The Doormat Wife’s Ultimate Glow-Up novel Chapter 178

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Sebastian was standing at the sink in Reese’s bright yellow duck apron, the straps barely fitting around his frame. He clutched a sponge in his right hand, scrubbing a porcelain bowl so slowly it was like he was afraid it might break. Every movement looked careful, almost comical, and somehow made him seem even more out of place.

Water dripped from the edge of the bowl, splashing into the sink with soft, scattered sounds. It only made his awkwardness more obvious.

Reese stopped in her tracks. In all her years with Sebastian, she couldn’t remember a single time he’d washed so much as a coffee mug. Seeing him here, sleeves rolled up, struggling with the dishes—it was surreal.

“You don’t have to do that,” she said quietly, coming up beside him. She glanced at the drying rack. Bowls were stacked haphazardly and still covered in suds, a couple of which with dried rice stuck inside. She let out a sigh. Yeah, she’d figured. Sebastian doing dishes? Not likely.

“I’ll handle it.” She nudged him aside, turned on the faucet, and picked up a bowl. The sponge moved easily in her hands, and in just a few seconds she’d cleaned it spotless.

Sebastian lingered at her side, watching her work. He looked embarrassed. “It’s my first time. I don’t really know what I’m doing.”

He hesitated, then added, “But I want to help out more. I mean it.”

He wasn’t just saying it, either. Married all these years, and tonight was the first time he felt like he was starting to understand what it meant to actually live together.

Reese shut off the water, set the last bowl in the rack, and turned to face him.

“Sebastian, thank you for coming tonight. For helping Annie and me,” she said, her voice gentle but steady. “If you hadn’t shown up, I really don’t know what would’ve happened.”

Sebastian started to reply, but Reese kept going.

“But you don’t have to do all this,” she said. “You didn’t before, and you don’t need to now. I’ve been taking care of things on my own for a long time. We’ve both gotten this far as we are, and neither of us needs to change.”

“No. I don’t want to be like this anymore.” There was a tremor in Sebastian’s voice, something like panic. It hit him, suddenly, how fragile everything between them felt.