Chapter 3 A Test of Love

I drifted into a feverish sleep after shoving the fever medication down my throat.

…

At 1 a.m., Jillian suddenly barged into my apartment and shook me awake without the slightest bit of restraint. I was still half-asleep, so I could barely open my eyes. When my eyelids finally cooperated with me, I found her glaring down at me, her face dark with anger.

"Where did you throw Charles' jacket?" she demanded. "It was a birthday present from his mother. He's been devastated. Get it back. Now!"

The high fever left my mind sluggish. So, it took me a few seconds before I managed to mumble wearily, "Can it wait until tomorrow?"

"No. Get up. Right now," she barked.

Every muscle in my body protested at the thought. I sat blankly on the edge of the bed, fumbling around for my shoes.

Alas, Jillian took my sluggish movements as me stalling, so her temper flared. "Josh Clancy, I didn't think you'd be this petty. To think you'd be bullying a young man."

Her usual talent for twisting right and wrong to fit her worldview made me tremble with anger. Still, I gritted my teeth as I followed her out in nothing but my pajamas and slippers.

We waited outside the restaurant until 10 a.m. before we finally managed to recover Charles' jacket. Only then did Jillian let out a sigh of relief and notice how thin I looked, along with the unnatural flush on my face.

Nevertheless, my vision went black before she could berate me.

…

When I woke up, Jillian immediately stood up. It seemed that she'd been beside my hospital bed. There were dark circles under her eyes, but that couldn't hide the guilty look on her face.

She said hesitantly, "Josh… you passed out because of your fever. How are you feeling now? Do you want to eat anything?"

I spared her the briefest of glances, saying nothing.

She knew she was in the wrong, so she softened her tone. "You have to eat something. I'll get you something light."

She turned and left the room right after that.

Although I hadn't slept for long, my drowsiness was completely gone. So, I began scrolling my phone absentmindedly. It wasn't long before I came across one of Charles' social media posts.

"Guys, this just proves that a good woman can stand the test. I pretended to be upset and told my girlfriend the jacket was a birthday gift from my mom. She panicked and tracked it down for me first thing the next morning!

"She couldn't bear to scold me even after I told her I was lying. Instead, she bought my favorite croissant and muffin for me."

I read it twice before calmly scrolling past it and opening my client's order details. The payment was already in its final stage. As soon as the client confirmed receipt, I'd receive my commission.

The door suddenly swung open, and Jillian reappeared carrying breakfast in both hands—croissants, muffins, and sausage rolls, none of which I liked. I glanced at the food and made no move to touch it.

She looked at me and said, "You're still recovering. You should eat something."

Unfortunately for her, I was busy double-checking the client's information. A few of the numbers required my full attention, so I automatically tuned her out.

Jillian paused halfway through serving me some food. She stared at me for a few seconds before suddenly snatching my phone away. "What are you even look—"

Her words cut off abruptly. A look of genuine surprise appeared on her usually indifferent face for the first time in years. "You changed your password?!"

My phone password had always been a variation of her birthday for the past five years we'd been together. Naturally, I changed it after what had happened that day.

Jillian looked at me with a complicated expression as she turned my phone over in her hands. "You even changed your wallpaper… Josh, you don't love me anymore."

The almost whiny tone in her voice made my stomach churn in revulsion, and I quickly took a sip of water to suppress my rising nausea.

Nonetheless, my lack of reaction only irritated her further. Her eyes narrowed as she questioned me coldly…