Chapter 6 Stomachache

• Tonight, I stayed in the living room with a lamp on, watching a late-night soap opera while waiting for him to come home.
• Just like every night for the past four years, even though I knew it didn't mean anything to him, I wanted him to know that no matter how late it was, someone was waiting for him at home.
• As the early morning hours rolled around, I started to feel more and more tired. I curled up on the couch and slowly drifted off to sleep.
• As I was drifting off to sleep, a familiar scent suddenly filled the room, and a pair of large hands quickly removed my nightgown.
• I let out a small moan and was about to push him away when he suddenly entered me, the pain jolting me wide awake.
• "You ... You're back ... "
• The light was dim, so I couldn't see his expression clearly.
• Without saying a word, he picked me up and strode upstairs, carrying me from the sofa to the bed.
• He seemed to be carrying some anger, gripping my waist tightly and being rougher than usual. Each forceful thrust left me feeling disoriented.
• I bit my lip hard, trying to bear the pain as if my body were being torn apart.
• All I wanted was a child, a child that would be ours.
• A faint smell of perfume reached my nose, and I snapped back to reality, my voice shaking. "Did you see her?"
• Last Wednesday, I saw Carol send him a text. Although I only saw the first part, it was clear that this wasn't their first contact.
• I had no right to ask him about it, so I had to hide all my sadness and disappointment. But now, the faint scent of Carol's favourite perfume seemed to shatter my composure, and I asked anyway.
• He pulled away and said quietly, "Jasmine, you're crossing a line."
• To him, this marriage was basically a transaction. At worst, I was just a woman who sold herself for money and had no right to question him about anything.
• I pushed through a sudden pain in my stomach, wiped the tears from the corner of my eye, and tried to sound casual. "I just want to remind you that even though my dad is getting divorced from Carol, she's still your mother-in-law."
• Yes, I heard my dad and Carol were getting divorced. I didn't know or care about the reasons.
• He gave a careless, almost sarcastic laugh. "Thanks for the concern."
• Then he grabbed a towel and went to the bathroom.
• As soon as the water started running, his phone, which he had left on the nightstand, began vibrating like crazy.
• I leaned over to check it, and without thinking, I answered the call and then quickly hung up.
• It was Carol.
• She was calling at 2 a.m.; it was clear that his relationship with her had gotten pretty close.
• I used to think that because she betrayed Henry by sleeping with my dad for money, he would never forgive her.
• But I saw I was wrong.
• I lay there staring at the ceiling, feeling a painful mix of bitterness and disappointment in my chest.
• He didn't want to talk about feelings, so I kept quiet and obedient, just trying to be a good wife.
• Yet, no matter how hard I tried, even if I gave it everything I had, I still couldn't measure up to a woman who betrayed him.
• I curled up in bed, rubbing my increasingly painful stomach. The burning cramps came in waves, and soon I was breaking out in a cold sweat.
• Feeling uneasy, I tried to get up to find some medicine when Henry came out of the bathroom.
• He was wearing a dark grey bathrobe, loosely tied, giving him a relaxed and casual look.
• With one hand drying his wet hair, he glanced at me and frowned slightly. "Stomach ache?"
• Just as I was about to answer, his phone buzzed again. I looked away nervously, guessing it was Carol.
• He glanced at the caller ID, answered the call, and spoke in a cool, detached tone. "Callie, what's going on?"
• I stared at him in shock, unable to believe he was openly taking a call from his ex-girlfriend in the middle of the night, right in front of me, and calling her by her nickname without any hint of hesitation.
• I couldn't hear what Carol said, but he frowned and replied calmly, "Don't worry, I'll be there soon. Wait for me."
• He hung up, changed into casual clothes, and headed for the door.
• I grasped his wrist helplessly and asked softly, "It's so late, can you stay home?"
• My tone was more of a plea than a question.
• I was pleading for just a bit of respect as his wife.
• He replied calmly, "I have something to take care of."
• I couldn't take his nonchalant attitude anymore. Feeling a wave of bitterness, I said, "What's the deal? Don't you know why Carol slept with my dad? You've only recently been promoted to CEO, and now she's back, entangle you ... "
• He looked at me with a sharp, eagle-like gaze and asked, "And what about you? Have you forgotten why you married me four years ago?"
• The message was clear: both Carol and I were here for the money, and there was no real difference between us.
• My heart felt like it was being torn apart, and the pain was intense. Tears started streaming down my face. "If you insist on going, let's just get a divorce."
• I knew he wouldn't divorce me, which was why I dared to make that threat.