Chapter 3

"Did you go out for drinks?

"I called you so many times. Why didn't you answer?"

I took out my phone and realized Jacqueline had tried to call me several times. I guessed the place was probably too noisy earlier, so I hadn't heard the calls.

I told her the truth, and her expression softened a little, but she was still a bit annoyed as she muttered.

"Do you know how long I've been waiting for you?

"Come back and make me something to eat. I'm starving."

I was a bit surprised.

Whenever she went out with Eric before, she would always say she'd be back soon, but every time, they ended up eating out together.

I'd wait until it was late until the meal that I'd carefully made had gone cold, then reheated it, only for it to get cold again.

Eating the cold food made my heart feel just as cold.

But when I expressed my frustration, she would get impatient. "Why are you waiting for me? I'm not a kid. Can't I take care of myself?"

I snapped back to reality and smiled faintly.

"You're not a kid. If you're hungry, just figure it out yourself."

"I figure it out myself? Then what do I need you for?"

Jacqueline scoffed, retorting.

But maybe because she had fun this afternoon, she didn't really care about my words. "Fine, since you were drinking, I won't make you cook a full meal.

"Just make some soup to warm up my stomach.

"Eric's stomach problems are acting up again. He took medicine but it didn't help. I remember the soup you made before worked really well. Can you make some for him now?"

It was only then that I realized why she had come back.

Her stomach had been bad for a while, and I had taken a class to learn how to make warming soups for her. I even experimented with improving the taste so she would want to eat.

I had intended to take care of her, but now, I had become nothing more than a free caretaker, making soup for another man.

I couldn't help but sneer.

"I can't make it.

"If he's sick, he should see a doctor. What if something goes wrong? Who's going to take responsibility?"

I used to make lunch for Jacqueline every day, but eventually, she started sharing it with Eric.

That afternoon, when Eric wasn't feeling well, it was obvious it was because he had stayed up too late, but Jacqueline blamed me. She said the food I made wasn't clean and docked my pay to give it to Eric instead.

Jacqueline seemed to recall this, and her face became a bit awkward.

She was about to say something, but I walked past her and went into the bedroom.

Jacqueline quickly followed me.

"Lawrence, I get it. Are you mad about what happened this afternoon with me and Eric?

"Just say what you need to say. Why are you being so sarcastic?"

It was always the same. Whenever she couldn't argue with me, she'd accuse me of overthinking and complain that I didn't communicate with her.

But I had talked to her seriously many times, yet each time, she would explode, think I was being unreasonable, and then refuse to continue the conversation.

Seeing that she was about to enter the room, I locked the bedroom door.

That completely annoyed Jacqueline, and she started banging on the door.

"Jacqueline, stop making a scene. Just go to bed."

After saying that, I ignored her, washed up, and went to bed.

In the middle of the night, I woke up feeling thirsty. When I got up to get some water, I noticed my phone screen was lit up. I unlocked it and saw several messages from Eric.

[Lawrence, Jacqueline's at my place. She came to take care of me because my stomach was acting up.]

Then there were a few pictures.

The background was Eric's rental place, and Jacqueline was wearing pajamas and an apron, standing in the kitchen with a focused look on her face.

It was only then that I realized Jacqueline hadn't been resting in the bedroom. Instead, she went to take care of Eric in the middle of the night.

I felt a pang of heartache. I'd never asked her to cook for me, but now, she was willingly doing it for another man.

I couldn't help but laugh bitterly.

And I knew exactly what Eric was doing. He was trying to provoke me.

This kind of thing had happened too many times before.

It didn't really matter anymore. After two days, I would no longer have anything to do with them.

I turned off my phone and went back to sleep, soon drifting off into a dreamless slumber.

The next morning when I woke up, Jacqueline had already gone home. She was sitting on the couch, holding a tablet, looking a little tired after staying up all night.

Back when she used to stay up talking with Eric, she would look just as worn out. I wanted to ask if she was okay, but she'd gotten angry and snapped at me for nitpicking.

I didn't feel like getting into an argument, so I ignored it, washed up, and casually greeted her as usual.

She seemed distracted, muttering to herself.

"Why does it feel like something's missing around here?"

I didn't respond.

The things that were lost were things she never really cared about before. So, she noticed something was off but couldn't pinpoint what.

I didn't pay it any mind and was about to leave when Jacqueline suddenly called out to me.

"Lawrence, why is there a ticket charge in your account's payment details?"

It dawned on me then.

The tablet was logged into my account so she could see some of my purchases.

I paused, about to say something, but just then, the phone rang. Jacqueline glanced at the caller ID, her eyes lit up, and she got up to go to the bedroom to answer it, no longer concerned about me.

I let out a scoff, but I was already used to it.

A few minutes later, she came back out of the bedroom, grabbed her coat from the hanger, and spoke to me in a commanding tone.

"Eric's parents are here. I need to go pick them up. When you get to the office, help us ask for some time off."

I smiled faintly.

"I'm not going to the office today.

"I'll be dispatched abroad tomorrow, and that flight ticket is for tomorrow."