"Heyyyyy… welcome," Ella said with a bright smile as she opened the door for her visitor.
Jasper stepped in; a vibrant, healthy, young man Ella had met at the restaurant where she often had lunch during her work breaks. They ran into each other so frequently that their casual greetings turned into conversations, and those conversations slowly formed a comfortable friendship.
"Have a seat," Ella said, stretching her hand toward the chair across from her.
She offered him a cold glass of juice, and soon they were chatting, laughing loudly about mutual events they had witnessed at the restaurant. Their laughter echoed through the house, warm and carefree.
Ben was in his room. Curious about who was making Ella laugh that hard, he stepped out quietly.
The moment he saw a tall, handsome man sitting comfortably with Ella, taking all her attention, something twisted sharply inside him. Rita's words replayed in his mind, feeding his insecurities, pushing him closer to believing Ella might actually be seeing someone… and that someone might be Jasper.
Jealousy burned in his chest.
He walked calmly toward them, though his heart was nowhere near calm.
"And who is he?" Ben asked, voice low but sharp.
Ella ignored him completely and continued her conversation with Jasper, her laughter still soft and genuine.
Ben clenched his jaw. "What are you doing with my wife?" he asked again, this time louder, anger leaking through his tone.
"Your wife?" Ella stood up, stunned by the words coming out of Ben's mouth. "Who treats a wife the way you do? Bringing your ex into this house… letting her stay, dine with us, sleep in your room, and then treating me like I'm invisible?"
She shook her head slowly. "I'm not your wife," she added, each word heavy, deliberate.
"Now go away. I'm talking to him."
Ben's chest tightened. The sting hurt deeper because he knew she was right. He had pushed her too far, far enough to question everything between them. He said nothing, only stepped back, blaming himself for the damage he caused.
From that day, Ella grew more drawn to Jasper. She rarely came home early. Most of her evenings were spent with him, while Ben burned silently in jealousy and regret.
Fear of losing Ella began to consume him. He knew he had crossed too many lines, and revealing the truth behind his pretense felt like the only option left if he wanted to save whatever remained between them.
Rita, however, noticed Ben growing distant. She saw the shift, the way he secretly followed Ella, monitored her movements, always trying to keep an eye on her without being seen. It made Rita uncomfortable, threatened.
"Leave Ella alone and focus on me," Rita said one night, anger shaking at the edges of her voice. "I've been with you through everything, and I'm still here." She stepped closer, her voice softening. "Nobody cares about you like I do."
But Ben cared less than ever. His mind was fixed on Ella, and guilt weighed heavily on him. He blamed himself for everything; her coldness, her distance, her pain.
Meanwhile, Jasper grew convinced Ella liked him. Every moment she spent with him seemed to confirm his assumptions.
During a dinner outing, he leaned in, trying to kiss her. Ella quickly placed her hand on his chest and stopped him.
"What are you doing?" she asked, surprised, a soft frown on her face.
"Let's not ruin this friendship we have," she said gently. "Let's just enjoy it the way it is."
Jasper paused, absorbing her words, then nodded slowly.
"You know I like you," he admitted. "I'll give you all the time you need."
Unbeknownst to them, Ben stood in a dark corner, watching, a shadow swallowed in silence. The sight shattered something deep inside him, the pain sharp and unforgettable.