Evelyn stood tall, exuding the fierce energy of a wife confronting her husband's mistress, her gaze fixed firmly on Cecilia.

"Miss Brooks, as Jason's subordinate, knowing my relationship with him yet persistently overstepping boundaries and provoking me—are you truly foolish, or do you have ulterior motives?"

"I'm sorry, Miss Joy," Cecilia replied, her brows knitting together as she quickly covered her mouth, adopting an exaggeratedly pitiful expression. "I misspoke; I should have said Mrs. Stark. I apologize now. Please, be magnanimous and don’t hold it against me."

Evelyn recognized Cecilia's tactic—playing the victim to garner Jason's sympathy. She didn’t hold back, directly calling her out. "I can’t accept Miss Brooks' apology. It's too insincere, and someone will surely feel sorry for you."

"Jason, Mrs. Stark still hasn’t forgiven me. She must still be dwelling on what happened at the bar last night. Could you please help me explain to Mrs. Stark?" Cecilia pouted, her voice dripping with the soft, lilted charm typical of southern women, leaving Evelyn with an unpleasant chill.

A shiver ran down Evelyn's spine, and she stole a glance at Jason.

He had lit a cigarette, his eyes cold and devoid of warmth. "It’s just a fact. What’s there to explain?"

“I’m really worried that Mrs. Stark might think I’m the other woman ruining your marriage,” Cecilia added coyly, as if seeking validation for her actions.

Jason’s response was a sharp knife in Evelyn’s chest as he addressed her, "Cecilia, go grab the medicine. There’s no point in wasting words on someone irrelevant."

So, in comparison to Cecilia, she—Mrs. Stark—was merely an irrelevant person.

Evelyn fought against the nausea rising in her throat as she turned and left the pharmacy in silence.

Once she shut the car door, her body trembled, and it took her two attempts to turn on the ignition.

She repeated to herself, “Don’t be angry, don’t be angry—”

Three months ago, during a medical check-up, Evelyn discovered a two-millimeter nodule in her left breast. She had already scheduled a follow-up appointment for tomorrow morning. When she asked Jean, the gynecologist, how a young woman like her could develop such a thing, Jean had confidently replied, "Most ailments are caused by emotional distress; that breast nodule of yours must be from the stress of dealing with Jason."

Evelyn had laughed off Jean’s remarks, but deep down, she couldn’t shake the belief. After three years of marriage to Jason, only she knew the extent of the frustration she had endured. If her feelings for Jason had remained as they were three years ago, she might have been able to remain untroubled, even if he misbehaved. But somewhere along the way, she had unwittingly let her heart get involved.

As dusk settled, she drove aimlessly through the streets, realizing that apart from 9 Bliss Garden, she had nowhere else to go in Riverton. 9 Bliss Garden was Jason's property and their marital home. Before they married, Jason had conducted a property appraisal, granting her only temporary residence rights.

Each time she entered 9 Bliss Garden, Jason’s coldness and distance made her feel like an unwelcome guest. Even when she returned home, she would find herself alone in the empty rooms, lost in thought, as Jason often spent four or five nights a week out socializing, returning only in the early hours without a trace.

To escape the loneliness, working late became Evelyn's daily routine. If she hadn’t needed to rush to buy birth control pills today, she would have stayed at the television station.

When she unlocked the door, a choking smell of smoke hit her. Jason was standing by the floor-to-ceiling window in the living room, talking on the phone, his back turned to her. He looked tall and imposing, his voice warm and gentle in a way she had never heard before.

“The doctor said you won’t have a scar. If you’re really worried, I’ll take you to the Capital City to see a more authoritative expert the day after tomorrow... Even if you do have a scar, I wouldn’t care...”

Seeing Jason’s affection directed toward Cecilia made Evelyn’s surprise quickly fade into dismay. She set down her purse and coat, heading toward the bathroom.

After washing her face and applying moisturizer, she found Jason waiting at the door.

