Chapter 8 Is Aleta jealous

"You guys should come here more often. Aleta, feel free to keep coming here. You can come here whenever you want," Amanda explained, holding both of Aleta's hands.

Aleta nodded her head. "Yes, Mommy. I will come here often," Aleta replied with a big smile.

"Ansel, you should stay with your wife more often. Don't work too much in the office," Amanda told her son.

Ansel nodded his head. "Yeah, I know," Ansel replied, slightly reluctant to answer.

"Aleta, you can come to my place later. I'll be doing a lot of preparations there," Axel pleaded.

Before Aleta could answer, Ansel responded to Axel's words. "Why would you ask my wife to come? She's swamped, you know," Ansel said.

"Aleta, are you busy?" Axel asked.

Just as Aleta was about to answer that question, Ansel answered her first. "Of course, she's busy. Didn't you hear that Mommy asked us to try to give birth? We're busy doing that, you know," explained Ansel.

Everyone there was surprised by Ansel's words. But his parents seemed happy with the explanation. Axel, on the other hand, seemed annoyed by this.

Aleta pinched Ansel's waist. "What the hell are you doing? Why did you say that?" Aleta whispered with a sharp glare.

However, Ansel didn't seem to care about that. For some reason, when Axel wanted to take Aleta away, he didn't like it. Especially when he knew his brother seemed to like Aleta. It made him seem like he didn't want them to be close.

"It's okay, Aleta. There's nothing wrong with what Ansel said. But don't let this make you depressed," Amanda said.

Aleta nodded slowly. "Yes, Mommy. I'll keep that in mind. If you'll excuse us, Mommy," Aleta said, kissing her mother-in-law's hand.

"We're leaving!" said Ansel, who also kissed his parents' hands.

Ansel pulled Aleta's waist for a hug, which quite took Aleta aback. Ansel deliberately did that to show his ownership. Ansel opened the car door for Aleta and then entered the driver's side. Ansel began to drive away from Desmond's primary residence.

While in the car, there was only silence. Until Aleta opened her voice first. "Are you going to work today?" Aleta asked.

Ansel glanced briefly at Aleta. "Yes. I have an important meeting today. Please don't wait for me later. Because I'll be working late," Ansel explained.

Aleta was silent as she glanced at the windshield.

Finally, they arrived in front of their house. Aleta went out alone because Ansel was going straight to the company.

Ansel lowered the windshield of his car. "Aleta!" called Ansel, which made Aleta stop her steps and turn around, looking at Ansel.

"What's wrong?" asked Aleta

"Are you going to Axel's place later?" asked Ansel.

"Didn't you not let me go? So, I'm not going," Aleta replied.

Ansel nodded his head. He was stunned by Aleta's answer. He had no idea that Aleta would answer him like that. "Well, I'll be going then. You can call me if you need anything. Bye," Ansel said as he drove away, leaving Aleta still there.

"Is this a dream? Why did he suddenly say something sweet like that? Ansel must have gotten caught," Aleta muttered as she walked into the house.

As she entered the house, Aunt Nani greeted her. "Auntie Nani!" greeted Aleta with a big smile.

"Wow, you're home already. Alone. Where's Young Master?" asked Aunt Nani.

"Ansel had to go to the company directly. He had an important meeting," Aleta replied.

Aunt Nani nodded in understanding. "Oh well, we have a guest here," said Aunt Nani.

Aleta frowned. "Hm? Who?" asked Aleta

"I don't know who that woman is either. But she said she's looking for Young Master," replied Aunt Nani.

Aleta was curious now. Who was looking for her husband?

"Where is she now, Auntie?" Aleta asked again.

"She's in the living room right now," Aunt Nani replied.

"I'll go see her," Aleta said as she walked towards the living room.

When they reached the living room, they saw a woman in bright red clothes, sitting with her legs up while reading a magazine. The woman's style looked just like the owner of the house.

"Excuse me? Who are you?" asked Aleta.

The woman immediately closed the magazine and looked at Aleta. She stood up and walked over to her. She glanced at Aleta from bottom to top. It made Aleta uncomfortable to be noticed like that. "Are you the one named Aleta?" she asked.

Aleta nodded once. "Yes, that's me. Who are you?" Aleta asked back.

"My name is Cherry Jovanka Calum. I'm the woman Ansel loves the most. You could say that I'm the only woman in Ansel's heart," Cherry explained haughtily.

Aleta was surprised by what the woman in front of her said. However, she deliberately hid her surprise. "Oh, hello there. I am Aleta Queenby Desmond. Wife of Ansel Clovis Desmond," Aleta greeted back with a faint smile.

There was Cherry, who was somewhat annoyed by what Aleta had said. "What do you mean by saying that? Do you want to compare our positions? Sheesh, even though you're Ansel's wife. Still, the one in Ansel's heart is me, not you," Cherry sarcastically said.

"I see. It turns out that you are a woman being crushed by a relationship," Aleta said.

