Chapter 3

Jessica shook her head in the bathtub, remembering how Dylan used to make love to her there whenever they bathed together as a couple. Now, he was avoiding her.

She resumed bathing in the white bathtub with her sponge, soap, and water. After finishing her bath, she rinsed her body and walked out of the bathroom into the bedroom to dress.

Dylan had already put on his white night robe and was sitting on the bed, feeling tipsy from the alcohol he had consumed at Rosie's home.

He saw Jessica step out of the bathroom and immediately looked away, turning to face the wall as he lay down to sleep.

Dylan turned his back on Jessica, and she frowned at his behavior, knowing he was truly avoiding her.

Jessica walked to their wardrobe to take out a nightgown. She tried hard not to cry, as she didn't want to divorce Dylan.

She knew he had been behaving strangely lately, especially after being absent from home for two days in a row. She wondered, "Who's the new woman in his life now?"

Jessica stood searching for a nightgown for what felt like hours. Even though she had already touched the white nightgown she wanted to wear, she stood beside the wardrobe, lost in thought, as tears streamed down her face.

Finally, Jessica snapped out of her trance, took out the white nightgown she had been holding, and put it on, glancing back at her sleeping husband on the bed.

Her eyes moved to the divorce papers on the headboard, and she shook her head in sadness before finally joining her husband in bed to sleep.

Dylan was already fast asleep on the bed, but as Jessica climbed into it, he felt her weight and opened his eyes slightly, seeing the pretty woman beside him.

Realizing it was his wife, whom he was about to divorce, and noticing she was sobbing, Dylan sat up and sleepily asked, "What's wrong, babe?"

Jessica sniffled, wanting to reply, but Dylan lay back down on the bed, and fell asleep again. The alcohol hadn't worn off, and he was tired and exhausted from spending time with Rosie after work.

Dylan turned his back on Jessica again, adjusted his pillow beneath his head, and resumed sleeping. Jessica blinked away her tears, sitting on the bed and looking at her sleeping husband.

Not wanting to accept that they were going to divorce the next day, Jessica decided to be the good wife she always was. She wrapped her left arm around Dylan's waist and moved closer to him on the bed, inhaling his scent and seeking warmth.

Jessica rested her head on Dylan's left arm, intending to caress his face, but Dylan, smelling her sweet scent, opened his eyes and sprang up from the bed, even in his drunken state, he pushed her arm away.

Dylan looked at Jessica angrily and asked, "What's wrong with you, Jessica? Why won't you let me sleep?"

Dylan noticed Jessica wasn't wearing a bra under her white nightgown, which was almost transparent. He looked away as she replied, "I want you, Dylan."

"But I don't want you anymore, Jessica. I want a divorce, and you should sign the papers tomorrow and leave tomorrow! I'm not joking about it," Dylan said curtly. He took his pillow and stepped off the bed, putting on his slippers to leave the bedroom. He snatched the pillow from Jessica's hands as she tried to stop him.

Dylan walked out of the room, leaving Jessica alone on the bed in the master bedroom. She cried out, "No, sweetheart! Wait! Where are you going?"

Jessica hurriedly got out of bed and chased after Dylan, as he exited the sitting room upstairs and went downstairs to the guest room to sleep.

"Dylan! Open this door!" Jessica banged on the guest room door, pleading for him to unlock it.

Dylan ignored her, going to bed in the guest room to sleep, avoiding her attempts to seduce him.

"Dylan! Open this door now! I'm your wife!" Jessica cried, banging on the door loudly. She glanced at the corridor clock and saw it was already past midnight.

Jessica shook her head and returned upstairs to the master bedroom to sleep alone, not wanting to wake their kids. The master bedroom was the biggest room in the mansion, and she climbed onto the king-sized bed, covered in a white bedspread, to sleep.

She lay on the bed, trying to sleep. As it was Wednesday night, she knew her kids would be going to school the next morning. She needed to sleep early to wake up and prepare them for school.

But sleep eluded her as she cried, thinking about the new woman who had come into her husband's life, threatening to destroy her marriage.

Jessica thought about losing weight to impress Dylan and be the slim woman he wanted. She had tried before, but it wasn't easy, as she loved eating and sleeping, being at home all the time.

She had spoken to her best friend, Esther Friday, about her plans to lose weight. Esther advised her that the best way to lose weight was to hit the gym.

Jessica had been exercising daily, but losing weight was still challenging.

She sniffled on the bed and eventually fell asleep. She dreamt of a beautiful, short woman entering her home with a big black suitcase. The woman looked at Jessica irritably and ordered her to serve meals.

In the dream, Jessica served the woman, who sent her away from her husband's home. Jessica pleaded, "Please, you cannot send me away from my husband's house. Leave Dylan alone so he can see me, his wife."

But the woman replied, "No. I've known Dylan longer than you have, and your time in his life is up. So, go away."

Jessica saw Dylan rushing into the room to meet her. He throw her suitcase outside their home, not caring about their kids. He told her, "Leave my house, Jessica. This marriage is over. Get out of my life!"

"No, Dylan! Please... Don't send me away. I love you very much... Please, Dylan..."

Jessica struggled in her sleep on the bed, dreaming of the beautiful short woman who came into her marriage.

She continued pleading with Dylan in her dream, "Please, Dylan, don't send me away. Please.. Dylan, Dylan.."

Jessica watched as Dylan rushed to meet her in the dream, dragging her by the wrist to throw her out of their mansion. She cried out the more, "Please, Dylan! You cannot send me away, Dylan! Dylan! Dylan, please!"

"I'm here, Jessica! Wake up!" Dylan shook Jessica vigorously on the bed to wake her from her nightmare. He sat beside her on the vast bed, shaking her again and again to awake her.

Earlier, when he had woken up in the guest room earlier, Dylan had a headache and remembered returning home the previous night with the divorce papers Rosie had given him for Jessica to sign. He had ordered her to sign it too.