Ashton continued dragging me with him. Tessa tried to chase after us, but Joseph blocked her.
I was kind of a lazy person by nature. As he half-carried me to his car, the thought of just giving in and following him began to take hold of my mind.
My thoughts petered out for a while as he settled me in his car. Soon, I started feeling uncomfortable.
I leaned heavily into the car seat and shut my eyes, falling into a hazy sleep.
The sound of my phone ringing reached my ears, and I frowned involuntarily. As I patted around weakly for my phone, I heard Ashton speaking to someone. “She’s drunk, and she is asleep.”
Groggily, I opened my eyes. I saw him talking to someone on my phone as he drove with one hand on the steering wheel, his eyes focusing on the road before him.
I made a face at him. How can you just answer someone’s phone without asking for their permission? He mumbled an acknowledgment and hung up a moment later.
He placed my phone beside me and seemed to realize that I was awake. Surprised, he asked gently, “Are you feeling very uncomfortable?”
I shook my head. I was a bit groggy, and my limbs felt like they were made of jelly, but I was still conscious.
“Where are you taking me?” Looking out the window, I could tell that we were still in A City. He doesn’t have a house in A City, so he’s probably going to a hotel.
He raised his brows and said, “If you’re uncomfortable, just close your eyes and rest for a bit.”
I pouted, just as thoughts of the early days of our marriage flooded my brain. I couldn’t help but laugh when I recalled how stubborn and dumb I’d been back then. It had gotten me into a lot of funny situations.
He frowned slightly and looked at me. “What are you laughing about?”
“When I first graduated from university, I’d planned to bring my Grandma with me to R province. I didn’t have any grand plans about what to do. I thought that maybe I’d just return to R Province. Spend some time with Grandma in the yard gardening, and get a stable nine-to-five job in town. I’d be happy enough with that.”
I paused and looked at him out of the corner of my eye. I burst into a fit of self-deprecating laughter as I continued, “I never thought that my Grandma would beg your Grandpa to take me in as your wife. Now it seems like our lives are destined to be entangled together. At first, I thought I’d hit the jackpot, though I couldn’t help but feel that I would never match up to you. That’s why I asked Grandpa to let me work at Fuller Corporation. Even a position as lowly as a shop assistant was good enough for me. I believed that as long as I worked hard enough, I’d be a fitting partner for you one day. When I first joined the company, I got dragged by my supervisor to entertain some guests. He said it was my contribution to the company on account of my low rank. I didn’t want to go at first, but then I thought I would have taken forever to reach a position close enough to you if I rejected him. My tolerance was horrible back then, but I kept forcing myself to drink with those old hats that I barely knew. I was basically chugging drink after drink mindlessly.”
He reached over to hold my hand, though I pulled it out of his grasp and let out a resigned laugh. “Actually, I didn’t feel like I was suffering back then. Not even now when I think back to the incident. I thought that the experience was good in the sense that I could work hard and prove myself in my youth, so I don’t regret it one bit. If I’d stayed at home like a trophy wife, I don’t think I would ever know how it felt like to slowly get to the Director position or the sense of accomplishment that came with it.”
In contrast, I seemed to be deteriorating over the past few years. I’ve never felt more like myself than during those years of building my career.
I turned my head and looked out the car windows. I felt overwhelmed with a sense of failure. I don’t know why I insisted on leaving when I knew that Ashton wouldn’t let me go.
It seemed that I’d been struck with an epiphany. When I first met Rachel, I was impressed with her credentials. It’s because she’s a spitting image of the old me who fought hard for her career and romance.
But living a sheltered life under Ashton had gradually turned me into someone like Rebecca. Ashton had taken such good care of her that her world only revolved around Ashton and no one else.
I upped and left K City because I was worried that I would end up like her. I came to A City in search of the old me. Even if I couldn’t find her anymore, I could at least live life on my own terms and become the person I wanted to be.
But alas, life is unpredictable. I didn’t think I’d end up in Venria and almost lose my life. Despite so, I don’t have to live in a gilded cage under Ashton’s care or rely on him to chase my dreams. I can still get there myself. I can still live the life that I’ve always dreamed of.
The car came to a stop before a hotel. Ashton got out and came to the front passenger side. He lifted me straight out of his car.
Everything happened so quickly that I could barely react. I found myself being carried into the hotel.
“Ashton, what are you doing?” I asked indignantly, trying to push away from him. Unfortunately, the alcohol had made my limbs weak and my head dizzy, and my weak shove did little to deter him.
He carried me into the elevator and had me up against the walls before the doors had closed completely. He caged me in with his arms and cupped my face, desire burning in his eyes. “Don’t hide from me, and don’t say no to me!”
