Jeffrey returned home to find Francesca taking care of their daughter while Aspen was on the phone. Jeffrey wanted to scold Aspen, wondering why she wasn’t holding their child, but he didn’t want to set a bad mood. He had some good news to share.
“You’re home?” Aspen asked coldly.
Jeffrey gave Aspen a quick nod, then approached Francesca and took her daughter in his arms, looking happier.
“I got a job,” Jeffrey said.
Francesca’s face lit up with joy, while Aspen just looked at her husband coldly. Aspen had a hunch that Hannah or Alden must have had a hand in this.
“Where?” Aspen asked without enthusiasm.
Aspen’s attitude disappointed Jeffrey. If he had been asked if he regretted marrying Aspen, he might have said yes. But Jeffrey didn’t want to dwell on the past. He believed that Hannah was the best woman he had ever known.
And their destinies had never aligned, perhaps because Hannah deserved someone much better than him.
“Why do you keep so quiet? Where are you going to work?” Aspen repeated impatiently.
“At Texco,” Jeffrey replied flatly.
Aspen’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Why are you going back to work there? Are you trying to make me mad or are you trying to ruin our marriage?”
Aspen’s raised voice made Francesca quickly scoop her granddaughter back into her arms. Francesca quickly left the heated exchange, not wanting her granddaughter to hear Aspen’s harsh voice.
“Calm down,” Jeffrey pleaded.
Aspen approached her husband with wide eyes. “What now? You really want to be with Hannah, don’t you? You ungrateful man! I gave up my life for you! My life has been a mess since I was with you, Jeffrey!”
Jeffrey wanted to respond to all of Aspen’s accusations, but he didn’t want to start another fight. He just wanted to focus on his work and support his family. Without Hannah and Alden’s help, their lives would have been truly miserable.
How could Jeffrey want Hannah? He didn’t even have the face to look at Hannah anymore. For Aspen and their daughter, Jeffrey had to swallow his pride and practically beg his former lover.
“Where am I supposed to work? You always interfere and think the worst of me!” Jeffrey said firmly.
“Anywhere! As long as it’s not there!”
“Look, Mr. Alden trusted me. I’m his wife’s ex-boyfriend! But he doesn’t think as badly as you do!” Jeffrey pointed out.
Aspen fell silent.
“If you can find me a better job, then do it now! But if I go back to Texco, I can provide for our family! Be logical, Aspen!”
Francesca approached cautiously and stood beside Aspen, patting her daughter on the back.
“Calm down, Aspen. Jeffrey wouldn’t do anything inappropriate with Hannah,” Francesca said, trying to calm Aspen.
“Yes, I would never, Mom. Besides, Hannah and Alden have their own lives now. I think Hannah might even be pregnant,” Jeffrey added.
Aspen and Francesca were shocked to hear that.
“Really? I’m going to call Hannah and ask,” Francesca said excitedly.
“Not yet, Mom. Hannah hasn’t been to the doctor yet. I just noticed the symptoms when she was questioning me in the office,” Jeffrey explained.
“Oh, so I’ll wait for Hannah to tell me the good news herself?”
“Yes,” Jeffrey nodded.
Aspen scoffed in frustration, not wanting to hear anything about Hannah. Now there was nothing she could do to stop Jeffrey. They needed the money, so Aspen had to let Jeffrey work at Texco for now.
“Whether she’s pregnant or not is none of our business!” Aspen snapped.
She then left Jeffrey and Francesca, hurried into the bedroom, and slammed the door. Aspen lay on the bed, her mind racing. If Hannah was pregnant, she would enjoy all of Alden’s wealth.
Apparently, Alden wasn’t really bankrupt; his business was improving. Aspen should have married Alden if she had known he wasn’t permanently disabled.
Now, marrying Jeffrey only brought Aspen misery.
And it was all because of Hannah.
Aspen thought about how to get rid of Hannah. She typed a message to Sarah.
“Have you heard the rumor that Hannah is pregnant?”
Aspen sent the message.
Soon after, Aspen’s phone rang and she saw Sarah’s name on the screen.
“What do you mean Hannah’s pregnant?” Sarah asked bluntly as Aspen answered the call.
“Yes, it’s a rumor. But it hasn’t been confirmed.”
“Don’t let Hannah get pregnant. I don’t want Alden to be taken by that woman,” Sarah’s voice sounded genuinely worried.
“Then what should we do?”
Sarah didn’t answer right away, only the sound of her increasingly irregular breathing could be heard.
“How about we meet tomorrow? And talk about this,” Sarah’s voice began to sound like a whisper.
“Tomorrow?”
Suddenly there was another voice on Sarah’s end. Then Sarah spoke in a very gentle tone.
“Alden, how was today? Shall we have dinner together?” Sarah asked.
Aspen scoffed softly. How could Sarah act so sweet when she was a devilish woman? Well, not much different from herself. Only Sarah was wealthy and Aspen wasn’t.
“Tomorrow. I’ll call you again.”
Then Sarah quickly hung up.
“How rude,” Aspen muttered.
Aspen tossed the phone aside and sighed heavily. The bedroom door opened and Jeffrey walked in. He sat on the edge of the bed and looked at Aspen intently.
“Please, I want us to move forward without thinking about my past with Hannah. I chose you and I will keep that choice, Aspen,” Jeffrey said.
Aspen just looked away.
“I want you to think the same way I do. Let’s build our family for a better future.”
“Why Texco? That’s the only thing that really pisses me off,” she replied.
“Mr. Alden himself told me that Texco is the best company for me. I believe Mr. Alden also recommended that I return there.” Jeffrey sighed softly. “That’s why Hannah is willing to take me back there.”
“Anyway, I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
Jeffrey approached Aspen and was about to kiss his wife’s cheek, but Aspen immediately pushed his face away. Faced with Aspen’s rejection, Jeffrey just sighed, then got up and left the room.
In the living room, Francesca sat quietly. The news that Jeffrey was working at Texco was enough. If Aspen was still angry, Francesca didn’t care. Where else was Aspen going to get money for daily expenses? At least Jeffrey could go back to work.
Maybe Hannah would even raise his salary later, and Francesca’s life wouldn’t be as bad as it was now.
“So when are you going to start working?” Francesca asked as Jeffrey came out of the bedroom.
“As soon as possible, Mom. Hannah said any time I’m ready.”
“Start tomorrow, don’t worry about Aspen’s nagging. She needs the money, we all do, Jeffrey.”
“Yes, Mom. I understand.”