Half an hour later, there seemed to be no more movement outside. The sound of a car starting could be heard, and Ashton stumbled in after a few minutes.
Having eaten my fill, I was feeling a little bloated. I also could not shake the feeling that my belly had been growing a lot bigger lately. I decided that I would drop by the hospital tomorrow for a regular check-up.
Mrs. Eriksen, who had been cleaning the kitchen while paying attention to the commotion outside, yelped when Ashton stepped into the house. “Oh my! Look at the state that you’re in!” She then rushed over to check on him.
Meanwhile, I was resting on the sofa after my meal. I looked up to see that Ashton’s handsome face was now swollen with a streak of bloodstain at the corner of his mouth. Despite the sorry state that he was in, he still stood tall and proud, exuding a certain triumphant aura.
While Mrs. Eriksen was busy looking for a first-aid kit, I took a glance at him before turning to inform the older lady, “It’s getting late. I’m going to rest first.”
She gawked at my nonchalance, unable to say anything.
Avoiding Ashton’s intense gaze, I went upstairs.
I knew that I was being cruel by acting in such a cold-hearted way, but such was the fact of life, the more I took the initiative to care, the more I would be taken for granted. Just like I had things that I had hidden from him; he too, had many secrets that he had kept from me.
When I came out of the bathroom, Ashton was standing on the balcony, smoking. His tall and slender figure looked forlorn and cold.
Averting my gaze, I sat in front of my dressing table for my nightly skincare routine.
After a long while, and countless cigarettes later, he came in from the balcony and glanced at me before stepping into the bathroom.
Since it was already very late, I quickly dried my hair and went to bed, drifting into slumber almost immediately.
I guess we’re having a cold war again, huh.
The summer night of J City was a little too quiet, making the cacophony of insects and animals in the yard of our villa sounded unusually loud. As the dazzling moonlight shone through the windows, the atmosphere in our bedroom was uneasily silent.
Feeling some discomfort, I tossed and turned as I tried to find the right position. Just then, a pair of large hands held me down.
I was jolted awake, only to find that Ashton was trying to have his way with me.
Squinting at him, I muttered, “If I don’t even bother to respond to you when I’m awake. What makes you think that I will when I’m in deep sleep?”
I could feel him stiffened as he looked at me sulkily, “Are you taking your revenge on me?”
I closed my eyes, still feeling sleepy. “Not in a mood to talk.”
“Hmph!” he sneered, before saying, “Seems like I have to try harder then.”
I frowned. Indeed, behind that good look and well-dressed appearance, he is nothing but a despicable scum.
Biting my lips, I endured his forceful thrust in silence.
“Didn’t you say that you won’t respond to me?” Thinking that I was beginning to respond to him, he sneered, “I guess what you said earlier was just an excuse, huh?”
I remained silent and let him have his way with me.
After a long time, he was finally done. He turned on the light on the bedside table and was prepared to carry me into the bathroom as usual.
When he turned to look at me, he saw something that made him recoiled in horror. The hand that was originally on my lower abdomen tightened suddenly.
He fixed his gaze at me and muttered in a hoarse voice, “Why didn’t you yell?” Panic was written all over his usually stoic face.
I kept my silence still. I was starting to feel a little dizzy, the pain in my lower abdomen and the blood that was flowing out of me continuously were all indications that the child inside me might be gone.
Strangely enough, the pain that I was feeling was not on any part of my body, but rather in my heart.
It was the kind of gripping pain that stemmed from being tightly crushed by something. The kind of pain that cut your breath off.
Bam! Ashton lost his balance when he was getting down from the bed and bumped into the chaise lounge beside.
I did not say anything as I watched on indifferently.
Grabbing his phone, his fingers were trembling as they slid across the phone screen. It took him a long time before he was able to call somebody.
The moment the call got through, Ashton spoke with an urgency not heard before, “She is bleeding a lot! It’s really serious! I need an ambulance now!”
Hanging up on the phone immediately after, he stumbled into the bathroom and emerged with a towel in his hands.
Rushing to my bedside, he bent down and tried to wipe the blood away and to stop the bleeding but to no avail. The blood just kept on flowing.
I looked at him in a strangely calm way despite all that was happening to my body. My vision seemingly started to swim and drift further and further away.
My eyes were drinking in the panic, helplessness, and horror that was plastered on his face. Even during this dire situation, I felt nothing but a tinge of amusement. After all, he had brought this upon himself.
All the while, he did not look at me. When he realized that he could not stop the bleeding, he went to my closet, found a set of clothes, and put them on me.
Carrying me up from the bed, I could feel his trembling hands. He was obviously very concerned and disturbed.
Just then, the sound of police sirens came from the direction of the yard, indicating that the ambulance had arrived.
Sure enough, a moment later, a group of people carrying a stretcher burst into the villa. Ashton tucked me in and gave me a look filled with complicated feelings.
Unwilling to look at him again, I closed my eyes.
My mind was clear the whole journey from the villa to the hospital, and lastly to the operating room.
In fact, I was unfeeling throughout the whole process.
I knew from the bottom of my heart that whether or not this child could be saved had no bearing on the schism between Ashton and me. The crack in our relationship had long since progressed into an irreparable rift dividing the two of us.
“If you feel sleepy, just close your eyes and take a good rest. We’ll try our best to save the child. Don’t worry!” the doctor at the operating table reassured me.
I nodded and closed my eyes.
However, even after two hours, I was still awake and alert. The moment I was pushed out of the operating room, I saw Ashton standing by the door.
When he saw the doctor, he asked with a pale face, “Is everything okay?”
The doctor nodded reassuringly, “It’s a good thing that she was sent here in time. Both she and the child are fine. Still, Mr. Fuller, you need to restrain yourself in the future. Since Mrs. Fuller had polycystic ovary syndrome, the chance of conceiving a child is very small. Therefore, do keep in mind that the baby growing within her belly is hard-won. Please be careful and take good care of them.”
