Chapter 15: Party Invitation
His breath tasted of tobacco, and he kissed with an aggressive force, rough and wild, as if he wanted to swallow me whole.
Just as my clothes were about to come off completely and my reason was about to disappear, I struggled free from his kiss and said breathlessly, "I don't want to tonight."
Instantly, Tyler's face turned frighteningly dark, and the heavy atmosphere around him made me shiver.
"You don't want to have sex with me?"
My face tensed up, but I said nothing.
Without warning, he blocked my lips again, and kisses fell like a storm. My breathing quickened, and I couldn't help but picture him tangled up with Ava in bed. In that moment, I pushed him away with all my strength.
"Stop it, I said I don't want to!"
Tyler's face tightened, his dark eyes hiding a raging storm. "You used to throw yourself at me, so why the sudden change?"
I bit my lower lip, feeling ashamed as I remembered how desperately I used to try to seduce him.
"Or are you playing hard to get? Is this some new trick you learned?"
The intense humiliation nearly suffocated me. I had no confidence to argue back, and my pride was completely crushed in an instant.
I felt like I was stripped naked, exposed to Tyler's judgment.
"Think whatever you want. I just don't want to right now, and besides, I'm not the only one you sleep with."
The air around us seemed to freeze. In the oppressive silence, you could almost hear both our heartbeats. Tyler's brow furrowed, his gaze sharp as a blade.
I didn't want to stay any longer, so I quickly straightened my clothes and left the room.
Back in my own room, my tense nerves finally began to relax, but my mood remained low.
Just then, Jasper's soft, sweet voice came from outside the door. "Mommy, mommy."
I opened the door to find Jasper standing there holding his toy bear, looking at me pitifully.
"Mommy, I had a bad dream. I want you to sleep with me."
My heart ached. I bent down and picked up Jasper. "Okay, I'll sleep with you."
That night, with Jasper's company, my troubled mood didn't seem so unbearable. The expected insomnia never came, and I fell into a deep sleep holding Jasper.
-
The party was in the evening, which gave me time to pick up Jasper from school.
While Jasper was doing homework, I went back to my room to get ready. I hadn't done full makeup in a long time, and my movements were a bit rusty, but the final result looked pretty good.
Just as I was wondering what to wear, someone knocked on my bedroom door. A maid walked in carrying a large, elegant gift box.
"Mrs. Sophia Thompson, Hayden just delivered this dress. He said Mr. Tyler Thompson specially picked it out for you to wear to the party."
I was stunned for a few seconds. I took the gift box and opened it on the dressing room table. The moment I saw the dress, my eyes lit up with amazement. It was a black evening gown with spaghetti straps, and the edge near the collarbone was lined with tiny diamonds.
I picked up the dress and held it out, not even noticing that my eyes were shining with excitement over the beautiful gown.
The maid smiled warmly. "Mrs. Sophia Thompson, this dress is absolutely gorgeous. Mr. Tyler Thompson treats you so well. I'm so envious. I'll never get to wear such a beautiful dress in my lifetime."
Hearing the maid's praise, I felt something indescribable stirring inside me.
In my view, this was just Tyler protecting his own image. His wife dressed beautifully in high-end custom clothing would make everyone think he loved his wife dearly.
And I was just a trophy wife.
"I'm going to change."
"Okay, okay, I'll step out."
A few minutes later, I stood in front of the mirror wearing the gown. The black evening dress was fitted and form-hugging, showing off my curves. The skirt swept the floor, trailing into a long fishtail that made the dress look absolutely stunning.
I had to admit, Tyler had good taste in evening gowns. Though I figured he probably didn't have the time to pick it out himself—he probably had someone else do it.
After getting ready, I lifted my skirt and walked downstairs. Tyler was sitting in the living room drinking tea. Inadvertently, when our eyes met, I saw his gaze freeze slightly. His usually cold and indifferent eyes took on a hint of warmth, and I could even feel his gaze growing more intense.
When I reached the bottom of the stairs, his eyes remained fixed on me, which made me feel self-conscious.
"That dress looks like it was made just for you," he said.
My heart pounded like a drum. I tried to calm myself. "It's okay. It's just a nice dress."
"Call me when the party's over. I'll come pick you up."
I didn't agree. Instead I said, "We'll see. Ivy might give me a ride home."
Just then, the doorbell rang. A maid ran to answer it—it was Ivy.
Tonight Ivy was dressed quite sweetly in a princess dress. The whole thing was in varying shades of purple, with bell-shaped lace decorations sewn onto the skirt and bodice, making her look lively and sweet.
"Sophia, you look absolutely stunning. Every man at the party tonight will fall at your feet."
As soon as she said that, I noticed Tyler's expression change instantly. He said flatly, "I happen to be free. I'll go with you."
Just as my heart jumped, Ivy couldn't help but laugh. "Tyler, you're jealous over a joke? Tonight's party is women only. It's exclusively for women."
Tyler looked skeptical. "Really?"
"If you don't believe me, I don't mind you driving us there." As she spoke, Ivy winked at me.
I understood—Ivy was deliberately making Tyler jealous.
I didn't want Tyler involved, so I quickly said, "No need. We'll go by ourselves. Jasper's still home."
"Right, I forgot about Jasper. I haven't even met him yet." Ivy started looking around for Jasper.
I signaled to a maid to bring Jasper down, and she smiled and went upstairs.
A few minutes later, the maid came down holding Jasper's hand. The moment Ivy saw Jasper, her eyes lit up and she gasped, "Oh my god, he's so handsome."
Jasper looked curiously at Ivy, then shyly hugged the maid's leg, not daring to come forward.
While Ivy was playing with Jasper, Tyler pulled me aside, his tone somewhat jealous. "I won't be there tonight, so there are some things you need to watch out for."
I was confused. "What things?"
Tyler looked displeased. "If anyone hits on you, mention me."
So that's what he was worried about. I wanted to laugh, but I deliberately said, "I don't care about your business, so don't worry about mine either."
"What did you say?" Tyler's face turned very dark.