Ste turned her head and spotted a rebellious-looking young man swaggering over with a group of his rowdy friends. She recognized him instantly - Jasper Wilkinson.


    He was Haynes'' friend and one of Rachel''s most devoted admirers. From the first day Ste dated Haynes, Jasper made it clear that he didn''t think much of her, constantly mocking and belittling her.


    When Rachel returned, Jasper was the most enthusiastic go-between, ferrying messages between Rachel and Haynes. If Rachel had so much as a sniffle or a hair out of ce, Jasper would be on the phone to Haynes, urging him to rush to her side. More than once, he''d suggested Ste step aside for Rachel.


    Jasper sauntered to Ste, a mocking grin on his face. "Hey there, the housewife. Shouldn''t you be at home learning to be the perfect homemaker and keeping your husband happy? What are you doing out here, showing your face in public? That''s not how a good housewife behaves."


    Ste was the sort of woman who could host a dinner party with grace and whip up a mean apple pie without breaking a sweat. She was so adept at it all. So, Jasper had nicknamed her "Housewife." From then on, anyone in Haynes'' circle who saw Ste would greet her with that same derisive title.


    Jasper''s attitude and tone were grating, and Abby furrowed her brow in annoyance. Ste maintainedposed, her expression turning icy.


    Seeing this, Jasper didn''t back down. Instead, he whistled, feigning surprise. "Oh,e on, the housewife. Don''t tell me you can''t take a little joke?"


    His buddies interrupted, egging him on. "Yeah, Mrs. O''Brien, lighten up! Don''t be so uptight. You''ll embarrass Haynes!"


    "Besides," one of them added, "Jasper''s right. Aren''t you just a housewife, looking after your husband and child?"


    "You think you canpare to Rachel?" another sneered. "Rachel graduated from the prestigious Neo-Vespera University, in case you didn''t know."


    "Neo-Vespera University," Abby repeated, looking at Ste. "I''ve never heard of Rachel!"


    Jasper snorted, casting a dismissive nce at Abby. "You''ve got a lot to learn. Try getting out more to broaden your horizons."


    Abby raised an eyebrow. "Star, who is this guy? He''s got a real superiorityplex, doesn''t he?"


    Ste replied coldly, "One of Rachel''s admirers. You can call him a simp."


    "Oh, he''s Rachel''s simp!" Abby eximed, her anger dissipating. "No wonder he''s so annoying. It makes sense now."


    Jasper''s face fell, but Ste smiled at him sweetly before he could retort. "Mr. Simp, you can take a joke, can''t you?"


    Having witnessed their earlier taunts, Abby jumped in. "No way. A grown man like you can''t handle a little teasing? That''s pretty weak. Don''t you think so?"


    Ste added smoothly, "Don''t mind him, Abby. He''s not worth our time."


    Jasper''s crew shifted ufortably, realizing they had a taste of their own medicine.


    Abbyughed, "You''re the simp, the big simp, always ttering but never getting anything. Come on, Star. Let''s go have some fun."


    And with that, they turned their backs on Jasper and his friends, leaving them to stew in embarrassment.