Chapter 3: Weather Forecast

When Bella got home, Calvin was watching TV. Logic would dictate that a workaholic like him wouldn't be interested in entertainment, least of all idol dramas. Yet, there he was, strangely engrossed in one. It baffled her; what was a grown man doing watching idol dramas? His posture was relaxed against the couch, expressionless, his eyes unchanging as he watched the main characters share a passionate kiss on the screen. The kissing scene wasn’t particularly special, but such scenes tend to stir emotions in viewers, Bella included. She might not have thought much of it alone, but with Calvin there, she oddly felt her cheeks warm.

"TV dramas these days can hardly progress without hugging, kissing, or rolling in bed," Bella commented as she dumped her shopping bags onto the sofa, relieved to be rid of the weight.

"The audience likes these things."

Bella was surprised by his response and retorted, "You like watching this?" She couldn’t grasp what had gotten into him. She remembered him not being interested in idol dramas before. What had changed recently?

"It’s work-related."

"Watching TV counts as work? Is your company hiring? I could do part-time."

Calvin shook his head, "The company invested in this drama. I’m just familiarizing myself with it."

Bella was taken aback; his company invested in it? She never inquired about Calvin's business, not even knowing what he specifically did for a living. Learning this was a shock to her. Could he be involved in the entertainment industry? How come she’d never heard him mention it? Not just that, if they were to divorce, not knowing his financial details would mean a significant loss for her. Had he already transferred his assets?

Her attempt to max out his card, to which he easily raised the limit to three hundred thousand, showed that amount was trivial to him. She knew the Calvin’s family was well-off, with Calvin's dad running a food company. But with his dad in good health, Calvin wasn't in charge, so the money wasn’t his. Where did his confidence come from? She needed to dig deeper.

Finally, the TV drama's ending song played. Turning, Calvin saw Bella staring daggers at him. He assessed her quietly, his gaze settling on the ruby necklace that made her skin look even whiter. Feeling his gaze, Bella instinctively touched the pendant, feeling guilty about her earlier retaliation. Then, remembering how much he might have spent on other women, she defiantly asked, "Do you like it?"

Calvin nodded slightly. Jewels were always appealing. As for her, perhaps due to visual fatigue, he couldn’t say she was particularly striking. He remembered her being somewhat sweet when they first met, and three years later, she hadn’t changed much.

Conversations usually started with her, and without her initiative, silence followed, as it did now. Bella felt uneasy, having gotten used to his indifference. Did she expect the passion of courtship after three years of marriage, especially when their relationship had skipped that phase altogether? Now, with his claim of sexual incompatibility pushing for divorce, she couldn’t help but speculate about his thoughts, involuntarily drifting towards that aspect, imagining him in intimate moments, turning into a lecherous maniac.

Calvin, puzzled by her sudden blush, wondered if their conversation had been inappropriate. The phone rang, breaking the awkward silence, and Calvin glanced at the caller ID before stepping out to the balcony. Bella exhaled deeply, questioning if she had become excessively lustful. Just his indifferent glance stirred desires within her; was she that starved for affection? Hmm… With him not working late tonight, perhaps it was time to "reconcile"?

Suddenly, she cursed herself for being seduced by mere appearances. Didn’t he step away to take the call, likely from that vixen? So brazen, did he consider her nonexistent? She decided to eavesdrop, but Calvin openly put the call on speaker, stepping out just to avoid the noisy TV. Had she overthought?

Calvin's mother’s voice came through, “Calvin, how have things been lately?”

Bella’s mind raced to that "aspect" again at her words. Calvin, expressionless as the night wind tousled his hair, looked at the dimming screen, “Same as always.”

“What do you mean ‘as always’? Don’t just work; spend more time with Bella, maybe she won’t want a divorce then.”

“Mom, I’m the one who wants the divorce.”

Bella felt a series of emotional blockages. That jerk! If it weren’t on speaker, she'd have cursed out loud. Calvin seemed to sense her anger, glancing at her before continuing, “I’ll talk to Bella properly; you don’t need to worry.”

“How can I not worry? What’s wrong with Bella that you want to divorce? What’s gotten into you? Even if… even if… even if that aspect isn’t harmonious, it’s not grounds for divorce. Maybe Bella is just shy. You, as a man, can’t you be more proactive?”

