novelxo Chapter 3
Chapter 3
‘Jewelry?’ I frowned slightly and raised my voice to Bryant, who had just entered the bathroom. “Bryant, Margaret is here. I’m going down to see her.”
Almost instantly, Bryant emerged, his expression colder than I had ever seen before..
“I’ll handle it. You don’t need to worry about it. Go freshen up.” Bryant, always composed and reserved before me, spoke with a hint of unspoken emotion, sounding irritated and anxious.
A strange feeling arose within me. “I’ve freshened up. Remember? I even squeezed the toothpaste out for you.”
“Okay then. Let’s go down together. We shouldn’t keep our guest waiting.” Bryant said.
I grabbed his hand, and we made our way downstairs.
The staircase spiraled elegantly, and halfway down, we could see Margaret sitting gracefully on the sofa in her simple white dress.
She looked up at the sound of our footsteps, her smile serene. When her gaze fell on Bryant and me holding hands, her cup trembled slightly, spilling a few drops.
It must have been a bit hot, and she cried out softly in her flurry, “Ah…”
Bryant quickly withdrew his hand and rushed down the stairs, taking the cup from her with a mix of panic and haste. “How can you be so careless? Can’t even hold a cup properly?”.
His tone was stern and harsh, leaving no room for argument. He then grabbed Margaret’s hand and brought her to the sink to rinse off with cold water,
Feeling helpless, Margaret tried to pull her hand back. “I’m fine. You’re making a big deal out of nothing.”
“Shut up. Burns can scar if not treated properly, you know?” Bryant scolded sharply, still not letting go.
I stood on the stairs, dazed, watching the scene unfold, my mind a whirl.
Images flashed through my mind. When we first married, I learned Bryant had a sensitive stomach and began to cook. Even though we had Emma, her dishes didn’t quite agree
with him.
As a beginner, I often cut or burnt myself. One time, I accidentally tipped over a pot, and the splashing oil made me clench my teeth in pain.
Hearing the commotion, Bryant came over, as always, and said gently, “Are you okay? You go and take care of that. I can finish up here.”
He acted gentle and caring yet so detached.
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10:33
Chapter 3
I sometimes had the nagging feeling that something was off. But having secretly adored Bryant for so many years, with countless diary entries about him, marrying him was more than enough for me. I thought perhaps it was just his nature to be reserved and subdued.
Emma interrupted, “It was lemonade that I got for Miss Margaret.”
Emma’s muttering snapped me back to reality. My vision blurred, and my heart felt as if it was tightly clenched, making it hard to breathe,
Bryant had personally taken the cup from Margaret. But in his concern, he failed to notice whether the liquid was hot or cold.
I took a deep breath and stepped down the stairs, my voice tinged with sarcasm. “Honey, Emma got Margaret some lemonade. It’s cold. It won’t burn. Maybe you should worry if she might get frostbite instead?” I couldn’t hold back the sarcasm.
Bryant froze, then let go of her hand, avoiding my gaze, and scolded Margaret, “Crying out over cold water? fussy.”
aly you would be s
Margaret shot him a look and then turned to me with a gentle smile. “That’s just how he is, always overreacting. Don’t mind him.”
Then, she walked over to the coffee table, picked up a velvet gift box, clearly expensive just by its craftsmanship, and handed it to me,
With a warm smile, she said, “This belongs to you.”
I took it, feeling my nails dig into my palm. A storm surged within me.
‘The woman in the video, was it Margaret?’ I wondered.
When I looked up again, hiding my emotions, I tried to smile, but couldn’t.
Just the night before, I had forced Bryant to take back the necklace, and at the moment, holding it in my hand, I couldn’t feel any relief,
I looked at Bryant, probing, as he avoided my gaze. Then, he pulled me close. “Do you like it? If yes, it’s all yours. If not, feel free to pass it on. It’s just a trinket, not worth much. I’ll buy you another gift.”