Chapter 9 Sharon turned her head and saw a young man approaching with a few rowdy friends in tow . He walked with the kind of swagger that came from never being challenged - arrogant , untamed , and always playing to an audience . She recognized him instantly . Nate Hendricks . One of Carter's bros , and one of Kelly's many . orbiters . From the very beginning of Sharon's relationship with Carter , Nate had looked down on her - mocking her at every turn , never missing a chance to sneer . After Kelly came back , he was the most eager to stir things up , practically acting as Kelly's personal messenger . If Kelly so much as sneezed , Nate would be the first to call Carter , urging him to rush over . He'd even told Sharon more than once that she should step aside and make room for Kelly . Now , he stood in front of her , a smirk tugging at his lips , eyes gleaming with ridicule . " Well , welk Shouldn't a housewife be home learning how to be a good little full - time wife - how to keep her man from straying ? What are you doing here , showing your face in public ? That's not exactly the mark of a good housewife . " Sharon could host a formal dinner or make a perfect bowl of soup - graceful in the parlor , capable in the kitchen . She was so flawless that it was almost irritating . Once Nate found out , he'd slapped a nickname on her- " Housewife . " And from that point on , everyone in Carter's circle followed suit . Whenever they saw her , they called her that . His tone now was deliberately grating , his posture smug . Wendy's brows drew together in a frown . Sharon's expression chilled . Nate , far from backing off , let out a low whistle and looked at her with mock alarm . " Oh no , don't tell me you're mad again ? Come on , Housewife . Don't tell me you can't even take a joke ? " His buddies jumped in immediately . " Yeah , seriously . You're Carter's wife - you're supposed to be gracious . Don't be so petty , you're making him look bad ! " " And really , Nate's not wrong . You are just a housewife , aren't you ? Taking care of the husband and kid . " " Exactly ! How could someone like you even compare to Kelly ? She graduated from Bell University ! " " Never heard of Bell University ? Ha ! That's ' cause it'd blow your mind - it's one of the top five music academies in the world . " Wendy turned sharply toward Sharon , surprise flickering across her face . " Kelly went to Bell University ? How come I've never even heard of her ? " Nate let out a snort and gave Wendy a dismissive glance . " Such ignorance . There's a whole world out there you haven't even seen , sweetheart . Try getting out more . " Already , he was being rude - after just one encounter . Wendy's frown deepened . " Sharon , who is this guy ? Why is he so obnoxious ? No one even said a word to him , and he just inserted himself into the conversation like some self - important old man . " Sharon replied coolly , " One of Kelly's lapdogs . You can call him a simp . " " Ohhh , so he's her simp , " Wendy said , feigning sudden realization , the irritation vanishing from her face . " Well , that explains it . No wonder he's so gross . Got it . " Chapter 9 +25 BONUS Nate's face darkened , but before he could fire back , Sharon gave him a sweet smile . " Come on now , Mr. Simp . I was just teasing . Don't tell me you're the one who can't take a joke ? " Wendy , who'd been quietly fuming over everything that had just happened , caught Sharon's tone and immediately played along . " No way , seriously ? A grown man who can't handle a little ribbing That's so weak . Makes all you guys look bad . " Sharon nodded mildly . " Be nice . He's clearly not used to the real world . Let's not stoop to his level . " Everyone's expression shifted , each in their own way . Even the slowest among them could tell now - they were being called out . Their words from earlier were being thrown right back in their faces . Wendy laughed mockingly . " Lick , lick , lick , and in the end , the lapdog gets nothing . Well , he's pitiful enough - I won't bother lowering myself to his level . Come on , Sharon , let's go . I'll take you somewhere fun . " Sharon gave a small nod and turned to leave . Nate's jaw clenched so tight it looked like it might crack . He stared after them like he'd just swallowed something rotten . His buddies glanced around at each other , unsure . One of them let out a dry chuckle , trying to recover the moment . " Man , those two women must be tired of living . Calling Nate a simp ? No way ! Nate's definitely not some simp , he's- " The sentence froze on his lips . Because ... yeah . Harsh as their words were ... weren't they also kind of true ? Nate did seem a bit like a simp . Another guy caught on quick and jumped in . " No , no - Nate isn't a simp ! He's ... he's like a knight . A loyal protector for Kelly ! " The others latched on fast . " Yeah , totally ! A protector ! Guardian of the goddess ! " Just then , a soft voice broke the awkward scramble . " Nate , what are you doing out here instead of going into the private room ? " Nate turned around and saw a man and a woman slowly walking over . The man was tall , handsome , with a calm kind of arrogance . The woman beside him was delicate , lovely - fragile , almost . 1 The moment Nate saw them , his whole face lit up . He walked quickly over , falling into step beside them , voice already rising with drama . He began spinning his version of events , accusing Sharon of every sin he could think of . " Carter , Kelly - you won't believe who I just saw . Sharon ! She's actually here . And get this , she was saying she came out to have fun . Just imagine that - running around like this instead of staying home like a proper woman ! " I bet it's because she's too free these days . Nothing better to do but fool around . She used to make one medicinal meal a day for Kelly at the very least , it should've been three ! " Carter , a woman like that has no sense of duty or virtue - you really shouldn't spoil her . " Kelly frowned slightly at that . " Have fun ? " she echoed , turning to look at Carter . Her brows knit together . " Carter , it's late . Do you think Sharon left Theo alone at home again ? " At the sound of Sharon's name , Carter's expression shifted , his brow tightening ever so slightly . Kelly kept her eyes on him , studying the faint shadow on his face . Chapter 9 +25 BONUS " Theo's health isn't good , " she murmured . " If he's alone at home are you sure he'll be alright ? " Carter's lips pressed into a thin , unreadable line . There was something colder in his face now , something darker . " He's at my parents ' house tonight . " 1 He had planned to use Theo to teach Sharon a lesson . To make her understand what it meant to step out of line . What he hadn't expected was for her to not come home at all . Kelly stood silent for a few seconds . Then , slowly , she seemed to understand . " Carter ... Sharon's been staying at home all the time , looking after Theo and you . Maybe she just needed a break . Everyone gets tired . " Her voice was soft . Almost guilty . " It's my fault for not being considerate . I shouldn't have let her cook medicinal meals for so long . She must be exhausted ... It's understandable she doesn't want to keep doing it . " She hadn't even finished when Nate exploded again , eyes wide with disbelief . " What ?! Sharon stopped making the meals for you? If it weren't for her pushing you into the water , your condition wouldn't have gotten worse in the first place ! And now she just walks away like nothing happened ? How dare she ?! " Kelly hurriedly grabbed his arm , trying to calm him down . " Nate , I told you - it had nothing to do with Sharon . I was the one who slipped . It was just an accident ... " " Kelly , you're too kind ! Sharon practically tried to kill you , and you're still defending her ? " Nate turned to Carter , his face a mix of outrage and disbelief . " Carter , are you really just going to let Sharon get away with bullying Kelly like this ? " Chapter 10 Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!