Bella couldn’t help but cover her face, embarrassed. It seemed her parents-in-law were also concerned about her supposed frigidity. She gestured for him to change the subject, hoping he wouldn’t discuss their sex life with his mother. Before he could respond, his mother added, “Sigh, come over for dinner this weekend. I’ll talk to Bella then.”

Hearing this, Calvin glanced at Bella, and she at him. Was his mother planning to give her personal guidance? Calvin smiled faintly, agreeing to his mother’s request, and listened to some family chitchat before hanging up. Bella stormed back into the living room, throwing herself onto the sofa and glaring at Calvin as he followed, “Look what you’ve done! Is your mom planning to teach us bedroom techniques?”

“Just listen to her; don’t take it to heart.”

“Easy for you to say. How would you feel being doubted for your performance?” She kicked off her high heels and settled into the sofa, “Why don’t you tell your mom you’ve impregnated some vixen? A golden grandchild might smooth things over better than this.”

“I haven’t.” Calvin looked at her, “Bella, I’m just tired of our current life. I haven’t done anything to wrong you.”

“Sure! And this is treating me right?”

“You can tell my mom it’s my fault.”

Bella chuckled dryly, “Why didn’t you say you were impotent from the start, to spare me a lifetime of dissatisfaction? Talking now is useless!” She scrutinized him, then added, “Regardless, I won’t agree to a divorce! Even if you were impotent, I wouldn’t despise you. See, how good I am to you? Pure love.”

Calvin raised an eyebrow, noncommittal. Bella glared at him, “Can’t we just live a normal life?” His sudden whims had turned their stable life upside down. At thirty-three, he was usually mature and stable; why this sudden irrationality?

He shook his head, seriously stating, “Life like this is a dry well, devoid of interest.”

Ha, has he watched too many romantic soap operas? “Are you also going to find your Juliet?Then, I’m Juliet, my Romeo! Take a closer look.”

“Bella, don’t you think we both need a change?”

“Does change require a divorce? Calvin, saying you have someone else would be more straightforward than harping on compatibility and dry wells. You’ve watched too many idol dramas. I haven’t divorced you over some domineering CEO plot, and here you are getting artsy with me.”

Calvin sighed lightly, “No rush, take your time to think.”

Bella tilted her chin up, “Then you wait.”

After washing her face, Bella’s chaotic mind cleared a bit, her wrists aching from constant mouse use, bordering on occupational disease. The wine poster, after eight revisions, was finally approved. Using popular lingo, she felt emptied out! The poster issue was resolved, but she still had to face Calvin’s mother this weekend. How should she react to the adult topics, with bashful glances or a stoic face? Calvin suggested treating it like a weather forecast; did that mean he listened to her the same way?

Thinking this, she felt suffocated again.

Fiona appeared behind her in the mirror, emerging from a bathroom stall, laughing, “What a coincidence! I’ve got something good for you.”

“What good thing?” Aside from snacks, what else could Fiona offer? Discussing food in the bathroom seemed too much. Fiona grinned mischievously, “Back in my wild days, I knew an audio-visual store owner with a rich collection of films. Aren’t you looking for…that? I’ve sourced some for you, study up.”

Bella paused, then caught on, “Adult films?” Such things weren’t particularly interesting, but Fiona’s suggestion piqued her curiosity. Fiona gave her a knowing look, “European, Japanese, anime…though Japanese ones aren’t great, too ugly.”

“Got any Ultraman?”

Fiona scrutinized her disdainfully. No wonder they were incompatible. Ultraman? Where’s the appeal in that? “You also want to watch Transformers?”

“Transformers shoot oil.” She had inadvertently seen Transformers erotic fan art—way too much for her.

Fiona stepped back, “Bella, does your husband know about your taste? You’re a total freak!”

“You started it with Transformers.” How was that her fault?

“Alright, can we get back to reality?” Fiona said, pulling Bella towards the office, “Men nowadays aren’t like the old faithful dogs who stay loyal for a bowl of rice. There are plenty of restaurants out there, any better than your cooking. Capturing his stomach means nothing; you need to grab his dick, get it?”