Chapter 2
I looked at Elbert, gave a small smile, my face staying calm and unreadable.
I said, "Not at all. I feel sorry you had to come back so late.
"But I'm too tired to look after you right now. I just want to sleep.
"If you're hungry, just order something on your phone. It'll be quick."
Elbert stared at me, the anger in his eyes slowly fading into a tangled mess of irritation and wounded pride.
He murmured, "You never used to act like this."
I shifted in bed, pulling the blanket up to my chin so only my eyes peeked out at him, my voice lazy.
I said, "People change.
"Back then, whenever you came home, I'd get all excited and jump up to make you soup, just because I still had the energy.
"Now, I just get annoyed when my sleep gets interrupted.
"Elbert, I get tired too. I can't always be your maid at your beck and call."
Elbert's Adam's apple bobbed as if he wanted to argue back, but in the end, he couldn't find the words.
As I yawned, a few sleepy tears gathered at the corners of my eyes.
I said, "Besides, you told me before that I'm not going to die without you. Even if you don't come home, I can still live my own life."
Elbert's face darkened completely, the wounded look he'd been wearing got shut down by my words, leaving only awkwardness behind.
"So, stop obsessing over whether I've changed or not," I said, my tone flat.
I buried my face in the pillow, my voice muffled.
"Honestly, you'd be better off just ordering takeout instead of wasting time over this," I muttered.
Elbert stood by the bed, unmoving for a few seconds, then let out a cold, mocking laugh.
Elbert said, "You're just pissed off about Haven, aren't you?
"You can't stand it when I'm even a little nice to her. Even if I just spend a holiday with her, you have to make a big deal out of it and never let it go."
I closed my eyes and didn't say a word.
That seemed to piss Elbert off even more. He raised his voice, sounding almost exasperated.
Elbert said, "Can you stop being so petty about everything?
"I already broke up with Haven. What you saw was just normal social interaction, nothing more.
"But you insist on twisting it, acting like the whole world has to revolve around your jealous streak.
"Honestly, the way you're acting just makes you seem totally unreasonable and childish."
He was getting more and more worked up, acting like he was the one who'd been wronged here.
Elbert snapped, "You're just way too sensitive. You overthink everything and get stuck in your own head
"You take the tiniest thing and blow it up until everyone's miserable.
"If you keep this up, forget about a year, there's no way we'll even last a month.
"Haven would never act like this. She actually knows how to be considerate and put herself in someone else's shoes.
"But you only ever see things from your own perspective, like the whole world owes you something."
I stayed silent the whole time, not even bothering to lift an eyelid.
He finally stopped, breathing hard. The only thing I could hear in the room was his ragged, awkward panting.
Only then did I leisurely sit up in bed, reaching for the coat lying on the sofa armrest.
I slipped it on unhurriedly, buttoned it up, and then got to my feet.
"Where are you going?" Elbert blurted out.
His voice caught with a hint of panic he didn't even realize he had.
With my back to him, I opened the door and, without even glancing his way, tossed out a line.
"It's way too loud in here. I'm off to find somewhere quiet to crash," I said.
With that, I walked straight out and gently closed the door behind me.
I walked all the way to the entrance of the neighborhood, flagged down a taxi, and gave the driver the address to Joan Castro's place.
Joan opened the door for me.
Seeing me standing there with my coat in hand and my hair a bit of a mess, she didn't ask any questions. She just stepped aside to let me in.
"So, you finally had enough?" Joan asked, her tone light but with a hint of understanding.
I slipped on the slippers Joan handed me, collapsed onto the couch, and let out a long, exhausted sigh.
"It was so noisy my head was pounding. I just needed to crash somewhere else for the night," I muttered.
At noon the next day, Joan knocked on my bedroom door, waving two outfits in her hand.
She grinned, "Come on, get up. No more lying around.
"Today, we're hitting the town. Time to wipe Elbert from your brain and have some real fun."
That night, Joan and I hit up a chill bar downtown.
The music was mellow, the lights soft and hazy, just the right kind of vibe.
I followed Joan's lead, knocking back drink after drink, and for once, all the tension in my head finally melted away.
People were moving around on the dance floor, and a guy in a black shirt wandered over, grinning as he asked if I wanted to dance.
I gave my glass a little shake, flashed him a polite smile, and said, "Sorry, I've got a husband."
The guy nodded, caught on, and walked away.
I turned to Joan, ready to tell her that guy actually had some sense for once.
But before I could say anything, her face suddenly darkened and she slammed her glass down on the table.
"You've got a husband?" Joan shot back, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
She let out a cold, mocking laugh, her tone full of contempt.
She said, "Andrea, wake up. Elbert isn't worthy of being your husband.
"He's just a total scumbag."
I was stunned, unable to say a word.
It was like Joan had been holding back a whole storm of words, and now they finally burst out.
She grabbed the bottle, topped off her glass, knocked back half of it in one go, and then started laying into me.
Joan shot at me, "Do you even know what everyone in our circle says about you?
"They say Elbert only married you so he could have a free maid and a live-in house manager.
"You're the one keeping everything afloat, handling every little thing, while he's out there messing around with his ex."