Chapter 4 The Jealousy He Never Expected
Chapter 4
The Jealousy He Never Expected
Aadhira slowly turned around.
The room suddenly felt smaller.
Too small for the tension building between them.
Arjun stood near the bed, one hand still holding the divorce papers while the other loosened his cufflinks impatiently. His face remained calm, but she knew him well enough to notice the signs.
The sharpness in his jaw.
The dangerous stillness in his eyes.
He was angry.
No.
Not angry.
Threatened.
Aadhira forced herself to stay composed. "You can't force someone to stay married to you."
Arjun let out a low humorless laugh.
"Can't I?"
The confidence in his voice sent unease through her chest.
Of course he could.
Men like Arjun Oberoi always got what they wanted.
Companies. Deals. Power.
And maybe now... her too.
"You stopped acting like my husband a long time ago," she whispered. "Why does this suddenly matter now?"
His gaze locked onto her instantly.
Because suddenly the idea of losing you feels unbearable.
But Arjun didn't say that aloud.
Instead, he stepped closer slowly. "You're still my wife."
"That title means nothing if the relationship behind it is dead."
Something flickered in his expression at those words.
For the first time, she saw actual frustration crack through his perfectly controlled mask.
"You think this marriage is dead because I worked too much?" His voice deepened slightly. "Because I trusted someone professionally?"
Aadhira looked at him quietly.
"No," she answered softly. "Because you made another woman part of our marriage."
Silence.
Heavy silence.
Arjun's eyes darkened.
"She was never part of us."
"But she was always there."
The truth hit harder because neither of them could deny it.
Naina had become a permanent shadow between them.
At first it was harmless.
Then constant.
Then unbearable.
Aadhira still remembered the nights she waited alone for Arjun while dinner turned cold. The way Naina's name always appeared in conversations.
Meeting with Naina.
Dinner with clients and Naina.
Singapore project with Naina.
Late-night conference with Naina.
Even vacations turned into work trips somehow connected to her.
And the worst part?
Arjun genuinely never noticed the damage he was causing.
Because to him, work had always come first.
Everything else came later.
Including his wife.
"You know what hurt the most?" Aadhira asked quietly.
Arjun stayed silent.
"You stopped reaching for me."
The words landed softly.
But they shattered something inside him.
Aadhira looked away, embarrassed by her own honesty now.
"You used to notice small things," she continued weakly. "If I skipped meals. If I was upset. If I couldn't sleep."
Her lips curved into a painful smile.
"Then one day... you just stopped looking at me."
Arjun's chest tightened unexpectedly.
Because she was right.
Before marriage, he had noticed everything about her.
The way she tucked hair behind her ear when nervous.
The way her nose turned pink when angry.
The books she loved.
Her favorite tea.
Back then, his entire day somehow revolved around her without him realizing it.
Then business expanded.
Pressure increased.
Naina returned.
And slowly, his attention shifted away while assuming Aadhira would always remain there waiting for him.
A terrible mistake.
Arjun suddenly moved forward and grabbed her wrist before she could turn away again.
The touch was warm.
Firm.
Possessive.
Aadhira's breath caught as he pulled her slightly closer.
"Look at me."
She hated how her heart still reacted to his voice.
Slowly, her eyes lifted toward him.
Big mistake.
Because the way he was staring at her now made her pulse stumble.
Intense. Heated. Unstable.
As if something inside him had finally snapped awake.
"You think I don't look at you?" he asked quietly.
Aadhira swallowed hard.
Arjun's fingers tightened slightly around her wrist before his gaze slowly moved across her face.
"I notice every man staring at you."
Her breath faltered.
"What?"
His jaw hardened instantly. "That actor tonight looked at your waist three times."
Aadhira blinked in disbelief.
Seriously?
"That businessman near the bar couldn't stop watching you either." His voice turned colder. "And that idiot in the grey suit smiled when you drank champagne like he had a chance."
Aadhira stared at him speechlessly.
This was insane.
For three years this man barely reacted emotionally.
Now suddenly he sounded jealous enough to kill someone.
"You're unbelievable," she whispered.
"No." He stepped even closer. "I'm late."
The honesty in that sentence shook her more than anger ever could.
For one dangerous second, silence settled between them differently now.
Too intimate.
Too personal.
Aadhira became painfully aware of how close he was standing.
The warmth of his hand around her wrist.
The faint smell of whiskey and expensive cologne.
The tension burning beneath his calm expression.
God.
Why now?
Why after she had finally decided to leave?
Arjun's gaze dropped briefly to her lips.
That single movement made heat rush through her body instantly.
"Aadhira," he said softly.
The way he said her name sounded wrong tonight.
Too deep. Too emotional.
Like a man realizing he was about to lose the one thing he truly wanted.
Before she could react, a knock suddenly interrupted them.
The tension shattered instantly.
Arjun looked irritated enough to murder someone.
Kabir's voice came casually from outside the room.
"Bhai, media is still outside the mansion... and Mom invited Naina over."
Silence.
Pure deadly silence.
Aadhira felt Arjun's grip tighten around her wrist.
Then slowly-
Very slowly-
His expression turned terrifying.