Chapter 61 Why did I never think of this before?

Chapter 61: Chapter 61 Why did I never think of this before?

Cedric’s cold expression shifted into shock. His eyebrows rose. His lips parted.

"What?" he exclaimed. "Your dad is forcing you to meet someone?"

Jessica nodded, tears welling in her eyes. They glistened in the dim light, threatening to spill down her cheeks, catching the glow from the window behind her. "Yes. He says I am wasting my time with you. He says you will never leave your wife. He says you are just using me. He says I am a fool to believe anything you tell me."

Cedric’s jaw tightened, his hands curling into fists on the desk, his knuckles turning white. "That is not true."

"I know. I told him that. But he does not listen. He never listens." Jessica wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, smearing her mascara into dark streaks across her cheeks. "And my friend... she told me you do not love me. She said I am just a distraction. A side piece. Something you keep around until you get bored and move on to someone more beautiful."

Cedric stood up, walking around the desk with quick, forceful movements, his chair scraping against the floor. He stopped in front of her and placed his hands on her shoulders, his grip firm, his fingers pressing into her skin.

"Your friend is wrong," he said, his voice low and intense, burning with conviction. "I do love you. You know that. You have always known that."

Jessica looked up at him, her green eyes wet, her lips trembling, her face pale beneath the smeared makeup. "Then why do you keep her around? Why do you not divorce her? Why do you not choose me?"

Cedric’s hands tightened on her shoulders. "You know I cannot. My grandfather—"

"Your grandfather is dying. He will not live forever. And even if he did, you are a grown man. You can make your own decisions. You do not need his permission to live your life."

Cedric was silent. His jaw worked, but no words came out. The muscles in his neck strained.

Jessica stepped closer, placing her hand on his chest over his heart, feeling its steady beat beneath her palm. Her fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt.

"Ricky," she whispered, her voice soft and pleading. "I love you. I have loved you since the beginning. I have waited for you. I have been patient. I have been understanding. But I am tired of waiting. I am tired of being second. I am tired of sharing you."

Cedric looked at her. Her beautiful face. Her green eyes, filled with tears and love and desperation. Her red lips, parted slightly, waiting.

"You are the only one I want," he said. "You know that. You are the only one who has ever made me feel alive."

"Then prove it."

"How?"

Jessica smiled, a slow, dangerous smile spreading across her lips like a secret she had been keeping for too long. She pressed herself against him, her body soft and warm, her curves fitting against his like they were made for each other.

"Show me," she whispered. "Show me how much you love me. Show me that I matter. Show me that you will fight for me."

She reached up and pulled his head down, pressing her lips to his.

Cedric kissed her back, his hands sliding down her back, pulling her closer, his fingers digging into the fabric of her dress. His mouth moved against hers, hungry and desperate, like a man drowning and finding air.

Jessica moaned softly against his mouth. Her fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him deeper into the kiss. She pressed her body against his, pressing and rubbing, not caring that they were in his office, not caring that anyone could walk in. The world outside the door ceased to exist.

"Jesse," Cedric breathed, his voice ragged.

"Shh," she whispered against his lips. "Just kiss me. Forget everything else. Just kiss me."

He kissed her again, deeply, hungrily, his hands roaming her body.

Jessica smiled against his lips.

She had him. She always had him. And she would never let him go.

❀┈┈┈┈❀

After bidding goodbye to Grandpa James, Daisy walked out of the hospital with a lightness in her chest she had not felt in weeks. The sun was warm on her face, and the breeze carried the scent of flowers from the garden. She felt so happy.

But as she walked toward the bus stop, reality checked in like a cold hand on her shoulder.

She needed food. Not just for today. For the days ahead. For the weeks when Jenna would punish her by emptying the kitchen. She could not keep eating grass and starving. She could not keep surviving on air and hope.

Daisy stopped walking and looked around. She was near a small shopping street lined with independent shops where you could buy things cheaply, the kind of places that did not ask questions.

An idea sparked in her mind.

She walked into the electronics shop first. The shopkeeper, an older man with glasses and a kind face, looked up as she entered. He had silver hair and a warm smile.

"Hello, madam. How can I help you?"

Daisy pulled out her phone and typed quickly.

Do you sell electric kettles? Small ones?

The shopkeeper nodded. "Yes, we do. This way."

He led her to a shelf near the back. Daisy’s eyes scanned the boxes. Small kettles, medium kettles, large kettles. She picked up the smallest one, a compact white kettle that could fit in her small room without taking up too much space. It was simple, no frills, but it would work.

She looked at the price. Affordable. She had saved some money from the small amount Cedric had given her for the shopping trip. She could afford this.

Daisy smiled. She paid for the kettle and walked out of the shop. Then she stopped and slapped her forehead with her palm.

Why did I never think of this before? she thought.

The shopkeeper looked at her weirdly, his eyebrows raised. Daisy realized she had made a sound. A small, soft sound, like a gasp or a squeak. She blushed and hurried out of the shop, her face burning.

She walked to the grocery store next. She moved through the aisles quickly, her basket filling with small, essential items. Rice, lentils, instant noodles, canned vegetables, tea bags, sugar, salt, oil. A small pack of biscuits. A jar of peanut butter. A few apples. A carton of long-life milk.

Then she found the kitchen section. Small plates, small bowls, a small pot, a small pan, a spoon, a fork, a knife, a cup. Everything small enough to hide in her room. Everything she needed to cook and eat without anyone knowing.

She added them to her basket, paid, and walked out. The bags were heavy, but Daisy did not mind. She felt very excited, like she had just discovered a secret that would change everything.

The bus ride home was quiet. Daisy clutched her bags to her chest, her heart full.

❀┈┈┈┈❀

The mansion was quiet when she arrived. Daisy slipped in through the back door, her footsteps light, her breathing shallow. She could hear the servants in the distance, but no one was in the kitchen. No one was in the hallway. The house was empty.

She carried her bags upstairs to her small room. She placed the kettle on her side table. She hid the groceries behind her wardrobe, covering them with a spare blanket. She placed her plates and bowls and utensils in a small box, pushing it under her bed.

Then she went back downstairs to check the kitchen.

It was empty. As expected. No food on the counters. No pots on the stove. Nothing in the fridge. Just the same emptiness that had greeted her for days.

Daisy nodded to herself. She walked back to her room and closed the door.

She took out her kettle, bowl, and a packet of instant noodles. She washed her bowl in the small sink in her bathroom and filled her kettle with water. She plugged it in and placed it on her side table. She waited.

The water began to bubble, steam rising from the spout, filling her small room with warmth. She opened her packet of instant noodles and placed them in her bowl.

The smell filled her small room, rich and savory and comforting.

Daisy’s stomach growled. She quickly poured the hot water over the noodles and waited a few minutes. Then she sat on her bed and placed the bowl in her lap.

She took a bite.

The noodles were warm and soft, the broth salty and rich. She took another bite, then another. Her eyes closed, and a small moan of pleasure escaped her lips.

She ate slowly, savoring each mouthful and taste.

She finished the noodles. She drank the broth. She set the bowl aside and leaned back on her bed.

Very satisfied.

The whole day had gone very well....