Return, My Love: Wooing the Neglected Ex-Wife

Chapter 67:

After freshening up, Adrian made his way to the dining room and took his seat.

Rebecca, adjusting her disheveled hair, offered an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, Joelle. I’ve been feeling unwell, and the doctor advised me to rest more. That’s why I couldn’t help with breakfast.”

On Joelle’s first day living with the Miller family, Amara had sternly instructed her, “As Adrian’s wife, it’s your responsibility to manage his meals and daily routines. A virtuous wife rises earlier and stays up later than her husband.”

Over the past three years, Joelle had become so compliant and accommodating that caring for others had become second nature, causing her to forget that she was Adrian’s legally wedded wife.

As Rebecca reached for a sandwich from the plate, Joelle slid it away. “I’m sorry; I didn’t prepare one for you.”

Rebecca’s face flushed with embarrassment. “Why not?”

With her hair cascading over her shoulders and a silver earring catching the light, Joelle replied, “I heard you’re quite ill. I must be cautious. If something like death were to happen to you, I’d be blamed.”

Death!

The word “death” hung heavily in the air for Rebecca, who was already struggling with her health.

Tears brimmed in her eyes. “Adie, Joelle is being so mean! I won’t die—the doctor said I’m going to be fine!”

She abruptly stood, her fragile figure gliding away from the table and heading upstairs, her sobs reverberating through the house as if she wanted the whole world to hear. The door slammed shut behind her.

Leah sneered, “You’d think she owns the place!”

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Adrian, picking up a sandwich, commented in a flat tone, “Joelle, that was unkind.”

Joelle snatched the sandwich from his hand. “I’m sorry, but I didn’t prepare one for you either!”

Adrian’s face darkened as he watched Joelle take away the food he was about to eat. “Then who did you prepare all these for?”

“For myself!” Joelle replied coolly.

Leah brought over two lunchboxes, and Joelle packed the sandwiches into them without leaving a single one for Adrian. Adrian’s expression grew darker. “What is going on here?” Leah answered on Joelle’s behalf, “Mrs. Miller is going on a picnic with friends today. Everyone is bringing something, and she’s made sandwiches.”

Adrian’s eyes narrowed. “With whom? How many men and women are there?”

Joelle, grabbing her bag and ready to leave, responded curtly, “That’s none of your concern!”

Joelle had also received an invitation early on. Katherine had organized a picnic to promote the opening of a client’s park and had invited a group of friends.

Joelle had never been one for social gatherings. She had grown accustomed to the solitude of her home, finding comfort in her own company. Whenever she saw Katherine’s lively posts on social media, she felt a pang of envy.

But today was different. Joelle knew she needed to push herself out of her comfort zone and try to make new connections.

The picnic was set in a scenic spot on the outskirts of town, a two-hour drive away. Joelle decided to meet up with Katherine first.

By noon, a few of the men had set up the tents and canopies, while the women busied themselves with preparing the food and organizing the barbecue.

There were four men and four women in total, all single and ambitious like Katherine—except for Joelle.

Joelle kept mostly to herself, focusing on the tasks at hand.

Lunch was simple—the sandwiches Joelle had made. Then, the group split off into different activities: some flew kites, others played cards, and a few napped in the tents.

Joelle, however, silently threaded meat onto skewers for the evening barbecue.

As she worked, a man approached and began to help her with the skewers.noveldrama

“The sandwiches you made were delicious.”

Joelle looked up, recognizing him as Luke Moran, the park’s primary coordinator. He was in his early thirties, dressed in a polo shirt, exuding a calm and reliable demeanor.

Joelle smiled. “Thank you.”

Luke glanced at her. “You’ve been working since we got here. Why not take a break? We’re here to have fun, after all.” Joelle hesitated but then agreed.

Meanwhile, Katherine was having the time of her life, crouched by a small pond, her sunglasses on as she fished with fervor. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves—everyone except Joelle, who acted more like a housemaid. Katherine had tried to coax Joelle into relaxing more than once, just as she had over the past three years. “Alright! I’ll leave these to you, then.”

Joelle pulled up a camping chair and took a sip of her drink, finally allowing herself to unwind.

Luke chuckled at her sudden shift in demeanor but continued threading the skewers.

A few minutes later, Luke called out to her, “Joelle, do you have a Band-Aid?”

Startled from her thoughts, Joelle quickly stood up. “Did you get hurt?”

She noticed a small puncture on Luke’s hand, blood slowly welling up.

She fetched her small bag from the tent, which contained disinfectant and Band-Aids.

Luke’s other hand was gloved, making it difficult for him to handle the Band-Aid, so Joelle took over, carefully cleaning the wound and applying the Band-Aid. “Be careful not to get it wet.”

As she leaned in close to tend to his hand, Luke caught a whiff of her clean, subtle scent—not an overpowering perfume, but the simple, comforting aroma of soap.

He was about to thank her when he noticed Adrian standing a few feet away, watching them intently. He froze, unsure of what to make of the situation.

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