My Ruthless Ex Demands by Eva Blackwood Episode 321

Elijah raised an eyebrow and inquired, “To whom are you giving this away now?”
Elizabeth returned his look with one of exasperation. “Do I look like I’m made of money? Sure, this pen was complimentary, but it’s actually more expensive than the one I purchased! Who would I even consider worthy of such a lavish gift? I plan to use it for writing my manuscripts. I simply asked you to hold it momentarily.”
Elijah’s expression turned gloomy. “But didn’t you mention it looked good on me?”
Elizabeth exhaled sharply. “Why must you always be so difficult? You just said you wouldn’t bother with such an inexpensive pen. Now, you’re upset I’m not offering it to you!”
Elijah replied, “I never claimed I wouldn’t use an inexpensive pen. I merely noted that I’ve never used one this inexpensive before. Being a writer, shouldn’t you appreciate the nuance in words?”
Elizabeth had already brushed past him and was striding ahead before he could even finish his sentence.
Elijah paused, watching the gap between them widen, before he set off after her with a sigh.
On her stroll, Elizabeth’s attention was captured by a home goods store that had just opened.
Inside, she scanned the shelves without much interest until, just as she was about to leave, a stylish glasses case caught her eye.
Recalling Oliver’s broken glasses case she had noticed in the car earlier, she decided to pick up the new one and proceeded to the checkout.
To her surprise, the small item cost five hundred.
While she was still processing the shock, the cashier efficiently printed the receipt and presented it to her, asking, “Would you like to pay by cash, card, or a scan?”
Choosing the scan option with a hint of resignation, Elizabeth readied her payment app.
As she completed the transaction, the clerk cheerily included a grotesque frog toy in her bag, saying, “Today’s special offer: spend five hundred and receive this free stress-relief toy.”
Managing a weak smile, Elizabeth muttered a “thank you.”
Exiting the store, she found Elijah waiting by the door, drawing admiring glances from several women.
As they noticed Elizabeth join him, their expressions fell, and they walked away disappointedly murmuring, “Of course. The handsome ones are always taken.”
Elijah chuckled at their remarks, glancing at Elizabeth with a raised eyebrow. “It seems I’m quite the catch, according to the crowd.”
Elizabeth replied calmly, “Remember the last heartthrob who ended up in the news for the wrong reasons? His wife was envied, too, once.”
“And when have I ever resembled that guy?” he retorted, his eyes wide in mock horror as he followed her.
Pausing, Elizabeth replied thoughtfully, “Well, neglect can be as harmful as anything else. You’ve had your moments.”
She continued, “But everyone has flaws. Improve those, and who knows? Maybe you could actually live up to their expectations.”
Elijah gave a dismissive laugh, saying, “Sure, I can certainly improve.”
No sooner had the words left his mouth than he realized he seemed to have been tricked into making a promise.
He was momentarily lost in thought, but then noticed Elizabeth stepping into the already open elevator. Rushing, he managed to join her just in time.
Down in the dimly lit underground parking lot.
As soon as Elizabeth settled into the car, she pulled out the garish green frog and, reaching over to the front seat, handed Oliver a bag. “I noticed your glasses case was in a sorry state earlier. This one caught my eye while I was out shopping, so I picked it up for you.”
Oliver, clearly taken aback, accepted the bag with a tentative grasp. “Ms. Sandra, this is overly generous.”
With a wave of her hand, Elizabeth downplayed the gesture. “It’s nothing, just a small thing. Hardly a splurge.”
Despite her words, the five-hundred-dollar price tag was far from trivial. She wouldn’t even splurge that much on herself.
Elijah got into the car in time to witness their exchange, his features clouding over with displeasure.
Realizing he was being ignored, he interjected clumsily, “Did you really go out of your way to find him a glasses case?”
Oliver’s hand paused, the bag suspended in the air, as he grappled with whether to keep it or give it back.
Elizabeth cut through the tension, saying, “Keep it, Oliver. It was just a spur-of-the-moment purchase.”
Her mood brightened as she turned towards Elijah. “Actually, I picked up something for you too. Something just for you.”
Oliver, relieved, set the bag down beside him. “Thank you, Ms. Sandra.”
Trying to appear nonchalant, Elijah asked, “And why exactly would you get me a gift?”
Elizabeth handed him the unattractive frog. “I thought this was rather fitting for you.”
Elijah accepted the item, his incredulity mounting as he squished the unappealing frog toy. “Really, how is this supposed to be ‘fitting’ for me?”
With a twinkle in her eye, Elizabeth replied, “Think of it as a stress-relief tool. Given all the tension you carry from work, it seemed appropriate.”
Just as Elijah was almost convinced by her playful justification, his eyes caught sight of a tag dangling from the frog that proclaimed ‘Free Gift.’
He swayed the toy by its tag, questioning, “This was a giveaway?”
Internally fuming at the store’s blatant promotion, Elizabeth kept her cool, retorting, “You seemed quite taken with the freebie pen earlier. I thought this one might appeal to you, so I grabbed it.”
Disgusted, Elijah flung the frog to the car floor, his voice icy as he addressed Oliver, asking, “What’s next? Am I sleeping here in the garage tonight?”
“Apologies, Mr. James,” Oliver muttered, resigned to his role as the fall guy.
As they pulled out of the parking space, Elijah crisply added, “Head to Bayview Villa,”
Elizabeth looked at the discarded frog with irritation. Even if it wasn’t to his taste, it was a gift, and it deserved better treatment.
She reminisced about the tiny tokens they used to receive at diners—insignificant yet cherished by her because Elijah would nonchalantly hand them over. She had valued each one.
With these memories in mind, she scooped up the frog, lowered the car window, and responded, “If you don’t want it, don’t just leave it here. Toss it out.”