Filed to story: My Gorgeous Wife is an Ex-Convict Novel by Anastasia Marie
Lily was less worried about the criminal case and more concerned about her self-image. She was a celebrity who was often photographed in high-class venues and she’d spent the last hours beside piles of garbage. Between the fans, workers, and police, there were plenty of people at the scene recording her and she was afraid it would turn into a trending topic. That was all she needed Ugh! She hurriedly called her agent and publicist to suppress all related news.
Grace’s body was engulfed in the stench of the garbage.
Although she’d worn gloves and had washed her hands multiple times, a faint odor still lingered on them. As for her body, even after changing out of her uniform into her day clothes and jacket, the smell still clung to her skin. “These rich people are too much. They just lose a ring and suddenly, we’re the ones tortured for it!? If it’s such an expensive ring, why didn’t they look after it more closely themselves?” Claire grumbled.
Grace gave her a few words of comfort, then took her bag and left.
After Lily’s farce, she went back home later than usual. The street lamps had already been lit. The Cold wind blew at her face and pricked her.
Today, she once again sensed the difference between her past and her present.
When Lily had asked for the ring to be searched for, she had not even an ounce of strength with which to fight back.
Because she needed this terrible job. No one else would hire her.
Her past self could have given up on this kind of job and still have found plenty of other opportunities, but it was extremely hard for her present self to find even this one posting.
If she wanted to survive, stay warm, and eat well, she could only continue on.
Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks and stared dazedly at the nearby figure standing by the gate of the apartment complex.
Jason!
He waited for her to come back!
The light from the street lamp shone on him and his handsome face was the balm she needed.
My present self is different from my past self, at least. I’m no longer alone.
“Jay.” Grace quickly ran toward him but right before she reached him she hurriedly halted her footsteps.
He lifted his pretty eyes to stare at her confusedly. “Sister?”
“I… There’s a strong stench on me now, so don’t come too close
to me,” she said. “It’s been a hell of a day,” she said and managed to laugh about it now. “I stink. Let’s go in. It’s cold out here.”
As she spoke, she started toward the building, thinking if she got there quickly enough, she could jump into the shower and wash her clothes before she stunk up the room.
But a pair of arms looped around her from behind and in the next moment, she was pulled into a tight embrace.
“Jay!” she cried out faintly.
Jason hugged her.
He lowered his head and gently placed his cheek against her neck. She wasn’t kidding about the smell, but beneath the sharp. garbage scent, her skin smelled like her.
Lily had intentionally made things difficult for her today and he’d hated that she was not only upset by Lily’s antics but also forced to labor so terribly. She leaned against him, tired and weak. And he hated that too.
“Sister, no matter what odor you have on your body, you don’t have to stay away from me.”
“But…” Grace squirmed with embarrassment and Jay didn’t know if it was because of the way she smelled or his hug.
“Since we’ve already promised to depend on each other, then what is there to avoid? Does it mean that one day if I smell or sweat, you will deliberately stay away from me?” he retorted.
Grace remained silent for a while. She then took a deep breath and said, “All right, I understand. I won’t do it again.”
He nodded victoriously. “Come, it’s cold.” He held her hand and return to the cramped apartment.
“You go shower and change, I will make dinner.”
She tilted her head at him, no doubt wondering if he could cook. And she wasn’t wrong, he had virtually no experience in the kitchen, but cooking was based on measurements and cooking times. He was an engineer by nature, he understood numbers.
“Go,” he insisted, pushing her forward.
Grace went into the bathroom and closed the door.
He rolled up his sleeves and got to work.
She stayed in their close to an hour. And though he’d done a decent job of cooking the meat and rice, by the time she came out and sat across from him, the food had cooled.
Grace didn’t seem to notice and she ate with relish.
“What happened today?” Jason asked.
Grace hesitated and she chewed slowly before setting her fork down.
“It’s silly, really. And today’s event has been blown out of proportion. But given all the people and all the workers and police involved, I’m surprised you didn’t hear about it already on social media.”
“I don’t want to hear about it online, I want to hear about it from you.”
“Okay,” Grace said and then she recounted the whole story for him.
Jason listened to her in silence. Once she was done narrating, he asked, “Aren’t you angry?”
She chuckled at the question. “There’s nothing to be angry about.”
“She hadn’t really lost a ring, she was just making trouble, wasn’t she? Why aren’t you angry?”
“Because there’s no point in getting angry,” she replied. “Do you know Jason Reed?” she asked suddenly.
His expression was a little stunned and his eyes flashed as they studied her. He shifted and his hair covered his face
“He’s pretty much the most powerful person in this city. Of course, he’s rich. A billionaire or something, and either for his money or influence, people want to curry favor with him,” she
said.
“What about him?” Jason said neutrally.
“When I was still incarcerated, because I was charged as the driver who caused his wife’s death, there were plenty of people who ingratiated themselves to him by hurting me in prison. If I got angry over everything, then, other than ultimately angering myself to death, there would be no other benefit from it.”
She said this offhand while scooping more rice into her bowl. It might have been said dismissively, but his heart suddenly started to twinge.
Even if she didn’t spell it out explicitly, he could guess what she went through in prison. Just as she said, there were too many people trying to curry his favor.
There were even some who’d actually mentioned to him how they had “taught her a lesson” in prison. How did he respond?
He probably dismissed them with a laugh.