “I’m too tired for this. I’m heading up,” I say, quickly making my way upstairs to see Margarette in her room, ignoring my mother’s continuous rants.I needed to talk to Margarette, to reprimand her for the trouble she caused today. My original plan was to scold her for telling my mother about the divorce—it should have only been my grandmother who knew about it.It was reckless of Margarette to do such a
[MARGA’S POV]Last night was like a tug of war between Justin and I. When I thought about it, I never imagined that I would have the slightest bit of courage to respond to him in that manner. In addition to the fact that I was pregnant at the time, it is possible that the conflicting feelings that I was experiencing at the time were the cause of my irritation.It was a stroke of good fortune for me that Justin did not develop any suspicions on account of my mood swings. Being in the first trimester of my first pregnancy appeared to be crucial for me. I need to exercise self-control in order to avoid becoming irritable around Justin, as he might actually take notice of my behavior.As soon as I opened my eyes the next morning, I discovered that I was the only person in the room. Last night, Justin slept next to me, but when I woke up, I discovered that the space next to me was empty, and there was no sign of his warmth or presence. The fact that I continued to look for Justin despite
"Margarette!" It was a truly remarkable response from Justin. It was precisely as if he had recently witnessed a ghost before. Since I am nearly searching every nook and cranny of the city in an effort to locate my spouse, it would appear that I am able to accept the notion that I do appear as his ghost at this point. And here I was, by complete mistake, coming into the two of them while they were having their secret appointment for lunch. "It would appear that the two of you have already completed eating, as I see it. Unfortunately, you didn't even bother to wait for me, which is a shame. In all honesty, I am rather hungry as well, my dear husband." I started to sound snarky and flirty as I pushed my shoulder on Justin's shoulder as he was standing close to me. Due to the fact that I appeared to have disrupted their date, Regina's reaction was unmistakably visible; she was keeping her aggravation and envy to herself in silence. All of a sudden, Regina, who was unable to suppress her
Justin's arms enveloped me, his touch igniting a cascade of sensations that coursed through every fiber of my being. The tender embrace radiated a comforting warmth, as if his very presence had the power to chase away the chill of the world. From the moment I laid eyes on him, I couldn't help but form a scathing judgment. This man, with his air of arrogance and self-importance, seemed utterly oblivious to the world around him. It was as if he existed solely to serve his own interests, paying no heed to the needs or desires of others. In my mind, he was nothing more than a contemptible dickhead.Yet in this very moment, it defies that thought. The warmth of Justin's embrace enveloped me, a comforting shield against the uncertainties of the world. In his strong arms, I found solace and reassurance—a tangible reminder that I was protected and cherished. The way he held me close spoke volumes, whispering secrets of security and safety that only our hearts could understand. As Justin's