ir could only watch helplessly as Wesley put his phone back in his pocket.


    It wasn''t long after that Talbot finished cooking. When he walked out of the kitchen with a te of food, an awkward silence hung between ir and Wesley. But he was too slow to realize it. "Come and get it!"


    Wesley shot to his feet first and went to the kitchen to help Talbot set the table.


    ir followed him and began todle porridge for them.


    Just as she picked up thedle, someone stopped her. "You scalded your arm, remember? Let me do it," said Wesley.


    He took thedle away from her without a second thought and began to dish it out into the bowls.


    ir shrugged and sat at the dining room table, waiting for the two.


    Talbot''s cooking skills were amazing, like he said. ir raved about the dishes, telling him what a terrific cook he was.


    The cook, however, blushed. He tried to change the topic. "Have some more. Try this Chinese yam. Easy on the stomach and good for healing."


    ir nodded. "Thanks, Talbot." After she ate it, she eximed, "Wow! That''s really sweet!"


    "Of course! I picked it myself. Hey, you know how to pick Chinese yams?" ir shook her head, so Talbot continued, "Make sure they''re firm all the way around, and the skin isn''t all wrinkled. And you don''t want any cracks in it, either." It was obvious he was passionate about the subject.


    Wesley, who kept silent all this time, watched Talbot continue to heap food onto ir''s te while the twoughed happily. As time went by, anger rose in his heart.


    After dinner, ir sat on the sofa to get some rest.


    Talbot cleaned up, while Wesley washed the dishes.


    Talbot came over to Wesley and whispered in his ear, "What''s going on, Chief? Yeah, I saw you at dinner. You sure there''s nothing between you and her?"


    Wesley cast a scornful nce at him and asked in reply, "What''s it to you?"


    Talbot scratched the back of his head and gave him a shy smile. "I figured I''d ask her out. But if you like her, I''ll back off."


    Wesley pushed him away and spat out, "I don''t like her!" He had a murderous look on his face, his hands balled into fists. Talbot steeled himself in case Wesley tried to swing at him.


    This was not the way he expected the conversation to go. He took a few steps back, murmuring in a low voice, "Hey, hey. I''ll drop it, okay? You don''t like her."


    When Wesley said those wor


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few yearster, to his astonishment.


    finished yet. "Wuss!" he snapped.


    ir couldn''t believe her ears.


    ''Seriously? Is he trying to mess with me?'' She took a deep breath to calm down. "Are you trashing fruit? How is a man supposed to eat fruit, then?" she asked in a calm voice.


    It took a Herculean effort to keep her voice even, because deep inside, she was quite unhappy.


    "Like this!" Wesley took a piece of apple which had been cut in half, and took arge bite. He ate so much of it that only a smaller bite would be needed to finish it off.


    ir''s eyes almost popped out of her head.


    She also realized Wesley was in a bad mood and would find something to bitch about no matter what she said or did. She decided that saying nothing was better than having her head bitten off.


    But she was wrong. Wesley was not trying to mess with her. For some reason, he was angry at Talbot, calling him a wuss. What a way to repay him for that delicious meal he cooked!


    When Talbot finished washing the dishes and left the kitchen, his jaw dropped when he saw the fruit tter. He picked up a hunk of dragon fruit and looked at it, a dubious look on his face. "Chief, did you use a pickax to cut this?" he joked.


    Wesley was boiling with rage. "Fuck off. I worked my ass off to make this."


    "Sorry, Chief. It''s fine." Talbot made a face and stuck out his tongue.


    "You always bully Talbot like this?" ir asked.


    ''Bully?'' Talbot shook his head. "Don''t worry. Our chief never bullied us. This is how he talks to us. He''s actually a great guy."


    ''Except that he''s a hothead and a relentless taskmaster, '' Talbot thought.