Messages about Mia flooded in everywhere, which made Jake feel even more guilty.
Taking a deep breath, Jake dialed the phone.
After a round of small talk, questioning, and accusations, Jake managed to calm Mia down with his desperate explanations.
Mia had always been like this since college. Despite being from a wealthy family, she never acted spoiled. Instead, she cared deeply for Jake, who came from a poor background.
She never pressured him financially and even downgraded her lifestyle, swapping her usual LV, Chanel bags, watches, and clothes for more ordinary brands.
Jake had heard all this from Mia's roommates.
However, Mia always shared and complained with Jake, regardless of time or place. After all, no one was perfect. But when it came to major principles, Mia never wavered, especially since everything she did was out of concern for Jake.
Jake's turbid eyes stared blankly ahead, lost in thought.
Lighting a cigarette and taking a shallow puff, the turbulence in Jake's heart seemed to settle slightly. Only then did he notice the throbbing pain in his fingers. Looking down, he saw his swollen right hand.
The three middle fingers were swollen and blood-filled at the joints, like they'd been jammed playing basketball. The slightest movement brought a mix of pain and itchiness.
Setting aside other thoughts, Jake quickly drove home, took a quick shower, and changed his clothes, washing away the distinct scent of sex.
Then he went to the nearest hospital, registered, and got an X-ray. After the diagnosis confirmed it was nothing serious, he received an IV drip. The doctor prescribed some anti-inflammatory medication and advised him to ice the injury at home to reduce the bruising.
Between the ordeal at his aunt's place and the hospital visit, by the time Jake got home, it was already dark.
When he opened the door, Mia was sitting on the living room couch.
Seeing him holding the hospital CT scans, Mia's face filled with concern, just like always, as she greeted him.
Jake was startled. He had originally arranged to meet Mia at their usual restaurant, but she had come straight over after work.
In her hurry, Mia hadn't even changed out of her work clothes. She wore a deep blue office suit with a white long-sleeved shirt underneath, the jacket left open. The straight-leg pants accentuated her slender waist.
Her matching high heels had a modest heel, about 2-3 cm.
The city government had truly tamed Mia, who usually dressed boldly. This outfit was downright conservative.
Even so, it couldn't hide Mia's beauty. Her black hair was tied up in a bun, her delicate face glistening with sweat, her large eyes bright and lively.
Her full chest, slim waist, and long legs gave her an elegant, dignified aura, somewhat reminiscent of her CEO mother.
As Mia rushed into his arms, Jake felt both surprised and guilty. After all, the clothes he'd changed out of earlier were still unwashed. If Mia found them, it would be over.
"Jake, I was so worried about you! What happened? Are you sick?" Mia clung to Jake like a kitten, scanning him for injuries.
When she saw his swollen right hand, she held it tenderly, murmuring, "What were you doing today? Weren't you supposed to be at work? How did you get hurt?"
Jake hugged Mia and sat back on the couch, answering absentmindedly, "It's nothing. Like I said on the phone, I wasn't feeling well, so I took the day off."
"Then what happened to your hand?" Mia's attention remained fixed on his injured fingers.
"On the way back, I got the urge to play basketball with some kids in the neighborhood. Unfortunately, I got hurt." Jake lied without batting an eye.
His half-joking tone made Mia both exasperated and amused.
She lightly punched his chest in frustration, then leaned down to blow gently on his injured fingers.
"You're such a child! You're not in college anymore!"
"Heh." Jake had no response. His eyes darted toward the bathroom as he said casually, "Hold on, let me use the toilet first. I'm bursting."
Mia knew Jake's habits too well. He always had to use the bathroom before leaving and immediately after returning. How did her boyfriend have so much pee and poop?
Rolling her eyes playfully, Mia waved him off. "Go, go."
Jake rushed into the bathroom. Seeing his discarded clothes untouched, his tension eased. He picked up the shirt and sniffed it. A strange, pungent smell hit him, he was sure Mia's sharp nose would detect another woman's scent on it.
Jake had once thought it was impossible, like in the movies, for someone to sniff out infidelity. But once, after a work event where a female client had gotten handsy with him, Mia had grilled him relentlessly when he got home. It had taken a lot of explaining to clear things up.
This time, he didn't want a repeat especially since the scent belonged to her aunt!
Guiltily, Jake tossed the clothes into the washing machine and pretended to flush the toilet before stepping out, relieved.
By then, Mia had already prepared an ice pack, thanks to Jake's foresight. His place was stocked with first-aid supplies, including ice packs, for emergencies.
Following the doctor's advice, Mia carefully iced Jake's hand before they headed to their usual restaurant.
Since Jake made that promise with his mother, Mia hadn't been to his apartment much except on Sundays. Despite her obvious affection, there wasn't much they could do.
Besides, Mia could never spend the night at Jake's place.
After a satisfying dinner and a stroll through the pedestrian street, Jake walked Mia home.
So much had happened in a single day, far more than Jake had expected.
Mia's warmth helped him suppress his lingering thoughts of Yana. For now, he decided to forget today and start fresh.
----
Waking up to a bright and sunny morning.
The dazzling sunlight streamed through the window, casting its glow on the bedsheets. The cold air from the AC was no match for the direct rays of the sun, creating a clash between the two.
Jake kicked off the blankets and lifted his heavy body. After sending Mia home last night, he had stayed up late discussing the selection details for the sales department with Cabel, leaving him somewhat sleep-deprived.
He tentatively clenched his right hand. After taking anti-inflammatory medication and applying ice, the swelling and pain in his fingers had subsided considerably. Unless one looked closely, it was barely noticeable.
"I wonder how Taylor is doing now?"
Although Taylor had explicitly cut off any possibility of meeting again yesterday, Jake believed there would always be a chance to see her again.
Leaving aside their past relationship through Teacher White, just the fact that Taylor was Mia's aunt gave Jake countless reasons to invite her out. If Mia and Jake were to get married in the future, their connection would become even more inseparable.
Moreover, Taylor had already given herself to Jake. In Jake's mind, Taylor was already his woman.
Thinking of this, Jake took out his phone and carefully composed a message, deleting and rewriting several times before finally sending Taylor a WhatsApp message, "Taylor, are you okay? I'm really sorry about yesterday, but I truly want you to be happy."
Perhaps it was too early, as Taylor didn't reply.
Jake had no choice but to let it go for now. He began washing up and changed into his dark green suit.
At Jalvethan Heights, 13th floor, in the master bedroom.
Taylor lay lazily on the bed, her tired but still stunning face gazing quietly at the ceiling. The faint glow of her phone screen illuminated the side of her face.
Her curvaceous body felt strangely warm, an inexplicable heat rising to her chest. Between her legs, a dull ache lingered. Despite her efforts to forget, the bone-deep pleasure refused to fade.
"Taylor, what's wrong with you?"
The beautiful woman turned onto her side, burying her face into the soft pillow as a single glistening tear rolled down.
The tear fell, dampening the pillow.