On the way home after bidding farewell to his parents, Jack seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood. He couldn't stop showering me with compliments, rambling about how lucky he was to have me.

He even joked that he must have saved the world in his past life to have been blessed with me in this one.

I simply smiled at him, my eyes gleaming with a mix of approval and satisfaction.

Out of the blue, he changed the subject. "Darling, since we're both so happy today, how about we go shopping for a bag for you? Or maybe something else? Whatever you want, I'll get it for you."

I agreed cheerfully. What I thought would be a quick shopping trip took an unexpected turn when we bumped into Rhea at the mall.

The moment Jack spotted her, a flicker of unease crossed his face. Meanwhile, Rhea quickly left her group of girlfriends and approached us with a friendly smile.

Her gaze occasionally lingered on Jack's face. "Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Ingleton. What a coincidence to see you here!"

I held onto Jack's arm and returned her smile politely. "Ms. Carhill, are you here shopping as well? Care to join us?"

Jack shot me a look of bewilderment. I chided him, "What's with that look? You have no clue what women like. The bags you've bought me before are hideous—I don't like any of them. Don't you think it's such a waste of money?"

Rhea's expression shifted subtly. A trace of jealousy flashed across her face.

Jack opened his mouth to say something, but I cut him off. "Ms. Carhill is younger and probably more familiar with current trends. I'd love for her to help me pick out a few bags and outfits. You don't mind having Rhea around, do you, Jack? Surely, you're not that unreasonable."

Even as I said those words, I felt nauseated by my own theatrics. But when I caught the awkward looks on Jack and Rhea's faces, I knew it was all worth it.

Jack grunted in response, looking reluctant. I knew he was worried that I'd discover their affair.

Turning to Rhea, I asked her again, "Ms. Carhill, would you like to shop with us? I'd appreciate your help in picking out some bags and clothes, but don't feel obliged if you're busy."

Rhea hesitated for a moment before glancing at Jack with a smile. She agreed to come with me.

Throughout the shopping trip, I played dumb, pretending not to notice the silent exchanges and subtle looks between the two of them.

Rhea recommended a mix of outfits to me—most of it was either unflatteringly ugly or overly revealing.

I rejected the ugly pieces outright but bought the sexy outfits on purpose. Before we left, I turned to Jack with a coy smile and said just loudly enough, "I'll try these on at home for you."

After a few of these exchanges, their expressions darkened.

Later, I asked Rhea to pick something for herself—a bag and an outfit. Leaning in, I whispered to her, "It's not like it's your money. Go ahead and splurge. It's on your boss."

Rhea hesitated but ultimately couldn't resist the temptation. The items she picked, though few, ended up being more expensive than everything she had selected for me combined.

I said nothing throughout the checkout process. After all, Jack was the one footing the bill. I wanted him to see Rhea's greed firsthand.

Once the mission was complete, I pretended to look exhausted. "Darling, I'm tired. Can we go home now?"

Jack nodded with a quiet grunt, then turned to Rhea. "Ms. Carhill, you should head home early too."

Even as he spoke, they exchanged subtle signals that they thought only they could understand. I played my part, pretending not to notice a thing.

When we got home, I flopped onto the sofa and looked at Jack. "Darling, I think Ms. Carhill is a great candidate. Let's put her on our list," I said.

It took him a while to get what I meant by the "list".

I thought he'd be thrilled. Picking Rhea as the surrogate would give him a lot of room to work with. But to my surprise, his reaction was firm and resolute.

"She's not suitable," he said decisively.

I sat up, puzzled. "Why not? She's pretty and has a similar build to mine. If I remember correctly, she graduated from a prestigious university. Her genes should be excellent. What's wrong with her?"

Before I could finish speaking, Jack suddenly dropped to his knees before me.