2#02

2

Jerome, and even his mother, treated me in this manner. There was a time when I relied on Jerome's mom as if she were my own, having lost my biological mother.

Mom, am I truly this naive? I yearn for you terribly. If you were still alive, would there be someone to genuinely care for me?

The severe discomfort jolted me back to consciousness. My body was failing due to inadequate blood flow, leaving me in a dire state. After a prolonged struggle, I finally managed to place a call.

Jerome answered nonchalantly, "I can't return at the moment. You've survived similar situations before, so one more won't hurt. Just hang tight and be patient."

I was aware that Jerome was doing this intentionally. He was upset that I had succumbed to jealousy and interacted with Jessica's social media post, causing her distress.

Nevertheless, Jerome did come to visit. Upon seeing that I appeared merely pale with no other concerning symptoms, he grew annoyed, "You're alright! Why act so pitiful? You're pathetic. Tania, if you persist with this behavior, it'll quickly become tiresome." He tossed a bag at the end of my bed before departing.

Upon waking, I was astonished to find a bowl of millet porridge and some spicy pickles.

Despite my dislike for millet porridge and spicy food, the fact that Jerome had purchased them for me made them seem appetizing. The spiciness brought tears to my eyes, yet I felt oddly satisfied.

Midway through my meal, Jessica appeared at the doorway, smiling and holding an elegant white ceramic bowl. Her complexion was radiant, far from resembling someone who was unwell.

Suddenly, a realization struck me, and I forced a smile. Of course, Jerome had given her 19 units of blood. She was bound to recover more quickly than I had.

"Tania, may I enter?" she inquired.

Before I could respond, Jerome materialized behind her, frowning. He swept Jessica into his arms and hurried inside, scolding her with concern, "I've told you already! Your body hasn't fully recovered. If you need anything, wait for me to return. If you disobey, next time I'll have to discipline you..."

Jessica flushed and buried her face in Jerome's chest. Realizing he had spoken inappropriately, Jerome hastily changed the subject, "Alright, alright. Jessica, why are you bringing a bowl in here?"

That's when I noticed the ceramic bowl contained some leftover meat porridge. On the gleaming white spoon was a distinct lipstick mark.

Jessica spoke leisurely, "I wanted to share the meat porridge Jerome bought with Tania. It's truly delectable."

Jerome suddenly comprehended and pushed the bowl towards me, gesturing for me to eat it.

I turned away, refusing to look at them, "Thank you, but I've already eaten and can't consume any more."

Those few words unexpectedly caused Jessica to tear up. She slumped onto my arm, which was connected to the IV. My hand instantly swelled into a large lump and the blood began to flow backward into the IV bottle.

But Jerome didn't even glance at me. He was preoccupied with comforting Jessica with endless patience, "Shh, don't cry, don't cry. Why are you so upset? It's okay, I won't fault you."

As I was processing Jerome's words, he abruptly grabbed the ceramic bowl and gulped down the meat porridge in one go, even licking the spoon clean, lipstick stain and all.

My eyes began to sting. Jerome was notorious for his obsession with cleanliness. He would never consume food that I had touched. During meals, we always used separate plates and dishes.

Once, I was so famished that I accidentally took food from his plate. I'll never forget the look of revulsion on his face. The outcome? He didn't eat a single morsel from that plate and never used it again.

I had never imagined there would come a day when someone could make Jerome act this way. Once, I believed I was Jerome's sole focus.

But with Jessica's arrival, everything shifted. She was flawless. He adored everything about her. No matter what, she surpassed me in every way.

When I was discharged from the hospital, it was raining outside. A Rolls-Royce, painted in an ostentatious pink princess style, immediately drew everyone's attention.