30 Days Till I Divorce My Husband novel Chapter 413

Back in the day, just to mess with Paula, Estrella had called out to Jason as "hubby" in front of everyone.

Privately, though, she never used such intimate terms for him. Just thinking about it made her blush with embarrassment. Estrella might come off as quirky and charming most of the time, but even she had moments when she felt shy.

At one point, almost on the verge of tears, Estrella asked, “Jason, do you have something against me?”

Seeing the pitiful look in Estrella's eyes, Jason wrapped his arms around her, his voice tense, “Babe, could you call me that, please?”

Estrella held her breath, “I'll say it, I will.”

She said she’d do it, but after stewing over it for a while, Estrella still couldn’t bring herself to say it. It wasn’t until Jason playfully threatened her again that she hastily blurted out, “Hubby.”

Jason’s heart skipped a beat, “Sweetheart, what was that? I didn’t catch it.”

“Hubby,” Estrella’s voice was a bit louder this time.

“Hmm? What was that?”

Estrella, running out of patience, pleaded, “Hubby, please, let’s drop it.”

Feeling like she had compromised too much, Estrella thought she’d lost face forever. Nestling motionless in Jason’s arms, Estrella figured she had fallen for his charm for good. Even though she hadn’t been with other men, Estrella knew well enough that a catch like Jason was rare.

Holding Estrella, Jason whispered in her ear, teasingly asking, “Sweetheart, were you satisfied just now?”

With her eyes half-closed, Estrella weakly replied, “Satisfied.”

Jason was thrilled, hugging her tighter and kissing her ear, “I’ll make up for the last two years.”

Estrella, barely awake, glanced at him and couldn’t be bothered to reply. In that moment, Estrella couldn’t deny that indulging in this affection was reckless and decadent. But she loved it. Being held by Jason, Estrella couldn’t remember when she drifted off to sleep.

--

The next day, Estrella woke up around noon to the beautiful sunlight outside. When she reached for her phone on the bedside table and couldn’t find it, she rummaged through the drawer only to pull out a bottle of pills instead of her phone.

Getting out of bed, Estrella walked barefoot to the living room, only to find Jason lounging on the sofa, scrolling through what seemed to be her phone. The look on his face was none too pleased.

Suddenly feeling guilty for no reason, Estrella tried to act normal, “You’re up early.”

Jason glanced at her indifferently, “Lunch is ready. Eat up!”

His indifference put Estrella on high alert. Something was off. Why was he acting so strange about lunch?

Noticing the spread on the table, she asked, “Aren’t you eating?”

Jason looked up, his expression unchanged, “Not hungry.”

Estrella’s guilt deepened. After a thoughtful silence, she eyed Jason flipping through her phone and asked, “Is that my phone?”

Jason casually tossed her phone onto the coffee table with a deep ‘hm.’

That ‘hm’ made Estrella even more anxious. Her phone had been a hotbed of activity these past few days. But it wasn’t her fault, was it?

Deep down, he knew Estrella hadn’t encouraged any advances, but he couldn’t help feeling a bit jealous.

Jason urged her to grab a bite, and Estrella shuffled closer to him, wrapping her arms around his, lamenting, “How can I even think about eating when my hubby is all worked up like this? Might as well starve me to death!”

The way Estrella called him ‘hubby’ brought a smile to Jason’s face, blooming warmth in his heart, making him feel as if he was basking in the spring sunshine. Yet, he managed to suppress his smile, turning back to Estrella with a feigned indifference, “Estrella, cut the carrot and stick routine. I don’t need coddling right now. Just let me be.”

Whenever Jason said he didn’t want to be coddled, it was a clear sign he wanted the exact opposite. His plea for solitude was really a silent call for her closeness. After all these years, Estrella knew his little quirks all too well.

With an innocent look, Estrella rested her chin on his shoulder, “Hubby, are you still mad at me? How about I post a grid of your photos on Instagram to make it up?”

Her repeated endearments made Jason chuckle, his ears turning a shade of red from the warmth of her words. The sensation was utterly soothing, spreading from his heart to the rest of his body.

But as quickly as his smile appeared, he reverted to his usual self, dismissing the gesture, “What’s the point? You’ll just set it to private later anyway.” He had learned that lesson two years ago.

Noticing his flushed ears, Estrella playfully blew on them, feigning innocence, “Hubby, why are your ears so red?”

Every time Estrella called him ‘hubby,’ it was as if she was playing with fire. Now, not just his ears but his neck was flushing red, the veins visibly throbbing. Just last night, he had encouraged Estrella to call him that, but now he seemed to be the one overwhelmed by it.

On the side, Estrella could barely contain her laughter at Jason’s shy reaction. She never imagined he could be this way.

Lifting his hand, the veins standing out, Jason gently moved her chin away from his shoulder, glancing towards the dining area, “You should go eat first.”

In that moment, every word exchanged between Jason and Estrella was laced with tenderness and affection.