"Jake, do you see me as a disgusting woman?" Mary asked after putting Elsa to bed and sitting back down in front of Jake. "I'm sorry for the kiss earlier. I was just trying to express what I felt for you after that painful incident. But honestly, I'm confused about everything going on in my mind."
"I'm a married woman, but somehow I've developed feelings for you—feelings I shouldn't have. That's why I'm asking… am I that disgusting as a woman?" she repeated, her voice trembling.
"Why are you asking me? I'm not the right person to judge your feelings," Jake replied calmly, almost softly. He wasn't sure anymore how to address Mary—by her name, or still as "Ma'am."
"Because you're the one who understands my situation. Twice now, my dignity as a married woman has nearly been shattered by depraved men with dirty minds. I don't know why they always look at me with such predatory eyes. I'm not unaware of it—but I chose to ignore it."
"I always cared more about what Kody thought of me. I didn't act sweet or flirtatious toward other men, not even with you. That was my way of protecting our marriage, to prove to him that I would never look for someone else. But in the end… he's the one who…"
Mary cried again, though this time there were no sobs. Only silent tears traced down her cheeks to the corners of her bitter smile.
"You can't blame yourself for the way men look at you. But you also can't entirely blame them. It's natural for men to react that way when they see a beautiful woman. And you are beautiful, Mary. You have everything. I won't deny that I'm attracted to you, but my conscience says no—you're married, and you're also my employer."
"And I know you're a good woman who loves her husband. So don't look down on yourself or ask questions like that. If you want my answer… you're nearly the perfect woman I wish I could have. But let's ignore that. The point is, you're a good woman. Don't belittle yourself."
"From the beginning, I never intended to get involved in someone else's marriage, especially yours. I'm just a driver doing my job. But what happened before… and just now… it's confusing. What exactly are we doing?"
"Do you want me to believe it was just an accident, or am I really just an escape for you? Honestly, I wouldn't mind, but… is your marriage really that difficult?"
Jake had no intention of interfering with Mary and Kody's relationship, but his question made it clear—he wanted to understand what she was going through.
"When I was drunk, maybe I said a lot of things. Maybe you heard them. But I'll say it clearly now. It all started with a child," Mary answered honestly.
'Yes, she did mention something about a child when she was drunk,' Jake recalled silently.
"We got married, but we couldn't have a child because of the accident. Our baby died in the womb, but that wasn't the worst part. What hurt the most was… Kody became infertile because of it. It broke him."
"I suggested we adopt a baby from an orphanage, but Kody refused. He said it would hurt his pride. So I accepted that and buried my longing for a child."
"But if it were only about a baby, I could've endured it. I believed Kody would eventually change and become the loving man he once was. But it wasn't that easy. He changed even more."
"He became possessive. He constantly accused me of cheating on him with other men whenever he wasn't around. He said I was desperate for sex because he couldn't give it to me anymore… and that I was the one with the problem. But I knew it was just his grief. That hurt."
"I could've handled that too. I could've stayed by his side and waited for our love to return. But his betrayal… with that childhood friend of his… it made me start to question everything."
"Her name is Milan. I'm sure you've seen her. Maybe you even know about their affair. She's the one my mother-in-law always praises and compares me to. Of course, that hurts."
"And when I bring her up to Kody, he becomes impulsive. Sometimes… he hits me. Just for speaking the truth that hurts his pride."
"I don't know what to do anymore, Jake. But I still love him."
Jake sat silently, listening to every word. Now he understood how Mary had endured it all because of love.
"So… what about the kiss you gave me?" Jake asked gently, trying to confirm his thoughts.
"That..." Mary hesitated. "Maybe it was because I saw the gentle side of Kody in you," she said, lowering her gaze.
"You came to help me even though we didn't know each other. You've always been kind and respectful. You never brought up the debt I owe you."
"And then there's Elsa. The way you care for her, the way you love her—it reminded me of the Kody I knew. The man who was so kind to me when I was pregnant. He used to love children, too… but everything changed after the accident."
"And the kiss… at that moment, I saw you as Kody. But when you carried me to the bedroom, I started to realize it was you. Still, in both moments… I admit, I gave in to my own ego."
"If he can cheat and find comfort outside of our marriage, why can't I?"
"And today… why did it have to be Victor who was with me, just because he ordered it? Why couldn't I just live freely? And after everything I've been through… why wasn't it Kody—my own husband—who saved me? Why is it always you, Jake?"
This time Mary cried again. "I'm sorry, Jake. I did something wrong to you. My heart is confused, and I can't tell if it's my ego… or if I've started to fall for you."
But now Jake understood. Mary's kiss… her actions… it was all just her way of escaping reality. Yes—Jake was nothing more than a refuge for Mary.
"Don't cry anymore. It's not your fault. I understand, Ma'am," Jake said calmly, though his words sounded bitter. And with that, he addressed her again as "Ma'am."
Mary didn't respond. But she knew there was nothing more she could say. Guilt weighed heavily on her heart, even if Jake had said he understood.
"Thank you… for understanding. But even though I'm still confused about my feelings for you… I admit, you're a good man, Jake. Caring, kind, and strong—the kind any woman would need," she said. "But can I ask one thing of you?"
"What is it?" Jake asked.
"Can you stop calling me 'Ma'am'? It just doesn't feel right after everything that's happened between us. Wouldn't it be better if we were just… friends?" she asked.
"But the truth is, we're still employer and employee. I helped you because I wanted to—not because I expected—"
"But I want to be your friend," Mary interrupted. "And if you insist… then here's my order as your boss. Call me 'Ma'am' when others are around, but when it's just us—or when we're with Elsa—call me by my name. That's an order, Jake!"
Mary said it with a commanding tone, and it made Jake smile. Seeing Mary smile, even through her tears, made Jake quietly murmur to himself:
'Friend, huh? Maybe that really is the best thing for the both of us. And… maybe it's time I stop hoping to have you. Just loving you silently is more than enough for me, Mary…'