"Mom! Do you know what I saw?" Levi sat up abruptly, his eyes wide as he looked at his mother.
His mother, Grace, gently rubbed his head and asked, "What did you see?"
"I saw Ruby! She has a house, Mom! A big house! And I even saw her carrying so many shopping bags and expensive snacks," Levi said, his tone sharp with anger. "Her house is even bigger than my fiancée’s!" he added, crossing his arms.
Grace’s eyes widened in shock. "How is that possible? Ruby doesn’t have any money. I know her aunt took everything from her," she muttered, her brows furrowing deeply. "How could she afford all this? It doesn’t make sense," she whispered, more to herself than to Levi, her mind racing.
"Yes! Even I couldn’t believe it at first," Levi said, his voice rising with frustration. "Seeing her holding all those bags, I had to know what was going on. So, I followed her all the way from the market to her house... and then I got caught by Rich ghost.." His words tumbled out quickly as he described everything that had happened, his face flushed with anger and disbelief.
Grace’s eyes widened, trying to process what he had just said. "So, does that mean I should reject your fiancée and tell her you don’t want to get married for now?" she asked, her tone calm but questioning.
Levi shook his head quickly. "No, Mom! She’s just the backup plan," he replied, his voice firm. "But you have to do something! I saw Julian living his life so comfortably now. He’s forgotten about us, Mom! He doesn’t even care about the people who raised him!" His voice cracked with anger, and his fists clenched tightly.
Grace’s expression darkened, her eyes narrowing. She sat up straighter, her tone now cold and resolute. "You’re right, Levi," she said firmly. "It’s time for Julian to repay us for everything we’ve done for him. We gave him a home, care, and everything, and now he acts like we don’t matter? That’s not going to happen."
Levi nodded, his face set with determination. "Exactly, Mom. He owes us, and it’s time he remembers that."
Ruby wasn’t good at stitching, so she didn’t know how to start. She had ideas in her mind, a clear vision of how the finished product would look, but without stitching skills, it felt impossible to bring it to life.
Sighing, she placed the needle down and picked up some spare cloth. She tried it out, cutting a piece from the original fabric. The result was far from what she had imagined. The stitching was uneven, and the fabric didn’t come together as she’d hoped.
No one would want to buy such poorly made clothes, she thought, feeling discouraged.
Another sigh escaped her lips, and as she sat there, she realized she hadn’t eaten her afternoon meal. Feeling weak from hunger, she stood up, pushing the scattered materials aside, and made her way to the kitchen.
She walked over to the earthy pot that always seemed to be filled with fresh water. She poured herself a glass, savoring the coolness as it calmed her nerves. The water, so refreshing, eased the tension she hadn’t realized she was carrying.
She turned around after placing the glass down, only to see Julian standing there.
He didn’t meet her gaze, instead going straight to the counter to pour himself some water.
Ruby bit her lip, feeling a strange mix of emotions. As she glanced around, she saw that most of the pots and containers were nearly empty.
"We’ve run out of grains and vegetables, so I only made a small amount today... I’ll make something for you," Julian said, his voice as calm and gentle as always.
Ruby watched him, silently observing as he began gathering the vegetables and grains she had bought earlier.
His kindness made her feel guilty. Even after everything, he was still treating her with care.
But in her heart, Ruby knew that this was the best decision she had made.
"I will help you," Ruby said, although she wasn’t sure how to, but she felt it was the right thing to do. After all, they hadn’t really considered each other as husband and wife since she told him everything about how their marriage was just for show, only for outsiders.
She reached for the knife on the counter.
Julian glanced at her but shook his head. "No need," he replied, trying to pull the knife back from her hands.
But Ruby didn’t back down. "No, let me help," she insisted, taking the knife from his hands and starting to cut the vegetables herself.
Julian watched her for a moment, his eyes softening. It wasn’t that he didn’t appreciate the help, but it was the first time she was taking the initiative , and he felt something shift inside him.
Ruby focused on her task, trying to chop the vegetables carefully. She was a little clumsy, but she kept going, determined to help out however she could. Julian couldn’t help but smile softly at her.
Ruby wasn’t good with cooking since she had never stepped into a kitchen in her past life. She didn’t even know how to hold a knife properly to cut vegetables.
"Let me help you, Ruby," Julian said gently as he moved behind her. He placed his hands over hers, guiding her. His face was so close to her neck that Ruby felt a sudden rush of warmth.
Wait... What did he just call her? Ruby?
And he was way too close. She could feel the heat radiating off his body, and his breath brushed against her neck, making her heart race.
She quickly turned her head to look at him, her eyes wide in surprise. Julian, noticing her reaction, met her gaze, his mossy green eyes locking onto hers. He slowly bit down on his tempting, plump lips, and Ruby couldn’t help but feel the urge to pull his lips away from his teeth.
"You’re not holding it right," Julian said, his voice low and smooth, his breath still warm on her neck. "... hold the knife , or you’ll cut yourself." His tone was calm but gentle.
—To be continued...🪄