Mark hugged me, kissing my ear, and said,
“Do you like it? I’ll buy it for you.”
<
“Yeah.”
It’s the same kind of bracelet my grandmother
had.
My grandmother gave me two things.
A jade bracelet and a jade vase.
The bracelet was broken when I saved Mark.
“Okay, I’ll buy it for you in a few days.”
“I feel like it’s expensive.”
“If you like it, nothing is too expensive.”
Mark squatted down and put his head on my
stomach.
“Honey, how is the baby doing?”
He looked happy.
He wasn’t acting.
But I gave a stiff smile.
“He’s fine.”
“I can’t hear his heartbeat. I could hear it a
few days ago.”
“Maybe he’s sleeping.”
Mark closed his eyes, and said, “Lily, I’m a
little sleepy. Let me sleep with the baby.”
After spending two days with Ashley.
く
He had to be tired.
To make the divorce go faster.
I gently held him and played the part of the
loving wife.
Maybe he felt bad.
In the future weeks.
Mark came home on time to eat dinner with
me, talk, and watch movies.
Except for when he would go to the bathroom
to take calls.
I thought Mark had fought with Ashley.
One afternoon a few days later.
Ashley called me.
She told me, as Mark’s secretary, to go to his
office.
And that he would be finished with a meeting,
and we would go to an auction.
For Ashley to call me, it was obvious it was a
trap.
But I still went.
I’d worked with Mark as he started his
business.
I only stopped working when I got pregnant.
I knew the office.
Г
And no one stopped me.
I took the elevator to Mark’s office.
Then one of the secretaries politely said,
“Mrs. Johnson, Ashley told me to tell you to
go to the office.”
How ironic.
It was now Ashley who decided where I went
in the company.
While the secretary felt sorry for me.
I nodded and went to Mark’s office.
As I was about to knock on the door.
I heard a woman. “Mark, why are you so good
to me? Are you worried about Lily?”
“She won’t be worried. She is usually
understanding.”
“But you’re always with me and want me to
work near you. Won’t she notice?”
“That’s why I don’t want her to see you.”
Mark’s voice was gentle.
“Don’t move, I’m afraid I’ll hurt you…”
I understood everything.
Mark never wanted me to go to the auction.
And Ashley just wanted me to catch them
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together.
I did what she wanted.
I opened the door.
I saw Ashley and Mark together.
“Mrs. Johnson, you’re here.”
Ashley laughed, fixed her shirt, and went back
to work.
Mark then turned around.
Then he touched my hair.
“Lily, what’s going on?”
I looked at Ashley and then the lipstick stains
on Mark’s shirt.
I got sick.
Mark wanted me to misunderstand and said,
“Ashley hurt her hand. I was helping her.”
I didn’t say anything.
I wanted to know:
“Honey, you said you would take me to the
auction.”
Mark was surprised.
And laughed awkwardly.
“Someone already bought the bracelet. We
く
can pick something else, okay?”
Just when I was ready to give up.
Ashley showed her jade bracelet.
It was the bracelet that I wanted.
Mark had bought it in advance.
Ashley had won.
I laughed.
“That’s okay. I don’t need a bracelet.”
Mark felt bad and said, “I can take you to the
store. As long as you want it, I’ll buy it.”
“Mark, do you know why I wanted that
bracelet?”
“Why?”
“It’s the same as the bracelet my
grandmother gave me for adulthood.
But it was broken when I saved you.”
Mark looked sad.
These days.
I was tired of his fake sorrow.
“It’s okay.
You should get back to work, I’m going back.”
Mark grabbed my hands.
L
“I’ll take you.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
I left the office.
Then I took the elevator to the garage.
Ashley was waiting for me.
She obviously wanted to fight me.
She said, “Why don’t you stick around?”
“Are you trying to fight me?”
I stood straight in front of her and watched
her face change.
She said the words that mistresses always
use:
“If he doesn’t love you, you’re the one who’s
in the way.
Lily, isn’t it obvious that you should give up?”
She was talking about how Mark was now
with her. She was always showing me and
having me see them together.
That’s right.
I was done.
But not until I got the divorce papers.
“Ashley, you’re not worth my time. I want you
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to leave me alone.”
I walked around her.
“Lily, you…”
Ashley suddenly screamed.
I turned around.
Then a few men showed up and grabbed her.
One of the men hit her and said, “You’re a
bad girl.
You’re not going to steal our sister’s man.”
Ashley fell on the floor.
The bracelet broke.
One of the men kicked her and said, “Don’t
you try to steal another woman’s man.
I was shocked.
Then I tried to help her.
One of the men pulled me back and said,
“Don’t worry.
We’re not going to kill her.”
“Stop!”
Ashley started to beg.
“Mrs. Johnson, please, don’t do this. I didn’t
try to seduce Mark.”
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She started crying.
I didn’t know what to do.
Who were these people?
Did Sarah send them?
It didn’t make sense.
What was going on?
Mark showed up.
Ashley was still begging me.
“Ashley!”
Mark pushed me.
Then he helped her up.
The men saw Mark and said to Ashley, “If you
steal our sister’s man, we’ll be back.”
Ashley cried and said, “Mark, I should have
gone to work for Johnson. I’m sorry.”
Then she handed me the broken bracelet,
while crying
Chapter 2
“Mrs. Johnson, please! Just leave me alone! I
didn’t want to steal Mark from you… You can
have the bracelet! Please, don’t kill me!”
I just sank to the floor.
First shock, then confusion.
Finally, it hit me: this woman was staging the
whole thing.
