7. Genital Surgery

"Well, that's the full story," Jessica finished with a tired sigh.

She didn't look at her assistant, but she waited for her assistant to respond to her. However, the response didn't come immediately, and she frowned before turning to the younger woman. She could see how the woman stared at her blankly with her mouth wide open.

In her eyes, the sight was rather disgusting that her frown deepened, but then she reached out towards the jar of peanuts on the coffee table in front of her, and she picked up one of the peanuts before stuffing it into her assistant's open mouth. She didn't even bother to peel the shell of the peanut for her assistant, and that's why her assistant immediately spat out the peanut.

"Do you want to kill me, Jessica Brooks?" Angrily, Tammy shouted at the older woman while throwing the peanut at the woman.

"I'm sick of that last name. I want to change it if I can," Jessica wasn't angry with how the younger woman dared to throw the peanut at her, instead she looked sad after hearing how the younger woman called her by her full name.

Tammy could see the sad expression on her friend's face, and she took a deep breath before using her hand to rub her friend's shoulder while saying, "You should just get a divorce. You can't let him continue to hurt you."

"Easier said than done," Jessica answered weakly. "As I said before, I plan to divorce, but what he said about my father is not wrong. My father's illness is not simple at all, and my mother also looks unwell recently because she needs to take care of my father every day. Any bad news will only make their condition worse."

Sadness was not a disease, but it could be contagious, which was why Tammy was showing the same expression as her friend. Of course, she knew Jessica's family situation, and that was why she probably didn't dare voice any careless advice.

In the end, the short-haired girl withdrew her hand from Jessica's shoulder before asking, "So, you agreed to stay with him instead of leaving him?"

"I don't have a choice," Jessica tiredly answered the younger woman's question. "You know how much I love Noah, right? It felt like my heart was ripped out of my chest, and I died instantly. At first, I felt hurt when I just found out about it, but then I didn't feel anything. It's like the whole system in my body is numb now. I can't feel anything anymore, and maybe it's because I'm in too much pain, right?"

Tammy could only look at the older woman sadly. She was four years younger than Jessica, and she was still single. It could be said that she did not have much experience in relationships. But, she was Jessica's best friend apart from being her assistant, and she knew how much Jessica loved her husband with all her heart.

That was why it was not just Jessica who looked gloomy because of the betrayal. Even Tammy looked hurt and angry, but she didn't say anything even after a minute had passed.

In the end, Jessica opened her mouth again to say, "But I told him that I would still divorce after my father's condition improved." She stopped as she once again looked at her assistant. "The doctor told me that my father would have to stay in the hospital for another week before he could be discharged, but then he would have to rest at home even after leaving the hospital. The doctor also told me that my father might need a few months to recover after leaving the hospital, and I'm going to pretend as if nothing happened between me and Noah during that period."

"..." Tammy still hadn't replied to the older woman, and perhaps she knew her position as an outsider.

No matter how much she disagreed with Jessica's decision to stay with her husband even after the betrayal, she knew that she had no position to oppose the idea, and that was why she could only remain silent.

Then, Jessica's heavy sigh broke the silence in the living room again. "Why can't Noah love me, Tam?" She muttered while leaning her head against the sofa, looking drunk after finishing two cans of beer. "Is it because my hair is blonde and my skin is too pale? Maybe my light blue eyes just make me uglier, right? Or maybe I'm too old? I'm already thirty-three this year, and maybe my body is too boring? I should have put silicone in my chest, right, Tam? The size of these things might not be enough to satisfy him, right?" She continued while using her hands to cup her breasts angrily.

Tammy could only continue to look at the blonde woman sadly. She remembered how Jessica used to be a confident woman. In this era, people considered tan skin more attractive and sexy than pale skin, but Jessica had absolutely no plans to get tanner. On the contrary, she was confident in her ivory skin and didn't want to change her hair color to match her light skin tone.

However, the blonde woman suddenly lost her confidence because of a man, and she even regretted not having breast surgery when she had the opportunity. How Jessica wasn't crying only made the scene worse in Tammy's eyes. She knew that the older woman was holding back her tears and refusing to appear weak because of her husband.

Tammy still didn't say anything in response to Jessica's words, but Jessica suddenly straightened her body. Her nose was red, and even her cheeks were painted with the same color because of the alcohol. It was clear the blonde woman wasn't in her right mind, and she was even able to smile even though she was almost crying a few seconds ago because of her husband.

The blonde woman suddenly raised her right hand before shaking her index finger in front of her assistant's face. "Wrong," she said to her assistant. "That's not the reason my husband can't love me. The real reason is that I'm not a man. Instead of having breast surgery, how about I have genital surgery, Tam?"