I Spiked His Drink, He Drank It Anyway Chapter 06
The next day. Right before I got off work, Stellan texted me.
[Want me to pick you up?]
I turned him down.
[No need. I’m staying late to rehearse tonight—I’ll just sleep at the apartment.]
As soon as I sent the message, the typing indicator popped up. It disappeared, then came back, only to disappear again.
After several false starts, all he sent back was one word.
[Okay.]
Before we got married, I lived in an apartment near The Aurelia Dance Collective.
It was only a short walk across the pedestrian bridge.
Even after we married, I’d stay there whenever rehearsals ran late.
Iris had planned to stay and rehearse with me at first. But after our second run-through, she stepped outside to take a call.
When she came back, she looked apologetic.
“Sorry, Tamsin. Something came up. I can’t stay tonight.”
“No worries. I’ll just run through it a few more times solo.”
—
“You’re the best,” she said, smiling. “Dinner’s on me another day.”
She headed into the dressing room to change.
When she came back out, she paused at the mirror to touch up her lipstick. She looked like she was heading to a date, no question about it.
The comments immediately went wild.
[Iris is meeting Stellan, isn’t she?]
[Finally! The male and female leads get to have dinner alone.]
[Why’s the side character so calm?]
[Just an act. Inside, she’s burning with jealousy.]
[Who’s fault is that? Stellan offered to pick her up, but she insisted on acting all aloof and staying at her apartment.]
[She basically served the female lead an opportunity on a silver platter.]
[Bet she’s kicking herself now.]
I shut the comments out and kept dancing.
The more I practiced, the smoother my movements became. The calmer I felt.
I wasn’t jealous. And I didn’t regret turning Stellan down.
—
In fact, I’d finally figured it out.
Whoever wanted to be Mrs. Hollister could have the title.
I already had something worth fighting for.
When I danced, I glowed. I was free. Independent.
Rather than chasing someone who would never be mine, I’d rather hold on tight to the career I loved.
That night, back at my apartment, I called Maren.
In the middle of our chat, she casually mentioned she’d spotted Stellan at Kai Sushi & Grill.
She couldn’t quite make out who he was with—just saw him disappear into a private room.
After my shower, I opened social media.
Iris had just posted.
It was a photo from one of Kai Sushi & Grill’s private dining rooms.
She didn’t mention who she’d had dinner with.
But she was holding a bouquet of coral roses wrapped with platycodon.
The comments immediately pointed it out.
[Forget the roses. Look at the platycodon.]
—
[Platycodon stands for unchanging love, patient waiting, and reunion after a long separation.]
[Looks like something went down between the leads tonight.]
[The side character has no idea Stellan never came home.]
[Out all night… you can imagine the rest.]
Right before bed, Mrs. Gable called me.
“Mrs. Hollister, are you coming home tonight? Should I still make your herbal tonic?”
She made one for me every evening.
Whenever I wasn’t coming home, she’d always call to check.
“Not tonight.” I hesitated, then added as casually as I could manage, “Has Stellan returned?”
“Not yet.”
“Oh.” I didn’t say anything else—just hung up.
The next morning, Iris and I changed in the same dressing room.
I accidentally caught sight of several faint marks along her neck and collarbone.
It wasn’t hard to imagine how passionate her night had been.
She looked exhausted. But happy.
—
After changing, she carefully layered on foundation until the marks vanished.
I almost asked about her love life, but decided it was too intrusive.
The comments never stopped trying to pit us against each other.
But by now, I wasn’t so sure they were telling the whole story.
After work, Stellan was already waiting outside the studio.
When he and Iris noticed each other, they naturally looked away. Like complete strangers.
The comments cackled.
[LMAO. Tangled up together all night, total strangers by day.]
[Stellan showed up to pick up the side character today without even asking first.]
[He just left the female lead this morning, and now he’s already back hoping to see her again.]
[Looks like the side character’s finally done. Just waiting on the divorce now so she can cash out.]
[Have to admit, she’s got patience, holding out for that payout.]
[Is she smart or just clueless?]
[Well, of all the things Stellan has, money’s the one thing he’ll never run out of. Might as well go for that.]
—
I met his eyes. “I’m not coming home tonight.”
“Again?”
His gaze deepened, like he was trying to read between the lines.
“I’m meeting Maren.”
That part was true. We’d planned to go shopping together.
“I got you something.”
He reached into the car and handed me a shopping bag.
“Go on. Open it.”
The comments were already ahead of me.
[Is the male lead feeling guilty now? Is that what the sudden gift is about?]
[Wow, he’s not messing around. Fully iced-out watch—millions, easy.]
That was expensive.
I opened the box. Sure enough, inside was a diamond watch.
Stellan bought me gifts all the time.
If divorce was really coming, opportunities like this would be few and far between. No point in saying no.
I accepted it with a polite smile.
—
“Thank you.”
The comments immediately chimed in.
[Wow, she’s so easily bought.]
[Honestly, she’s pretty low maintenance. No drama. She just quietly accepts the gift.]
[Much better than making a scene.]
[The side character doesn’t seem nearly as annoying anymore.]
[Are you kidding? By now, she’s raked in gifts worth tens of millions from him.]
[All of that should’ve been the female lead’s.]
[Okay, fair point.]
Stellan’s voice softened.
“We’re married. You don’t have to thank me.”
For just a moment, I almost let myself wonder.
Was this all just guilt? If so, why go to such lengths with the gifts?
Ours was supposed to be nothing more than a fake marriage, after all.
Just then, a car whizzed past, barely missing us.
On instinct, Stellan pulled me into his arms. “Careful.”
—
Across the street, Iris happened to glance over while talking on the phone.
Her expression? Mildly curious, maybe a little amused.
But not a trace of jealousy anywhere on her face.