Cherry knitted her eyebrows together. "What do you mean?! Are you insulting me?!" growled Cherry.

Aleta laughed softly. "I'm not insulting you. It's not true what I said. My and Ansel's marital relationship is crushing you. I don't care if you are in a relationship with my husband. Because the real one will always be recognized and seen by everyone, you know that," Aleta said.

Cherry clenched her hands tightly. She never expected Aleta to answer her like this because, according to the information she had, Aleta was just a child.

"I don't care what you say. Because I will make Ansel divorce you. You're just a snot-nosed kid who will never understand an adult relationship. Ansel likes mature, beautiful women with sexy bodies. Like me. As for you, what man would like this flat body," Cherry insulted with a cynical look.

"Hey, you should be polite to Young Madam Desmond. Do you want me to call the security guards to kick you out of here?!" fumed Aunt Nani, who couldn't stand it when Aleta continued to be insulted.

"Hey, you're just an ordinary servant. Don't think so highly of yourself. Once I become the mistress of the Desmond family, I'll fire you on the spot," Cherry snapped.

"Okay! Let's see if you can do it. I will faithfully wait for that day to come. And I'll be the first to congratulate you if that day comes," Aleta said.

Cherry chuckled. "You'll see! You'll see if Ansel prefers me to you," Cherry retorted as she walked away.

After Cherry left, Aleta let out a rough sigh.

"That woman finally left, too. It's a headache dealing with her," Aleta complained, massaging her slightly throbbing forehead lightly.

"Aleta, are you alright? Do you need to tell Madam about this?" asked Aunt Nani with a worried look.

Aleta shook her head slowly and smiled slightly. "No need, Auntie. Don't tell her about what happened. I don't want to make things worse," Aleta replied.

"You have to be patient. You have me here to protect you," said Aunt Nani, stroking Aleta's shirt.

Aleta nodded her head. "Yes, Auntie. Thank you for defending me earlier. Oh yeah, I'm going to my room right away," Aleta replied as she headed up the stairs.

Meanwhile, down below, Aunt Nani looked sadly at her young mistress.

***

In a relatively large office, a man was seen focusing on reading each sentence in the document. Once he was sure, he would put his signature on it. His movements were fast enough to sign many documents in front of him.

"Ansel, it's me, Bagas!"

His hand movements were interrupted when someone's voice came over the intercom screen. He picked up the small remote on his desk and opened the door to his room. Bagas' figure immediately entered the room. He saw his best friend, who was still focused on working in his chair. "Are you going to work late tonight?" asked Bagas.

"I think so," Ansel replied without looking at the document he was reading.

"Don't you feel sorry for your wife?" asked Bagas, leaning against Ansel's desk.

Ansel frowned. He took off his reading glasses. "What do you mean?" asked Ansel with a confused look.

Bagas let out a rough breath. "I know you and Aleta got married because of a forced event. But do you think she would want to be in this situation? From what I know, Aleta wants to go to college. That's only natural. After she didn't go to college last year, and when she had the chance this time, she didn't get it," Bagas said.

Ansel was silent at Bagas's words. "How do you know all this?" Ansel asked.

"I found out about your wife. Because I thought you needed to know about this. I don't want you to regret it, Ansel," Bagas replied.

Ansel chuckled softly. "Bagas, you don't have to bother with that. I know what I'm doing. That woman doesn't deserve my pity. She deserves to suffer more for her decision," Ansel said with a cold stare.

"Ansel, you...."

"Never mind, Bagas. I don't want to make a fuss with you just because of that woman. Just stop it; I still have work at this time. You go home first," cut Ansel, who put his reading glasses back on and refocused on the document before him.

Bagas could only sigh harshly. Ansel really couldn't talk to him. "Alright! I'll be back first. Don't work too much," Bagas said as he left Ansel's presence.

After Bagas left, Ansel suddenly thought about what his friend had said. He took off his reading glasses. Ansel leaned against a chair while thinking about what Bagas had said earlier. He let out a rough sigh. "How come I'm thinking about what he said?! I can't let this be easy for her. I still have to focus on my main goal so that the woman will give up and say to herself that she wants a divorce from me. So that my parents don't blame me for this," Ansel hissed.

He got up from his seat. He had lost focus on his work because he was thinking about what Bagas had said earlier. Ansel walked out of his company. As he was about to open his car door, he saw a shadow behind him. He quickly dodged, and that's when he saw a figure in a black robe pointing a knife at him. Ansel stared in surprise at that.

"Who are you?! Why do you want to attack me?!" Ansel growled.

"You must die!"

The figure ran towards Ansel and pointed the knife at him. He quickly dodged the attack and kicked the figure's body. Fortunately, Ansel's martial arts skills allowed him to dodge the attack. The figure fell to the ground, but he got back up and attacked Ansel. Ansel was again able to dodge the attack. Not satisfied, the figure continued to throw knives at Ansel that he could still dodge.

