“How can I get over it?” As I was upset, I spoke in a very blunt manner. “You let her enter the office whenever she wants to and allow the staff to call her your fiancée. Yet, you still act so indifferently about it, as if it’s got nothing to do with you. Are you lying to yourself or to me, Ashton? What’s the point of all this?”
When he met my gaze, he suddenly laughed. “You allow John to shower you with concern, send you fruits and reminisce over good memories. Why can’t you tolerate Rebecca’s presence?”
Not expecting him to mention these things, I immediately seethed in fury. When I stood up abruptly, I almost lost my balance and fell. He tried to hold me, but I shoved him away. “Stay away from me!”
I stomped out of the office. When I opened the door, I saw Joe who was about to knock on the door. There was an awkward expression on his face, probably because he had overheard our conversation earlier.
“Did you have a fight?” He suddenly asked. I was stunned for a while before returning to my senses.
“No, Mr. Quinn. We aren’t a couple!” With that, I brushed past him and left.
Ashton caught up with me and grabbed my arm. “Where are you going, Scarlett?”
“It’s none of your business.” I flung his hand away and was about to leave when he dragged me back to the sofa. Looking at Joe, he asked, “What’s the matter?”
Having witnessed this scene, Joe felt a bit embarrassed. “I’ve settled the matters regarding the European market. Jared and I are planning to celebrate tonight. Will you be coming along?”
Ashton glanced at me and raised an eyebrow. “Do you think that I can go?”
Joe was rendered speechless for a while before suggesting boldly, “Why don’t you bring Scarlett along? She can just refrain from drinking alcohol!”
“Do you want to go?” Ashton asked, still holding me.
“Is Rebecca going?” I asked Joe with a determined gaze.
Taken aback, he paused for a while before saying, “Yeah.”
I nodded. “I’ll go!”
Joe glanced at me, then back at Ashton. Without commenting any further, he left the office.
Ashton grabbed my hands. “What are you planning to do?”
I laughed. “What can I do? The Moore family is so powerful. It’s impossible for me to ruin Rebecca, right? I just want to keep an eye on my husband. Why? You don’t want me to come?”
He said exasperatedly, “Your baby is about to be born. It’s not safe for you to roam about!”
“Isn’t Dr. Crest there?”
“He’s really busy so he won’t have time to take care of you.” He made me sound like a burden.
“Fine, I won’t go then.” Since he was already trying so hard to persuade me, it would be shameless of me to insist.
With that, he fell silent.
Glancing at me, he asked, “What do you want to eat for dinner?”
I could not think of something in such a short span of time. After deliberating about it, I suggested, “What about barbecue?” I had an urge to eat something heavy perhaps due to my pregnancy cravings. I rarely ate barbecue in the past because it was too hot and oily. However, I now felt uneasy if I went too long with eating any barbecue.
He frowned. Not very fond of barbecue, he said, “Eat something else.”
“Why?” I disliked it whenever he acted like that. “You’re the one who asked me what I wanted to eat. Now that I’ve said barbecue, you’re unwilling to eat it. What do you want me to do?”
He frowned. “The smell is too strong and it’s very crowded. It’s not safe!”
“It’s even more dangerous if I go hungry!” Ashton was extremely annoying at times. “Oh, right. It’s more suitable for a dignified president of a company like you to dine at a Western restaurant with an elegant lady like Rebecca. You can enjoy classical music and bask in the romantic atmosphere instead of suffering in a crowded and noisy place like a barbecue shop. It’s not worthy enough for a nobleman like you.”
Since I was in a bad mood, I did not mince my words.
Pursing his lips, he chided, “Scarlett, can’t you be gentler like other women? It’s pointless to be so mean.”
I chuckled. “If I’m being pointless, look for Rebecca instead. Why are you criticizing me here?”
As it was getting late, I did not continue arguing with him. Instead, I stood up and left the office. Glancing back at him calmly, I said, “It’s alright if you don’t want to eat barbecue. But if you’re worried that something bad might happen to your son, wait for me outside the restaurant. Send me home after I finish eating.”
He was so furious that he burst out laughing. “Are you even a woman, Scarlett?”
“How could you not know about that?” When the lift doors opened, I strode in.
He followed me silently and our conversation ended right there.
In the barbecue restaurant, I ordered a lot of dishes. Ashton looked at the oil dripping down the meat and averted his gaze.
I had always known that he disliked barbecue. Not only was it noisy, but he also thought it had a strong smell and was unhygienic. Hence, he rarely ate barbecue.
As the meat was still being barbecued, I felt bored and started using my phone.
He snatched my phone away and repeated his usual catchphrase. “Stop using your phone so regularly. It’s bad for your eyes.”
I pursed my lips and ignored him.
Propping my chin up, I stared at the barbecued food. When I noticed his hungry expression, I could not help but suggest, “If you really dislike barbecue, you can dine in the adjacent Western restaurant. Let’s meet after eating.”
