Chapter 154
When There Is Nothing Left But Love
Surely he must have been upset when the child was suddenly gone just like that, right?
His brows were pinched into a deep furrow. âThis matter is already in the past!â
âI know. Iâm just asking.â I nodded, but I couldnât help wanting to add to that. More words rolled off my
tongue in a mumble, âIâm just wondering if I ever have a miscarriage, will you feel upset?â
âScarlett!â he raised his voice. My arm was beginning to hurt under his tightened grip. The look on his
face was gloomy. âWho did you meet today?â
My head was full on throbbing in pain by now. I rested my skull against his chest, devoid of energy to
say anything else. âIt doesnât matter. As you said, Itâs all in the past.â
The tension in the atmosphere went up a notch while the temperature felt like it had dropped several
degrees. I knew he was angered. But there was no point in talking about this anymore. I closed my
eyes as I leaned against him.
Just then, a buzz sounded, followed by a ringtone that came from his phone. I tried to withdraw myself
from his embrace at the thought of letting him pick up the call, but before I could, I was pressed tighter
against his body as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders. With his other arm, he fumbled for his
phone and made a quick swipe across the screen.
âWhat is it?â he answered. He had turned on the speaker.
âAsh, I recently took up the job at my motherâs company in J City. Iâll be coming over tomorrow. Are you
free to pick me up at the airport?â Rebeccaâs voice echoed from the other end of the call.
I nuzzled my head and burrowed myself into a more comfortable position in his embrace.
âIâve got something to do at work tomorrow. Iâll send Joe over to pick you up,â Ashton replied flatly.
A brief pause came before her voice sounded through the phone again. There was a hint of
disappointment in it this time. âAsh⦠Canât we even be friends with each other now?â
Ashton took a deep breath and held it for a second. I could tell he was probably feeling uneasy.
I tilted my head and looked up at him. Seeing that he had no intention of answering the womanâs
question, I said towards the phone, âHeâs accompanying me on my pregnancy checkup tomorrow. I
hope youâll understand and not put my husband in a tight spot, Ms. Larson.â
The arm around my shoulders exerted a faint squeeze. He let out a helpless sigh and added, âSend
your flight details to Joe. Heâll be there to pick you up tomorrow.â
At that, he hung up on Rebecca and rested his chin on my face. My skin burned a little as his stubble
scrapped against my cheek, but he wouldnât let me pull away. âWas that a declaration of ownership
over your man?â He gazed down upon my wincing face.
âCanât I?â
Wriggling myself off as soon as his grip relaxed a little, I got up and walked out of the bedroom.
When I entered the living room, a waft of aroma that came from a bowl of noodles sitting on the dining
table entered my nose. Ashton had cooked it and it looked delicious.
As I stared at the home-cooked dish prepared by my husband, he came up from behind and cuddled
me. âI read a book saying that a pregnant woman shouldnât eat something too rich, so I didnât put a lot
of spices in it. Wonât you give it a try?â
I could only gaze at him blankly in response. I felt like I was living a dream⦠A dream where Rebecca
and I had switched places.
Ashton had never been so gentle and caring in the past two years of our marriage.
It felt as if all the care he had for Rebecca was transferred onto me. The whole situation was surreal to
me, and for some reason, I was a tad bit displeased about it.
He led me towards the table and sat me down. The noodles tasted great, but my heart was burdened
with too many things at the moment. As such, I couldnât bring myself to eat more after a few slurps.
Upon seeing that I was uninterested in the food he made, he frowned. âIt doesnât suit your taste?â
I shook my head. âNo, Iâm just not hungry.â
âYou should eat a bit more at least,â he spoke as he walked to the refrigerator and took out some milk
for me. âOtherwise your tummyâs going to feel uncomfortable when you start feeling hungry later
tonight.â
That whole night, Ashton stayed with me at Glenwood Apartments.
The next morning.
I cracked my eyes open in a daze when I felt something shifted beside me. Everything looked hazy, but
Ashtonâs silhouette came into clearer view as I squinted and blinked. He was putting on his clothes.
Noticing that I was awake, he asked, âDid I wake you up?â
I shook my head sluggishly. My body felt a little too heavy to move. âAre you going to the office?â I
croaked.
âMm-hmm,â he answered with a nod. âJoseph will deliver your breakfast in a while. Rest up a bit after
you eat. Iâll come back to pick you up for your checkup in the afternoon.â
A soft kiss landed on my forehead just as he finished speaking. He pulled his necktie into a perfect knot
and walked out.
It felt odd. Ashton treated and cared for me so well these days, yet there seemed to be an invisible
distance between us.
Soon after breakfast, Macy called. She told me she needed someone to pick her up from the airport as
she had too many things to lug around.
Seeing that there was still much time to spare before the checkup at the hospital, I hailed a taxi to
Fuller Corporation and took my car. By the time I arrived at the airport, Macyâs flight hadnât landed yet.
With nothing to do, I parked my car at the basement carpark and went to the lounge to wait for Macy.
As I scanned my surroundings from my seat, a fine-looking pair entered my view from a distance. It
didnât surprise me in the least bit to see Ashton there and the woman beside him. Anyone else
wouldâve thought they were a match made in heaven.
I fished out my phone and dialed Ashtonâs number.
He answered within a second. âWhere are you?â I asked.
âIâm at the airport,â his voice rang from the phone as I watched his lips moved from where he stood.
âJoe has something urgent going on, so I had to come instead.â
For some reason, it felt like a weight was lifted off my chest. Perhaps I was relieved that he didnât lie to
me.
âLook in front of you,â I replied. My eyes were glued to him while I waited for him to realize where I was.
Our eyes soon locked and he frowned slightly. âWhy did you come here?â
âMacyâs flight is landing at half-past eleven. Iâm here to pick her up.â Rebecca noticed me as well just
as I spoke while staring in their direction. Needless to say, the surprised look on her face wasnât a
pleasant one. I heard her asking, âShould I head over and say hi to Ms. Larson?â
Ashton looked somewhat flustered. âThereâs no need to.â
To me, he said, âJust stay where you are. Iâll come over soon after this!â
With that, he hung up the call and led Rebecca out of the lounge.
I sat alone, watching their backs disappear into the distance. My chest tightened a little. It shouldâve
been normal for Ashton to come since Joe was busy, right? So why does it hurt to see them together?