Chapter 1037
When There Is Nothing Left But Love
I quickly stepped aside and said with a smile, âCome on in, Mrs. Coleman.â
Chandlerâs mother was nearing fifty years old. I heard from Hannah that Mrs. Coleman was well-known
for her profession of embroidery. She had a pleasing, submissive, gentle air about her.
She placed the food on the table and reminded us to fill our tummies before she left the room.
Hannah, who was starving, wolfed down a few bites of the food after changing into her cocktail gown.
Before she could finish her food, a red-faced Chandler came to the room and tugged her away for the
toasting session.
When I got out of the room, I saw Ashton leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. He must have
been waiting for me. When he saw that I had changed into a different set of clothes, he raised a brow
and asked, âWhy have you changed your clothes?â
âItâs not easy to walk in that dress.â I didnât want to get stepped on all night.
I was confused as he stared at me. âWere you expecting me to keep wearing that?â
He chuckled softly and didnât say anything further. Chandler, who had gotten himself a little drunk after
a few glasses of wine, blurted out, âMr. Fuller wanted you to look beautifulâ¦â
âThatâs enough. Letâs go. You havenât eaten, so letâs go get something to eat.â Ashton took my hand
and made our way out. Chandler looked stunned at being cut off in mid-sentence.
Chandler and Hannah proceeded to the first floor for toasting. Louis, together with Kiki, had their
stomach filled, and he seemed to be in a good mood today. It was obvious he had a little to drink.
He looked at me and asked, âWhat was it like when you got married to Mr. Fuller?â
I was taken aback for a moment before answering with a smile, âIt was Grandpa who arranged it, and it
was a beautiful wedding.â
Louis stared at Ashton and said, âIâll say, Mr. Fuller, should you give her a wedding? Or maybe a
wedding anniversary celebration? Isnât that what all girls want?â
Ashton chuckled and answered, âDo you have any suggestions, Uncle Louis?â
I watched them banter back and forth like children before saying with a laugh, âWeâve been married for
many years. Thereâs no need for another wedding.â
âYou canât say that.â Louis continued, âAs husband and wife, other than caring for and loving each
other, you have to spice things up a little.â
Ashton nodded with a smile and said, âYouâre right, Uncle Louis.â Then, he looked at me with his dark
eyes and said with a smirk, âLetâs get acquainted all over again, Ms. Stovall. Iâm Ashton Fuller.â
I frowned and let out a smile involuntarily. âWhat are you up to?â
âHeâs proposing to you. Canât you tell?â Louis said loudly, waving his glass of wine about for emphasis.
I was dumbfounded. Suddenly, I saw Ashton moved the chair away from him, and with a ring in his
hand, he got down on one knee.
This was completely unexpected and a little too sudden. Initially, there was a picture of Hannah and
Chandler on the stageâs big screen. But it was replaced with a photo of a young woman.
Isnât that picture taken when I first entered J University? I was only eighteen years old at that time. That
picture was taken at the entrance of J Universityâs library, and I was holding a book that I just borrowed
from the library.
âSome people are destined to be together at first sight.â Ashtonâs voice resonated. âThat year, you were
eighteen years old, and I had just taken over Fuller Corporation at the age of twenty-three. You were a
fresh-faced and gentle girl. You werenât my type at all, but that first sight of you was etched deep in my
mind. Joe took that photo of you unintentionally, and Iâve grown attached to it for many years.â
I looked back at the man who was kneeling in front of me. At that moment, my heart began to flutter.
The hall grew quiet as the guests listened to Ashton. âWhen I saw you for the second time, it was in the
Fullersâ living room. You begged my grandfather to treat your grandmotherâs illness. He then asked you
if you would marry me. At that time, you nodded and agreed. I knew you didnât want to marry someone
you didnât know, but I felt relieved knowing that you were going to marry me. Marriage was useless to
me, so it didnât matter who I was going to marry. But I was kind of excited when I got to know that I was
going to marry you. It was not my original intention to force you to marry me. That was unfair to you. So
after getting married, I was hardly home. Itâs not that I didnât want to see you, but I was worried that you
would be uncomfortable being around someone like me who doesnât show affection. I told you before
that you can divorce me when you meet someone else that you love. The Fullers will not mistreat you.
But I never thought that you would stay in the Fullers for three years. The funny thing was, the longer
you stayed in the Fullers, the harder it became for me to keep my feelings to myself. You have no idea
how happy I was the night when I found out that you were pregnant. I knew then, with a child, our bond
would be unbreakable. Thatâs why I thought of many ways to keep you by my side.â