Chapter 6

The sunlight streamed brightly into the hospital room. Jasper was casually reclining on the bed, and the woman who had just been rumored to be his lover, Aurora Lancaster, was nestled in his arms, tilting her head up to kiss his chin. I pushed open the door and, unfortunately, witnessed the scene. I froze in the doorway, my fingers gripping the door handle tightly. At the sound of the door, Jasper looked up and met my gaze. His eyes were deep and unreadable, as if they could drown me in their depths. Aurora quickly sat up, turned her head to look at me, and flashed a smile. In a sweet, mocking tone, she said, "Oh, Mrs. Hawthorne. My apologies, I didn't hear you come in." Her words were polite, but each sentence was laced with barbs, pricking at my heart. I tightened my grip on the handle, my knuckles turning white. In a hoarse voice, I muttered, "Sorry to disturb you." Jasper's brow twitched, his eyes narrowing with a flicker of displeasure. Aurora quickly stood up, her smile brightening. "It's no trouble at all. Mrs. Hawthorne, why are you standing at the door? Come in. Would you like some water? I can pour it for you." She called me Mrs. Hawthorne, but her actions clearly signaled that she saw herself as the lady of the room. My chest tightened painfully. Through clenched teeth, I replied, "No, thank you." With that, I slammed the door behind me. I must have been out of my mind, thinking that Jasper actually cared about me. But the truth was, even though this man had saved me last night, bruised and battered, what did that really mean? His heart, and everything in his life, was still filled with countless other women. I was just one of them—the one he hated the most. I raised a hand to rub my eyes, wiping away the tears that had welled up, then turned and went back to my room. I closed the door heavily behind me. In a daze, I leaned against the wall, slowly sinking to the floor. Divorce… The thought suddenly surfaced. Maybe this twisted relationship between us should finally end… After all, he didn’t love me. To him, our marriage was probably nothing but a burden. So maybe it was time to end it. Jasper's POV In Jasper’s hospital room. Aurora watched the door that Arabella had just slammed, blinking in surprise. Then she turned to smile at me. "Looks like she's really angry..." I felt a chill settle on my face as I turned toward the window, my lips pressed into a tight line, silent. I had risked my life to save her last night, thinking that, no matter what, she’d show me a little more care and concern. But just now, when she saw Aurora kiss me, she remained as indifferent as ever—no jealousy, no emotion. She even apologized for disturbing us! Doesn’t she realize she’s my wife? She doesn’t feel jealous, doesn’t care, doesn’t even mind what I do. Even though I saved her… so what? Aurora shifted her gaze, noticing the slight darkness on my face. Her eyes sparkled with a hint of cunning as she poured a glass of hot water, then approached me with soft, measured steps. "Jasper, I think there might be some misunderstanding between the two of you. How about I try to figure it out?" she asked softly, her voice dripping with concern, as though she were a true friend. Aurora had known Jasper since they were both children—classmates and neighbors for over a decade. They shared a deep bond, but while she had secretly harbored feelings for him, Jasper had never given her the time of day. Five years ago, under the influence of alcohol, she confessed her feelings to him, asking him to be with her. But instead of responding kindly, Jasper had ruthlessly placed her on his blacklist, disregarding their years of friendship. He had been cold and cruel. Furious, Aurora had left the country soon after. After five years abroad, she had met countless handsome gentlemen, yet none compared to Jasper. So, she returned—under the guise of being his friend. The years of estrangement made her realize that to win Jasper over, she couldn’t rush it. She had to be patient, take it slow, and eventually draw him into her bed. One day, he would belong to her, no matter what it took. I continued to stare out the window, shaking my head. My voice was cold when I said, "No." Over the years, I had tested that woman, tried everything to get close to her. I had even invited her into my home numerous times, but she remained as aloof and indifferent as ever. When had she ever cared? Besides, she was already planning to divorce me. At that thought, my expression grew dark and forbidding. Aurora’s gaze shifted, and she quickly changed the subject. "What would you like for lunch today? I can have the housekeeper make you some nourishing soup?" I didn’t respond much, nor did I refuse. Aurora took my silence as agreement, babbling a few more words before taking her leave. As she walked down the hallway, she stopped in front of Arabella’s room. Her expression shifted to a smug smile as she knocked on the door. Arabella’s POV I had just held back my tears, but my eyes were still red, my face pale and worn. Aurora admired my disheveled appearance with a graceful smile, like a princess high above me. "Arabella, you don't look too well... Should I call a doctor for you?" I turned to her with a cold expression. "No need." I wasn’t sure whether it was intentional or not, but when I spoke, my tone and expression were eerily similar to Jasper’s earlier words. Aurora's expression darkened slightly, clearly unwilling to acknowledge the unspoken connection between us. Her smile tightened, but she kept up her sweet demeanor. "Jasper just asked me to make some soup for him. If you’d like, I can bring you some too." I clenched my fingers, hidden in my sleeve, still maintaining a cool distance. "No, thank you. I need to rest. Please leave." I didn’t want to waste another word on Aurora, hoping to send her away. But instead of leaving, Aurora closed the door behind her and stepped closer to me. "Miss Arabella," she said, her tone dripping with condescension. "There’s something you might not know. Jasper and I were childhood sweethearts. Five years ago, we broke up because of my studies, and I left. I hurt him, so in a fit of anger, he married you. But now I’m back, and I hope you’ll understand the situation. Be proactive and get a divorce." Childhood sweethearts. So, Jasper and Aurora had once been in love… I turned my head slightly, trying to avoid the triumphant, sharp gaze Aurora gave me as though she had already won. Aurora took a step closer, deliberately lowering her voice to add emphasis. "He just told me that your interruption earlier was really disgusting," she said casually, her words sharp as a knife. When she saw my face go pale with shock, she knew she’d hit a nerve. With even more malice, she added, "He also said marrying you two years ago was the biggest mistake of his life. How could he have married someone as revolting as you?" With that, she straightened up, adjusting her hair with an air of elegant superiority, her eyes half-lidded. "After all, when you compare our situations, you really don’t measure up." My heart twisted painfully, and I quickly looked up, my eyes slightly red with defiance and a sharp edge, like an angry little beast. "Yes, I might not measure up to Miss Aurora, but at least I’m his legal wife. And you? At best, you’re just a home-wrecker, a mistress!" I sneered coldly. "I wonder if your fans knew you were trying to seduce someone else’s husband—would they still call you a saint, or would they call you a filthy bitch?"