Chapter 5

When I stepped out of the bathroom, I saw Jacob lounging on the sofa, looking completely at ease. He was spinning my phone in his hand with a mischievous grin.

"Guess who just called you," he said, his tone teasing.

I was puzzled. "My parents?"

His smile widened into a playful smirk. "Your ex-husband."

Ah, I understood immediately—he was jealous. I softened my voice, trying to reassure him. "We haven't been in contact for a while. Besides, I'm already your wife now. Don't be upset."

The word "wife" clearly pleased him, as his lips curved upward in a satisfied smile. "But I haven't even met your parents yet. What kind of husband am I supposed to be?"

I hesitated. "Right now?"

Jacob nodded seriously, his tone mock-offended. "Why not? Don't think I'm good enough?"

That was impossible. With his looks and background, he was the kind of guy most women would dream of. Honestly, I felt like I was the one who got lucky in this relationship. Still, I scratched my nose awkwardly. "It's just... I haven't had the chance to tell them the wedding was canceled. If I suddenly bring you home, I'm afraid they'd be scared out of their minds."

When Caleb first brought up having a child with Rebecca, I was just angry. But the moment I saw Rebecca's prenatal check-up slip, I lost all hope completely.

Jacob feigned a wounded look, his voice dripping with exaggerated sadness. "So you're planning to keep me nameless forever? That's just cruel."

He even pretended to sniffle, looking as pitiful as possible. I couldn't stand it and shrugged helplessly. "Alright, alright, I give up. At least let me call them first, okay?"

Instantly, his fake sorrow vanished, and his eyes lit up. "Deal. I'll even give my wife a shoulder massage while you call."

"By the way, what should I prepare? What do your parents like? Do you think they'll like me as a son-in-law? What are their hobbies?" He fired off a rapid series of questions, his nervous excitement making me laugh.

"Relax," I said, trying to stifle my amusement. "They're not wild beasts. Besides, I'll be there. What's there to worry about?"

Despite my reassurance, Jacob was still pacing back and forth on the balcony, practicing what he'd say when he met my parents. His nervous energy was almost endearing.

After I sent a message to my parents, I noticed something unusual. My messaging app was flooded with notifications—over ninety-nine unread messages. Frowning, I opened them. Sure enough, it was Caleb.

[Who was that man on the phone?! Are you cheating on me?! Do you have a death wish?!]

When I didn't respond, his messages became more frantic and aggressive. [Let me tell you, no man will ever want you except me. You better come back and apologize right now!]

[How dare you freeze my bank card?! Don't you know Rebecca needs money for her prenatal care?! Unblock it immediately!]

Caleb was truly panicking now. In the past, no matter how bad our fights got, there had never been another man in the picture. And this time, I had been completely unresponsive, not out of spite, but because I was done. He could sense it. Over the years, Caleb had gotten used to living off me. He couldn't function without my financial support. Now, he was bombarding me with insults and demands, desperate for some kind of reaction.

I felt irritated, wondering how I could have been so blind to fall for someone like him in the first place. After blocking him, I took a picture of the marriage certificate and posted it on my social media with a caption: "Mr. Whitaker, looking forward to spending the rest of my life with you."