I Erased Our Marriage Timeline Chapter 02
Bethany spent the entire night looking after Joseph in his room.
The next morning, I came downstairs to find Joseph bustling around in the kitchen.
He made scrambled eggs, warmed the milk, and arranged the toast on a plate.
Then he brought it to Bethany and said gently, “Eat it while it’s hot.”
With a chuckle, Bethany teased him, “Since when did you get so good at taking care of people?”
He fixed his gaze on Bethany, saying nothing, but his lips curved into a grin.
In my previous life, after we were married, he would also cook for me.
When I got my period, he would clumsily brew me some tea.
I stood on the stairs, my steps faltering.
“Perla, come have breakfast.” Bethany beckoned to me.
Joseph raised his head, his eyes indifferent.
Not a word left his lips. His face gave nothing away.
I sat down at the table, and he stood up, moving one seat away from me.
He observed me as if I were a mere stranger.
It reminded me of how ruthless he had been in my previous life when he forced me to divorce.
After eating a piece of toast, I rose to my feet. “I’m full. I have classes today. I should get going.”
Bethany said, “Why the hurry? You haven’t drunk your milk.”
“I’m going to be late.”
I snatched up my backpack and fled out of the door.
I spent all day in the library looking up overseas study programs and filling out application forms.
In my previous life, to stay by Joseph’s side, I gave up the chance to study abroad.
In this life, I would go far, far away and live for myself.
That evening, just as I planned to crash at the dorm, Bethany called.
“Perla, come home for dinner. I’ve got big news to share!”
When I reached home, Joseph opened the door for me.
Seeing me, he furrowed his brows. “Why are you back?”
Clearly, it wasn’t his idea to call me back.
“Bethany said she had something to say,” I murmured.
Bethany peeked out from the kitchen. “Perla, you’re back!”
She made me sit on the couch and shoved the remote into my hands. “Watch TV for a bit. Dinner is almost ready!”
Joseph was helping her in the kitchen.
Through the glass door, I saw him lower his head and listen to Bethany, a faint smile playing on his lips and his eyes full of tender warmth.
He had once cooked for me as well.
When I had a fever, he watched over me all night and made me soup in the morning. On my birthday, he skipped a business dinner and came home to cook a full table of dishes.
“Hey, earth to Perla!”
Seeing me spacing out, Bethany pushed Joseph out of the kitchen.
“Go, keep Perla company. I’ll make the final soup.”
Helplessly, Joseph wiped his hands and sat on the sofa across from me.
The distance between us was as wide as an ocean.
Silence stretched on.
A tedious variety show played on the TV, the laughter grating and harsh.
“Perla,” Joseph suddenly broke the silence.
I looked at him.
He stared at me, his expression solemn. “Focus on your study, keep your feet on the ground, and don’t think about what you shouldn’t.”
My heart clenched tightly.
Don’t think about what I shouldn’t?
In his eyes, my feelings for him were forbidden.
When he found my secret diary in my last life, he said, “Perla, you make me sick.”
He thought I sabotaged his relationship with Bethany on purpose, that I was greedy and insatiable.
But all I did was like him. I never sowed any discord between them.
He didn’t believe me.
“Understood,” I said calmly. “I won’t.”
During dinner, Bethany’s cheeks flushed red as she announced, “Joseph proposed to me today!”
She extended her left hand, a diamond ring on her finger glittering under the light.
“Congratulations!” I said, offering a heartfelt smile. “I wish you both happiness.”
Joseph’s hand stilled as he looked up at me.
I buried my face in my plate, pretending not to notice.
After dinner, I volunteered to do the dishes.
Their laughter drifted from the living room. Bethany was describing her wedding ideas. Joseph responded quietly and indulgently.
Having washed the dishes, I dried my hands and prepared to go out and tell them I needed to return to school.
But the moment I reached the living room, I heard Joseph say, “Once she graduates, I’ll buy her an apartment near the school and ask her to move out. It’s not appropriate for a girl to keep living with us.”
Bethany disagreed. “But it’s not safe for her to live alone.
“Besides, she’s your sister. What’s so wrong about living together?”
Joseph said evenly, “She’s grown up now. She should have her own life. We need our space as well.”
I froze in place and stopped eavesdropping.
I turned around, tiptoed upstairs, grabbed my bag, and left.
Not until I walked far enough did I send Bethany a message. “Beth, something came up at school. I gotta head back now. Good night.”
I took a deep breath.
It would be best for me to move out anyway.
The farther I stayed away, the safer I would be.