The way mistresses were portrayed in TV dramas had left a deep impression on Tailsa. So much so that she never considered being one herself.
She felt it was better to work a regular job than to be a mistress.
No status, no legal protection.
Any children would be illegitimate, hidden from the world.
You couldn't control your own man.
And most importantly, if caught by the wife, the best outcome was being stripped naked and thrown outâthe worst, having acid thrown at you.
Acid!
Just the thought of that made Tailsa anxious, and she declared loudly, "James, let me tell you, you can forget about it. Even if I'm dirt poor, I'll never be your mistress."
She wiped away a tear and shouted at Jay Johnson again, "Bro Jay, stop the car!"
Jay Johnson was in a dilemma. He had never encountered a situation where the boss was arguing with his lover and didn't know whether to stop or not.
Seeing Tailsa so agitated, and without any objections from his boss, he cautiously slowed down to a crawl. After driving at this snail's pace for a bit without any further instructions, he pulled over.
Then, sitting in the driver's seat, he silently watched the drama unfold.
James finally understood what she was thinking.
He was bewildered. "Who said anything about you being a mistress?"
Tailsa, seeing him still trying to deny it, immediately fired back, "Then why won't you tell me where you live? Why are you so obsessed with that damn old phone? Why won't you put both our names on the deed?"
Seeing him speechless, Tailsa, with reddened eyes, accused him in a tone filled with misery and grievance, "You have a wife, why are you messing with me?"
James couldn't explain these things. He thought for a moment, then pulled out his ID card as proof. "You can check my ID, see if I'm married."
Tailsa was taken aback by his forthrightness.
Hope flickered in her heart where despair had been. She stammered, "You... you really don't have a wife?"
James spread his hands, "I really don't."
Tailsa thought she might have misjudged him, and her face flushed slightly. But seeking reassurance, she weakly pressed on, "And you promise I'm your only girlfriend? No other fiancées or anything?"
For the sake of his affection points, James immediately vowed, "Yes, I swear, there's no other girlfriend."
Seeing his sincerity, Tailsa's heart fluttered, and she boldly continued, "And you promise there won't be any in the future?"
"..."
James was stumped.
He gazed into Tailsa's pleading, doe-like eyes, saw her little nose twitching as she cried, and the tear tracks still wet on her cheeks.
It was a scene of pure vulnerability, a sight that could melt the hardest of hearts.
James felt an urge to hold her close and comfort her.
But... he was an honest man.
He wouldn't make promises he couldn't keep.
Money, he could give.
Love, he could give.
But the promise of loving only her for the rest of his lifeâthat, he couldn't give.
He didn't want to give up the entire forest for Tailsa.
Nor did he want to be a liar.
If Tailsa couldn't accept him having other women, then they would have to part ways.
He might not get the rebate, but they had been intimate.
Consider the sports car the price of a night together.
There were plenty of beautiful women in the world, and surely many who liked money.
If this one didn't work out, there would be others.
Perhaps there was a woman who could tolerate his ways.
He heard that live-stream girls were more practical but didn't know if that was true.
He held Tailsa, stroking her hair, not answering her question.
He'd let his silence speak for him.
He'd leave the choice to Tailsa.
Continuing with him meant no commitment and likely other women in the picture.
Tailsa waited, her heart full of hope, but his affirmation never came.
As the seconds ticked by, her heart sank slowly.
She understood.
This man was telling her, in his own way, that she wouldn't be the only woman in his life.
So, in the end, she was still going to be a mistress.
She, a recognized beauty of Jiang University, was reduced to this.
She pitied herself.
Tears flowed freely as she buried her face in his chest, her sobs muffled.
She cried her heart out, soaking his shirt with her tears and snot.
James felt a pang of guilt and let her vent her frustrations on him.
"How many girlfriends will you have?" Tailsa sobbed.
"I don't know," James answered honestly.
"Jerk!"
Tailsa cursed, but she knew such men were attractive to other women.
It made sense. A young, rich, and handsome guyâwhy would he love only her?
This wasn't a teen romance drama.
But Tailsa couldn't control her sadness.
This was the first time she had met such a great guy, and she didn't want to give up so easily.
After crying for a long time, she finally calmed down.
Lifting her head, her makeup was smeared, her eyes red and swollen.
She hiccuped as she asked, "What if, in the future, your other girlfriends come after me with acid?" She was preparing for the worst.
"That won't happen. I'll provide you with absolutely reliable bodyguards," James said seriously.
As if that will help! Anyone could sneak up and splash acid; no one could stop that.
Tailsa was filled with fear.
Torn between the allure of the villa and the threat of acid, she didn't know what to choose.
She felt like biting this jerk's shoulder to let him know how conflicted she was.
"Let me just calm down and think, okay?"
Pushing him away forcefully, she roughly wiped her face and opened the car door to get out.
James grabbed her, asking, "Where are you going?"
Tailsa struggled free, retorting coldly, "Home, where else?"
James offered with a smile, "I'll take you."
"I don't want to see you right now, you jerk," Tailsa said, getting out of the car and slamming the door shut.
The loud bang made Jay Johnson wince.
Seeing her so resolute, James sighed helplessly and told Jay Johnson, "Take her home. I'll get a taxi."
"Yes, sir," Jay Johnson replied.
James got out of the car.
He watched as Jay Johnson swiftly made a U-turn, caught up with Tailsa, honked, and spoke to her briefly.
Tailsa glared back at James, then got into the car.
As they passed him, Tailsa didn't roll down the window. James waved at her with a smile, then stood by the roadside, watching the car until it disappeared from sight.
Only then did James shake his head with a wry smile.
Being an honest man who couldn't lie was truly a handicap.
He should've been thick-skinned, lied to get her affection to 80, secured the rebate, and then come clean.
He silently vowed to himself: From now on, I'll be a heartless jerk.
James walked along the road, reflecting on his actions. He was so preoccupied that he didn't even notice the afternoon sun beating down on him as he walked.
After a while, he finally snapped out of it. He looked around, unsure of where to go. The street looked familiar. He recognized the area from his delivery daysâit was lively, with lots of shops.
Not far away, he saw a coffee shop, a hair salon, an internet cafe, a massage parlor...
His attention was drawn to the massage parlor's flashy sign. He stared at it intently, then, without missing a beat, walked into the internet cafe.
It wasn't that he couldn't afford the massage parlor, but the internet cafe offered better value.
Both offered pleasure, but one cost $3 an hour and the other $298. The choice was obvious.
With only five or six thousand dollars left in cash, James kept reassuring himself.