Chapter 6
Chapter 6: No Longer Will Serve
Luc tried to call Emma, but the line was busy. Who could she be talking to for so long? Resentment bubbled in his chest; in the last two days, he had been irritated by her more times than he could count.$
He picked up his phone and typed a message: “You didn’t finish your breakfast. Where are you off to so early?” It didn’t feel right, so he deleted it. He tried again: “Why is your phone always busy?” Still unsatisfied, he deleted that too.”
Frustrated, he loosened his collar and put his phone down, determined not to touch it again.”
Emma had just hung up the phone, feeling as the scene in the cafeteria had never happened. After she chatted with Lisa, she felt more at ease. Back in her office, she dove into her busy workday.!!
She meticulously reviewed the theoretical report she had written before sending it to Fred. After reading it, Fred replied, “Well done. Have you considered the support mission to the west?”
The medical team was scheduled to provide free consultations to underserved populations in remote areas in two weeks. They would be away for a month before returning to Boston.
Had she made up her mind? Had she discussed it with her family?”
She told Fred she would reply next Monday, to which he replied, “OK.”
In reality, she had already made her decision. She just needed to go home and discuss it with her parents. It might be a good opportunity to leave Boston for a while, unburdened by Luc. She expected to receive the divorce agreement soon and wanted her parents to be prepared. She feared they wouldn’t handle it well, especially considering her father’s high blood pressure.”
When Emma returned home and saw Mayline busy in the kitchen, she switched to her slippers before approaching. “Mayline, you’re back! Is your grandson feeling better?“1
Mayline looked a bit embarrassed. She had only intended to take two days off, but family matters had delayed her return by a week. “Yes, Dr. Johnson, he’s better. That’s why I could come back.“0
Emma asked with concern, “What happened? Was it serious?”
“Not really. The doctor said it was a lung infection. He’ll be fine after a few days in the hospital.”
“You and your family need to be more careful. If cold and fever medicine doesn’t work, you should go to a proper hospital. Otherwise, it could easily develop into pneumonia. Many parents don’t pay attention to this; they think that some medicine will fix everything, and they only take their child to the hospital when it’s too late.”
Mayline smiled warmly. “Thank you for your concern, Dr. Johnson. Fortunately, the child’s mother noticed in time and took him to the hospital.“@
“From now on, just call me Emma. You always used to call me that; why did you change?“>
Emma frowned slightly. She wasn’t used to being called “doctor” at home. The home was for relaxation, and the work was for the office.
Mayline wanted to call her Emma, but Luc had insisted on “Mrs. Taylor.” Perhaps deep down, she still hadn’t accepted Emma as part of the family.
“Emma, you’re such a good person. Mr. Taylor is lucky to have married you.“0
Mayline’s sincerity caught Emma off guard. She had taken care of Luc, even learning to cook dinner, becoming better than a professional chef.>
Emma paused. Was she his good fortune? Luc didn’t seem to think so, and neither did his family.
“Mayline, I may need to go out west for a month soon. I’d appreciate it if you could take care of Luc during that time.”
Usually, she referred to him as “my husband,” with a soft glow in her eyes, but now she found it hard to say those words, knowing he would soon be someone else’s husband.
Mayline paused, sensing something was off. Did Emma fight with Luc while she was away??
“Oh, right, Mayline, I’ll write down the method for making dinner for you. You can make it for him while I’m gone. His stomach problems seem to have resurfaced.”
Since her return from abroad, his issues had started up again. The family in the old house believed it was because she didn’t pay enough attention to him. Since their marriage, she felt less like a wife and more like a housekeeper. Why else would they label her that way??
Last weekend, Luc’s grandmother had bombarded her with questions: How was Luc’s appetite? Had he gained or lost weight? How much could he eat in a day? Were his stomach issues recurring? She even asked about the soups she had made and if the ingredients were from reputable stores.
“As his wife, you must take good care of him. He’s busy with work and can’t manage these things, so you need to show extra concern.“@
Thinking about this made Emma dread visiting the old house. It felt like an interrogation. She believed Jane Taylor and sister didn’t like her, but at least his grandmother seemed to care. Who would have known that this love came with such high expectations?”
Realizing this, Emma decided to stop acting as a housekeeper. She didn’t want to tend to another woman’s man. That task would fall to Mayline.
After several phone calls with Lisa, Emma felt much more relaxed. Instead of worrying about others, why not focus on herself?”
Mayline sensed something was different. She had never seen Emma speak about Luc so casually. The tone was almost foreign. “Emma, are you planning to be away for a month? Does… does he know?”
Surely, they must have discussed it. How else would she dare to leave? Emma had always cherished Luc like a fragile jewel.
“Mayline, he knows. From now on, you’ll take care of his meals. I’ve been busy with work lately.“)
After chatting with Mayline for a while, Emma went upstairs to start packing. She wanted to transfer some luggage to her parents‘ house first. She couldn’t stay in this house for long.”
Luc came home early today because he had to return to his family’s house the next day. Upon arriving, he noticed a silhouette bustling around in the kitchen. He thought it was Emma and felt his pent–up anger begin to dissipate.”
“Mr. Taylor, you’re home! Dinner is almost ready.”
“Why is it you?” Hearing Mayline’s voice, Luc’s fleeting good mood evaporated, and his eyebrows furrowed in frustration.N
Why can’t it be Emma? Mayline was slightly baffled. Was Mr. Taylor surprised to see her? Was he… expecting it to be Emma?
16:29
Mayline suddenly sensed something was wrong. It seemed the couple had a falling out. First, Emma had come home with a changed demeanor, and now Luc was showing signs of anger.
“Who can save me from this awkward situation?” Mayline thought, panicking. “I’ll call Emma down for dinner.”
“Did she come back? Why didn’t she come downstairs immediately when I got home like she used to? Didn’t she hear me?“>
“Mayline, could you please pour me a cup of juice?” Luc said loudly, hoping Emma might hear him.”
Mayline hesitated, finally regaining her voice. “Oh! Mr. Taylor, right away.”
She opened the refrigerator slowly, pouring juice into a glass. Her hands trembled slightly as she wondered if this was the right moment to serve it. Should she wait for Emma to come down?
But it took Mayline eight minutes to finally bring the juice. “Mr. Taylor, here’s your juice.”
She gingerly placed the glass on the coffee table, not daring to breathe too heavily. Luc’s handsome face was icy, making the room feel suddenly colder.
“Mayline, Mr. Taylor’s stomach isn’t in good shape. It’s better to warm the juice a little,” Emma said as she came downstairs.
“Ma’am…” Mayline saw her savior and quickly responded, “I forgot momentarily. You’re always so attentive. I’ll heat it right away.”
“Mr. Taylor? Not ‘husband anymore? It was ‘husband this, husband that‘ not long ago, and now it’s Mr. Taylor?”
Luc squinted at Emma as she descended the stairs. She didn’t rush to him, cling to his arm, or say affectionate words like, “Husband, you’re back! Are you hungry? Dinner will be ready soon.” Instead, after a glance, she turned away and walked back into the kitchen, acting as if he didn’t exist.
Luc untied his tie and went to wash his hands. In the past, this had always been Emma’s task. She would help him loosen his tie before urging him to wash his hands for
dinner.
