His Destructive, Toxic Love

The man let go of her as if he'd been shocked, eyes wide with concern. "Did I hurt you?"

"Casper, I just need some sleep."

She felt like she'd been dreaming forever.

In her dreams, Casper would go on and on about the little things in life and his work, every single day.

Every. Single. Day. It was exhausting.

She didn't want to hear it. She wanted to tell him to stop, but no words came out when she opened her mouth.

Finally, she woke up, but she was so, so tired.

"How about I sleep with you for a bit? Is that okay?" he asked, looking almost pitiful, like he was bracing himself for rejection.

Eliza didn't even have to think. "I want to sleep alone for a bit."

"Alright." He forced a smile, looking a bit down. "I'll make you some food. You've been asleep for ages, you must be starving. I've learned a new recipe, I'll cook it for you."

He turned to leave but came back to kiss her on the lips. "You sleep. I'll wake you when it's ready."

Watching him leave with such excitement, Eliza's eyes dimmed.

She knew that everything in her dream had actually happened.

The words Casper had said, his expressions of longing, even the three-carat diamond ring on her finger and his proposal-she remembered it all.

Her feelings were a tangled mess.

She just wanted to sleep; maybe when she woke up, everything would be clearer.

Casper rolled up his sleeves and got busy in the kitchen.

He didn't let anyone help, clanging and clattering away, but in a methodical way.

When Eliza woke up, he was still in the kitchen, making dessert.

Though the rabbit-shaped dessert didn't look much like a rabbit, and the corn-shaped one didn't look much like corn, he seemed happy.

Eliza stood at the kitchen door, watching him scurry around, feeling something she couldn't quite name.

"Hey," she coughed lightly on purpose.

He turned saw her, and after quickly washing his hands, rushed over to support her. "Why did you come down? You should've stayed in bed. I'd have brought it up when i was ready."

"I've been lying down for days, I'm tired of it. She sat at the dining table in front of the kitchen, looking at the three dishes and a soup. "Did you make all this?"

one

"Yep, try it." He handed her a fork, eyes full of hope. "I made it to your taste."

"You know my taste?" she asked, tilting her head.

Casper looked a bit sheepish but didn't lie. "I asked... Juan."

Juan?

Really?

"So, Mr. Casper needs others to learn about me?" She frowned, disappointed. "Where's the sincerity in that?"

"You're right." He admitted his

mistake. He hadn't done his

homework before, but he promised to get to know her better from now

on. "won't do that anymore

QUMS

Casper looked like a kid who'd been caught doing something wrong.

Eliza saw the word 'pitiful' written all over him for the first time.

An illusion.

It was all an illusion.

She didn't eat much, but she tried every dish.

The flavors weren't Michelin-star level, but they suited her taste, showing he'd really put his heart into it. She suddenly felt a wave of emotion.

When they first got married, she'd bent over backward to please him, only to be met with disdain.

And now, here he was, standing in front of her, serving her like a servant.

It made her think of the saying, "What goes around comes around."

Was this the result she wanted?

She looked down at the diamond ring on her finger and took it off. "Casper, take this back."

"You don't like it?" he asked cautiously.

Eliza shook her head. "It's not that I don't like it, it just doesn't feel right. Let's find time to get a divorce, shall we?"