Man, what's wrong with you? novel Chapter 38

Sherry was stunned. She didn't expect Jeremy to misunderstand her like this!

Sherry was uncomfortable in the first place. After what Jeremy said, she felt even more uneasy. Jeffery had a strong self-esteem, so while he was insulted by Jeremy, he didn't take it personally. But he could not stand by and let Jeremy slander Sherry, who looked like she was taking his insults to heart.

"Mr. Ou, you don't know what you're talking about. You're judgmental and offensive, and even worse, you're wrong." Jeffery's young face was full of anger. His fists were clenched, and he bit out his words through gritted teeth.

Jeremy stared back at him, his own face becoming colder and colder. "You have no right to touch my woman. You're saying I'm wrong? Just who do you think you are?

You're nobody! You're a poor boy with no money and power who makes a living by working as a waiter at a bar."

This time, Jeremy's words stung Jeffery because some part of him did believe that he was not good enough for Sherry. She was beautiful and wealthy, and Jeremy was handsome and rich—on the surface, they seemed to be the perfect match.

Jeffery flushed and he began to feel depressed.

Sherry couldn't stand to watch them argue. She hated the poisonous words coming out of Jeremy's mouth, and she knew that Jeffery stood no chance against a viper like her husband. She wouldn't let Jeffery face him alone.

She struggled to sit up, determined to give Jeremy a piece of her mind, but she was too weak. After a moment, she fell back down onto the bed.

"Sherry, please, just rest!" said Jeffery in a worried tone, moving towards her to help her back down. He had been about to answer Jeremy when he heard Sherry moving on the bed, and he immediately knew that she'd been trying to get up.

Jeremy watched Jeffery and his face darkened.

"Let her go!" he snapped, striding over. Jeffery was reaching down with both arms to support Sherry, and Jeremy shoved him away from the bed.

Jeremy was tall and well-built, and he effortlessly gripped Jeffery by the arms. He basically lifted the other man and threw him out of the way, like he weighed nothing.

"Jeffery!" Sherry exclaimed, outraged. She watched helplessly as Jeffery stumbled a few steps and hit a table by the wall.

She was so furious that she finally found the strength to sit up and swing her legs onto the floor. However, Jeremy grasped her upper arm and prevented her from getting up. "Stay put!"

Jeremy held her arm so tightly that it hurt.

"Are you crazy? Let go of me!" Sherry mustered up all her willpower and managed to raise a hand to slap Jeremy. But she was very weak, and her slap did not hurt Jeremy at all. He gave her a mocking smile and said, "You're the crazy one! How dare you bring this kind of dirty, pathetic man into our home?"

Sherry was getting used to his horrible insults, but Jeffery couldn't accept how Jeremy spoke to her. He was trembling with rage.

Jeffery was very young. He hadn't even graduated from college yet. He thought bitterly that even in college, where students were still thoughtless and immature, he had never heard anyone say the kind of terrible things that Jeremy had said to him and Sherry tonight.

"You!" Sherry sputtered incoherently. You dare to call Jeffery dirty and pathetic? Jeffery is my friend. How can you say such things about him?"

She bit her lips so hard that blood almost broke through the delicate skin of her lower lip.

Jeremy only thought it was a joke.

"A friend?" Jeremy said incredulously. "You think you can just go out and befriend dirty people like him? I forbid you to be friends with him!" Jeremy took her in his arms and held her tight, although she struggled feebly against him.

He knew that as soon as he let her go, she would go to Jeffery, and he refused to allow that.

This was classic behavior for Jeremy, who had always been selfish and overbearing. He was used to being able to control everything and everyone.

Sherry had asked him for a divorce countless times. She had told him it was over between them, and asked him over and over again not to interfere in her affairs. But with typical stubbornness, he ignored her and continued to meddle in her personal life, acting as though he had the right to dictate her behavior.

She breathed in the familiar scent of Jeremy, too tired to keep trying to escape his grasp. She said, "I have the right to befriend whomever I want. It's none of your business."

Jeffery felt a surge of guilt towards Sherry, because he saw that his presence had caused conflict for her. But he was still angry at Jeremy. He took a deep breath and decided to give them some privacy. "Sherry, get some rest, all right? I have something to take care of, so I'll be going now," he said. He gave Sherry a last worried glance. Ignoring Jeremy, he left the room.

They heard his footsteps as he walked away. Sherry called after him, "Jeffery..."

But the only response was the sound of the front door closing after him.

Painfully, Sherry closed her eyes. When she opened them, she found Jeremy's face very close to her, as he glared at her.

He was so furious that it seemed his eyes were burning through her soul.

"All right, you've driven Jeffery away. Are you satisfied? Now will you let go of me?" Sherry was exhausted and not interested in talking to him any further. Her voice was so weak that he could barely hear her.

"I'm not satisfied! And I won't let you go. Sherry, I don't like how you've changed. Are you making me leave because you want him to come back?" he growled.

He tightened his grip on her waist, and she felt his heavy weight as he pressed closer to her.

"Is this like the pot calling the kettle black?" Sherry inquired. There was a cold smile on her face which he found uglier than sobbing and tears.

"What did you say?" Jeremy shouted. "What do you mean by that?"

