Betray
Isla was watching her husband cheat with the nanny.
Through the glass window of the third floor, covered in ivy, Isla saw her husband Lolan. This normally meticulous man was disheveled, lying on their nanny Clover who had joined them six months ago. His face showed a passion rarely seen since their marriage two years ago.
“You see it with your own eyes, Isla. Your husband can’t control himself,” Jayden said fiercely, standing next to Isla, watching the same scene.
Jayden Bauer, their butler, took over from his father three years ago, continuing the Bauer family tradition of serving the Allard family. He was also Isla’s childhood friend and had strongly opposed her marriage to Lolan, but he couldn’t stand against Lolan’s oppressive power and wealth.
Unlike what Jayden expected, Isla just watched everything calmly, without making a sound.
What can be done? Isla thought bitterly. She even felt that Lolan hadn’t done anything wrong – he just didn’t love her anymore.
Watching her husband just a floor away, she felt their hearts were miles apart.
Seeing Lolan’s lost demeanor, Isla remembered the many expressions he had shown only to her: his persistence in pursuing her, his anger when he couldn’t have her, his tears when he opened up to her, his joy at their wedding. All these beautiful moments had slowly faded away like butterflies over time after their marriage.
Lolan is a man who can’t control himself, Isla knew.
Lolan's pursuit of Isla was just an obsession. Maybe he liked her a bit, but it wasn’t love. He didn’t want to follow his father’s plans. He was like a rising sun, while his father was a setting one. He was ready to shine in the Allard family, using Isla as a tool to defy his father. During a heated argument about his marriage, 20-year-old Isla, new to the house to help her mother, just stood by, witnessing the father-son clash and the chaos it caused. Suddenly, Lolan saw Isla and mockingly told his father, “You think I’ll listen to you, like my mother who died because of you? Dream on!” He then approached Isla, grabbed her wrist, and declared her as his fiancée in front of everyone.
Isla and Lolan's first encounter was that dramatic. They talked, fought, and even tried to escape, but eventually, Lolan forcefully confined her until they married.
While pursuing Isla, Lolan did put in effort. He said she brought him many new experiences: opening his heart, feeling heartache, being persistent with a girl, and longing for love. A year before marrying, Lolan clumsily entered Isla's world, controlling her emotions and life. Over time, tangled with Lolan, Isla couldn’t tell if it was love or not, slowly lowering her standards and finally giving in.
At first, Lolan maintained the marriage with a bit of liking and novelty. After all, the smile on her wedding day didn't seem fake, the tears shed when she said her vows for her didn't seem fake, and the short-lived happiness after the wedding didn't seem fake.If everything is fake, then what is real?If everything was staged by Nolan, then Nolan isn't a competent actor who strikes out midway through a scene and doesn't care.
But after two years, having fully taken over his father’s business, he became complacent, losing interest in the relationship and turning to their new nanny.
Now, Lolan is just having an affair, not openly with another woman in front of Isla. Maybe he doesn’t want to hurt Isla, who perfectly plays the role of a prestigious lady. With Isla, the Allard family's image is positive, which is good for the company's stock. In essence, their relationship now is just based on mutual benefits. Isla relies on the Allard's resources for her mother’s medical treatment, and Lolan uses Isla’s image to protect the family's assets.
Endless nights out, indifferent attitudes, and unfamiliar perfumes on his return – Isla knew clearly. Love or the lack of it is obvious. But she silently endured it all for her sick mother.
Thinking of this, Isla felt resentful towards Jayden for making her witness her husband’s affair.
Knowing in your heart and seeing with your own eyes are totally different. When Isla actually saw her husband cheating, she thought her loveless heart wouldn't hurt, but it did – for herself and her sick mother Hazel, who really liked Lolan. Hazel's last conscious memory was of Lolan coming to look for Isla.
“Let's go, Jayden, don't make a scene about today. You know what to do as the Allard's butler,” Isla said calmly as she left the attic.
“Wait, Isla, are you just going to be calm about this? You should…” Jayden couldn’t finish his sentence before Isla was out of sight. He quietly followed her.Jayden's anger at Nolan's cheating was fake, and his anger at Lsla's inaction was real.Obviously when Nolan was going to marry Lsla, Jayden had asked Lsla if she wanted to come with him, and they'd go away together, far away, with no worries but each other.But Lsla refuses, or maybe she never had that in mind.But Jayden was so upset, he had loved Lsla for so many years, he had known Lsla much earlier than Nolan, but it was because he didn't have the right to compete with Nolan...
Jayden felt another pang of sadness at the thought.
Isla and Jayden left the house and headed towards the main building. They came across the Allard family's bodyguard training.
The head security guard, Gurgen, hurried to Isla, “Mrs. Allard, Mrs. Hazel was looking for you. She said the party's preparations are ready, and she needs you for styling.” After responding, Isla left, splitting up with Jayden who went ahead to prepare for the party, leaving Gurgen staring after her, his eyes filled with fervor and reluctance.