Chapter 2 An Oddly Charged Meal

Upsetting Ronald right now wouldn't work in my favor. The woman gave me a look of surprise. She probably wasn't expecting me to be so gracious.

However, Ronald frowned. "No. My assistant will get you a couple of new sets."

I looked at him in confusion. Was the guy asking her to wait for his assistant's arrival? Hello? Couldn't he see that the lady was soaked to the bone?

My look of perplexity didn't escape Ronald. He explained, "I'm a clean freak."

That was odd. He didn't have any bad reaction when I wore his clothes. I was giving him an opening here. A moment later, I realized what he was trying to do.

That lady was his idealized lover. He couldn't have her wearing his old clothes.

The rain was still ongoing even after that woman was done bathing. She came downstairs, wearing nothing but a pure white dress, smiling at me gently. "Jessica, I suppose? Hi, I'm Selina Riverson, and I grew up with Ronald."

That was fast. She was making it clear to me that they'd known each other since they were children. That meant they were childhood friends.

"I see." And I stopped at that.

Selina continued, "I'm sorry for intruding, truly. It's raining heavily out there, and my place is a long way away. I just flew back. Ronald only came to get me since he knew I couldn't stay too long outside when it's thundering."

That reminded me. In the original story, Selina's parents were still overseas right now. Thus, no one would pick her up during a downpour, giving Ronald a shot at getting into her good graces.

Ronald was still cooking in the kitchen. Three years ago, he was a rich heir who had everything handed to him. Now, he was the perfectly caring partner. The thought of me giving him away annoyed me somewhat, but I knew he wasn't mine to begin with.

Selina didn't back off even when I'd given her a cold response. She sized me up. Just when I thought she wanted to keep prodding me, she said, "I can see why Ronald adores you."

I wondered if that was just a passing remark or a jab at me, but I didn't want to get roped into this. So, I wanted to tell Selina that she was the one he liked.

Just when I was about to say it, Ronald came out with some pasta. "Time to eat."

Ronald would usually hold me in his arms and take me to the dining table, but this time, he only pulled the chairs out before going back into the kitchen.

I sighed. This came from a mile away, and I'd seen it coming. Still, I quietly changed into my slippers and stood up.

I sat down and realized that there were only two plates of seafood pasta on the table. Ronald then came back out with some pasta bolognese and placed it before Selina.

I see. He made one separately for her because she loved it.

I felt a little down as I twirled the pasta with my fork and chastised my system in my mind. "Hey, he's home with another woman, and he's giving her preferential treatment. This must be betrayal! Is your protocol malfunctioning? Why am I not home yet?"

The system coughed awkwardly. "Um, it's probably because they haven't crossed the line yet. Don't worry. Remember the story? They'll go at it in the guest room tonight, even when you're still here."

I didn't feel relieved at all. Ronald was sitting beside me, and his fingers caressed my bangs. "What's wrong? I thought you wanted seafood pasta tonight. You look upset."

I looked at him in confusion. Selina was across from me, and she had a weird look in her eyes.

Yes, I did tell him that earlier in the day, but it was a passing remark even I had forgotten. I noticed the look in Selina's eyes, and my eyes fell to the gentle Ronald. That was when realization struck me.

I thought, 'Holy shit, man. You're using me to make her jealous?'

Ronald took my silence as a yes, and he went to whip me up something else. I tugged at him. Yes, I knew he wanted to show how gentle and caring he was because Selina was around, but going this far would just work in the opposite direction.

Of course, I didn't say that out loud.