Wife Or Mistress? The Shocking Truth About My Marriage - Chapter 100: Chapter 100

I gave in. Because of course I did.
I stood watching Sophia massacre the ingredients.
She sliced her finger cutting ginger. Burned her hand with boiling water. But kept at it like some cooking show contestant.
"Why are you trying so hard?" I asked.
Sophia wiped sweat off her face, looking all glowy: "Because he deserves it."
Then she started listing all Blake's greatest hits.
Driving at 3AM for strawberry cake she randomly wanted. Planting twenty freaking cherry trees because she mentioned liking them once. Staying up all night when she had a fever, checking her temperature every half hour until his eyes were bloodshot...
"After everything he does for me, what's one lousy pot of soup?" Sophia's eyes sparkled. "He says I'm the girl he waited twenty-three years for. The only one he'll ever marry."
I listened, feeling like someone was carving my heart out with a butter knife.
I'd done all that stuff for Blake too.
When he had a fever, I got drenched getting his meds.
When he was pissed off, I'd drink with him till sunrise.
On his birthday, I ran all over town for those stupid limited sneakers he wanted.
But Blake was always ice-cold to me. Couldn't even say "thanks."
I thought that was just how he was. Stupidly believed I could warm him up eventually.
Now I finally got it.
Blake wasn't emotionally stunted.
He just didn't love me.
When he found his perfect match, he loved harder than anyone.
After the soup was done, Sophia looked at her burned hands: "Gotta wrap these up first. Blake will freak if he sees them."
She handed me the thermos. "Mind taking this to him?"
The soup was still steaming hot. I stood outside his room, hearing Blake's voice through the door: "Sophia? That you? Come in."
When I pushed open the door, his smile dropped like I'd flipped a switch.
His eyes went from happy to surprised to arctic in two seconds flat.
"Why are you here?"
I kept my eyes down, fighting to keep my face blank as I put the soup down: "This is—"
"Take it and go," Blake cut me off. "I don't want anything you made."
He leaned back in bed, looking sick but with eyes sharp enough to cut: "Liv, I have a girlfriend now. I don't want anything to do with other women, especially one I used to hook up with."
"Call me an asshole, say I used you, whatever. I just want Sophia to feel secure."
I closed my eyes for a second: "You've got it wrong. I didn't make this. I was just—"
Blake jumped in, staring at the thermos: "I'm being crystal clear. Sophia's my only girl. I don't give a crap about attention from anyone else."
He grabbed the thermos and chucked it in the trash without even looking.
The thud felt like it landed right on my chest.
"Blake! What the hell?!"
Sophia's voice cut through the room.
She rushed in, hand wrapped in gauze. "That soup took me all day with Liv's help!"
Blake's face changed instantly: "What?"
"I can't cook for shit, but wanted to help you get better. I begged Liv to teach me." Sophia's eyes got all teary. "I even cut myself chopping veggies..."
Blake sat up so fast I thought he'd rip his stitches, and dug through the trash for the thermos.
He frantically opened it and poured a bowl, suddenly desperate to drink.