Chapter 30 Just the Ex-Wife

"Thanks a lot, John," James said.

"You're welcome. It's our honor to have you here, James," John replied.

They exchanged some polite words, but their eyes were sizing each other up.

Emily, oblivious to the tension, turned on the TV in the living room and handed James the remote like he was a kid. "If you're bored, just watch  TV."

Before James could respond, John cut in, "No worries, James surely has his own things to do."

With that, John headed into the kitchen.

James had hoped to hang out with Emily in the living room, but to his surprise, she washed her hands and joined John in the kitchen. So, James was left alone, sulking while watching TV. He thought about checking on them but knew he'd be useless with chores and didn't want to get kicked out.

The kitchen door was shut tight, keeping all the cooking smells and sounds inside. James grew more anxious, feeling like ants were crawling all over him, making it impossible to focus on the TV.

In the kitchen, Emily was helping John with the ingredients.

"Emily, why did James bring you back today?" John asked casually.

Thinking about the argument in the car and James's pushy behavior, Emily still felt uneasy. She pursed her lips and downplayed it. "I ran into him at the rehab center. He wanted me to work at the Smith Group, but I refused, so he insisted on bringing me back."

John nodded and didn't press further. "How about grilled fish for dinner?"

James kept glancing at the kitchen door, as if he could see Emily through the wall. Just as James felt he couldn't take it anymore and was about to get up, the kitchen door swung open.

John, wearing an apron and oven mitts, brought out a beautifully grilled fish. Seeing James standing there, he raised an eyebrow and asked, "James, why are you standing at the door?"

Emily also brought out a dish, looking at him curiously. James was momentarily speechless, then awkwardly smiled and said, "I'm hungry, just wanted to see if dinner's almost ready."

John knew exactly what James was thinking. But since James had chosen to divorce Emily and caused her so much pain, John couldn't bring himself to be nice to him. Plus, they were kind of rivals in love.

"James, go wait in the dining room. Emily and I will bring the other dishes, and then we can start eating," John said.

At the dining table, the aroma of the food filled the air.

"The fish is so fresh today. John, your cooking skills are still amazing; you can make anything," Emily said.

John looked at Emily with a soft smile, poured her a glass of water, and said, "If you like it, eat more. I'll cook for you anytime."

"John, you're the best," Emily replied, smiling contentedly like a happy kitten.

Across the table, James couldn't enjoy the delicious food. It tasted great, but his heart was burning with jealousy. His fork was practically stabbing through the plate.

'Are these two always this close? How long have they been together? John even helped Emily get her last job at the hospital. Have they been in touch for a long time?' The more James thought about it, the angrier and more frustrated he got. The fish on his plate was all but eviscerated under his relentless assault.

Emily felt bad about the fish but was too exhausted to say anything to James. After all, he was just here for this one meal, and she didn't want any more drama. She didn't want James to lose it like he did in the car earlier.

Emily ignored him, and James's jealousy only grew. Even though he didn't understand why he felt so miserable when he had already divorced Emily and had the one he loved, it didn't stop him from gritting his teeth at John's care for her.

John didn't call him out, just kept taking care of Emily, pouring her water and serving her food.

When John started to clear the dishes, Emily quickly stopped him. "Let me do it, John. You've been busy all day."

She had just rolled up her sleeves when John anxiously pulled her aside. "Emily, why didn't you tell me you were hurt?"

Emily was confused. She looked down and saw a few scratches on her arm, already scabbed over. Judging by the location, it was probably from the teacup David threw at her this morning. She had been so preoccupied with dealing with David that she hadn't noticed the scratches.

Just a few scratches, Emily didn't think it was a big deal. "Don't worry, John."

But John was very concerned. He gently touched the area around the wounds and said, "Let me put some ointment on it."

With that, John got up to get iodine and cotton swabs, ready to disinfect the wounds, very seriously.

Seeing them interact so intimately, James couldn't take it anymore. He walked up and tightly grabbed John's wrist, his expression cold. "My ex-wife doesn't need your concern. I'll take care of Emily's wounds."

John wasn't surprised by James's reaction. He smirked inwardly and looked at James with a cheerful smile. "James, you know Emily is just your ex-wife. So it's better that I handle this."

James was smiling, but there was no warmth in his eyes.