Cheating Ex Begs for My Mercy

Chapter 2 You Can't Compete with Me

Today, Alexander worked overtime again.

At 9 p.m., he returned home to find me waiting for him at the dinner table.

The table was filled with his favorite dishes, each prepared with meticulous care.

"Camila, didn't I tell you I was working overtime today? You should have eaten first. You don't have to wait for me. I'm too tired today and don't have an appetite. You eat. I'll just take a shower and go to bed."

Looking at his favorite sweet and sour pork ribs on the table, I felt a pang of sadness.

I had been practicing this dish for a long time and could finally make it look, smell, and taste perfect.

I still remembered that when I first learned it, I couldn't control the heat well. The whole dish came out burnt.

He held the big bowl of black, indistinguishable food with a happy face, like a child holding a long-awaited candy.

"This is the first time my Camila made sweet and sour pork ribs for me. It's all mine. No one can take it from me."

But now, the attractive sweet and sour pork ribs lay quietly on the table, but he didn't even glance at them.

I raised my hand and touched my cheek, feeling a trace of moisture.

I felt so sad that I thought I was going to cry.

"Alexander, I think we need to talk. Don't you think there's something wrong with us now?"

He was stunned for a moment as if he had also realized his unusual behavior lately.

He slowly sat down beside me. "Camila, are you overthinking things again? I told you, nothing is going on between me and Ella. I've just been too tired from work lately and haven't been paying attention to your feelings. I'm sorry. Didn't you always want to see the Flower Sea in Boston? I promise you after I'm done with this busy period, we'll go to Boston and have a good time, okay?"

I wanted to believe him. Could it be that I was really overthinking it?

I started to plan and look forward to this trip.

In the following days, Alexander worked less and less overtime. He slowly became like before, as if he had made some kind of decision.

We ate together, chatted together, and planned for the future together. However, he started receiving more and more calls. I glanced at his phone, and it was always the same number.

He said it was work and always hung up in a hurry.

He would often be lost in thought.

I didn't bother him. I knew we were both trying, trying to go back to the peaceful and happy life we had before.

I believed everything would be fine.

*****

Ella asked to meet me. A message popped up on my alternate w******p account: [Hello Camila, you know who I am, right? I think we should talk about Alexander face to face.]

I didn't reply. This was between the two of them. I just had to take care of my husband.

Perhaps sensing Alexander's return to the family, Ella became more and more anxious.

[Camila, do you think you can pretend that nothing happened by ignoring my message?]

[Alexander doesn't love you anymore. He's only staying with you because of responsibility.]

[You should set him free. What's the point of tying him up like this and making everyone suffer?]

I couldn't help but want to laugh. The rhetoric of a third party was always so similar.

The less I responded to her, the more she looked like a joke. There was even a hint of secret revenge in my heart.

To be honest, I was a little surprised that Ella would fall for Alexander, but it made sense after thinking about it.

Alexander and I both came from ordinary working-class families. After graduation, he joined the Ross Group.

With his top-notch educational background, handsome appearance, and excellent workability, he had become a key member of the company in just a few years and was highly regarded by the boss.

We were both hard-working and ambitious, and like all ordinary young couples struggling in big cities, we were full of hope and drive for the future.

*****

I was content with my peaceful life until something unexpected happened.

In the evening, Alexander called.

He sounded exhausted. "Camila, I couldn't come home for dinner tonight, and I'm not sure when I'll be back. A colleague had an accident and needs me to look after her at the hospital."

"Who's sick? Do you need me to help?"

"I'll tell you the details when I get back. She's still in the emergency room, and things are a bit hectic at the hospital. I have to go."

The next day, a photo was sent to my w******p account. It was a pale, slender wrist with a bandage wrapped around it, stained with blood.

Ella had slit her wrists. This woman was crazy.

[Camila, Alexander stayed with me and took care of me all night. He was very worried about me. He loves me.]

[I couldn't live without him. Let him go. You can't compete with me.]

I understood where Alexander went last night. The moment I saw the message, my mind went blank.

But thinking about it, I actually understood him.

After all, it was a life. Who could really stand by and do nothing?

I dialed his number: "Alexander, how's your colleague? What exactly happened?"

His voice was very low. "She woke up very late yesterday and is basically stable now. Let's talk about it when I get home tonight."

"Alexander, what are you doing? Can you get me a glass of water? I'm so thirsty." A sweet female voice came from the phone.

"Alexander, the colleague you were talking about who's hospitalized is Ella, right? Did she slit her wrists? I already knew."

"Camila, don't overthink it. I'll explain everything to you when I get back."

Alexander panicked and hung up the phone in a hurry.

I figured he was probably rushing to get Ella a glass of water.

After all, she was a woman who would die for him.

I suddenly felt powerless. I didn't think I could die for him. I was such a coward.

For the first time, the thought popped into my head. Should I just let him go to Ella? But at the thought of separating from him, my heart ached as if it were about to die.

I couldn't live without him.

*****

That evening, Alexander finally came home.

"Camila, Ella slit her wrists. It was very serious. She lost a lot of blood and almost died. In that situation yesterday, I couldn't just leave her alone. You knew when I found out she slit her wrists, my mind went blank."

"Do you love her?" I only cared about the answer to this question.

Alexander was silent for a long time as if a century had passed.

"Camila, I don't want to lie to you. To be honest, I don't know. Can you give me some time? I'm in a mess right now."

He lowered his head, clutching his hair, his face haggard.

Looking at how he looked after he had taken care of Ella all night, I didn't feel angry, but distressed.

I still loved him. How pathetic I was.

Alexander's mother was coming to stay for a while. Perhaps sensing the strangeness between us, the old lady was a little worried.

"Camila, you've lost weight. Did Alexander treat you wrong? Tell me, and I will teach him a lesson." Emily had always been very good to me, treating me like her own daughter ever since I was a child.

After she found out that Alexander and I were dating, she treated me even more like her daughter.

I didn't want Emily to worry, so I made an excuse. But secrets always came out.

Soon, Emily found out about Ella. She was furious and scolded Ella for being shameless, for seducing a married man.

She said that if Ella wanted to die, she should just die quietly and not let anyone know. She also helped me persuade Alexander to cherish our family and the many years of relationship we had.

Ella was still clinging to him. Looking at Alexander's increasingly exhausted face, both Emily and I felt helpless and distressed. Finally, Emily couldn't bear it anymore and went to see Ella. She was determined to fight to protect her son's marriage.

But after she came back, her attitude changed completely.

"Camila, why don't you consider letting Alexander go to Ella?"