Joseph was taken aback when he saw me. “Ms. Stovall, what are you doing here?” he questioned politely.
“Where is Ashton?” I demanded.
“He left with Mr. Quinn,” Joseph replied as he took out the keys from his briefcase.
I parted my lips in disbelief.
In the end, I shot him a smile. “Goodbye, then.”
Seriously, Ashton?
I drove back to the villa in a hurry. When I arrived, I pressed on the doorbell a few times before Mrs. Eriksen opened the door. Wiping her hands, she grinned. “You’re back!” She motioned for me to look inside.
I stepped inside and saw the man sitting on the sofa, reading the newspaper.
After changing into house slippers, Mrs. Eriksen went back into the kitchen. I sat down beside Ashton and waited patiently for him to finish reading the papers.
Ashton finally finished after some time. I gave him the fruit juice Mrs. Eriksen prepared. “Ashton, can we talk now?” I inquired.
He glanced at the fruit juice but didn’t take it. “Ms. Stovall, what position are you assuming to talk to me?”
As he was so calm, I didn’t know what was going on in his mind.
I spoke after a brief pause, “Ashton, before we are officially divorced, I’m still Mrs. Fuller.”
“Ha!” he sneered. “So you are aware that you’re still Mrs. Fuller.”
I knew he was upset over the scandal, so I cajoled him in a gentle voice, “Nothing ever happened between Nick and me. The paparazzi made those stories up. Ashton, you know me well. I won’t do that.”
“So?” He rose to his feet. “Scarlett, do you seriously think you can do whatever you please as you’re pregnant!”
His mockery was unbearable. Despite knowing Nick and I were innocent, he still acted this way just because he was livid at me.
Feeling a little aggrieved, I raised my voice at his figure. “I do whatever I please? What about you and Rebecca? Did you forget what you did to hurt me?”
As he stopped in his tracks, I continued, “If Rebecca hadn’t suffered from a miscarriage, I wouldn’t even be here. She’d be your wife by now.”
He glowered at me angrily. After a few exchanges, I wasn’t as afraid of him anymore. Before he could reply, tears rolled down my cheeks.
“Why are you glaring at me? Isn’t that the truth? I’m your wife. Do I deserve to be treated this way just because I love you? Spending my days waiting for you in this empty house?”
As I was sobbing profusely, he frowned and came to me. “You feel aggrieved?”
He reached out to wipe my tears away, but I stepped back out of his reach. “Why can’t I feel that way? Ashton, someone cooked up that scandal. You knew it well, but you changed the lock and even blocked my number.”
I was studying his expression carefully. When his face softened, I added, “Are you chasing me out of the Fuller family? Accusing me of cheating on you? You don’t mind me marrying another man, do you? You are fine with your child calling another man his father?”
His expression soured. “Don’t you dare.”
I bit my lip and insisted. “You’re leaving me with no other choice! Fine, as long as you don’t regret your decision.”
With that, I spun on my heels and headed out. I had done everything that I could. If he refused to relent, I couldn’t force him, could I?
Suddenly, he grabbed my wrist and implored in a low voice, “Shouldn’t you have dinner before you leave?”
The anger in his voice had faded away. Mrs. Eriksen beamed and announced, “Dinner is ready. Come, eat up!”
Ashton brought me to the dining table and laid down my utensils. He then started eating politely.
The Fullers never talked when they ate.
Mrs. Eriksen served me my soup. “You are in your first trimester, right? Have you gone for your check-up yet? Don’t get worked up too often. I’m only nagging you for your own good. Trust me—I’ve been there.”
I nodded and sipped on my soup, listening to her attentively.
Glancing at Ashton, I noticed he was enjoying his meal quietly and calmly.
After dinner, Mrs. Eriksen asked in concern, “Letty, are you getting cramps in your legs recently?”
