Love Scandal: Tigerlily’s Secret Affair with Her Ex-Husband Destroys Her Marriage with Adnan!

Tiger Lily was seated at the kitchen table with blue-stained fingertips, her current abstract painting lying on the table beside her. The sun was peering through the windows, painting shades of orange in the room, but there was nothing comfortable about it.

Across from her, Adnan Erot watched as his co-founder stared at a cup of tea on the table in front of him, the man’s face a portrait of anger. He hadn’t laid a finger on the plate of food she’d prepared many hours ago. The stillness between them could be sliced with a knife.

It was Fighter’s response. Her brushstrokes grew thick and vicious, as if her words were a stroke of a paintbrush.

Tiger Lily spoke. This was strange, Ian thought to herself. She couldn’t believe they were having this conversation yet another time.
“Adnan…” There was fatigue and rebellion in her tone of voice.

Adnan slowly put his cup down on the table, able to do so without spilling, his movements measured—a clear opposition to how she was.
“Tiger Lily, I’m not trying to stop you from being yourself,” he said in a measured but slightly crescendo voice.
“However, we have to look at the future, about stability.”

“Sometimes,” she blurted, “you can’t continue to spend hundreds on paints when the rent is due!”

She threw the brush violently into the jar of water, spreading beautiful blue streaks all over the table.
“Art is not just a pastime, you know, Adnan! It’s my life—who I am! You realized that when we got married!”

With his palms firmly gripped together, Adnan leaned forward.
“Yes, I did. I also respect your enthusiasm. Passion, however, does not cover the rent. It doesn’t help us create a future. I feel like I’m the only one with a practical perspective, even though I left everything behind—including my family and work—to be here with you.”

Tiger Lily started to reply, but she was interrupted as the doorbell rang.

With a scrape, she pushed back her chair and strode to the door. Her best friend Zoe was standing there with a vibrant bouquet of wildflowers as she opened it.
“Hey babe,” Zoe chirped, oblivious to the strain. “Thought I’d stop by to check on my favorite newlyweds.”

Tiger Lily paused, the turmoil of emotion visible on her face.
“Now’s not really a good time, Zoe,” she said.

Adnan, however, cried out from the kitchen before she could close the door.
“Just the right moment, perhaps! Zoe can clarify why it’s okay to live in chaos!”

As she entered, Zoe arched an eyebrow.
“Whoa. All right, what’s happening here?”

Zoe trailed Tiger Lily as she made her way back to the kitchen. Adnan sat rigidly in his chair, his eyes keen but his face neutral with caution. Zoe sat down and looked between them.

“Adnan believes that I’m being careless by investing money in my artwork,” Tiger Lily remarked while crossing her arms.
“And Tiger Lily thinks I’m being controlling for wanting to save for a house,” Adnan replied.

Zoe whistled softly and glanced between them.
“Okay, so we’re talking about one of those fights.”

After setting the flowers on the table, she sat back in her chair and looked steadily at each of them.
“The two of you are complete opposites—that isn’t news,” she said.
“But you, Adnan, married a dreamer. And you, Tiger Lily, married someone who lives on structure. This will just continue to occur if you are unable to find a middle ground.”

Tiger Lily stared down at the paint smears on her palms as her resistance waned a little.
“Zoe, I don’t want to lose myself,” she said. “I’ve fought to be authentic for a large portion of my life to make things easy. I don’t want to give up that.”

With a sigh, Adnan reclined in his seat.
“Tiger Lily, I’m not requesting that you lose who you are. All I need is to feel as though we are creating something together—that we are more than simply existing. I can’t do everything by myself, but I want to give you a life you can be proud of.”

The tense moment was broken as Zoe clapped her hands together.
“Okay! I’m going to play mediator here because I can’t stand to see my favorite couple like this.”

She looked over at Adnan.
“What if you give Tiger Lily a little breathing room to work on her art, but maybe she agrees to set a budget for supplies?”

Adnan thought about it, his face softening.
“I could live with that.”

Zoe looked over at Tiger Lily.
“What if you also make a commitment to demonstrate your concern for Adnan’s objectives, even if it’s simply looking at choices? Could you perhaps assist him with the house-hunting process?”

After hesitating, Tiger Lily nodded.
“I guess I could do that.”

Once more, the room became quiet, but the tension was different. Although the issue wasn’t fully resolved, it felt more like the beginning of a ceasefire than a conflict.

Zoe got to her feet and smiled.
“How about we have some tea to celebrate your nuptials, which I have kept for today, and perhaps fix this paint water issue?”

Adnan and Tiger Lily exchanged a tentative little smile. Although it wasn’t flawless, it was an improvement—and that would have to do for the time being.