Chapter 3

Melanie was speaking to the Lane family. Jazlyn knew she wouldn't be able to join in the conversation, so she headed to the garden for some air.

The Lane family was also one of Jeriton's prestigious families, so they had an expansive garden. Jazlyn was a little tired from walking when she spotted a swing. She headed over and sat on it.

Suddenly, she noticed a small etching on the fence beside the swing. It was a short sentence that read, "Ethan Ford and Rebecca Jett have to be together forever."

The etching was more like a scribble. A child had probably been behind it.

Jazlyn remembered that Ethan and Rebecca were childhood sweethearts. She figured that they had probably visited the Lane family and played together many times in the past. It wasn't out of place for them to have left such an etching behind.

She was about to walk away when she heard Ethan's and Rebecca's voices drift into her ears from ahead.

"Ethan, the place I'm currently staying at needs to be renovated, but I don't want to move back home because my parents will nag at me. Can I stay at your place for some time?" Rebecca asked.

Ethan answered gently, "Of course. I've kept your room for you all this time."

Jazlyn couldn't help tightening her hold on the swing's ropes. In the villa that she and Ethan lived in, there was a large, well-lit guest room. The housekeeper had to clean it every day, and the linens had to be changed every few days.

Jazlyn had initially wondered why the room had to be cleaned so often when nobody stayed in it. Now, she had an answer to that question—the guest room was one that Ethan had specifically kept for Rebecca.

…

After the funeral, Jazlyn walked behind Ethan as they left the Lane residence. Ethan focused on his phone, showing no intention of talking to her.

She, too, had no interest in interacting with someone who couldn't care less about her. She was only staying by his side now because of her contractual obligations.

Rebecca caught up with them from behind and naturally linked arms with Ethan. "Can we head to my place to pick up my things first, Ethan?"

He nodded. Only then did it occur to him that he had to inform Jazlyn about this. He said, "Becky's going to be staying with us for some time. You don't have anything else to do, so make sure you take good care of her."

His tone made it clear that it was an order, not a request.

Jazlyn knew that despite being Ethan's wife, she was no more to him than a housekeeper or nanny. Since they were about to divorce, she didn't bother arguing with him over whether it made sense.

Instead, she said calmly, "Alright."

Ethan probably found it odd that she'd agreed so readily. He couldn't help glancing at her and observing her.

He'd never bothered to keep his rendezvous with Rebecca a secret. Each time he returned from Ingleria, he could sense Jazlyn's glumness.

This time, however, she seemed unaffected. That realization irked him.

When they arrived at Ethan's car, he opened the front passenger door so Rebecca could get in. Jazlyn moved to get into the backseat when Ethan said, "I'm heading to Becky's place first. It's out of the way, so you should just take a cab home."

The Lane residence was located atop a mountain. There was no way she could hail a cab there. However, Ethan acted like he knew nothing about that and drove off with Rebecca.

Jazlyn had to endure the cold wind for over an hour and spend an additional sum before an Uber driver was willing to accept her order and take her down the mountain.

She was starving and exhausted by the time she got home. At the dining table, however, the atmosphere was lively and cheery.

Ethan, Rebecca, and Sabrina were present, enjoying a warm pot of stew.

Sabrina's expression darkened when she saw Jazlyn. "Where did you run off to, Jazlyn? Why are you back so late? There wasn't anyone to cook, so stew was our only option."

Ethan placed a slice of beef on Rebecca's plate before turning to Jazlyn and saying, "The sauce Wanda prepared doesn't taste right. Go to the kitchen and make a new batch."

Wanda Johnson looked at Jazlyn apologetically. As the housekeeper, she was supposed to cook for Ethan. However, he didn't like her cooking, so all she did now was keep the house clean.

With Jazlyn's unexpected absence, Wanda had prepared dishes that weren't to Ethan's liking because she had no idea what his tastes were like. And so, she'd done as Ethan had ordered and prepared a stew.

Wanda was nice to Jazlyn, so Jazlyn didn't want the former to be put in a tough spot. Thus, she headed to the kitchen to prepare a new batch of sauce.

