Chapter 3 

“Aren’t you going to introduce me?” 

His tone was calm, but Evelyn caught the flicker of jealousy in his eyes. 

It surprised her. Since when did he care enough to be jealous? Weren’t his feelings reserved for Stella? 

“This is Steve, my senior from university,” Evelyn said, gesturing to Steve. Then, with a slight pause, she added, “And this is Martin… my husband.” 

The two men shook hands, their grips tight enough to leave faint red marks. 

They quickly pulled away, hiding their hands behind their backs, but the tension between them was palpable. 

Evelyn ignored the odd atmosphere and waved at Steve. “I’ll head out now. See you, Steve.” 

As she walked away with Martin, she didn’t notice the lingering sadness in Steve’s eyes. 

Once they were out of earshot, Martin’s tone turned sharp. 

“What are you doing here?” 

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been back to school. I was just in the mood to visit,” Evelyn replied casually, avoiding his gaze. 

“I thought you were busy today. What brought you here?” 

They reached the car, and Evelyn instinctively moved toward the passenger seat. 

But before she could open the door, the window rolled down, revealing a face she’d only seen in photos. 

Stella. 

Martin’s voice was calm, almost too calm. “Ran into an old friend. We were just catching up.” 

Evelyn’s eyes dropped to the bag of snacks in his hand. 

She remembered now–Martin had gone to this school too. And so had Stella. Were they here to reminisce about their past? 

“Hi, I’m Stella,” the woman said with a bright smile, waving at Evelyn. 

“You must be Martin’s wife. You’re so young and pretty!” 

Evelyn forced a smile and nodded. 

When Stella made no move to get out of the car, Evelyn slid into the backseat without a word. 

Stella, emboldened by Evelyn’s silence, turned her attention back to Martin. 

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Cleared for Departure: So Is My Love 

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She held up a piece of date cake, her voice playful. 

“Martin, this tastes just like it used to. Try some!” 

Distracted by driving, Martin leaned over and took a bite. Stella giggled. 

“You’re so clumsy! You bit my finger!” 

Martin chuckled, his eyes crinkling with amusement. 

But when his gaze met Evelyn’s in the rearview mirror, his smile faltered. He quickly pushed Stella away. 

“Evelyn, do you want some?” 

“I don’t eat that,” Evelyn said flatly, looking away. 

Stella, undeterred, launched into a story. 

“You’re missing out! Back in school, Martin used to climb the walls just to buy this for me. 

He was such a good student, but he’d get scraped up every time. I told him to stop, but he kept doing it because I loved it so much. Eventually, he got so good at climbing, he never got hurt again.” 

Her words dripped with nostalgia, each one a subtle jab at Evelyn. 

She kept glancing at the rearview mirror, hoping to see Evelyn’s displeased expression, eager to provoke a reaction. 

But Evelyn just silently listened, saying nothing and not showing any emotions. 

Finally, Stella smirked and said, “Your little wife is so well–behaved.” 

Martin chuckled. “She is.” 

The car soon pulled up to the Shelton family villa. 

Evelyn got out without a word, but Martin stayed behind, his eyes lingering on Stella. 

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