"I'm home…" came Kody's voice as the front door opened and closed again. "God… I'm so tired. Mary, where are you?" he grumbled.
"I'm here." Mary replied cheerfully. But it wasn't because of her husband's return—it was Elsa's smile that made her happy.
But Kody clearly frowned at the sight, "Whose child is that?" he asked seriously.
Mary's smile faded. Somehow, his tone felt unpleasant. "Why are you home so late? I've been waiting for you. You know very well how hard it is for me to explain things to your mother."
"Whose child is that?" Kody ignored her question and repeated his own. He sat on the couch, demanding an explanation. "Why are you avoiding my question? Don't you know how tired I am, huh?!"
'Of course, you don't care to hear my complaints about your mother,' Mary thought bitterly while forcing a thin smile. "It's your new driver's child," she finally answered, adjusting her expression.
"Then why are you holding the child? Are you a babysitter for my staff now? How stupid." Kody scoffed, not even waiting for a full explanation.
"If it weren't for your mother's orders, I wouldn't be looking after someone else's child in this house. I still care about your feelings." Mary's words made Kody's ears perk up.
"What do you mean by that? Are you starting this again?" Kody's temper flared. Her sentence reminded him of his own inability to give Mary a child.
"Calm yourself first. Don't scare the baby with your anger." Mary started to panic, afraid he'd explode again. She didn't want to frighten the baby. "You should hear me out—your mother asked the new driver to take her home. He happened to bring his child, and she told me to take care of the baby while he drove her."
Kody took a deep breath after her explanation. He recalled his recent phone calls and decided to calm down to avoid Mary bringing up other issues.
"Fine. I'm going to rest. Wake me up when the driver gets back." he said, choosing to withdraw.
"Okay." Mary replied briefly. That was all she could say as her lips trembled, barely holding back tears. But she couldn't stop them from falling. She was forced to smile while crying as she turned to Elsa, who had been looking at her the whole time.
Evening was approaching when Jake returned to Mary's apartment. His head was bowed, still confused by what he had experienced while driving Kody's mother home.
Jake had seen for himself how Mrs. Betty behaved so differently from the first time he met her with Mary. The older woman acted like a teenager just hitting puberty.
He saw with his own eyes how Mrs. Betty received "special service" from two men at that massage parlor. He even got chills remembering her offer to let him join in—with both men—after suggesting he get a massage too.
"This is insane. What the hell did I just witness, God? Thank goodness I was able to refuse, even if I had to promise not to tell anyone about today."
"I can't afford to lose this job on my first day. I'm doing all this for Elsa."
Thinking of his daughter calmed him. Her smile and innocent face were his anchor. Without realizing it, he was already standing in front of Mary's apartment.
"Ah, I'm here already. I need to calm down. Jake, you can block those thoughts. Just breathe…" he muttered to himself over and over before finally ringing the bell.
The door opened soon after, and seeing Mary brought all his tension back. Her expression—so weary and mistreated—made Jake want to speak out.
"Ah, your papa's back, Sweetheart…"
But when he saw Mary's gentle smile and heard her soft words to Elsa, it made him hold back.
"Yeah, don't ruin that smile. I'm no one. I shouldn't meddle in someone else's business. I'm just an employee. I need to stay professional."
Jake stood in silence, lost in thought. He didn't even hear Mary calling him. Only when Kody's loud voice came from inside did he snap out of it.
"Mary, why are you taking so long at the door? Who is it?"
"Mr. Jake, please come in. My husband's inside. He's waiting for you." Mary invited Jake in to meet Kody.
Jake nodded. "But Madam, may I hold my baby? I've missed her so much, and I've already troubled you all day."
"It's no trouble. I was happy to be with Elsa," Mary replied, handing the baby over gently. "Here's your daughter."
"Thank you, Madam." Jake replied and followed Mary to the living room, where Kody was waiting.
"Good evening, Sir. It's nice to meet you. My name is Jake Porter, your new driver."
Kody didn't answer right away. He scanned Jake from head to toe, especially noting him holding the baby. "Are you sure Victor gave you a good recommendation? From the looks of it, your build suits a bodyguard more than a personal driver."
Jake swallowed hard at the judgmental tone.
"This scene even confuses me. Tell me—what's your real reason for applying as my driver? You didn't come here to seduce my wife, did you? Especially since you brought a child with you."
Once again, Jake swallowed nervously. That kind of thought had never crossed his mind. All he wanted was to provide for his daughter. He glanced at Mary, who didn't seem fazed at all despite the veiled accusation.
"Didn't Victor tell you that Mr. Jake was the one who saved me from that thug?" Mary said calmly to Kody.
"Ah, so you're the guy. I see. So this is some kind of favor from my wife. Hmm… Then it's not as complicated as I thought. So, tell me briefly about yourself, Jake Porter, was it?" Kody asked, softening his tone a little though still full of suspicion.
"It's all for my daughter, Sir. I was just fired from my previous job. I have to support the two of us. She also has special needs—childcare and formula are expensive. I needed a decent job with a good salary."
"Madam Mary offered me this job when I needed it most. Thankfully, Mr. Victor approved my profile, and that's how I got here."
Jake's firm tone and composed demeanor made Kody start to believe him. His suspicions about Mary possibly cheating with Jake began to fade.
"That's a reasonable answer. Alright, I understand. I assume you're aware of the punctuality expected of you? I must not be late for work or client meetings. So I hope you won't disappoint me."
"It's already late. Go home and take your baby. It's cruel to keep her out this late, especially on a motorbike. Be on time tomorrow." Kody dismissed Jake, got up, and left Mary and Jake alone.
Unbeknownst to them, Kody was secretly watching their interaction. Though Mary and Jake didn't show any signs of impropriety in their brief conversation, Kody clearly still couldn't fully trust a newcomer like Jake.
He opened his phone and typed a message:
'Babe, meet me at the usual hotel. I'll see you at lunch. I need a favor from you. Don't worry—you'll get your usual "treat" plus an extra bonus.'
Turns out, Kody was messaging his mistress, Milan. A sly smile crossed his lips as he read her reply:
'As you wish, My King. I always love seeing you...'
Whatever Kody was planning with Milan, one thing was certain—it was driven by his selfish jealousy toward Mary. Even though he himself had already deeply hurt her by cheating with Milan.