Chapter 1Not Your Trophy Wife

After a furious argument with Asher Voss, he slammed the door shut. Just then, bullet comments flickered before my eyes:

【The protagonist doesn't know, but the male lead was trembling all over when he slammed the door.】

【Oh no, protagonist, go after him! He's hiding in his car crying.】

【Waaah, the male lead's eyes are red, he's really about to break.】

Normally, I'd be swayed by the comments, humbling myself to appease Asher. But at this moment, I was simply exhausted, body and soul. Asher seemed to never learn how to actively love someone else.

* * *

I dragged my weary body home, my shoulders so sore I could barely lift them. In my hand, the late-night meal I’d picked up for Asher dug into my palm, turning it red through the plastic bag. But the moment I stepped inside, before I could utter a single word, a torrent of abuse rained down on me.

"Olivia, how dare you show your face this late? Do you know I've been starving this whole time?"

"Do you even care about me at all?"

"All you ever do is busy yourself with those pathetic jobs!"

Usually, I'd defend myself, but now I was too tired even to speak. I placed the food on the table, my voice soft. "Please eat something, okay, Asher?"

Asher's face was cold as he opened the takeout box. The next second, he abruptly stood up, flipping the table with a loud BANG. Food and drinks splattered across the floor, turning the room into an instant mess. Our favorite matching ceramic mugs lay in shards. A few sharp pieces grazed my calf, leaving thin red marks.

His anger spent, Asher's eyes were bloodshot. He spoke each word distinctly: "What kind of woman comes home almost midnight? Who knows if you've been fooling around with some guy? I just asked if you cared about me, and you didn't even deny it. You clearly don't love me!"

I stared at Asher, dumbfounded, finding it utterly absurd. In the past, whenever he questioned me, I'd hold him, repeating my declarations of love over and over. But now, the bullet comments lit up again:

【Waaah, Asher's just a man who lacks security.】

【Protagonist, what are you standing there for? Tell him you love him!】

【The male lead doesn't have an omniscient view, how would he know you love him if you don't say it?】