Love Too Late, Ashes Too Soon

Chapter 3

Frank pulled Jennifer gently into his arms. "I'm sorry, Jennifer. Back then, Autumn tricked me, told me she was the one who stepped in to save me when I was drugged. I married her out of a sense of duty. But once we were married, I couldn't just walk away. I didn't want to be the kind of man who bails."

"But you have nothing to worry about now. She's hurt you enough already. This time, I've made sure she paid for it. She won't dare mess with our lives again. Just focus on getting your strength back and having another baby. The three of us, plus Autumn and her child, we'll all live peacefully together."

Jennifer blinked, her expression flickering. "What?"

Frank smiled, as if what he'd just said made perfect sense. "Don't stress. Legally, I'm married to Autumn, sure, but my heart belongs to you. Just think of her as a live-in maid. She'll cook, clean, and our kid will have a playmate."

Jennifer's smile barely held. There was a flash of something dark in her eyes. "Of course. Whatever you say, Frank. I'll make nice with her."

I couldn't help but laugh bitterly.

Even now, after everything, he still wouldn't let me go. He really believed I'd quietly accept being the third wheel in their perfect fantasy, reduced to some kind of glorified servant. As if I'd meekly stick around just to make their lives easier.

I shook my head slowly.

No more, Frank.

You got what you wanted.

Frank suddenly felt a wave of irritation he couldn't explain. He glanced at the food on the table, his appetite gone.

He ladled some soup for Jennifer. She giggled, mimicked him, and leaned in to feed it back to him mouth-to-mouth. He enjoyed the show, her bold, flirty moves, but something gnawed at him.

"This soup tastes awful," he snapped. "What's wrong with the chef? If they can't cook, fire them. Get someone who can."

He grumbled, almost to himself, "It's not even close to what Autumn used to make."

Jennifer's expression faltered, but he didn't notice, or didn't care.

"Jennifer needs nutritious meals," he continued. "We should let Autumn out so she can cook properly."

Then, as if struck by a sudden burst of generosity, he added, "Go tell her I'm giving her a chance. If she gets on her knees and apologizes to Jennifer, I'll forgive her."

Thinking of the child I was about to deliver, Frank's expression softened slightly.

"She's been using the baby as an excuse anyway, right? Tell her to cook for Jennifer for a week. After that, I'll arrange a proper delivery room so she can give birth safely."

His subordinates exchanged uneasy glances, hesitating.

"What are you standing around for?" he snapped.

One finally stepped forward, voice trembling. "Sir… you might want to check the cafeteria yourself."

Frank frowned. "What for?"

The man swallowed hard. "The steamer… it's full of blood. The water's red."

Frank froze for a moment, then scoffed. "She probably went into labor. Her water broke, that's all."

"Sir…" another subordinate whispered, pale and sweating. "She… she's already dead."

Frank's smile faltered.

"She stopped making any sound yesterday afternoon. And now the steamer, " his voice broke, ", it smells like… cooked flesh."