I walked away; Jack must have forgotten he had given me Juliet roses when he confessed. It no longer mattered. If he could deceive our relationship, it would not be surprising that he could not remember. "That was in the past."

I walked by him directly to the bedroom. I could feel his gaze on me, but I didn't care anymore whether my words would hurt him.

After I changed clothes and came downstairs, the housekeeper had already put dinner on the table. "Mr. and Mrs. Monroe, dinner's ready."

I nodded and walked directly to the table and started eating without even glancing at Jack.

Jack glared but remained silent, sitting quietly across from me.

Patricia Bambra, the housekeeper, picked up on the tension between us and assumed we had been arguing. She picked up the flowers from the coffee table and smiled at me. "Mrs. Monroe, would you like me to put these flowers in a vase?"

"No, just throw them away."

I had never been so cold before, even after fighting. Patricia was left speechless for a moment and looked over at Jack.

Not lifting her eyes, Jack answered calmly, "Do what she says. Throw them out."

Patricia regretted that she had spoken, aware that she was in the wrong. She quickly pushed the flowers away and retired to the kitchen. With a brief hesitation, she sent Jack's mother a text message, feeling that this argument was not the same as before.

I got up after dinner and returned to the bedroom. As I was closing the door, a hand stopped it.

"Sofia, are you going to remain cold to me forever? We're supposed to spend our entire lives together-I'd rather you hit or shout at me than give me the silent treatment."

I remained silent as I looked up at Jack, noticing his pleading expression, as if after our last fights when he would attempt to convince me. He always tried to downplay his behavior, employing his good heart to convince me to forgive him.

After eight years together, I knew him too well. Forgiving him this time would only lead to countless future betrayals. Once someone crossed the line, they'd only bring deeper hurt each time.

"If it were me who cheated, could you remain calm and even forgive me so quickly?"

Jack's grip on the door handle tightened, his veins bulging. His eyes burned with fury and a killer's intent. If he ever found me with another man, he knew that he would not be able to help but kill.

I couldn't help but laugh at his sudden chill. "See? You can't do it yourself, so don't try to impose it on others."

Jack glared at me and announced slowly, "Sofia, I am going to give you time to accept this, but you should know that I will never let you go."

I was searching for employment so that I would be prepared to leave him, but he wished to demonstrate to me that my attempts were going to be unsuccessful.

The glance in Jack's eyes, obsessive and possessing, sent a leap of fear to my heart, and the chill of ice water coursed through my body. I had the certainty he might be fuming behind that calming façade. If I demanded a divorce, our relationships would not flow well.

When Jack saw the fear in my eyes, he realized that he had scared me and eased his face. "Don't be afraid. As long as you remain with me, I will not hurt you."

He reached to push a stray hair back behind my ear, but I instinctively backed away, his hand poised in mid-air.

The tension remained for a moment before Jack withdrew his hand carelessly.

"I have a business trip tomorrow for half a month. When I come back, I will return to the bedroom. Prepare yourself."

I shut the door, my own back already damp with sweat. I received his message-he was giving me two weeks to accept and forgive his adultery. I had to leave as soon as possible.

My phone rang with a call from the HR department at Park Pharmaceuticals. I had gotten the job, but the pay was less than I had hoped. With nothing else available, I accepted my start date for the next Monday and called the real estate agent right away.

The next morning, I leased an apartment for one year, with three months' rent advanced. Once the payment was made, I had only a few hundred left in my account.

I did not rush home but instead bought cleaning supplies and cleaned the new apartment in detail. I was exhausted at noon but felt content to see the clean apartment. I spent the following several days packing my belongings at the villa.

Saturday morning, Zara came by to help me relocate.

Patricia was perplexed when she came upon me in possession of a suitcase. "Mrs. Monroe. are you going on vacation?"

I chided her good-naturedly, laughing. "I'm moving out. Thanks for watching over me all these years."

Patricia was taken aback. She had sensed something was wrong between me and Jack. They would be together all day, but of late, they barely spoke to one another. Additionally, Jack would call him every night.

"Mrs. Monroe. did you and Mr. Monroe have a fight?"

My hold on the suitcase handle tightened. With a momentary pause, I replied softly, "Not exactly. I found work, and being outdoors will be more convenient."

With that, I nodded to Patricia politely and walked away without even glancing back.

Having seen me go, Patricia became more and more uncomfortable and immediately called Jack.

"Mr. Monroe, Mrs. Monroe just left with a suitcase!"

Jack was escorting a business partner to the elevator when he received the call. The words made his smile come to an abrupt halt, and his face clouded over instantly. He hadn't expected me to leave when he was gone! "Got it." Ending the call, Jack immediately called me.

I wasn't surprised to see Jack's name on the phone. I knew he'd be informed the instant I left the villa.

Bringing my lips together tightly, I took the call.

The moment it rang, there was Jack's angry voice on the other side. "Sofia, I don't think you should go. Get home immediately!"

Chapter 10 CHA 10

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