Ansel kicked the figure in the stomach, making him fall. Not wasted by Ansel, he quickly bent the figure so it could not move. "Who are you?! Who told you to do all this?!" Ansel raged, twisting the figure's arm.

"Ahh! It hurts! Let go of me, damn it!" she cried out in pain as Ansel twisted her hand hard.

"If you want me to let you go, you must first answer my question. Who you are and why you attacked me suddenly," said Ansel, who tightened his grip even more.

"I won't tell a bastard like you. You deserve to die!"

Irritated, Ansel punched the figure. However, because he was caught off guard by the figure's words, the figure had a chance to escape. "Akh!" Ansel shouted as the knife slashed his hand. The figure immediately ran away, leaving him behind. "Hey, don't go!" cried Ansel.

He couldn't chase after the figure at the moment. Ansel quickly got into his car and left the company premises. On his way home, he was still thinking about who that figure was. And who told that figure to attack him? "Are they back again?" muttered Ansel with a face of deep thought.

Finally, he arrived in front of his house. After parking, he immediately entered his home, where he met the butler.

"Young Master, you're home. Would you like me to prepare dinner for you?" Aunt Nani asked.

"Did Aleta have dinner?" Ansel asked back.

"Hmm, actually, since this morning when Young Madam came home, she hasn't eaten anything," Aunt Nani answered carefully.

Ansel seemed surprised by this explanation. "Why is that? Why doesn't she want to eat? Is she on a diet?" asked Ansel.

"No, young master. It seems she is like that because that woman named Cherry came here," said Aunt Nani.

Ansel was surprised to hear that again. "What?! Cherry is here?! What's she here for?" asked a visibly angry Ansel.

"She originally came here because she was looking for you, Young Master. But when she met her, she constantly insulted her," Aunt Nani replied.

Ansel seemed to be getting increasingly angry as he heard this. "Is Aleta in her room right now?"

Aunt Nani nodded slowly. "Yes, she is in her room right now," she replied.

After hearing that answer, Ansel immediately ran up the stairs. He forgot about the wound on his arm. When Ansel arrived in front of Aleta's room, he grabbed the door handle and opened it slowly. He breathed a sigh of relief when the door was unlocked. Ansel entered the room and slowly walked towards Aleta's bed.

There, he saw Aleta sleeping peacefully. For some reason, it made Ansel's heart calm. Ansel squatted in front of Aleta to observe her face. He unconsciously raised his hand and gently rubbed her chubby cheeks. It was because of that stroke that Aleta woke up from her sleep. She narrowed her eyes when she saw the figure in front of her.

"Ansel?" Aleta called in a slightly hoarse tone.

Suddenly, Ansel immediately withdrew his hand when he saw Aleta, who had woken up. Aleta got up from her sleep and leaned her body against the headboard. "Why are you in my room?" Aleta asked.

"Aunt Nani told me you haven't eaten anything since returning from the main residence. Why haven't you eaten? Are you on a diet?" asked Ansel

Aleta suddenly remembered what Cherry had said this morning. "I have no appetite," Aleta replied.

"But you'll get sick if you don't eat," said Ansel.

Aleta knitted her eyebrows at that. "Since when do you care what I do? Shouldn't you be indifferent to me as usual? Why the sudden change now?" asked Aleta in a sarcastic tone.

Ansel was stunned by the question. That's right! Why would he suddenly care like this just because Aleta hadn't eaten?

"Don't be so confident! I'm doing this because I don't want to be blamed by Mommy if you get sick. I don't want to be a bother because of you," Ansel said, averting his eyes.

Aleta smiled sadly. "Yeah, that's true. Well, that's true. If the reason is like that, then I can accept it. Because for all I know, you could never care about me. Because you want me out of your life," Aleta said.

Ansel was again stunned by Aleta's words. For some reason, a part of his heart wanted to deny it. Of course, Ansel could not express his feelings because his ego dominated him. "Aunt Nani also said that Cherry came here earlier. Did she do anything to you?" asked Ansel, looking at Aleta's face.

"What can she do? She just said that you were hers. Well, I don't care. This relationship isn't genuine, either. It's a marriage based on a business agreement," Aleta replied with a straightforward stare.

For some reason, Ansel didn't like Aleta's answer. Was Aleta jealous that she was getting angry like this? "Are you jealous of what Cherry said?" Ansel asked again.

Suddenly, Aleta looked surprised at Ansel. "Who's jealous?! I'm not jealous of your relationship at all. It's up to you what you do. I still remember you telling me not to worry about your actions. I'm just trying to follow what my husband says," Aleta explained.

Ansel hardened his jaw. This was the first time a woman had rejected him. Aleta was the first. Because usually, many women would line up in front of him. Ansel straightened his body. "Okay! It's up to you. Fine! You do what I ask you to do. Don't ever take care of what I do. And I'll never take care of what you do, either. Whatever you want to do, I'll never care," Ansel said as he walked away from Aleta.

"Wait a minute!"