“Tomorrow at eight in the morning, my mother’s friend is coming to Riverton. I need you to pick her up from the airport.”

Evelyn had known that Jason's sudden request couldn’t be for anything good.

“This elder is not only a close friend of my mother’s but also a partner in her company. You’ll need to take a few days off to show her around Riverton. I’ll reimburse all expenses, no matter how much.”

Jason assumed she would comply, turning to walk into the study without waiting for her response.

A mist of tears welled in her eyes as she threw the used paper towel she had dried her face with forcefully into the trash. “Find someone else. I have something to attend to tomorrow morning and can’t make it.”

“I’ve already made arrangements. Tyler will be there to handle everything—food, lodging, and transportation. You just need to keep her company and chat with her.”

Jason didn’t even seem to register her words, sitting down and opening his laptop.

She looked at the man just a few steps away, her gaze filled with sorrow. “I have a follow-up appointment with the doctor tomorrow morning.”

“For what?”

“I told you before, there’s a nodule in my left breast from the last check-up. Tomorrow is the day for the follow-up.”

“It’s just a small nodule; delaying it for two days won’t make a difference.” Jason's attention remained fixed on his computer screen, his tone neutral.

Evelyn pressed on, trying to advocate for herself. “I finally managed to get an appointment with a specialist; I don’t want to postpone it.”

“You and your mother have always had a rocky relationship. Now that her friend is visiting, it would be good for you to entertain her. You might even improve your mother-in-law relationship.”

Jason was unyielding, his voice cold. “That’s final.”

Evelyn wanted to argue back, but the commanding look in Jason's eyes left no room for refusal. After several seconds of silence, she reluctantly choked out a “fine.”

Once in the master bedroom, she realized her eyes were wet.

Her phone rang; she glanced at the number and immediately rejected the call. Another call came in from a number with an IP from Lycheeville, and she sent that one straight to her blacklist.

That night, Jason stayed in the study, never entering the master bedroom.

The next morning, when she woke up, she found Jason already dressed in a suit, ready to go to work. Perhaps he hadn’t slept well, as he had faint dark circles under his eyes, looking slightly fatigued. Yet, it did not detract from his handsome features and the mature charm he exuded in every movement.

“Tyler will be waiting for you in the parking lot in half an hour,” Jason said, adjusting his watch and giving her a cursory glance.

His gaze was indifferent, lingering only for a moment before moving on.

Frustrated, she called out to him as he turned to leave, “Miss Brooks is more suitable for the task; she’ll take better care of the situation than I will.”

Jason paused but did not turn around. “You’re still Mrs. Stark. If Cecilia were to take your place in meeting my mother’s friend, it would only confirm her reputation as the other woman.”

So he was pushing her out to protect Cecilia.

She figured that Jason’s actions last night at the Midnight Club had already reached those aware of his marital status, and the rumors were already swirling.

As the door closed behind him, a cold breeze swept in, sending a shiver down Evelyn’s spine and snapping her back to reality.

On the way to the airport, she asked Tyler how Jason planned to handle the escalating rumors about him and Cecilia online. Tyler, sharp as always, smiled and claimed he didn’t know. No matter how much she tried to prod for information, he remained tight-lipped.

They waited at the airport until nine o'clock when Tyler received a call. His expression soured as he informed her that the other woman had suddenly changed their travel plans and would be coming to Riverton next week instead.

Evelyn was filled with frustration but pretended not to care, not wanting Tyler to see her annoyance.

After Tyler dropped her off at the hospital, she registered and soon discovered there were over ten patients ahead of her. With no other option, she settled in for a wait.

When the results of her breast ultrasound came back, she couldn’t make sense of the images, but the text was clear: the nodule in her left breast measured 2.5 millimeters.

Panic gripped her inexplicably.

Three months ago, the nodule was 2.0 millimeters; this increase of 0.5 millimeters certainly couldn’t be good news!