Chapter 136: You Can Cheat in Marriage, Why Can't I
Even though James had turned on the hot water, the moment it started running, it was still cold.
The water pressure was strong, pouring down from above, making Mia, who hated the cold, shiver uncontrollably.
The instant James felt the chill, his hand gripping her jaw clearly loosened a bit.
But soon, it tightened again, forcing her to tilt her head back as the now-hot water sprayed directly onto her face.
He wanted to wash away her drunkenness, to sober her up.
To make her realize exactly who she was sleeping with!
The water blurred Mia's vision, making it impossible for her to open her eyes.
All her senses could register was James asking her over and over in her ear, "Mia, who am I?"
One question, repeated endlessly.
When she didn't answer, he just kept spraying her with water.
The only thought in James's irrational mind was to make Mia sober up.
His grip grew increasingly forceful, pushing her head further back until hot water rushed into her nose and ears.
It stung, bringing tears to her eyes that mixed with the hot water and slid down from the corners.
Mia felt terrible. The water had washed away some of her drunkenness, and her body regained a bit of strength. Her hand flailed in the air and grabbed the handheld showerhead.
Without thinking, she smashed it directly onto James's head.
The pain finally made James loosen his grip. Mia seized the opportunity to push him back, shouting angrily, "James, you're crazy!"
Using the momentum, she backed up several steps until her back hit the cold tiles.
One hand pressed against the wall to support herself. Away from his embrace, her legs went weak and she nearly slid down to kneel before him.
James wiped the water droplets from his face, ignoring his forehead that had turned red from her blow.
She wasn't completely sober yet, so she didn't have much strength.
Though it hurt, this pain was nothing compared to her calling out another man's name in his arms.
Looking at Mia, who had finally recognized him, James stepped toward her again.
Mia's reaction was strong.
As he approached, she used all her strength to yell at him, "Get away, don't touch me!"
James was a lunatic.
She never imagined he would sober her up this way.
The painful sensation of water rushing into her nose and ears made her want to kick him to death.
Normally, when he didn't go easy on her, she couldn't resist him at all.
Let alone now, when Mia's drunkenness hadn't fully worn off.
James paid no attention to her resistance and struggle.
He moved forward, hooking his arm around her and pulling Mia back into his embrace.
Locking her in his arms again, he gripped her jaw once more, making her look up at him as he lowered his head slightly to see her more clearly.
"Finally see clearly now?"
Mia understood what he meant.
But she didn't want to give him the satisfaction.
Unable to break free, she stared at him with hateful eyes, her pale lips stabbing at him mercilessly, "How could it be you?"
Those words made the redness in James's eyes even more obvious.
This sentence hurt him even more than when she had drunkenly called out Benjamin's name.
His face visibly darkened.
His eyes looked at Mia with a sinister gleam.
The hot water still ran, filling the shower with steam.
The two of them stood in the mist, which should have been warm.
But it felt like a sudden blast of cold air had rushed in.
Goosebumps quickly rose on Mia's skin.
He pressed her against the tiles, looking at her—clearly awake now—yet asking why he was here?
So was she admitting, in her own words, that she and Benjamin had come here to get a room?
"Mia, what exactly is your relationship with Benjamin?"
The moment he asked, Mia laughed coldly. She looked at James icily and spoke aloud what was in his heart, "What do you think?"
"Benjamin and I aren't related at all, yet he helps me so much—what else could our relationship be?"
James stared at Mia, unable to believe she actually dared.
How could she dare?!
"Mia!"
James's eyes were so vicious he wanted to strangle her right there.
Mia had already thrown caution to the wind.
From the moment he gripped her jaw and asked who he was, he had already concluded in his heart what her relationship with Benjamin was.
"James, what's with that look?"
"What? You and Amelia can cheat during our marriage, but I can't cheat with another man?"
"James, don't forget—you were the first one to cheat! You have no right to accuse me!"
James's chest heaved violently with anger.
Veins bulged all over his body.
He was trying hard to restrain himself.
He was afraid that if he lost control, he really would strangle Mia.
"Mia, why? Why degrade yourself like this?"
He wasn't unaware that in today's society, some girls used their looks as shortcuts to get what they wanted.
Especially in their social circle—he'd seen too many.
But Mia shouldn't be one of those women!
Before, he would never have believed Mia could do such a thing.
But ever since she heartlessly aborted their child.
Mia had become increasingly unfamiliar to him.
She was becoming less and less like the person he knew.
Maybe she really could do it.
"Degrade myself?"
Mia's heart had gone numb with pain.
She laughed softly, looking at James who didn't doubt it for a second. Four years—together for four years, and this was how low he thought of her.
The bitterness in her laugh was suppressed by indifference. "What do you mean degrade myself? Are you looking down on me?"
"Well, when have you ever respected me, James? The moment you trampled my dignity underfoot, what did I have left to care about?"
"I sleep with Benjamin, and he helps me find a lawyer for divorce and gives me a job. I think it's worth it. Unlike you—I've slept with you for so long, and I got nothing. If we're talking about losses, sleeping with you is the real loss, isn't it?"
Mia stabbed back at James without mercy.
In the past, when they were intimate, there was only sweetness and warmth.
Even when she felt shy, her heart loved being close to him so much.
Having lived in a frozen wasteland since childhood, she used a smiling face to hide the coldness inside.
His appearance had gradually warmed her heart.
A heart that had lived in extreme cold for so long desperately craved warmth. Once it got close, it became addicted.
But James now only made her feel cold.
Colder than before she met him.
He could no longer warm her.
When they got close now, they were like two hedgehogs, only viciously hurting each other.
"Shut up!"
James was completely enraged by her!
How did she become like this!
She had such strong self-respect—how could she talk so casually about sleeping with people to get what she wanted!
As if she didn't care at all!
"Did you really let him touch you? Where did he touch you?"
From the moment Mia started humiliating herself, her heart had gone completely numb.
Looking at James, who was in agony from her provocation.
Her eyes were full of coldness.
Was he finally feeling what betrayal tasted like?
Could he finally understand how she felt when she learned he had a drunken one-night stand with Amelia, when he drunkenly called her Amelia!
"Since it's sleeping together, of course it's...!"
Her provocative words were cut off by his actions.