Chapter 15 Narcissism Is a No–Go
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Chapter 15 Narcissism Is a No–Go
Jim kept talking beside him.
Charlie lowered his gaze to the woman on the screen–dressed in a sharp black suit, radiant and competent, confident
and poised, exuding pride and resilience.
He couldn’t help but recall the various times he had seen her—
Disheveled, dejected, broken… and today-
Desperately trying to please, yet fleeing in humiliation.
A flicker of frustration settled in his chest.
He had gone too far with his words today.
Candice woke up around 9 p.m., boiling noodles in the kitchen when her phone buzzed.
A message.
From Jim.
Ever since she had jokingly asked for his boss’s height, weight, and measurements, she hadn’t heard back from him.
Now, out of nowhere, he sent her a string of numbers.
And a message:
“Young Master says you owe him a suit. He’s worried you’ll be lost picking it out, so he asked me to send you the specs.”
Candice stared at the screen like she’d seen a ghost. “…?”
What did that mean?
Was he giving her another chance?
The thought barely surfaced before she crushed it.
No. Narcissism is a no–go.
More likely, he was just preemptively cutting off her excuse to show up again under the guise of returning the suit.
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Chapter 15 Narcissism Is a No–Go
If she misunderstood and showed up with a grin on her face, he’d likely respond with another round of scathing
remarks.
Sure, she wanted the job.
But not at the cost of her dignity.
So Candice replied cautiously:
“Got it. I’ve noted the measurements. I’ll purchase it as soon as possible and send it to you by mail.”
Jim relayed the message:
“She said she noted the size and will mail the suit soon.”
“Mail?”
Charlie Clemens, wearing platinum–framed glasses and reading a book, paused slightly at the word.
“Mm.”
He gave a faint, nonchalant hum and turned the page, appearing indifferent.
Jim, however, had served him for twenty years and could see through his every reaction.
He knew Charlie was interested.
He hesitated, then spoke again, “Should I… remind her what this means?”
Charlie didn’t look up. “If she’s not willing, don’t push it.”
…You sure she’s not willing?
Jim thought his young master was being deliberately obtuse, but he didn’t say more.
The next day, Candice went out to buy the suit.
A car discreetly followed her.
She combed through multiple department stores in Vanclyn, meticulously comparing suits that resembled that smoky gray one in material and tailoring.
After over two hours of walking, her legs were sore, and she still hadn’t found the right one.
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It wasn’t that smoky gray suits were rare, but that one had obviously been a bespoke piece from a top–tier tailor–no
brand could compare.
She sat on a bench outside, imagining the look on Charlie’s face when he received the suit–elegant and condescending.
“Ugh, whatever.”
Whether he liked it or not, she was done.
After a brief rest, she dashed into one of the stores she’d already visited and picked a suit with similar fabric and color.
While the assistant fetched the right size, she commented enviously, “Your husband must have a great figure–is he a
model?”
Model?
Hah.
If Mr. Clemens heard that, he’d probably take it as an insult.
Candice left the store with the suit and texted Jim, asking for a shipping address.
While she was typing the message, someone who had been trailing her discreetly snapped a photo and sent it to Kyle.
Kyle had just finished a meeting and returned to his office.
That silhouette he had seen at the golf course yesterday kept lingering in his mind–it looked far too much like Candice.
And worse, there had been a man beside her.
He could fool around, flirt on the side, but she couldn’t.
If someone so much as brushed her hand, he’d want to skin them alive.
To him, Candice was his possession–she should spend her life by his side, love only him, look only at him. Even in his
grave, he would drag her down with him.
So he had her followed.
Just as he sat down, he received a photo: Candice had been shopping for three hours and finally bought a men’s suit.
Kyle smiled.
So she was buying clothes for him.
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She’d come to her senses–no more tantrums.
That’s how it should be. Being his obedient wife was the best outcome.
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Candice had planned to mail the suit immediately.
But when her message received no reply, she had to bring it back home.
She tossed the shopping bag on the couch and went upstairs for a shower.
That afternoon, she spent her time packing up the last of her things.
Eight days left.
Looking around the home she had lived in for years, she was overcome with melancholy.
This house was designed exactly the way she wanted it.
She had picked out every item inside.
Even left a space for a future nursery.
She had intended to spend her life here.
But now, she was being forced to jump ship halfway.
As she was cleaning out a long–neglected drawer in the study, she found an old USB drive. Curious, she plugged it into
her computer–and saw a trove of old photos of her and Kyle.
From high school, from university,
Back then, he had been so clean–cut and handsome.
Looking through the photos of their youthful years, she laughed and cried, as if transported back in time.
She suddenly felt the urge to walk through those memories again-
To properly say goodbye to the Kyle of the past.
That evening, Kyle uncharacteristically came home for dinner.
Candice didn’t cook for him.
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Nor did she want to.
She tossed him a long–expired cup of instant noodles she’d found in the pantry.
Young Mr. Jackson: “…”
“You could just eat out,” she added.
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After all, you liked everything outside so much–outside food, outside women, outside beds. Even garbage from outside tasted better to you than anything at home.
יין..»
She was kicking him out now?
Kyle’s good mood from earlier crashed to zero.
“Other wives prepare a hot meal for their husbands when they come home. You’re giving me instant noodles?”
Candice: Be glad I didn’t put poison in them. That’s already my last bit of mercy.
She couldn’t be bothered to argue.
“There’s one tomato hot pot. I was going to eat it myself, but here–you can have it.”
Kyle was genuinely angry now.
“You forgot I never eat tomatoes?”
Candice slapped her forehead.
“Oh, right. Totally forgot.”
Kyle’s face turned glacial. He stared at her for a long while before storming out of the kitchen and upstairs.
Candice took her tomato hot pot to the dining room, turned on a comedy show, and ate happily.
–
Kyle sulked alone in his study.
She’d spent three hours picking out a suit for him–why was she acting like a different person the moment he came
home?
Even if he hadn’t told her he was coming for dinner, she should’ve gone out and bought groceries right away!
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And she didn’t even remember his preferences anymore…
Kyle’s mood was in the pits.
He got up and went to the dressing room to check out the suit she bought.
After searching everywhere, he couldn’t find it.
Just as he was about to head downstairs to ask her, he stopped.
His steps faltered.
He looked around the room.
Why… did her things look so much fewer than before?
