My Precious Family [Jenlisa]

Chapter 39: You promised to keep an open mind

After dinner, Lisa went straight to his room to have a cool shower. He was a man who had dealt with many situations and people who weren't easy to please. Lisa had always been confident in himself as a businessman, but his wife was someone who puzzled him.    

Jennie was very predictable in the past, but ever since that night he brought up divorce, he couldn't read her anymore.    

"Hah..." Lisa comb his hair back, cocking his head while the water from the showed landed directly on his face. 'Jennie... just what is in your mind?'    

Just thinking about it gave him a headache. His mind for the entire day had been occupied by her proposal to postpone the divorce and her messages. Now, this one.    

[ You. What I want is you, Lisa Manoban. There's your answer. ]    

Lisa pulled his head back and snapped his eyes open. Jennie's previous remarks suddenly rang in his head along with how her lips moved, stressing every word in that sentence. His expression darkened, pinching the bridge of his nose.    

'She's driving me crazy,' he thought, having a slight headache from his wife's actions and words. Not knowing what she truly wanted was driving him crazy.    

He didn't want to believe everything she had said. At least, he believed a few but not all. He took some like the one that suddenly popped into his head as empty words. There was no way she would mean those words.    

His eyes fell to the floor, watching the water go straight down the drain. As he recalled her words earlier, he couldn't help but remember a memory he would never forget.    

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[ Four years ago ]    

CLANG!    

Lisa gazed down at the toys and baby bottles scattered on the floor. His expression was stiff, raising his eyes to the woman on the bed.    

"Jennie —"    

"Don't." Jennie was looking away from him, clasping the blanket tightly. "Don't call my name with those damn lips of yours."    

Lisa was unfazed, almost numbed at his wife's treatment. Even before they got married, Jennie was already unhappy with her pregnancy. Her temperament only grew worse as her belly grow bigger.    

They said pregnant ladies were emotional during this time, but was this normal? Even though there was no love between them, he was still trying his best to fulfill his duties as her husband. But Jennie rarely looked at him.    

"Jennie —"    

"Ahhh!!" Jennie suddenly screamed at the top of her lungs before glaring at him. "Just how... many times do I have to say do not call me?"    

Lisa breathed out. "Dara said you hadn't eaten anything. If this continues, it will not be good for you and the child."    

"Hah!" Jennie laughed; eyes bloodshot. "Isn't that good?"    

"Jennie —"    

"Call my name again and you wouldn't like what I'd do." Jennie sneered, eyes swirling with bottomless anger. "Lisa Manoban, I told you. Do not ever come to see me. Yet, you keep showing up in front of me."    

'Because I am your husband,' was what he wanted to say, but bit his tongue.

"Don't tell me you love me now? Hah! Don't make me laugh." Her laughter oozed with ridicule. "We are husband and wife in paper only. There is no need to show concern because I don't need it, Lisa Manoban. And even if I needed help, I will never ask you — ever. I'd rather die than ask you for help. If that is now clear, leave me alone."    

Lisa studied his wife's burning eyes while his lips were drawn into a thin line. "Is this what you truly wish?"    

"Yes." Her answer was quick, as if she didn't need to think about it. "I want nothing to do with you. Not now, not in the future. I will bring your son into this world, but that's it. Don't ever expect anything from me because I despised you more than you can ever think of."    

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[PRESENT TIME]    

"What an irony," Lisa mumbled, cutting off the memory that suddenly resurfaced in his mind.    

Jennie stuck to her words back then. She did bring Jevin into this world, but that was it. After giving birth, she stayed in her room. Dara had to take care of their newly born son as Jennie didn't hold him, let alone took care of him.    

That was the last straw for Lisa. It explained his current relationship and his endless doubt about his wife's current behavior. He tried his best, but Jennie proved time and time again she would rather die than give him a chance to make their family a real one.    

'Don't think about it for now,' he told himself, shaking his head mildly. 'If she truly wanted to change, then that's good. I still have a week before Jevy comes home. I can observe her during this period.'    

Lisa mentally nodded at the solution he came up with. Since Jennie already signed the divorce papers, he could file them anytime. If he sees the slightest sign she was up to something bad, he wouldn't have second thoughts anymore.    

With that in his mind, Lisa finished washing up. Wrapped himself in a robe, he went straight to his room to dry himself up. But much to his surprise, as soon as he opened the door, Jennie was standing outside.    

Lisa froze, gazing down at the woman standing before him. His surprise deterred him from noticing how she was also astounded. Lisa was only in a robe, revealing the cuts on his chest. His hair was dangling past his brows, dripping with droplets of water.    

Lisa was already handsome with his usual neat and professional look. But seeing him with damp, messy hair, right after shower gave him a different allure.    

'Wow... he looks delectable.'    

"What... are you doing here?" Jennie snapped back to the current lapse the moment his voice caressed her ears.    

"I'm going to wash up."    

"Wash up? In my room?" — didn't she have her own bathroom? Or was it broken?    

"You agreed." Jennie smacked her lips, reminding him in a knowing tone. "Didn't you agree to keep an open mind? As husband and wife, sleeping in separate rooms is weird. That is why I thought I should stay in your room from now on! That's okay, right?"