Chapter 99

Jonathan frowned and dismissed me, “Listen to the doctor. Don’t make decisions on a whim.”

The doctor nodded thoughtfully. “I’ll prescribe some painkillers for Ms. Sower. It’s hard to say for sure. Sometimes it might suddenly improve one day, but it could also be a lingering and… vile headache.”

“You could get a more detailed exam, but I don’t expect the results to change much.”

“You’re saying the pain might never fully go away?”

Jonathan’s expression stayed calm, but the veiled edge in his voice made the whole room tense. The doctor’s brow immediately creased cautiously. “Since we haven’t found a clear cause yet, the best we can do now is keep monitoring.”

After a brief thought, he added, “But Ms. Sower seems stable, and it’s not threatening her health. She should fare well for now. We’ll keep trying to find the cause.”

After the doctor left, it was just Jonathan and me in the room.

I was relieved they’d only been examining my head, and not noticed the scar at my hairline. That scar was from my suicide attempt. It was my shame. Since Jonathan didn’t believe me, there was no reason to show him or let him know.

As he sat beside me, I realized we had nothing to say to each other besides cold, silent hearts.

After a long pause, Jonathan finally spoke, “He saved you twice.”

That “he” was Frederick. Counting it, he had saved my life twice.

“Yes, I’m grateful to him.” I kept my expression blank.

Then suddenly, Jonathan grabbed my chin, his fingertip pressing gently at the edge of my mouth. “Besides gratitude, do you feel anything else for him?”

I instinctively frowned. “What kind of feelings could I possibly have for him? What else was there besides gratitude?”

But then, as it hit me, I stared straight at Jonathan and felt a flicker of annoyance. He hadn’t beaten around the bush before, but now I realized he might care about what was happening between me and Frederick.

Maybe it had to do with the way he pretended to be close to Alicia, calling it sibling love, and wanted me to think I was only staying out of obligation. He saw and understood everything. He’d let himself run wild with Alicia, but since Frederick had saved me twice, he was determined to keep everything strictly by the book.

Such blatant double standards.

“What’s that got to do with you?”

Just as expected, his expression darkened immediately, and his grip on my cheek tightened.

“So, you’re saying you do have feelings for him?”

A sharp sting blossomed on my skin. His voice was low and cold. “Don’t forget, you’re still my wife.”

“When you’re messing around with Alicia, do you even remember I’m your wife?” I shot back without hesitation.

His eyes deepened with feeling, swirling with emotions that held a touch of sadness.

“Elise, how many times do I have to tell you? There’s nothing between me and her.”

“Is that so? Because your words and actions don’t match at all.”

I met his gaze firmly. “No matter how many times you say there’s nothing with her, your actions show you clearly favor her. If Alicia means so much to you, if your feelings for her are exclusive, then why don’t you just divorce me! Don’t worry. I won’t hold you back if you sign the papers! I’ll let you go back to Alicia.”