Elina woke up groggily, her mind blank for a moment as she was roused from sleep. It wasn’t until she came to that she remembered—it was five thirty in the morning. Time to make breakfast for Jack and their daughter.
Jack had a sensitive stomach, and Jaslyn was a picky eater. Breakfast was something she made every day without fail.
Sometimes, when she had the night shift and finished work at six, the hospital would provide breakfast, but she would still rush home on an empty stomach, afraid Jack and Jaslyn wouldn’t eat properly.
Six years. Every single day.
She had forgotten that people’s hearts could change. Back then, Jack and Jaslyn used to be sweet and caring, showering her with hugs and kisses, telling her how hard she worked. Then it became something they took for granted. Eventually, it turned into annoyance and disgust.
They started craving fried chicken and French fries, drinking bubble tea, and snacking on junk food. They also learned to turn their noses up at the food she made.
Honestly, that alarm clock had been unnecessary for a long time now. She just hadn’t been able to let go.
Elina gave a bitter smile, deleted the alarm, turned off her phone, and went back to sleep.
Meanwhile, Jaslyn was excitedly grabbing Jack’s arm. “Daddy, let’s go! Let’s eat out! I want fried chicken! Otherwise, when Mommy comes home later, we’ll have to eat her food again!”
Jack knew how much Elina had done for them over the years. Still, the same routine day in and day out had gotten tiresome. He agreed to Jaslyn’s request.
By seven in the morning, Elina still hadn’t come home. Maybe she had to work overtime.
Jack didn’t think too much of it and drove off with Jaslyn.
The nanny ran after them. “Sir, you have a sensitive stomach, and Jaslyn’s health isn’t strong either. It’s better to eat at home. Food outside isn’t good for you.”
“Marie! Don’t be so annoying like my grandma, okay?” Jaslyn jumped into the car and made a face at Marie. “Careful, or I’ll tell Daddy to fire you!”
Like she’d believe what her mom said. Mommy is just stingy, too cheap to spend money on me, that’s why she didn’t want me eating out. Aunt Elowyn has already told me everything. Hmph!
…
The news that Elina was heading overseas for further studies spread fast. A lot of coworkers were curious–Elina was known for being extremely family-oriented. How come she suddenly changed her mind?
The program was said to last at least three years. Was Elina really willing to be away that long. If they remembered correctly, there had been a three-month training program before, and Elina hadn’t even considered it. Now it was three years.
Elina’s parents, both longtime doctors at the hospital, heard the news too. They couldn’t believe she would make that kind of decision until Elina confirmed it herself. “Yes, the list has been posted. I’ll be leaving in less than a month.”
“Why?” they asked.
Elina lowered her gaze. “Isn’t this what you always wanted?”
They fell silent for a long time before asking, “Does Jack agree?”
“I trust you’ll convince him to. Not that I planned on telling him before I left anyway.” She knew they only cared about whether Elowyn and Jack could end up together. She gave them the answer they wanted. There was nothing more to say.
After hanging up, Elina headed off to do her rounds. Back at the Ford house, just as Elina ended the call, Elowyn’s phone call came in. She excitedly told them she had landed the job as Jack’s personal secretary and invited everyone to dinner that night.
Rowena Ford asked, “Elowyn, have you been in touch with your sister lately? She…”
“Mom! I’m giving you good news here. Can we not talk about such a downer? I’ll text you the address. Be there tonight! Oh, and invite Elina too.”
They ended up not inviting Elina after all. When they arrived at the restaurant, they saw Jack and Jaslyn were already there.
Halfway through the meal, Ronald Ford remembered Elina’s upcoming trip overseas. “Jack, did you know Lina…”
Even though they hoped Elina would step aside so Elowyn and Jack could be together, they weren’t sure where Jack’s heart really was. If he had truly wanted to be with Elowyn, divorcing Elina wouldn’t have been difficult.
Yet six months had passed, and he still hadn’t filed for divorce. Maybe he didn’t want to leave Elina? If that were the case, even if Elowyn married him, she would never be happy.
They wanted to use this opportunity to test Jack’s intentions.
But just as Ronald was about to bring it up, Elowyn cut him off. “Mom, Dad, what are you trying to say? Today’s a happy day! Let’s all toast Jack. After all, he personally gave me this job.”
She wrapped her arm around Jack’s, the intimacy plain as day. But her eyes flashed a warning at her parents.
They picked up on Elowyn’s signal. Looking again at how close she and Jack seemed, they figured if Jack didn’t want her, he wouldn’t let her act that way.
Jaslyn threw her arms around Elowyn and kissed her on the cheek. “I want to be with Daddy and Aunt Elowyn forever!”
Rowena and Ronald pressed their lips together and swallowed the words they had almost said.
Jack noticed their hesitation. “You were saying something about Lina?”
They snapped back to attention. “No, no, let’s just have a drink.”
Their kids’ future was their own business. They decided not to meddle anymore.
Later that night, Elowyn sent pictures of the dinner to Elina with a taunting message, “You lost everything. I’m taking it all back.”
Elina looked at the photos and deleted them without hesitation. She found it funny.
Back then, Jack had pretended to pursue her just to get close to Elowyn. There was no way Elowyn hadn’t known. She had been flirting with some other rich guy at the time and missed her shot with Jack. And somehow, it was still Elina’s fault?
“What’s got you so deep in thought? You’re off early today, aren’t you going to pick up your kid?” a coworker teased, leaning in curiously. “Dr. Ford, you’ve been acting weird lately.”
Elina smiled faintly.
After work, she headed to the farmer’s market to buy fresh fruits and vegetables. She noticed some good-looking peanuts and grabbed a few pounds.
No one at home knew she had loved peanuts since she was a kid. Elowyn hated them, so their parents never bought them. After getting married, her daughter developed a peanut allergy, so peanuts were banned from the house too.
Now that she was living for herself, she could finally eat the peanuts freely. As Elina was roasting the peanuts, her phone rang.
It was a number she hadn’t seen light up in so long that she had almost convinced herself they would never speak again.
“I heard you’re coming for further studies next month?” The voice on the other end was cold. “You’re coming all this way, and you weren’t even going to tell me?”
Elina lowered her eyes. “No, I was planning to reach out once I got there.”
The line went silent.
Elina thought he had hung up, but then his voice came through, sharp and cutting. “Do you remember our bet, Elina? You lost.”
“I know. I admit it.”
No sooner had she spoken than she heard harsh breathing on the other end. His voice turned cruel and furious. “You admit it? Elina! You dare admit it? Do you remember what you promised me? You really think–”
“Isn’t it good that I’m admitting it?” she cut him off, sounding light and breezy. “There’s that old saying, right? Failure in love, success in work. Maybe this time, our new drug research will actually succeed. I thought you’d be happy.”
The man didn’t catch the bitterness or heartache hidden in her voice. He hesitated. “You really let it go? You won’t regret it?”
“I won’t.” After hanging up, Elina took the peanuts out of the oven, peeling them one by one and arranging them neatly.
The smell of freshly roasted peanuts filled the air. It had been so long. It took her back to the six months she spent abroad as an exchange student. The time when they first met.