Husband In The Shadows - Chapter 8: Chapter 8

Jefferson scratched his head and gave a small, sheepish smile, looking a little embarrassed. "My bad. I misunderstood. Sorry. Nydia's always been super kind. She helps me out a lot.
"If I hadn't gotten married so young, I would've chased after her for sure. But now that I'm divorced, I'm probably not good enough for her anymore."
He spoke with a heavy tone. His expression was soft, almost tender—but beneath it all, there was a quiet disappointment he couldn't hide.
"You know, when I first met Nydia, I was going through a rough time. My parents were abusive. She helped me back then and said she'd become a doctor one day.
"I thought she was just kidding. I never imagined she'd actually do it and become a famous surgeon on top of that."
As he talked about his past with Nydia, I felt like I didn't belong in the conversation. It seemed that I was just passing through their story.
Out of nowhere, I asked, "How much do you like her now?"
Jefferson's face shifted. He hesitated before saying, "I'm not even sure if what I feel is love. Honestly, I do want to go after her, but she's so successful. I bet a lot of guys are into her.
"Just yesterday, my niece told me Nydia has had feelings for me for a long time. I gotta admit, that made me kinda happy."
As he opened up, I had a swirl of mixed feelings.
I couldn't compare to Nydia's first love—not even close.
Now that Jefferson knew I wasn't a threat, his guard dropped. He wasn't as wary of me as before. His whole presence felt noticeably gentler. Then he suddenly asked, "Mr. Curtis, what do you think of Nydia?"
I wasn't expecting that. A bitter feeling rose in my chest as I answered slowly, "She's loyal. If she really likes you, she'll wait for you. But I haven't known her that long, so I can't say for sure."
Then I added, "Still, the fact she became a doctor because of you—that kind of says it all, doesn't it?"
Jefferson smiled, a touch of bittersweetness in his expression.
Nydia saw that we weren't arguing and looked relieved. After letting the movers in, she got a call from the hospital and had to rush off.
"I'll be back later this afternoon," she said before leaving in a hurry.
Watching her go, I could tell she hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary.
Nydia's best friend, who'd been carrying stuff nonstop, finally blurted out, "What are you two standing around chatting for? Can't you see how hard we're working?"
There was still a lot left to move, so we had to make several trips back to the old place.
When Nydia got off work, she met us there. She looked wiped out. "There was a big pileup on the highway. We were swamped. You guys must be tired too. Let me treat everyone to dinner."
Jefferson turned to me and said, "Mr. Curtis, you should come with us."
But Nydia gave me a tense look.
Her face said it all—she didn't want me there.
Seeing her expression didn't upset me. I even smiled and said, "You guys go ahead. I've still got some work to do. And with my arm like this, I haven't been much help anyway."
As I stepped outside the complex, Nydia followed me out, scrambling to explain. "This all came up so suddenly. Next time, I'll find the right moment to tell them about us."
Afraid I wouldn't believe her, she added, "Please don't be mad, okay?"
I was a little surprised she even cared how I felt.
But it didn't matter anymore. I looked at her calmly and took a step back. "This is far enough. Go back. Don't keep them waiting.
"And about our relationship... If you're not ready, don't force it."
Nydia let out a small sigh of relief. "Thanks for understanding. Just give me a little more time. I swear I'll go public soon."
I didn't say anything.
But deep down, I told myself I had waited long enough—long enough to run out of patience.