Camelia sneered. “I’m causing trouble? I didn’t know you were so concerned about your reputation. Marcus, you were the one who courted me. You even told me you want to get engaged with me. I’ve been longing for love and marriage for four years. But my hopes were all dashed. You ruined my life! I had the most terrible experience with you. And now, you find me annoying because I keep pestering you?”
Summer was hiding behind me as she was a little afraid to see Camelia screaming.
Seeing that I had said what I had to say, there was no point in me staying there anymore.
I left with Summer, not wanting to get involved in their drama.
We headed back to the residence. Just as I reached the entrance, I heard the sound of someone coughing from the stairs.
It sounded familiar to me.
Summer could recognize the sound right away. She let out a smile immediately. “Mommy, it’s Mr. Fuller!”
Then, she let go of me and ran toward the stairs.
I followed behind her and caught Ashton stubbing out the cigarettes in his hand. He looked pale and haggard.
Summer was quick to wrap her arms around his legs as she greeted him.
He carried Summer up and noticed the wound on her forehead. Ashton’s gaze darkened instantly. “Did something happened in school?”
Before I could say anything, Summer answered right away, “They were talking bad about Mommy. So, I got into a fight with them.”
Ashton pursed his lips as an icy gaze flashed across his dark eyes. His voice was deep and magnetic when he said, “Good girl, Summer. Next time, you can fight but you can’t hurt yourself, understand? You must learn how to protect yourself.”
Summer nodded. She probably thought that Ashton was right. Besides, he didn’t blame her for getting into a fight. Hence, she answered cheerfully, “Got it! I’ll make sure to protect myself if I got into a fight in the future.”
I was speechless.
I couldn’t help but look at Ashton, “I’ve never seen anyone who teaches their daughter to fight.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Sometimes, fists hurt more than words. Summer is turning five years old soon. It’s time for her to learn martial arts. I’ll get Joseph to get in touch with some instructors.”
I pursed my lips and remained silent. For some reason, I thought what he said made sense.
Back in the house, Ashton was accompanying Summer while I was busy preparing a meal. None of us brought up the topic about Nancy.
After we finished eating, and Summer had fallen asleep, Ashton looked at me intently before pulling me into his arms.
He asked in a hoarse voice, “Where have you been?”
I leaned into his arms, allowing him to hold me tight. I was silent for a moment before answering his question. “I went to look for Marcus at White Corporation.”
His body went slightly stiff upon hearing my words. He then asked again with his deep voice, “Why are you looking for him?”
“Just to have a little chat.” I didn’t know how I should tell him. I couldn’t find the appropriate words to say. Hence, I chose to avoid it.
He didn’t try to force me. He fell silent for a moment and said, “No matter where you’re going, remember to bring your phone with you in the future. Also, make sure I can reach you by phone.”
I froze for a second. I suddenly realized that my phone was out of battery during the day. Therefore, it must have switched off by itself after I reached White Corporation.
I looked up and responded with a faint smile. “Alright!”
He wrapped his arms around me. Looking solemn, he said, “I will deal with Nancy. Scarlett, no matter what others tell you, you must remember that I’m your husband. I am the father of your kid.”
Seeing how stern and serious he was all of a sudden, I couldn’t help but feel shocked. “To be honest, I don’t care about what other people say. I’m just worried about Summer. She still has to go to school. Besides, she is quite sensitive. I’m afraid that she will be affected by those nonsense in school.”
He buried his face into my neck, his tone was laced with guilt as he uttered, “I won’t let something like this happen again.”
I smiled faintly. He was a man who was standing at the pinnacle of success. He had always been high-profile. If he could accept the compliments and admiration from people, he should also learn to deal with rumors and all the criticisms. It was natural and inevitable.
The news about Nancy was soon covered up by other news releases within a few days. It was all water under the bridge. After all, everyone had their own lives to live. Nobody would waste too much of their time on rumors about someone else.
It was mid-September. Ashton redecorated the villa in order to let Summer grow up in a better environment. He even transferred her to another school.
I found out later that the initial preschool that Summer went to had been shut down by the Education Ministry. As for what the reason was, I had no idea.
However, those matters had nothing to do with me.
On the weekend, Ashton got Joseph to help me out with moving. Summer’s stuff had already been moved.
As for myself, there was nothing much for me to pack. I was basically just changing a place to live. It was almost of no difference to me.
We finished moving in the evening. Then, I received a call from Ashton. His tone was gentle as he said, “Joseph will send some ingredients over later. You might need to prepare some dishes.”
I responded in acknowledgment. Ashton had dismissed the housekeeper due to Sally’s surprise visit last time.
Now, only part-time cleaners would come over during weekdays to tidy things up. They would only cook occasionally. Both Ashton and I knew how to cook. So, we would do the cooking on our own if we got the time. Days like these were rather carefree.
He paused for a short while and continued, “No, scratch that, you might need to prepare more dishes. I’m still in a meeting. So I’ll get Joseph to help you. There’ll be guests joining us for dinner tonight.”
Surprised, I asked, “Is it someone I know?”
He hummed a response, “Yes. We’re family. Some simple home-cooked meals will be fine.”
After hanging up the phone, I started getting confused and curious. I had just moved into a new place. Who would come over to have a meal?