She'd just placed the sauce on the dining table when Sabrina commanded, "Make us some meatballs, Jazlyn. The ones sold outside are awful. They're nothing but full of chemicals."

Starving and exhausted, Jazlyn had no energy to cook. And so, she took a seat and scooped all the cooked meatballs from the pot, putting it in her bowl.

Sabrina was angered when she saw Jazlyn ignoring her and eating all the meatballs. She snapped, "What the hell is wrong with you, Jazlyn? Didn't you hear me?"

Jazlyn popped a meatball into her mouth before drawling, "These are all nothing but chemicals, so I'll eat them up for you. As for my handmade meatballs, I don't think I can make them today because we don't have the right ingredients. How about you go out and get them for me?"

Sabrina flushed in anger. She turned to Ethan, wanting to complain about Jazlyn. However, he didn't give her the chance and said, "Order some takeout if you don't like what we have."

In the past, Ethan would always take Sabrina's side whenever she and Jazlyn got into a fight. However, he was pleased that Jazlyn was obedient, agreeing to let Rebecca move in with them. So, he had no intention of defending Sabrina.

Sabrina sulked, biting into a slice of beef resentfully.

Jazlyn didn't believe for a second that Ethan would be kind enough to speak up for her. As expected, he said, "Becky likes fruit smoothies. It'll take some time to cut the fruits, so remember to wake up earlier tomorrow to prepare one for her."

Jazlyn's gaze turned cold at his words, and she tightened her hold on her cutlery. Rebecca obviously meant much more to Ethan than Sabrina did. Jazlyn could refuse to serve Sabrina, but she couldn't do the same with Rebecca.

So, she smiled faintly and said, "Fine."

She could agree to do it, but she couldn't guarantee that the smoothie would turn out well.

Rebecca smiled sweetly at her. "Thanks for this, Jazlyn."

However, Jazlyn didn't say anything. She merely lowered her head and continued eating the meatballs. She'd eaten every single one, leaving Sabrina with nothing. The latter resented that.

When she saw Jazlyn get up, she used her cutlery to stab at the boiling pot of stew, sending the scalding soup in Jazlyn's direction.

Although Jazlyn quickly dodged it, the boiling liquid still burned her arm. A sharp pain shot through her arm and radiated throughout her body.

She paled, and sweat beaded on her forehead. However, Ethan didn't spare her a glance. Instead, he looked anxiously at Rebecca, who had also gotten a few drops of soup on the back of her hand. The skin there had turned a faint shade of red.

"I'm taking you to the hospital!" He scooped her into his arms and ran out of the house.

Meanwhile, Sabrina gave Jazlyn a smug look before following after Ethan and Rebecca.

Wanda hurried forward to hold Jazlyn up. She rolled up the latter's sleeve to see boils already forming on her skin. Her eyes reddened as she felt her heart ache. "Mrs. Ford…"

Jazlyn gasped from the pain but still said, "I'm fine, Wanda. Don't worry."

Ultimately, Wanda ordered an Uber and took Jazlyn to a private hospital that Ford Group had invested in. A doctor tended to Jazlyn's wounds before having a nurse put her on an IV drip.

Jazlyn knew that Wanda had to head home to care for her grandchild, so she told the latter to leave. She sat alone on her stool, almost dozing off as she waited. It was only when a nurse approached her that she realized she was done.

She grabbed her bag and turned to leave when she heard two other nurses whispering among themselves.

"I heard Mr. Ford booked the entire VIP floor upstairs just so Ms. Jett could have peace and quiet for a good night's rest."

"She's barely even hurt. Those so-called wounds would've disappeared before they even got here if Mr. Ford hadn't acted so quickly. Is it really worth booking an entire floor?"

Jazlyn faltered. She looked down at her injured arm, finding the whole situation ridiculous. Then, she took a cab back to Ethan's villa and went to bed after washing up.

…

Ethan woke Jazlyn up the following morning. She opened her eyes blearily and looked at him in confusion. "What is it?"

His expression was icy, radiating displeasure as he said, "I told you to wake up earlier to prepare a fruit smoothie for Becky. Where is it?"