Chapter 5

“Diane, aren’t you going to ask me why?”

Alyssa wiped her tears, helped Diane to the sofa, then went to pour her some water.

Diane said, “Justin told me you argued over having a child and that you didn’t come home all night. He still doesn’t want a child?”

Alyssa shook her head. “This time, I’m the one who doesn’t want one. He wants me to resign, stay home to prepare for pregnancy, and settle down as a housewife.”

“He’s more old-fashioned than I am?”

Diane’s anger flared.

“Has he climbed high enough in his career that he thinks he can look down on you? He dares look down on you? Once the project is announced, you’ll have people lining up just to meet you.

“How can my husband’s most treasured student gets reduced to a nanny in his house?”

Alyssa’s nose stung.

She couldn’t hold back anymore.

“That’s not the real reason. He doesn’t love me. He married me to provoke Sophie Lane. It’s just that Sophie didn’t come back on our wedding day.”

“Who?”

Diane frowned.

The name sounded familiar.

She repeated it twice before asking, “Brenton’s granddaughter who studied overseas?”

“Yes.” Alyssa nodded.

“How do you know?”

“I overheard.”

Alyssa recounted what she had heard that day.

Before she could even finish, Diane had already pulled her up and headed for the door.

“This is outrageous. I’ll personally take you to the best divorce lawyer in the country. We’ll draft the papers and have him sign immediately.”

The divorce agreement was drawn up quickly.

The freshly printed pages were still warm. They felt scalding in Alyssa’s hands. She stared at the words for a long time before finally signing her name.

After leaving the law firm, she went shopping with Diane and bought new clothes.

They had dinner together.

By the time night had fully fallen, she walked back home against the cold wind.

The lights were on inside.

Justin was home.

Not just him, his family was there too.

Judy’s injuries were minor.

Hospitalization wasn’t necessary, but she disliked the smell of disinfectant and complained that the private catering in the hospital tasted awful.

She decided to move into Justin’s home instead, expecting Alyssa to take care of her while she recovered.

The moment they saw the handprint on Justin’s face, the family’s anger flared.

“Did Alyssa hit you? Did she?” Grace demanded.

When he remained silent, she took it as confirmation that he was protecting Alyssa again.

“You think we can’t guess? Who else would dare hit you? At your company, aside from the board, you’re the highest-ranking executive.

“As for the women around you, Sophie is so gentle and proper. It certainly wouldn’t be her.”

“Bro! What gives Alyssa the right to hit you!” Judy flared up, fiercely protective.

“You feed her, clothe her, and put a roof over her head. What does she have to complain about? She actually dared to hit you? When she comes back, I won’t let her off.”

Her tone was vicious.

Judy had always been full of nasty little schemes, usually aimed at people she disliked, especially her so-called useless sister-in-law.

Julian demanded sternly, “Was it really Alyssa who hit you?”

Justin replied, “I hit her too.”

Grace snapped, “She deserved it! I’ve never seen a wife who dares to hit her husband.”

Judy grew even more indignant.

“Exactly. So, what if my brother taught her a lesson? If she hadn’t met him, would Alyssa ever have entered our social circle?”

“Son, divorce her.”

Julian pondered for a moment before making the decision.

Justin’s brows knit tightly. “Dad!”

Outside the door, Alyssa lowered her eyes and tightened her grip on the divorce agreement in her hand.

Wasn’t this perfect?

Divorce, then.

But Justin’s refusal came clearly through the door. “No.”

“Why not?” Grace fumed.

“Son, did Alyssa drug you or something? Why are you so stubborn? There are so many outstanding women around you—take Sophie, for example. Why insist on hanging yourself on one tree?”

Judy pressed on, “Bro, don’t you want to divorce Alyssa and marry Sophie? You two were obviously close before. Even if nothing was ever said out loud, everyone knew.”

Alyssa’s lips curved in cold mockery.

Justin would never allow Sophie to be dragged into the mundane burdens of marriage.

“You’re worried a divorce will hurt your reputation at the company?”

Julian analyzed calmly.

“But I recall you’ve never brought Alyssa to any public event, not even the company’s annual gala.

“Not many people even know you’re married, let alone who your wife is. There’s nothing to worry about.”

After seeing Sophie’s attitude toward their son, the family had no intention of keeping Alyssa as a daughter-in-law.

They were determined to see the marriage end.

However, Justin refused. “I won’t divorce. Don’t let Alyssa hear this.”

He stood and went into the study, shutting out his family’s voices.

The Scotts assumed Justin was deeply in love with Alyssa, only Alyssa knew why he refused to divorce.

After the divorce, where would he find a free, on-call housekeeper?

She might not rival a professional chef, but over the years she had refined his palate well enough.

Alyssa put the divorce papers away.

Whether Justin agreed or not, she was going to end this marriage, even if she had to do it in secret.

She waited until the tension in the house eased before entering the passcode and stepping inside.

At the sound of the door, the Scotts all turned their heads.

None of them looked pleased to see her.

Judy said, “Why are you back so late? We’re all hungry, especially my brother. If he doesn’t eat on time, his stomach acts up.”