'Damn it!' he thought to himself. 'When did begin to care about her so much?' He didn't know how to make her understand that he was so angry because he hated the thought of other men becoming close to her. He wondered if this was what being in love felt like.

Sherry didn't bother to answer, and Jeremy lowered his voice. "I want something to be absolutely clear. If you dare to bring that bar waiter here again, I will not hesitate to humiliate him!"

"You!" Sherry sputtered, so angry that she didn't know what to say. Her whole body was trembling with fury. "You can't do this!"

She was not thinking clearly. Her words were full of anger but she was also confused about how she should be feeling.

"Ah, are you feeling sorry for him? Do you feel hurt when I insult him?" He was once again twisting her words.

Sherry said, "I don't care what you think." She was even angrier than him, but she endured his attacks while trying not to say anything too harsh so that he would finally leave. She just wanted to get some rest.

"You don't? Then what were you doing just now? Weren't you acting like a couple facing a common enemy? I broke up an affectionate meeting, right? You were going to cheat on me!" Jeremy shouted.

He was getting frustrated. Did she still not understand how much he cared about her? He cared about her body, her heart, and everything about her!

When he'd seen Jeffery so close to her, he hadn't been able to control his temper.

The things he said were growing worse and worse. He was clearly speaking impulsively because of his anger, and his accusations made Sherry pale with rage.

"Can you stop judging others by your own filthy standards? You think all other men have bad intentions, while you alone are kind?"

Sherry was incredulous that a man like Jeremy could think he was a good person. It was utterly ridiculous.

"Don't beat around the bush. Haven't you wondered what a poor student like him is doing with you?" From the first moment Jeremy had seen Jeffery at the bar with Sherry, he'd felt that the younger man was up to no good.

He was convinced that Jeffery was deceiving Sherry.

Perhaps, that poor waiter just wanted Sherry for her body, or more likely, for her money? To Jeremy, it was so obvious that he couldn't believe Sherry was foolish enough not to see the boy's true intentions.

Even now that Jeffery had left, the silly girl was still arguing with him, still trying to protect Jeffery. It made him so angry that he was losing his self-control.

"You can't imagine why someone would want to spend time with me on purpose, can you? You think you're the only one who should be allowed to get close to me? You think every other man must have an ulterior motive when they approach me? Jeffery is only a harmless student! What tricks could he have?" Sherry said, her voice trembling with fury.

She thought bitterly that Jeremy always thought others had the same obscene motives that he did. Her legs were rubbery with fatigue. If it hadn't been for Jeremy, who was still holding her in his arms, she would have collapsed.

"Yes, now you understand! All men have ulterior motives, and that includes Jeffery. Sherry, you are mine. Don't look at other men and don't have any contact with other men. Got it?" He didn't know how weary and uncomfortable she was, but he could see that she was tired of talking to him. He gripped her chin and tilted her face up, forcing her to meet his eyes.

His absurd demands made her resentful. He was being crazy. She pressed her lips together then said, "No way!"

"What did you say?" he snapped. He glowered at her, putting his face very close to hers. His nearness made Sherry feel trapped and flustered.

She mustered her strength and raised her arms to push him away. "I said, no. You can do whatever you want, too. You can sleep with other women. I don't care. It has nothing to do with me."

She was feeling very tired and uncomfortable, but she refused to show him any sign of weakness.

She continued, making sure to speak slowly so that he heard every word, "So I have the same freedom. When I want to make friends with a man, it has nothing to do with you!"

Jeremy was speechless. Sherry was unrecognizable compared to the agreeable, meek woman she used to be. She had changed so much!

He had been the center of her whole world. But now, when she was happy or sad, it was no longer only because of him.

It felt like everything had been turned upside down. Now he was the one obsessively paying attention to her, and any little thing she did could have a severe effect on his mood.

She made him so enraged, and she had never used to affect him in that way.

Sherry kept speaking. "In fact, even if I sleep with another man, it's my business. You have no right to interfere. Take care of your own affairs before involving yourself in mine!" Talking had exhausted her. She still had a few things she wanted to throw in his face, but she didn't have the strength to say anything more.

Jeremy's mouth dropped open. To him, it sounded like she had admitted to everything he suspected.

He spoke with difficulty, his fists clenched. "So it's true? You've really slept with that waiter?"

His face was expressionless, but danger emanated from him. He was furious. He felt like he'd never been this angry before.

He had no concern for Sherry's weariness. When she didn't answer, he blurted out, "Are you in love with him? Or maybe it's not Jeffery. Is it Chester? Or someone else?"

The pain in Sherry's stomach was getting worse. She answered in a weak voice, "No. But for the last time, even if I was in love with someone, it has nothing to do with you!"

Her brash words triggered Jeremy, unleashing his terrible temper. Without thinking, he reached up and closed both hands around her neck. His grip tightened and his vision darkened as he imagined he lost Sherry forever, in love and married to another man.

She was already nauseous. When he strangled her, her eyes widened in disbelief, and she felt bile rising in her throat. She fought to break his hold on her neck. As soon as his grip loosened, she bent her head and vomited.

Jeremy was shocked. He released her completely, and she collapsed onto the floor. Her chest heaved as she retched again.