Chapter 5

　　Reception room. 　　Lillian locked the door and poured a glass of water for Ashley. 　　Ashley could only cry and say, "He hasn't come to see me for a week. I guess you said something." 　　Lillian remained silent. 　　She was his legal wife, while Ashley was just his mistress. Three years ago, when they got married, she never imagined that a mistress would boldly approach her. 　　"Ms. Brook, how much do you know about me and him?" 　　Lillian did not answer, so Ashley took out her phone from her bag and opened the photo album, placing it in front of Lillian. 　　Lillian froze in place. The album was filled to the brim with photos of Jeffrey and Ashley together, including beach vacations, desert hikes, forest adventures, and ocean views. 　　"We spent 739 days together, took 370 photos, and visited 21 cities. He said 'I love you' 78 times." 　　Ashley flipped through the pages and showed them to Lillian. 　　Lillian looked at Jeffrey in the photo, and her eyes slowly became moist. 　　Lillian knew that look all too well, the same soft gaze Jeffrey had when he first chased her at seventeen. 　　Ashley looked at her expression and suddenly smiled. She expanded a photo to full screen. 　　Lillian's mind buzzed, and in an instant, it went blank. 　　That was a photo of Ashley and Jeffrey in bed. 　　"This was our first time two years ago," Ashley continued, tapping the screen where Jeffrey held her in bed. "He whispered he'd cherish me forever." 　　She continued, "Jeffrey is quite romantic. He held me tight on mountain cable cars and waited with me for sunsets over desert dunes. Every lake, every glacier we visit... He always said those three words." 　　She paused, smirking at Lillian. "Part of me hates you for stealing his heart. But mostly I pity you. Three years of your marriage, when was the last time he said 'I love you'?" 　　This sentence tore at Lillian's heart like a blunt knife, causing her so much pain that she could hardly stand up straight. She suddenly got up and opened the door, and in a hoarse voice, she said, "Get out!" 　　Ashley got up and smiled. 　　"You can continue to keep Jeffrey by your side, but I won't lose." 　　With that, she arrogantly left, strutting away in high heels. 　　Lillian gritted her teeth, leaning against the door to support herself. 　　After a while, she saw Stela who looked shocked, and Luke who looked not surprised at all outside the door. 　　Stela said incoherently, "That's Irides Studio's representative..." 　　"I came to see you to revise the first draft." 　　Luke interrupted her timely, "Let's talk inside." 　　As soon as the door of the reception room closed, all the doubtful and sympathetic gazes were kept outside. 　　Lillian sat weakly on the sofa, covering her eyes, and said, "Thank you." 　　She didn't want to bring the family matters to work. 　　She didn't want to lose face, but now she was a joke. 　　"I hope your current condition does not affect the upcoming work." 　　Luke spread out the blueprint on the table and pointed at several red circles on it. "These all need improvement. Ashley is Mr. Stone's daughter, so the design draft needs to at least surpass her to have a chance of winning." 　　Lillian took a deep breath and said, "Okay." 　　Luke nodded and looked at Lillian's flushed face, then asked softly, "Are you sick?" 　　Lillian touched her face and found it a little hot. "Nothing, just a slight fever." 　　Luke looked at her quietly and after a while, he said, "Take care of yourself." 　　*** 　　Lillian worked overtime until 11 o'clock before completing a satisfactory draft. 　　She had intended to go straight home, but as soon as she stood up, she felt a bit dizzy. She managed to make her way downstairs, and a snowflake landed on her face. Suddenly, Lillian became fully awake and realized that it was snowing outside. 　　As the snow was flying, she looked up and felt as if she had returned to her freshman year. 　　That time, Jeffrey skipped class and took her to the hospital when she had a fever. 　　She still remembered that day when the snow fell heavier than today, Jeffrey's hair frosted white. 　　With just a slight turn of her head, she could see his glistening eyes whispering not to be afraid. 　　How did Jeffrey change so quickly? Before she could even blink, he'd become this stranger... 　　Sick people were always more fragile than usual. 　　Lillian's mind was spinning. Before she could think clearly, her fingers had already tapped Jeffrey's contact. 　　After two rings, the line went live. No one spoke, just the crisp sound of someone breathing. 　　Lillian said hoarsely, "Jeffrey, I think I have a fever." 　　"Oh, I see. But he is not available now." 　　Ashley's sweet voice came through. "Do you want me to call an ambulance for you?"