The Other Woman in His Shadows - Chapter 3: Chapter 3
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My face fell as I read the message.
Jason never avoided scallions—in fact, he always claimed they made soup better. After a brief pause, I typed back a flat, Okay.
The second I hit send, I pulled up a food delivery app and ordered the first yam and pork rib soup I saw, sending it straight to his office.
That night, I went out to dinner with my brother.
We'd just been seated at our reserved table when Jason and Shairine walked in, arms linked and grinning like lovesick teenagers.
The moment Jason spotted us, he dropped her hand like it burned him and strode over.
Shairine's smile flickered, but she recovered fast, gliding up with saccharine sweetness. "We're running late, and the place is packed. Mind if we join you?"
Before anyone could answer, Jason plopped down right beside me.
Yves' eyebrows shot up. "Uh, no way," he said, hauling Jason up by the elbow. "You really think it's cool for me to sit next to my sister?"
Grudgingly, Jason let himself be shoved into the seat across from me, his eyes boring into mine like he was waiting for some kind of reaction.
I ignored him, sliding the menu to Shairine instead. "You two order whatever—we already picked our dishes."
She took it with a practiced smile. "Zoey, your homemade yam and pork rib soup is divine. Way better than takeout."
Bingo. So the soup request had been for her.
I gave a tight-lipped smile and said nothing.
Yves, oblivious, beamed with pride. "She randomly decided to take cooking classes last month. I figured she'd burn the house down, but turns out she's got talent. Some guy's gonna be real lucky."
Jason's faint smirk vanished. He took a slow sip of tea, voice deceptively calm. "Zoey, are you seriously considering dating now?"
I blinked at him.
Remembering his words from that night in the private room, I nodded. "I'm 26. It's about time. If you know anyone decent, feel free to introduce us."
"Finally!" Yves whooped, louder than necessary. "I've been trying to set you up for years. Now that you're actually willing, I'll find you the perfect guy!"
Jason's jaw clenched. His gaze turned razor-sharp, dissecting my expression like he could uncover some hidden truth.
Shairine, sensing the tension, tittered. "You're so lucky to have such a doting brother, Zoey. I'm jealous! Though honestly…" she tilted her head at Jason, "someone here is pretty amazing too. What if—"
"Don't." Jason cut her off, frowning. "Zoey's like a sister to me." His tone held warning, though his face just looked annoyed.
I nodded along cheerfully. "Exactly. Jason's basically family. Jokes like that are awkward, Shairine." Leaning in, I added, "Besides, you two are way more compatible than we'd ever be."
Jason's expression iced over. A humorless laugh escaped him. "Oh? Well then, how about I set you up with someone? You'd actually go?"
"Absolutely. Thanks in advance," I chirped, all bright smiles.
The following days passed in radio silence—no calls, no texts from Jason.
Instead, Shairine showed up unannounced at my apartment.
Yves and I were both home when she arrived.
"Alright," Yves said, crossing his arms. "What's this about?"
Jason never avoided scallions—in fact, he always claimed they made soup better. After a brief pause, I typed back a flat, Okay.
The second I hit send, I pulled up a food delivery app and ordered the first yam and pork rib soup I saw, sending it straight to his office.
That night, I went out to dinner with my brother.
We'd just been seated at our reserved table when Jason and Shairine walked in, arms linked and grinning like lovesick teenagers.
The moment Jason spotted us, he dropped her hand like it burned him and strode over.
Shairine's smile flickered, but she recovered fast, gliding up with saccharine sweetness. "We're running late, and the place is packed. Mind if we join you?"
Before anyone could answer, Jason plopped down right beside me.
Yves' eyebrows shot up. "Uh, no way," he said, hauling Jason up by the elbow. "You really think it's cool for me to sit next to my sister?"
Grudgingly, Jason let himself be shoved into the seat across from me, his eyes boring into mine like he was waiting for some kind of reaction.
I ignored him, sliding the menu to Shairine instead. "You two order whatever—we already picked our dishes."
She took it with a practiced smile. "Zoey, your homemade yam and pork rib soup is divine. Way better than takeout."
Bingo. So the soup request had been for her.
I gave a tight-lipped smile and said nothing.
Yves, oblivious, beamed with pride. "She randomly decided to take cooking classes last month. I figured she'd burn the house down, but turns out she's got talent. Some guy's gonna be real lucky."
Jason's faint smirk vanished. He took a slow sip of tea, voice deceptively calm. "Zoey, are you seriously considering dating now?"
I blinked at him.
Remembering his words from that night in the private room, I nodded. "I'm 26. It's about time. If you know anyone decent, feel free to introduce us."
"Finally!" Yves whooped, louder than necessary. "I've been trying to set you up for years. Now that you're actually willing, I'll find you the perfect guy!"
Jason's jaw clenched. His gaze turned razor-sharp, dissecting my expression like he could uncover some hidden truth.
Shairine, sensing the tension, tittered. "You're so lucky to have such a doting brother, Zoey. I'm jealous! Though honestly…" she tilted her head at Jason, "someone here is pretty amazing too. What if—"
"Don't." Jason cut her off, frowning. "Zoey's like a sister to me." His tone held warning, though his face just looked annoyed.
I nodded along cheerfully. "Exactly. Jason's basically family. Jokes like that are awkward, Shairine." Leaning in, I added, "Besides, you two are way more compatible than we'd ever be."
Jason's expression iced over. A humorless laugh escaped him. "Oh? Well then, how about I set you up with someone? You'd actually go?"
"Absolutely. Thanks in advance," I chirped, all bright smiles.
The following days passed in radio silence—no calls, no texts from Jason.
Instead, Shairine showed up unannounced at my apartment.
Yves and I were both home when she arrived.
"Alright," Yves said, crossing his arms. "What's this about?"
End of The Other Woman in His Shadows Chapter 3. Continue reading Chapter 4 or return to The Other Woman in His Shadows book page.