Another Woman
“I’m Harper,” I replied, taken aback by her abruptness. “Gavin’s... wife.”
Her eyes narrowed slightly. “So this is you.” She eyed me, looking at me from my head to my toes. “I’m Ruby. Gavin's girlfriend, the one that actually matters here. I run this house, which includes the kitchen. If you need something, you should ask one of the staff. The kitchen is no place for you.”
I blinked, startled by her hostility. “I didn’t mean to intrude. I just—”
“Didn’t you hear me?” Ruby snapped. “You don’t belong here.”
Her words stung, but I swallowed my pride, deciding it wasn’t worth arguing with her. “I’ll just grab something quick, and I’ll be out of your way.”
Ignoring her glare, I reached for a pot on the stove, intending to heat some soup. As I did, Ruby brushed past me, hitting me a bit while made the lid slipped from my hand, and boiling water splashed onto my skin. I gasped in pain, jerking my hand back.
“You clumsy fool!” Ruby shouted, rushing forward. “Look what you’ve done!”
Before I could respond, Gavin stormed into the kitchen, his gaze flicking from Ruby to me, then to the pot on the floor. “What the hell is going on here?”
Ruby’s demeanor shifted in an instant. Surprising me.
She shrank back, her eyes wide and innocent, as though she were the victim rather than the instigator. “I—I was just trying to help, and she... she burned herself.”
Gavin’s eyes darkened as he turned his icy glare on me. “What were you thinking, Harper? You know better than to be in the kitchen. You are new here. What if Ruby had gotten burned.”
My breath hitched at the accusation in his voice. “I was just hungry,” I mumbled, blinking back tears. “I didn’t mean for this to happen.”
His expression softened a fraction, but it wasn’t for me. He stepped past me and pulled Ruby into a comforting embrace. “Are you alright?” he asked her, his voice tender in a way I hadn’t heard before.
Ruby nodded, sniffling slightly as she leaned into him. “I’m fine. It was just an accident.”
I stared at them, jaw dropped. I was the one with a scalded hand, yet Gavin’s concern was solely for Ruby. It was infuriating, and I couldn’t stand to watch any longer. “I’m going to my room,” I said quietly, not waiting for a response as I turned and walked away.
Once in the safety of my bathroom, I let the tears fall, silent sobs wracking my body. This wasn’t how I imagined my life would turn out. I wasn’t sure what hurt more—the physical pain in my hand or the coldness of my husband. I mean I should have expected it right but yet it hurts.
When the tears finally subsided, I splashed cold water on my face and tried to calm down. My hand was throbbing, the skin red and angry, but I didn’t care anymore. I just wanted to crawl into bed and forget this day ever happened.
But when I returned to my room, I found a small cream jar sitting on the nightstand. Next to it was a folded note, the handwriting unmistakably Gavin’s. With trembling fingers, I unfolded the note and read the single line scrawled across the page:
For your hand.
It wasn’t an apology. It wasn’t even an acknowledgment of what had happened. But it was something. Which made it weird.
I get men who have girlfriends even when they have wives. I understand that. And I understand that this was a contract marriage and I shouldn't have expected anything less, but when you as a man bring in your girlfriend to live with your contract wife it's infuriating.
Gavin is emotionally slow, for him not to see the tricks Ruby was pulling and that it was unwise to leave a jealous girlfriend with your wife.
It's been a month and I feel like pulling my hair out.
I have gotten my body back, eating well, the allowance was generous, and the doctors seemed hopeful about my condition, but the loneliness, the constant coldness of the mansion, and the suffocating presence of Ruby were wearing me down.
Ruby had been an unexpected thorn in my side. Every day, she found a way to make me feel smaller, more out of place. Whether it was a remark based on my status, a pointed look, or simply ignoring me altogether, she made it clear that I didn’t belong here. And Gavin... well, Gavin was no better. He treated Ruby with a kindness I could only dream of, and no matter what I said or did, he never seemed to see the problem.
Ruby was always right. Goddess Ruby please shine your light on me.
I was tired of it—tired of being invisible in my own home. It was time to confront Gavin about this ridiculous situation. I couldn’t keep living like this, not for another month, let alone two years.
With anger, heaving breaths I marched down the long hallway toward Gavin’s office. My slippers flopped loudly against the marble floors, echoing through the empty halls as I rehearsed what I would say. I had spent the past month biting my tongue, but not today. Today, I was going to demand answers.
When I reached his office, I didn’t bother knocking. I pushed the door open with more force than necessary, and it slammed against the wall.
Gavin looked up from his desk, clearly startled by the sudden intrusion. His eyes quickly shifted from surprise to mild annoyance, but he said nothing, waiting for me to speak.
“Is Ruby going to live here for the next two years?” I demanded, not even bothering with pleasantries.
Gavin leaned back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest. “What are you talking about, Harper?”
“I’m talking about Ruby,” I snapped, stepping further into the room. “She’s been living here like she owns the place, and you’ve done nothing but let her. Am I just supposed to sit back and accept that?”
Authors Note: hi guys you might have been confused by this. But don't worry soon we would go back to our normal storyline. Harper is important for the next chapter or better still upcoming chapters. So yes it must happen. I hope you understand. Thanks lovelis.
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