Chapter 2198

Charlotte wanted to keep working, but Cecilia sent her home. Pregnant and only days away from her wedding, she finally deserved a pocket of calm.

Restless, Charlotte asked Chelsea to go shopping with her.

“Lottie, I never knew real work could drain the soul like this,” Chelsea groaned, stretching until her joints popped.

Since landing the job, she’d been up at seven and clocking in by eight. Five o’clock was a myth; everyone stayed late, and she followed suit, leaving closer to nine—sometimes ten. Once home, she still had to wash up, cook, and fold laundry. Midnight often blinked on the stove clock before she even had time to breathe.

“Tell you what,” Charlotte said, eyes lighting up. “After the wedding, I’ll be on maternity leave. How about filling in as Cecilia’s assistant?”

Chelsea shook her head so fast it was almost comical. “If I worked for Cecilia, my parents would hate her forever.”

The thought had tempted Chelsea more than once. She’d wanted to work at Cecilia’s company.

But her parents had made their stance clear, warning every business contact not to hire their only daughter. If Cecilia accepted her, it would spark a family cold war; if she refused, Chelsea would be left feeling awkward and exposed.

Charlotte understood and sighed, her frustration dissolving into the soft spring air. “You’re right. I just hate seeing you this exhausted.”

Chelsea drew a deep breath, holding it as if the skyline itself might offer an answer.

“I’ll take it one day at a time,” she said finally. “I’m their only child. They can’t really cut me off forever… right?”

Deep down, she knew exactly what her parents were doing. They wanted her to suffer, to give up, to break things off with Jason. Still, Chelsea believed she could outlast their test.

Charlotte didn’t know what else to say.

Chelsea shook off the gloom, looped her arm through Charlotte’s, and tugged her toward the nearest boutique.

During her months at a tiny firm, Chelsea had learned how to survive on almost nothing: street vendors whose steam clouded the night air, delivery drivers racing traffic for two-dollar noodle orders, coupon apps that turned frugality into a competitive sport. Each small discovery thrilled her with a sense of hard-won independence. By the time dusk washed the rooftops in lavender, the two women had wandered the malls for hours. Chelsea eventually headed home, carrying the leftovers she hadn’t finished at lunch.

Jason returned from work that evening. He stopped in the doorway, briefcase still hanging from stiff fingers, staring at the spread of food on the dining table.

“What’s all this?”

“It was my day off,” Chelsea said with a faint smile. “I went shopping, ordered a few dishes, and couldn’t finish them. I brought the rest home. Want some?”

Jason blinked, as if he needed a moment to process her words. After a pause, he stepped closer, the scent of food reaching him.

“You packed the leftovers?”

He remembered countless dinners when Chelsea had waved off waiters offering takeaway boxes, insisting food never tasted the same reheated.

“Yeah. It’s good. Let me heat it up—just try a bite,” she said, already turning toward the kitchen.

“All right,” Jason murmured, nodding.

Chelsea slid the containers into the microwave with practiced ease, set the timer, and leaned against the counter as the machine hummed.

Jason watched from the hallway, guilt spreading through him like smoke through rafters.

The Chelsea he’d first dated had never worried about leftovers or microwaves. Now she moved with quiet competence, as if necessity had pushed her into a new life overnight.

When the microwave beeped, she took the containers out and held a plate out to him. Jason didn’t reach for it.

Instead, he exhaled, voice breaking. “Chelsea… maybe we should break up.”

She froze, plate suspended in midair, eyes widening as the kitchen light reflected sharply in them.

“What did you just say?”

“I don’t think we’re right for each other,” Jason said, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

He had always believed his modest savings would shield her, that she could stay with him without ever touching the sharp edges of bills and budgets.

Reality shattered that illusion. Chelsea hadn’t just taken a job—she’d adapted, learned, and survived. The distance between who she had been and who she was becoming left Jason shaken… and deeply ashamed.