- 5.
After that incident, everyone knew my husband
was a mechanic. During break time, I overheard
some teachers gossiping. “So what if she’s
pretty? She still married that.” “You guys should
have seen that motorcycle. Sounded like a
tractor.” They laughed. When I walked in, one of
them asked, “Chloe, where does your hubby
work? My husband just got a Mercedes. We’ll
take our business to him. Help him out.” “Sure,
I’ll send you the address.” Sarah couldn’t take it
anymore. She pulled me out of the office. “Are
you dense? They’re insulting you, and you don’t even fight back?” “You’re pretty, you have a good job. Why did you marry…” She hesitated.
“I’m just being honest, don’t take it personally.
You’re fresh out of college, you got scammed.
You think love conquers all. Just wait, you’ll
regret it. Seriously, consider my cousin. He said
he doesn’t mind you being divorced…” “Sarah, I
love your bag.” I cut her off, looking at the
Hermès on her desk. “New?” She blushed.
“Yeah.” Sarah was a regular teacher. It was
obvious who gave her the bag, and why. I didn’t press the issue. “I’m happy with my husband.
What kind of life we live is our business. Don’t
talk about him like that again. I don’t like it.”
That evening, Jake wasn’t on his motorcycle.
“Where’s your bike?” “Sold it.” He didn’t
elaborate, just grinned. “Come on.” He led me
in a different direction than usual. I followed,
wondering what he was up to. We stopped at a small apartment complex near my school. “Third
floor. Go take a look.”
I had a suspicion, but I couldn’t believe it. I
slowly climbed the stairs to the third floor. The
<
door to the middle apartment was open. I
stepped inside. It was a small two–bedroom.
Not big, but cozy. The curtains were sky blue,
billowing slightly in the breeze. The setting sun
streamed through the windows, bathing the
room in a golden glow. He remembered I liked
blue.
I can’t describe the feeling. In two lifetimes, I’d
lived in a luxurious mansion and a bare–bones
construction site. But at this moment, my heart
felt full to bursting. “You sold your motorcycle
to rent this place?” This area was expensive,
even for older buildings. Jake’s money wouldn’t
cover the deposit and first few months‘ rent. He
didn’t mention the motorcycle. “It’s closer to
your school. Easier commute. And that other
place had no hot water. You’re too delicate for
that.”
Before he could finish, I threw my arms around
his waist. He was taken aback by my sudden
embrace. Then his arms wrapped around me.
<
“Alright, save the waterworks. Cry for me
tonight, hmm?” Such a perv! I almost pushed
him away, but I didn’t.
The next day, Saturday, Jake and I planned to
go back to the construction site to get my
things. But he didn’t come home. “Something
came up at the factory. Might not make it.” He
called me. I didn’t think much of it. “I’ll go
myself then.” I only had one suitcase. The
factory was always chaotic, so I didn’t hear his
reply before the call disconnected. Jake never
let me go there alone. Too many workers, he
always said it wasn’t safe. But it was broad
daylight, and I was just picking up a bag.
As soon as I entered the apartment, three or
four workers followed me in. “You live here
alone, sweetheart?” My heart pounded. “Who
are you? Get out.” “We work here. Where do
you think we’re going?” The leader laughed.
“We’ve been watching you and your man. You
two are pretty wild. Wanna play with us?” The
TL
room was too empty. There was nothing I could
use to defend myself. I turned and ran. One of
them grabbed my hair, throwing me to the
ground. “Nice figure, baby. Been eyeing you for
a while. Just waiting for the right moment.” He
lunged at me. I struggled, screaming, Just as
his hand reached for my clothes, the door burst
open. The man on top of me was knocked to
the floor. The other two moved to intervene.
“I’m the developer of this property. You sure
you want to mess with me?” They looked at
each other, assessing his words. Then they
cursed and ran.
Ashton took off his suit jacket and draped it
over me. He said to his assistant, “Find those
men. You know what to do.” The assistant
nodded and left. Ashton looked down at me.
“Remember me?” My fingers clenched the jacket. “No.” I handed it back. “Thank you for your help.” I walked past him. He grabbed my wrist. “You seem afraid of me.” “We don’t know each other. Why would I be afraid?” “Right.” He
く
let go. “What were you doing there? If I’m not
mistaken, that building isn’t finished yet.” “None
of your business.” “True, but I own this development.” He stared at me. “Trespassing. What if I pressed charges against Jake?” “What do you want?” “You.” He didn’t bother hiding
his intentions. “Chloe Carter, I told you from the start, I want you.” “I told you, I’m married.” “That’s not my problem.” I pressed my lips
together. He bent down, meeting my gaze. “That man can’t give you the life you deserve.
You’re a pearl, not meant to gather dust in his
hands. Choose wisely. Your husband in jail, or a
life of luxury with me?” I picked up my suitcase
and walked out. This time, he didn’t stop me.
