Hearing his flighty remarks, my face darkened in an instant. “I’m thankful that you don’t mind being my baby’s stepfather, but you’re too good for a woman like me, as you’ve said, who doesn’t treat their marriage seriously,” I riposted, glaring at him.
I shouldn’t waste my time on him. This man is way too unpredictable.
With that, I walked past him out of the pavilion and then briskly walked along the pond, heading toward the house.
I was annoyed when I heard his footsteps getting closer.
My anger was aroused the moment he laid his hand on my shoulder. Without a second thought, I turned around and shoved him away.
As a result of being caught off guard by the sudden force, he fell into the pond with a thud.
The yard light was the only illumination in the pitch-dark night. I tried to take a closer look, but I saw nothing but water ripples in the lake. I hit the panic button when it hit me that he was drowning. “Help! Someone is drowning!”
Then, I leaned on the edge of the pond, calling out his name. However, I received no response. Since I had no idea of the depth of the lake, thinking that he was drowned, I got too frightened that I broke into tears. “Somebody, help! Help!”
“Pfft!” All of a sudden, Marcus emerged from the water, wiping the water off his face. “Stop crying! I’m not dead yet!”
I was in a daze the whole while when he climbed out of the lake with his clothes soaking wet.
Looking at his composed manner, I realized he had frightened me on purpose. My chest heaved heavily while I was quivering in anger.
“Marcus White! You think this is funny?”
How could he scare a pregnant woman like that? My heart nearly leaped out of my chest!
Despite my anger, he was acting calm and relaxed. “It’s cooler in the lake, so I decided to stay there a little longer.”
His lame excuse further aroused my anger. Being overcome by fury, I once again pushed him into the lake. “Then you should stay in there forever!”
Thump!
“Scarlett Stovall! You…” He was flailing about in the water, but I decided to turn and leave.
That was when I saw Ashton’s tall figure standing in the shadows. His expression was perfectly hidden in the darkness, but I sensed his aloofness.
I paused for a while before making my way toward him. “Has Sally sobered Benjamin up?”
He retrieved his icy gaze from Marcus as he answered, “Yes. He’s feeling better now.”
A moment later, Benjamin and Sally were seen coming out of the house. The former was displeased upon seeing Marcus climbing out of the pond. “How did you get in there? Couldn’t you be more careful?” The reproach was clear in his voice.
Inexplicably, I felt pity for Marcus because of his father’s attitude toward him. That poor guy never got any concern from his father.
I raised my head to face Benjamin. “Benjamin, I…”
“I accidentally fell into the lake.” Before I could finish my words, Marcus interrupted me. With a defiant smile, he provoked his father, “Sorry to disappoint you, but I didn’t drown.”
As expected, Benjamin hit the roof. “You… You…” He stuttered while pointing at Marcus.
Sally quickly patted his back, trying to ease his breathing. Then, she turned to face Marcus. “Marc, you shouldn’t make your father angry. It’s cold outside. You better go get changed, or else you might catch a cold.” With that, she helped her husband into the house.
Marcus sneered while looking at his father and stepmother’s back figures. Then, giving Ashton a taunting sidelong glance as he walked past him, he stopped in front of me. “Stop crying. You’re the one who pushed me into the lake, but now you’re crying for me. Aren’t you contradicting yourself?”
I couldn’t help frowning as I found his words puzzling.
As Marcus’s figure vanished from sight, I instinctively looked at Ashton to explain to him in case he misunderstood me. “I’m not crying for him! I’m crying because I was frightened.”
Smiling gently, he tucked my hair behind my ears. “I know.”
Luckily, the following hours passed uneventfully. It was already late at night, and I became sleepy by the time the cake-cutting session ended.
On the way of walking us to our car, Sally reminded us, “Stay at home for the next few days as your due date is near. It’s your first time having a baby, so you guys should be more careful.”
I nodded, taking her advice to heart. With that, we departed from the villa.
When the car came to a stop at a traffic light, he gave my pregnant belly a sidelong glance. “The baby is due within half a month. I’ve made all the necessary arrangements with the hospital.”
Feeling sleepy, I nodded quietly, leaning against my seat to get some rest.
The car in front started moving when the light turned green. In my half-asleep state, I heard his deep voice that was tinged with discontentment. “Stay away from Marcus!”
“Huh?” My sleepiness was driven away by his words. “But why?” I asked.
He looked at me out of the corner of his eyes while slowly accelerated the car. “You’re not willing to?”
I shook my head in denial. “No. I’m just curious, why are you asking me to stay away from him?”
Seeing him remaining silent, I gave a chortle. “Don’t tell me you think Marcus would take a fancy to a pregnant woman.”
“From where did you get that confidence?” he asked, furrowing his brows.
Raising my brow, I held my head high and flashed him a cheeky grin. “You gave me the confidence!” I couldn’t help teasing him, thinking he was making a big deal of it. Ever since I got pregnant, I didn’t even dare to look at my swollen limbs in the mirror. Ashton was definitely thinking too much because Marcus would never be attracted to me, a woman inflated like a balloon unless he had unusual tastes.
