Chapter 12: No Right to Be Jealous

Livia lay in bed, feeling the heat of her arousal dissipate with Angelo's departure.

This was the first time he had ever left her in the middle of things because of a phone call.

Even without knowing who was on the other end, she sensed they were important.

Before leaving, Angelo had said, "Don't wait up. Go to sleep early."

But Livia couldn't sleep.

She pondered whether the caller was a man or a woman. Would he come back tonight?

It wasn't until 3:30 AM that she finally drifted off.

As expected, Angelo didn't return that night.

Livia was sensible. Angelo had never acknowledged her as his girlfriend, so she had no right to question his whereabouts.

After attending three morning classes, lunch came and went with no call or message from Angelo.

Tentatively, Livia opened their messaging app, hesitated, and finally sent a message.

Livia: [Will you be back today?]

She stared at her phone screen after hitting send, receiving no reply. Right before her afternoon class, her phone vibrated.

She glanced at it before entering the classroom.

A single word.

Angelo: [No.]

Such a thing had never happened before, and her intuition immediately suggested a possibility.

'Could he be with another woman?'

'But in the three years we’ve been together, I never saw him show real interest in any woman.'

'Where would such a woman come from?'

'Perhaps he wasn't with someone else at all. Maybe he was just out meeting clients, doing business.'

Thinking this made her feel a bit more at ease.

After the last class of the day, Luke came chasing after her. "Miss Ashcroft."

At school, Luke always showed respect to the teachers.

Livia turned around. "What's up?"

Luke watched her expression closely. "Is everything okay with you and Angelo?"

She really didn't see the reason behind his question. "Yeah, we're fine. Why do you ask?"

Hearing her response, Luke said, "Let me take you out for dinner."

Livia furrowed her brows slightly. "Why do you want to treat me to dinner?"

"It's boring to eat alone." Luke asked. "So, will you join me?"

"No thanks. I have plans tonight." She did indeed have plans—an older colleague celebrating newfound love had insisted on a dinner and drinks get-together.

Luke shrugged indifferently. "Alright then, I'll just order takeout."

With that, he turned and headed back to the classroom.

Livia felt a twinge of guilt, but it wasn't appropriate to invite him along. What would she say if her colleagues asked questions?

In the end, Livia didn't call out to Luke.

A colleague had splurged, treating them to an upscale club experience.

Word was that her partner came from a wealthy background.

Rich and well-off but lacking in cultural finesse, they held teachers in high regard and pampered her like she was their precious gem.

The club was expansive and easy to get lost in without someone to guide you.

Livia and Florence Burke, a fellow teacher she was quite close to, trailed at the end, arms linked. Livia whispered, "This place is quite impressive."

Florence, scanning their surroundings, responded, "This is my first time at such a fancy club."

Livia chuckled.

"Do you think I might meet a wealthy future boyfriend here?" asked Florence, a hint of excitement in her voice. "The cars outside were just ostentatious."

A male teacher from the front stepped back and murmured, "Rumor has it Valentia's here too. Might get lucky and score an autograph."

"Why the rush? She's visiting our school in a few days anyway."

"It's not the same. Wouldn't want the students to see me starstruck like them. What about my dignity?"

Both Livia and Florence laughed.

The dishes were so exquisitely presented that each could easily cost half a month's salary.

They opened a bottle of '82 Lafite, a vintage most educators had only heard of but never tasted, stirring envy among them.

Midway through the event, Livia excused herself to go to the restroom.

There was one inside the private room, but it felt improper, so she used the one outside.

On her way back, she saw Angelo.

Angelo walked away from her towards another door. She watched him push it open, a flash of a white floral dress brushing against his trousers.

The door closed.

A heavy feeling sank into Livia's chest. She fought the urge to knock, forcing herself back to the private room.

She wasn't Angelo's girlfriend, so she didn't even have the right to ask.

After eleven, the group, chattering and laughing, left the private room.

Livia's gaze lingered towards where Angelo had been. She wondered if he had left.

Outside the club, everyone was waiting for their rides. Livia called for a cab, which was still about fifteen minutes away.

She waited until the end.

Glancing unintentionally toward the club entrance, she saw Angelo exiting with a woman.

The hem of the dress was familiar – it was the one tangled with his legs earlier.

The woman wore a mask, her long, wavy hair cascading to her waist, and an apricot trench coat, giving her a breezy, poised walk.

Angelo pulled open the door to the silver Porsche, and the woman slid into the passenger seat as he carefully closed it behind her. Then, making his way around the front end of the car, their gaze suddenly met.

There was a clear surprise in his eyes, followed by a flicker of annoyance before he got in and sped off.

Did that look mean he thought she was stalking him?

A wave of bitterness washed over her.

Once home, Livia laid on the bed, grabbed her phone, and considered asking Angelo whether he'd be back tonight. But the thought of that woman in his car made her drop the phone and pull the covers over her head.

The next day, Livia unusually dolled herself up yet couldn't hide her dark circles. The school had arranged for some teachers to welcome Valentia, an alumnus, and had prepared the indoor basketball court for an event. Valentia wouldn't stay long, just a couple hours in the morning—every minute of her time was money.

Later that afternoon, Matias called Livia home for dinner. Arriving in the evening, she found the table laden with delicious dishes.

During the meal, Matias said, "Heard Mr. Bradley was back yesterday. Luckily, I took our stuff to the company today. Wouldn't be good if it sat around too long."

"He didn't seem to mind, right?" Matilde inquired.

"No, he didn't refuse He accepted everything," Matias replied with a smile.

Matilde breathed a sigh of relief. "Glad we could return the favor."

"I figured he took it because his girlfriend was in the car. Didn't want to fuss and waste time, so he was very straightforward."

Livia's fork clattered onto the table.

Picking up her fork again, she heard Matilde ask, "Girlfriend?"

"She stayed in the car, just caught a glimpse of her profile—pretty and looked familiar."

Livia felt dejected.

The woman in his car was undoubtedly the one sporadically seen at the club.

‘No wonder he didn't come back—he has a new flame. To him, I’m nothing.'

Livia took a cab from her parents' house and went back to her apartment. As she walked through the entrance, she noticed the familiar bag near the door—the same one her father used to carry food to give to Angelo.

Changing her shoes and walking in, the sound of shower water filled her ears. The thought of that other woman made her feel dispirited.

'Out for two days and a night, and he still comes back here to shower?'

Then, the water stopped.

The door swung open, and there stood Angelo, wrapped in a towel around his waist, his lean torso glistening with water droplets tracing down the contours of his muscles, disappearing into the towel at his seductive, well-defined abs.

She had seen his body countless times, but her favorite part was his tight, strong abdomen—so sexy, so captivating.

Time and again, in the depths of passion, she'd rest her face right there, do nothing at all, just love fervently.

"I'm back." Angelo reached out to embrace her, attempting to kiss her.

Livia gently pressed against his chest with her palm, turning her face to dodge his lips.

Angelo kissed thin air, his grip intensifying as he used one arm to pull her tight into his embrace, pressing his waist against hers.