Her gaze dropped to the pink rabbit slippers on Alyssa’s feet, and she made a disgusted face.

“Alyssa, you’re almost thirty. Why are you still wearing pink like a little girl? Ugh… so childish.”

Alyssa shifted her feet. She thought the slippers were cute.

They were a stranger’s kindness.

For someone who had grown up in an orphanage and spent her life studying instead of socializing, kindness rarely came her way.

So, it was precious. She wouldn’t throw them out.

Grace didn’t bother looking at her and urged her toward the kitchen. “Make something light. Less salt.”

Julian had high blood pressure.

“Got it.”

Alyssa walked straight into the kitchen, took out her phone, and ordered takeout, making sure to add a note requesting low salt and light seasoning.

They lived near the city center, close to a commercial and food district.

The delivery arrived quickly.

The doorbell rang. Grace went to open it and froze when she saw the delivery.

Alyssa walked to the study door as if nothing was unusual and knocked lightly, as she always did. “Dinner’s ready.”

The lightness in her voice was gone.

Every time she used to finish cooking, she would happily knock and call out, “Dinner’s ready!”

The study door would open immediately.

Her husband would say, “Thanks for your hard work, honey.”

This time, when Justin opened the door, those words did not come.

Their eyes met, and both of them first noticed the handprint on the other’s face.

They looked at each other in silence.

Neither was willing to lower their head first.

“Son, hurry and eat what Alyssa ordered—takeout!” Grace said as she set the plates and utensils down, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

Justin frowned. “Why is it takeout? Is there nothing in the fridge? I wanted the mushroom soup you make.”

“There’s mushroom soup.” Alyssa turned and walked away.

Justin started to reach out, then pulled his hand back.

He followed her unhappily.

The takeout on the table killed his appetite. He had skipped breakfast, and now dinner was like this too.

He was reaching his limit.

“Alyssa, how long are you going to keep being like this?”

“I’m just not cooking.”

Her tone was flat.

“What does that have to do with being unreasonable? Was I born to cook?”

Justin choked on his words.

She picked up her fork and began eating. “If you don’t like takeout, we can hire a housekeeper.”

Judy snapped, “Why hire one? Don’t we already have…”

“There is one.”

Alyssa cut her off and looked at Julian and Grace, who had been silently condemning her.

A faint curl touched her lips.

“If you care about Justin so much, you can send your housekeeper over.”

“Alyssa!”

Justin finally lost patience, then saw the swelling still faintly visible on her face and forced himself to soften his tone.

“Be respectful to my parents.”

He honored his parents and spoiled his sister without hesitation.

But when it came to his wife, his gentleness was nothing more than a facade.

Alyssa said nothing more.

After dinner, Julian and Grace left.

When Judy realized that she would have to eat takeout if she stayed, she went home with them.

That night.

Alyssa lay there thinking about how to avoid sharing a bed, and at the same time wondering how to get him to sign the divorce agreement.

Footsteps approached.

Her heart tightened.

Justin’s phone suddenly rang.

The timing could not have been better.

“Your phone.”

Alyssa picked up his phone and turned around, facing Justin wrapped in a bathrobe.

“Sophie.”

The moment he saw Sophie’s name, he stepped outside to take the call.

Less than a minute later, he returned and said he had something urgent to handle.

“Okay.” Alyssa pressed her lips together.

He stared at her face for a moment. “Don’t misunderstand. We’re just friends. You’re my wife.”

“I know. Go.”

Her reply was perfunctory.

Past midnight, clattering sounds came from the kitchen.

Alyssa yawned, walked out, and saw someone leaning against the sofa in the living room.

It was a woman.

The woman looked up when she heard the movement. Her lips were pale, one hand pressed against her abdomen as if menstrual cramps were tormenting her.

“Alyssa? Did Justin wake you?”

Alyssa stared at her in a daze.

She had not expected him to bring the other woman home so brazenly.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt your night. I live quite far from my parents, and I don’t have many people I can rely on, so I had no choice but to call Justin.

“I didn’t expect him to bring me back here and cook for me himself. He’s making ginger tea and pasta.”

Alyssa heard the subtle boast.

What shocked her more was that Justin knew how to cook.

In the kitchen, the pot simmered with a steady bubbling sound, and the faint sweetness of honey drifted through the air.

A man stood in the kitchen wearing an apron, a spatula in one hand and an egg in the other, clearly at a loss.

He muttered, “Why does this fried egg keep burning?”

So, this was what Justin looked like when he loved someone.

Not steady and composed, but like a clueless young man.

He would even do things he disliked.

Justin hated cooking and going near the kitchen.

He said he couldn’t stand the smell of oil and smoke.

That was why he had dismissed her idea of an open kitchen when they renovated.

Ever since, she had cooked with the kitchen door shut and brought the dishes out to the table alone.

“Still can’t see it, Alyssa?”

Sophie walked over to her side, looking like she had just won a battle.

If she had a tail, it would have been wagging proudly behind her.

“Justin only loves me. You were just something he used to pass the time when I wasn’t around… like a cheap magazine he keeps by the toilet.”

“So what? Are you going to make him divorce me?”