A silhouette appeared at the Li family's residence in the early hours of the morning when all its occupants were asleep. The silhouette showed someone stumbling through the dark second-floor hallway, as all the lights inside had been turned off. The silhouette headed towards a room at the end of the second floor, the room where Chelsea was sleeping alone.
Someone outside managed to break in easily and stopped after opening the door. They froze like a mannequin, staring at the woman on the bed with their bloodshot eyes, which were also affected by excessive alcohol consumption.
"She..." The aroma from their breath was enough to confirm something before they arrived. The silhouette's owner stumbled towards the bed, convinced that their vision was accurate, and they wouldn't mistake someone even while drunk.
They stopped at the bedside, motionless and smiling foolishly while gazing at Chelsea, who was sleeping peacefully. Despite being without makeup, the woman was incredibly beautiful.
"Shirley."
NO!
Jonas had misidentified someone.
Suddenly, he pounced on his wife, pinning Chelsea's hands to the sides of her head before kissing her neck and shoulders with unbridled passion.
"Shirley..." Jonas was completely insane. When Chelsea woke up due to the slight stimulation, Jonas quickly pressed his lips to Chelsea's, kissing her demandingly. Chelsea's eyes widened, and the remaining alcohol on Jonas's lips mixed with her saliva.
Whatever this was—despite being married—Chelsea tried to free herself with all her might. She stopped Jonas's kiss by biting his lip until it bled.
"Shirley." Jonas's gaze was pleading and sentimental, showing a glimmer of kindness that could make anyone surrender to him. However, Chelsea was aware that her initial goal in entering this family was not to fall in love with anyone. Therefore, she had to resist this insane temptation.
"Get away! I'm not Shirley!"
When Jonas leaned in again—intending to kiss her once more—Chelsea quickly headbutted him. She didn't care about the pain; she just wanted him to snap out of it. "I'm Chelsea, you bastard! Back off!"
"No, Shirley. Why are you cursing at me, huh?"
"You fool! Wake up, Jonas Li! I'm not Shirley!"
"Aargh!!!"
For the umpteenth time, Chelsea emerged victorious when Jonas gave her another chance to fight back. As he tried to force another kiss, Chelsea bit Jonas's neck, causing her husband to cry out in pain.
The grip on her hands loosened, and Chelsea pushed him away, making him fall backward. "Is this man insane?" She managed to get out of bed while Jonas was busy rubbing the bite mark on his neck.
"You—" Jonas looked up, gazing at the woman with a disappointed expression. He tried to stand up and reach for Chelsea again, still seeing Shirley's face in his wife.
Slap!
Just as Jonas grabbed Chelsea's hand, he received a harsh slap on his face.
"Are you blind? Wake up and look at me! Look at the woman in front of you, you bastard!" Chelsea's anger intensified.
"Shirley—"
"One last chance." She grabbed a glass of mineral water from the nightstand and splashed it on Jonas's face to make him snap out of it.
"Is your vision clear now?" Jonas wiped his face and smoothed his wet hair. Chelsea was convinced that her husband had regained his senses when he looked at her coldly.
"Ugh! Finally, you see me correctly. I'm not Shirley. If you want her, then go find her. Don't treat me like a slut by constantly saying someone else's name; that's immature behavior I won't tolerate."
Jonas was stunned, frozen after realizing his foolishness moments ago. Chelsea grabbed a pillow and pulled the blanket, moving to the long sofa near the door. She lay down, deliberately showing Jonas that she didn't appreciate being toyed with or exploited by him.
Jonas remained frozen, lost in thought. He was either regretting his aggressive behavior or frustrated for mistaking Chelsea for someone else. Despite the pain in his lower lip from Chelsea's bite, it couldn't compare to the heartache of losing his lover, and now they were growing further apart.
Jonas chuckled softly, finding himself pitiful. Initially, he had gone to the KTV to drown his thoughts in many problems, so he decided to get drunk. However, when he returned home, Shirley's ghost haunted him.
He felt like a loser who couldn't protect what was his, powerless against his foster parents' decisions. Jonas had no choice; his life and death seemed to have been predetermined by them.
Chelsea, who had buried herself under the blanket, was disturbed by Jonas's laughter. She peeked out, seeing Jonas's back shaking.
"Love will only make others weak, even someone as cold as him." She rolled her eyes before covering her head with the blanket again.
***
The next morning, everyone enjoyed their breakfast behind the dining table, but Jonas was still absent. Chelsea behaved normally, as if she didn't know anything. She had already been lenient by not telling Jonas's parents about the previous night's situation; if they knew, Jonas would have received another slap in the face.
Jordan was busy stealing glances at Chelsea, and despite her wearing a modest dress, his wild fantasies about Chelsea's beauty always lingered in his mind. His desire to possess her was overwhelming. Meanwhile, Jaime—Jonas's second older brother—was somewhat mysterious. Although not as cold as Jonas, Jaime only spoke when necessary, with careful consideration.
"Why hasn't Jonas shown up yet? Is he still not awake, Chelsea?" Elena asked, looking at the kitchen door.
"He's already up, Mom. I asked Aunt Cheng to cook a hangover soup for him."
"Jonas got drunk last night?" Elena seemed surprised.
"Yes."
"He'll do that when he has a heavy problem, but it'll pass soon," Jeremy said with a smile at Chelsea.
"True. Jonas rarely gets drunk, so if he does—it's because of a strong reason." Elena defended her son, afraid Chelsea might think otherwise.
"It's okay, I understand. Everyone has their problems." Chelsea shifted her gaze to Aunt Cheng, who was busy pouring soup into a bowl. "Ah, the soup is ready; I'll bring it to Jonas."
"Why not ask Aunt Cheng to do it?" Jordan suddenly intervened, disapproving of Chelsea's action. Everyone looked at him strangely. Chelsea smiled faintly as she stood up.
"Sorry, brother-in-law. However, as a wife—it's only right for me to take care of Jonas. How will he soften towards me if his wife doesn't care?"
Jeremy chuckled softly. "Chelsea is right, she should give Jonas her full attention. They're married, after all; it's only fitting."
Jordan's face turned sour, losing the beautiful sight of Chelsea as she left to attend to her brother-in-law.
When Chelsea arrived at the room, Jonas was still busy buttoning up his shirt. She entered and placed a tray with a bowl of hangover soup and a glass of mineral water on the sofa. She snorted in response to Jonas's silence.
"Everyone is waiting for you in the dining room, but I'm sure you won't show up. I also saved you this morning; if your father knew that his married son was fantasizing about another woman, what would he do to you?" She smiled slyly, crossing her arms over her chest.
Jonas remained still, even refusing to look at Chelsea. "Good. It's better if you stay cold, don't give me that pleading look like last night; it's disgusting."
Chelsea's teasing successfully made Jonas glance at her.
"Disgusting?"
"Very disgusting." She lowered her arms and walked towards Jonas. "Although I desire you, I won't tolerate a man who sleeps with me while calling another woman's name."
She cupped Jonas's face, despite his attempts to avoid her. "So, don't challenge me, because you don't truly know my character, Jonas Li." She turned to leave, but paused for a moment to remind him of something. "Drink the hangover soup; I won't give you any trouble today."
***