Jill Kensington’s lips pressed into a tight line as she listened to Leon Sterling.
Her dark gaze fell upon them.
She stared at Hazel Sinclair’s face for a long moment before speaking.
“You only humiliate Mr.
Sterling like this because you know you can get away with it, all thanks to that pretty face of yours.”
“Hazel Sinclair, you’re just a materialistic, social-climbing woman.
You don’t deserve Mr.
Sterling at all.”
A man like Leon Sterling—handsome and with so much potential—and Hazel Sinclair not only failed to treat him well but even verbally abused him.
A day would surely come when she would regret this.
“Because of you, Mr.
Sterling works so hard delivering food every day, and he still has to wait on you when he gets home.” Jill’s eyes filled with disgust and loathing as she recalled what she’d heard from others.
“You have your own two hands and feet, yet you still need someone to serve you.
Do you really think you’re some high-and-mighty princess?”
“You’re just a phony princess.”
As Hazel Sinclair listened to these words, an expression of utter confusion slowly formed on her face.
‘The female lead knows my name, my background, and even what my life is like at home.’
‘And another thing, this female lead’s personality isn’t like the cheerful, ‘little sun’ type at all.
She’s aggressive, and everything she says is incredibly irritating.’
“System, be honest with me.
Is this female lead reborn or just self-aware?” Hazel Sinclair asked in her mind, her gaze fixed on the other woman.
[Reborn…]
‘So she’s been reborn.
No wonder she knows so much about me.’
‘She must know that Leon Sterling is destined to return to the top.
Why else would she come over here trying to encourage him?’
Hazel Sinclair looked at her and scoffed.
Emulating the original owner of her body, she let her gaze sweep over Jill Kensington with a hint of disdain.
Then, she coughed pointedly.
“He and I are a legally married couple.”
“What exactly are you trying to accomplish by saying all this?”
Jill Kensington lifted her chin, speaking with righteous conviction.
“To help Mr.
Sterling escape your evil clutches, of course.”
Hazel Sinclair nodded, then shot out a hand, grabbing Leon Sterling by the collar.
She yanked him in front of her and asked with a smile, “Is that what you think, too?”
Leon Sterling had no idea why this crazy woman wouldn’t stop pestering him.
But when he saw Hazel Sinclair’s smile, which didn’t reach her eyes, his heart clenched.
‘She’s misunderstanding!’ Leon Sterling hurriedly explained, “I’m happy to wait on you.
I’m happy to do whatever you ask.
Don’t listen to her nonsense.”
He then shot a look at Jill Kensington, who stood a short distance away, his face twisting into an expression of pure disgust.
“Get lost—” His voice was laced with disgust.
That single, cold, loathsome word made Jill Kensington’s face turn absolutely foul.
She hadn’t expected Leon Sterling to be so unappreciative, preferring to be ordered around by Hazel Sinclair over getting a divorce.
In the end, Jill Kensington could only leave in a resentful huff on her little electric scooter.
The moment she was gone, Hazel Sinclair looked at him and pressed, “So, what’s the deal with that woman?”
Leon Sterling felt deeply wronged.
That woman had been pestering him nonstop ever since that first day.
“I’m the victim here,” Leon Sterling said, a note of pure innocence in his voice as he drove their three-wheeled cart toward the rented apartment.
“She’s a lunatic,” Leon Sterling declared.
‘Clinging to someone and refusing to let go…
what is she if not a lunatic?’
It was already 8:00 PM by the time they got back to the apartment.
Leon Sterling washed every last pot and pan before finally sitting down to rest.
But even after sitting down, Leon didn’t stay idle.
He opened up WhatsApp and started tallying up their earnings.
When he finished, Leon Sterling’s eyebrows shot up.
‘Looks like this is pretty profitable.’
After subtracting the cost of labor, ingredients, and utilities, Leon had cleared a net profit of 1,500 dollars.
He dug out a notebook and started recording the day’s finances.
Hazel Sinclair walked out of the bathroom after her shower, drying her hair with a towel wrap.
She saw Leon Sterling leaning back on the sofa, his eyes closed as if he’d fallen asleep.
When she got closer, she noticed the deep, dark circles under his eyes, a clear sign of exhaustion.
Last night, they had fooled around until three in the morning, and Leon had left the house at eight.
He’d spent the better part of the day making deliveries, only to come home, cook a fresh batch of food, and take it out to their stall.
‘All told, he’d only slept for a few hours.
He must be truly exhausted.’
Hazel Sinclair sat down beside him, quietly towel-drying her dripping hair.
She didn’t use the hair dryer.
It wasn’t until midnight that Hazel finally reached out and gently pushed him.
“Wake up.”
“It’s time to take a shower.” Hazel’s voice was involuntarily gentle.
Leon Sterling woke with a start, rubbing his eyes.
He sat on the sofa in a daze for a moment before asking, “Are you hungry?”
“I’ll go make you a late-night snack,” Leon said, getting up and heading for the kitchen.
Hazel Sinclair stopped watching her video.
She looked up at his retreating back, momentarily at a loss for words.
They had eaten dinner while manning the stall, but customers had kept coming, so they’d only eaten in fits and starts.
‘I hadn’t expected him to be so worried about me going hungry that his first thought upon waking was to make me a snack.’
“Leon Sterling, I’m not hungry!” Hazel Sinclair shouted when she saw him open the refrigerator and pull out noodles and eggs.
“You don’t have to make me a snack!”
Leon Sterling heard her, but his hands didn’t stop moving.
He just looked at her and said, “I’m hungry.”
The egg noodles were ready in no time.
Even though Hazel Sinclair had made it clear she wasn’t hungry, Leon still prepared a small bowl for her.
It was loaded with eggs and smelled delicious.
After he was done, Leon came over and squatted in front of her.
He took her hand and said, “Eat a little.
You might not be hungry now, but you will be in the middle of the night.”
Seeing him insist, Hazel Sinclair nodded.
“Alright.”
They sat at the dining table, heads bowed, eating their noodles with chopsticks.
Neither of them spoke, and the room fell silent.
“Leon Sterling, do you think I’m materialistic?” Hazel Sinclair asked after she’d finished her noodles, putting down her chopsticks and wiping her mouth.
“You have nothing right now, but I still make you buy such expensive things, forcing you to work yourself to the bone every day.”
Busy earning money, busy waiting on me.
The 4,000-dollar Lolita dress sat in her closet.
Hazel Sinclair hadn’t worn it once since she’d gotten it.
The dress was beautiful—red with black lace—but it was a long-sleeved style, not a slip dress.
Hearing her question, Leon Sterling lifted his gaze to meet hers.
“What have you got your eye on this time?” he asked mildly.
Hazel Sinclair, who had been asking in earnest, was taken aback by his question.
‘Well, since you asked…’
Hazel decided not to be polite.
“I’m missing a pair of leather shoes,” she said immediately.
“And the black socks to match the dress.
You bought the dress, but you didn’t get all the matching accessories.”
‘So she was just missing a pair of shoes.’ Leon Sterling nodded.
“Alright.
I’ll buy them for you.”
Seeing him agree so readily again, Hazel Sinclair frowned.
“Tell me the truth, do you really not have a single complaint?”
“You really don’t feel like killing yourself?”
Leon Sterling took a sip of soup.
When he heard her mention the word “suicide,” he let out a short, humorless laugh.
“Hazel Sinclair, I can handle a small setback like this.”
Betrayal, bankruptcy…
to him, these were all just minor setbacks.