SOME THINGS ARE MEANT TO BE

CHAPTER 28

A bitter laugh. Some smiles were meant to fall helplessly.

She put a pair of spoons opposite her. She had not cooked a lot of dishes, and she wondered if it would be enough for him. After all, she had already eaten half of them. Would he like it?

Diego ’s eyes remained narrowed and directed at her as if he wanted to burn a hole in her body with his stare.

“I will go and change. Shall we eat out?” She did not sit as she wondered if it was too late to change.

“No.” The voice sounded cold, and she cowered at its tone.

Diego sat down and lifted his spoon. All of a sudden, he did not feel like going out. He took a bite with his spoon. It tasted bland, with minimal salt and spice. It did not have an overwhelming flavor. However, to a man who had been starving, it was a delicacy.

Julianna turned around. With her curved eyelashes slightly fluttering, she stared—unmoving—at the man who was eating the dishes that she had cooked. She could feel her eyes turning misty. She felt moved.

As it turned out, they could co-exist peacefully like a normal husband and wife without mockery, hurt, or hatred.

“Do you think I’ll be full?” Diego looked up abruptly and stared at Julianna, right into her pure and beautiful eyes. The corners of his lips curled up slightly. He seldom saw her look so silly.

It was easy to guess what went through her mind.

“Remember to wait for me tomorrow. Or else, you don’t ever have to eat again.” It was clearly a threat... but somehow, it was lacking.

Diego had chosen to be a paper tiger in this instance.

Julianna hurriedly nodded and sat down. She picked up her spoon and began to eat only the rice in her bowl.

“Why aren’t you eating with the dishes?” Her head was almost buried in the bowl. Did she think it was tastier to have just plain rice?

“There wasn’t much left. I was worried that it might not be enough for you.” Julianna looked up and started counting the dishes left. It was indeed insufficient. She had eaten some, and so did he. If she continued, there wouldn’t be any left.

“Remember to cook more next time. With so little, do you think you’re feeding a cat?” His fingers paused for a moment. Very seldom had a woman cared for him like this. Around him, women would refuse to eat because they were trying to slim down. Not because they were worried that he did not have enough. As for Diana, he was always the one to care for her and pamper her. Naturally, she did not have to do this for him.

This was care without any motive. She really thought it was not enough. He had the impression now: if they had only one bun now, she would rather starve to death and let him have the whole bun.

He gripped his spoon tight. Without knowing why, he felt more conflicted with his feelings now compared to earlier.

He had held onto some things stubbornly and consistently. However, gradually, little by little, they had started to loosen.

“Come here.” He put the spoon down and reached out. Julianna bit her spoon and looked at him, bewildered.

“Woman, do not always make me repeat my words.” His voice deepened. Julianna finally stood up and walked over to him. However, she did not know what he wanted.

Diego pulled easily with a backhand. She landed on his lap, and her cries for help were muffled between their kisses.

His kiss was extremely forceful, as if he was going to consume her soul. She could only accept his plundering. They were like this from the start—him capturing and her succumbing.

Diego finally let go of her and placed a hand on her cheek, gently tracing her slightly swollen lips. He was the one who had made her lips rosy red. His eyes darkened slightly.

“Julianna, remember, this is mine.” He put his hand on her lips. “Only I can touch them.” Then his hand shifted down to her waist. “Your body is mine, too. Only I can look. And...” Did something flash across his dark eyes?

His fingers went to her upper chest. “This is mine, too. Your whole being, your soul, your life. All of you belong to me.

“Do you understand?” He grasped her sharp chin and looked at her blinking, gentle, bright, and big eyes. They were beautiful—one of the most beautiful he had seen, but they were also the most wicked. He still had not forgotten how his Diana had died.

“Julianna, you killed Diana. You must use your whole life—your everything—to pay me back.”

His voice was like a huge black net, capturing Julianna’s heart securely.

Julianna just nodded her head lightly. She knew and understood her place in this marriage, but she just wished he could treat her less cruelly and hurt her less. She could take the pain in her body, but please, don’t hurt her heart anymore.

This man was always like that. Just when a person started thinking he was treating them differently, he would hurt them instead.

“You’re crying again.” Diego placed his finger under her eye, rubbing away her tears gently. He then put his finger against his lips. This was the first time he took the initiative to taste a woman’s tears.

He never thought it would be so salty between his lips... and slightly bitter.

Sometimes, hatred is a double-edged sword. When a person hates someone, that person might actually be hating themselves, too.

When he was hurting someone... maybe he was being hurt, too.

This battle between them seemed to reach a deadlock.

“Good girl. Remember to wait for me tomorrow.” He bit her earlobe but realized that her soft ear had turned red. It was cute.

Not only did Julianna’s eye rims turn red, but her eyes were also turning red, too. He said ‘tomorrow’. Was there really going to be a ‘tomorrow’?

She was extremely moved by Diego ’s small kindness, but she never thought that behind his kindness, there might be an ulterior motive.

Diego put his hand on Julianna’s head, his lips curving into a perfect smile. She was not sure what meaning the smile held.

However, it definitely was not a genuine smile. It would never appear on someone as cold as Diego .

Julianna was waiting for tomorrow nervously, the tomorrow he said.

She had already changed into a new set of clothes. In the mirror was a woman smiling brightly with a hint of silliness and naivety. She was not crying anymore... but smiling.

Diego , her husband. She sat at the top of the bed, her fingers brushing gently against another pillow. Last night, they spent yet another quiet and blissful night together again. He kept holding her as they slept. He thought that there was nothing but hatred between them, but that was not the case now. Their relationship was improving gradually; it kept changing.

He could not love her, but at least hate her less.