“My name is Kristina. We’ve actually met before. Maybe you don’t remember me, but I’m sure you remember my uncle Caleb. Mr. Fuller has recently hired me as his secretary!” she said with a smile.
My mind was still in a bit of a daze as I had just woken up from a nap, but I got the gist of what she said. Why would Ashton hire her as his secretary all of a sudden?
“So you’re the one who decorated his office with these plants?” I asked. Both Ashton and Joseph used to have plants in their offices, but it didn’t take long before Ashton got rid of them for being in his way! Why is he letting her decorate his office now?
“Yup! Mr. Fuller’s office seemed rather lifeless due to his cold personality, so I asked Mr. Campbell for some advice and placed some potted plants in there,” Kristina replied.
“Ah, fair enough.” I nodded and massaged my forehead as I walked out of his office.
With Stacey gone, I had to do most of the work on my own. Although Fuller Corporation’s audit had been completed, there were still many things to work on with HiTech.
By 8 p.m., I found myself incredibly exhausted despite having made it safely through my first trimester.
As I was packing up and getting ready to head home, I received a text message from Ashton: I have some business to attend to, so I’ll be home late. I’ve ordered some soup for you, so make sure you have dinner on time!
I didn’t give it much thought as I understood how busy he was and didn’t want to hog him all the time.
I drove straight back to the villa and was surprised to see Mrs. Eriksen busy mopping the floor.
“What are you doing here, Mrs. Eriksen? Didn’t you say you’ll be very busy these few days?”
The woman paused and let out a sigh before turning towards me. “What could an old woman like me possibly be busy with when even my son finds me useless?”
We have a part-time maid to clean the villa. Seeing as to how she has cleaned the entire place spotless, I’m assuming she’s in a bad mood…
“I’ve been feeling rather unwell after dinner lately, Mrs. Eriksen. Is this something you could help me out with?”
“Hmm, you do look bloated. Give me a minute. I’ll whip you up a home remedy. Go for a walk after drinking it, and you’ll be all better!”
I followed her into the kitchen and leaned against the door as I ranted, “Oh, Mrs. Eriksen… You have no idea how tough life was for Ashton and I while you were gone! Neither of us can cook, so we didn’t really have anything to eat!”
“Haha! You kids should really learn to take better care of yourselves! I’ll stay here to look after you from now on. That baby of yours will be due in a few months, so we’ve got to be extra careful!” she said with a chuckle.
Mrs. Eriksen seemed to be in a much better mood after a brief chat. Feeling a little tired, I drank a bit of the herbal mixture she made me and went straight to bed.
I was woken up in the middle of the night by the ringing of my cellphone.
“Hello…” I answered sleepily without checking the caller ID.
“Am I speaking to Ms. Scarlett Stovall, the wife of Mr. Ashton Fuller?” The man on the phone sounded very professional.
“Yes, and you are?” I replied while checking the time. It’s two in the morning! Who on earth could be calling me at this hour?
“I’m calling to inform you that flight H898 from J City to K City has been involved in an accident. Your husband was on board that flight and is currently being rushed to K City Hospital. We need you to come over right away!”
I sat bolt upright. An airplane accident? How…
My mind went blank, and I agreed without a second thought, not knowing what else to do.
My hands trembled as I punched in Ashton’s number on my phone. No one answered the call.
I tried calling Joe and Josiah too, but it was probably too late at night as they weren’t picking up either.
In my state of panic, I decided to call Rebecca. She answered the phone rather quickly, and I could hear her sobbing profusely on the other line. “Where are you, Scarlett? Ash is in danger! Come quick!”
“What happened? Where is he?” I clutched the phone tightly in my palm as I asked.
“He was bringing me over to K City, but then something went wrong with the plane… He tried to protect me during the emergency landing, and he…” She began crying even louder as she continued, “My parents are in the ER as well. The doctors need you to come to sign the consent forms. I’m sorry, Scarlett! I won’t try to steal him from you anymore! As long as he survives, I’ll do anything…”
I felt no need to listen any further and hung up the phone to save myself from the heartache.
Now that the news had me wide awake, I got off the bed and paced about in the room. After calming down a little, I decided to give Macy a call, but there was no answer.
I tried calling Nick instead, and he picked up the phone, much to my surprise.
“What the hell, Letty? It’s three in the morning! Do you miss me that much? Is that why you’re calling me at this hour?”
