Jas Black and Jane Sampson lived on the top floor, and since it was a weekend morning, there were quite a number of people heading downstairs. Among them were young people ready to go out for a leisurely stroll or shopping and elderly aunties and uncles, presumably like Jas and Jane, preparing to go out to buy groceries.
"Oh, aren’t you the young couple from the top floor of unit one?"
A middle-aged husband and wife entered just behind them, standing right in front of Jane and Jas. The auntie took several looks at Jas and hmm’d, "I haven’t seen you for a long ti, young man. You and your wife are divorced, aren’t you?"
The corners of Jane’s lips in the mirror grinned more and more broadly, unable to hide her growing smile.
As they stood shoulder to shoulder, the elevator beca more crowded. Jas, worried that soone might bump into Jane, almost enveloped her entirely in his arms.
Thus, Jane could not hide any of her actions, including the slightest expression, from Jas’s gaze.
"Is it that funny?" Jas’s voice, dark and foreboding, descended into her ears, and Jane’s laughter stopped abruptly.
Instantly cowed.
And sensibly shaking her head no.
However, the auntie seed not to notice the oddity between Jane and Jas and continued, "Back when the two of you got married and moved in here, we neighbors all said that the man was handso and the woman was pretty, a perfect match. It’s a pity that it hasn’t been many years, and you’re already divorced."
The auntie sighed and then suddenly asked, "My girl, I rember you and your ex-husband didn’t have any children, did you? That’s good, because divorce is easier when there are no children involved – better for both of you."
"Look, isn’t it enough with your endless prying into other people’s family affairs?" The uncle smiled apologetically at Jas, sensing instinctively that this girl’s ex-husband was not soone to be trifled with.
The auntie beca quiet after being chided by her husband, but still gave him a glare, looking at Jane and Jas with eyes full of pity.
Jane saw Jas with a stern face and she stood very properly in front of him too, daring not to make an extra gaze or show more expressions.
Not until the elevator reached the basent level, coincidentally, the middle-aged couple also ca down to the basent to get their car.
Their parking spot was right next to Jas’s. As the auntie saw Jane preparing to get into Jas’s car, she couldn’t help but ask another question, "Are you just about to go get your divorce certificate?"
Cough cough cough.
Jane nearly choked on her own saliva.
"Didn’t get divorced," Jas’s voice was cold and firm, "My wife and I are quite fond of each other, and we’ll have children sooner or later."
Finally, the auntie sensed the unapproachable coldness emanating from Jas.
But even upon hearing Jas say they hadn’t divorced, the auntie looked unconvinced.
"Really not divorced? If you’re not divorced, then why do your neighbors hardly ever see you around all year?" the auntie muttered softly, no longer as forceful as she was speaking earlier.
"Auntie, my husband and I really aren’t divorced," swore Jane, thinking that if she stood there smiling gleefully, Jas might just break her left hand.
"He’s just been busy with work," Jane explained.
Since they weren’t very familiar with these neighbors, Jane didn’t divulge that Jas was her defender.
The auntie uttered an "oh" and finally noticed that the couple was still holding hands. The auntie pursed her lips and then added, "Then I must have been mistaken; you two do seem very close, still holding hands and all."
After saying her piece, the auntie got into the car and left with her husband.
"Our neighbors all think we’re divorced?" Jas asked Jane.
Jane shrugged, "I don’t really interact with them much, so I wouldn’t know."
In fact, at least half of the neighbors thought she and Jas were divorced.
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