Looking at the flower basket in front of her, Ashley took a sip of wine. The sour and astringent taste
lingered on her tongue. After she drank it, the thick sweet taste of grapes slowly swept over her mouth.
She had half a bottle of wine before dinner.
She poured another glass. By the strange red liquor, she gazed the Chinese knots which were hanging
in the private room and muttered to herself, "who are we? Francis. Who am I to you? What's our
marriage to you? And what's our wedding night to you?"
"They are of no significance..."
From the corner of his eye, Karl saw that she kept drinking without even eating anything. He frowned,
feeling a little worried about her.
"Cindy, please have a seat. I'll go over to see a friend there."
Cindy said with a smile, "Let me go with you and say hi. She seems to be our colleague."
Karl bypassed the corridor of the second floor and walked to the opposite room. Since the door was
half open, he opened the door and walked in. Her skirt flowed down on the floor. She didn't seem to
notice anyone coming in. She waved the wine glass with her slender wrist, and the red liquid sparkled
under the light.
When Ashley was about to raise her glass to drink, one hand stopped her. She turned her head and
saw Karl was staring at her with a frown on his face.
"Why are you here alone? Where's Jasper?"
Jasper? It's none of Jasper's business. Hearing this, Ashley smiled. Although she had drunk a lot of
wine, she was still sober. "I haven't contacted him recently."
"Oh, Ashley, it's you! I hardly recognize you just now."
Followed the sound, squinted her eyes, Ashley saw Cindy, the head of their Marketing Department, and
by her side was Cecily who had spread the rumor before.
Ashley hold the back of the chair and raised to her feet, "Cindy, I didn't expect to meet you here."
"So do I. You look totally different in this dress."
Cecily didn't say anything. In her mind, Ashley was an insignificant nobody as others. But now in this
famous opulent place, Cecily realized that she was the stupid one indeed. Ashley could chat with
executives freely and squander money without hesitation on a bottle of wine which was several
thousand dollars. How could she think that Ashley was the same as them?
Standing for a while, Ashley felt she couldn't stand any more. She drank too much. Although she was
sober, her body was out of control. She had always been concerned about her manners, so she sat
down calmly. "Let's dine together. The seats are just enough."
Karl waved his hand and said, "No, thanks! Do you still feel well? How about call Jasper to pick you
up?"
"No, thanks." Ashley shook her head, "I'm fine. I can go back by myself."
Cindy and Cecily were surprised and confused. Jasper held up half of the sky in the entertainment
sector. Was it true that Ashley was so close to him? It seemed that she should be more careful with
Ashley in the future.
Karl frowned and said, "I've got to go. Take care of yourself."
"Sure!" Ashley nodded and watched them leave the room. She finally couldn't stand any longer so she
held her forehead with her hands.
After a while, the sensation of dizziness passed out. The wine in the bottle was finished, and the steak
was completely cold.
"Waiter."
The waiter came in and asked, "Miss, what can I do for you?"
"Help me open another bottle of wine."
"Okay."
By the time Jasper arrived, more than half of the second bottle of wine was finished. The woman had a
wine glass in her hand by the table. She twisted her waist and rested her arms on the railing,
uninterestedly watching the show on the first floor. While watching the performance, she raised her
head to drink wine from time to time, behaving like a dissolute playboy.
"Ashley."
She looked back with her blearing eyes and saw a man there. Raising her eyebrows frivolously, she
turned around and sat on the back of the guest chair. "What are you doing here?"
With a casual smile on the corner of her mouth, the beautiful women interrogated him in a lofty manner.
He squinted his eyes, which looked aggressive.
Ashley drank the wine and put the glass on the table. Then she asked, "What are you doing here?"
This was the way she used to be, cold, aloof and supercilious, looking down upon anyone. She
probably drank too much. She relaxed her vigilance and forgot to disguise.
Jasper reached out his hand and didn't answer. "You should go home now."
Looking at his hand, slender and powerful, Ashley lowered her eyes, as if mocking herself. When she
raised her head again, she would look like a sophisticated woman.
"Thank you." Ashley put her hand in the man's hand and stood up with his help. But her legs seemed to
be numb with anesthetic, so she couldn't stand up.
Jasper quickly held her waist and let her lean against him.
His arms were warm and safe, like a tree that would not fall down, holding her tightly. For a moment,
Ashley really wanted to hide in his arms and never came out.
"Thank you." She composed herself to stand still.
"You're welcome." As he said so, Jasper turned to look at his friends in the opposite room. Karl also
saw him. They nodded at each other. There was no need to say too much in the friendship between
men.
Ashley made her way downstairs slowly with the help of Jasper who was holding her by her side.
She was really beautiful tonight. Both black and golden suit her very well, and the dress was perfectly
tailored. Her arms and neck that were usually covered under blouse were now exposed, revealing her
unique gentleness.
"Why did you wear a dress today?" He asked.
"Nothing special. I just bought it casually."
They paid the bill and went out. While taking out the car keys, Jasper said. "You're a heavy drinker.
After drinking two bottles of wine, you can walk so steadily and have a clear mind."
Only Ashley knew how weak her body was. Her mind was blank and her eyes were numb under the
influence of alcohol. She was very tired and wanted to close her eye.
"Well, not bad." She dealt with the situation with ease. As long as she walked and speak slowly, she
would look normal.
Jasper drove the car. Ashley certainly could not sit in the backseat because she didn't want Jasper to
be her driver, so she sat in the front-passenger seat obediently.
It was very comfortable in the car and Ashley wanted to sleep. Jasper said while driving, as if he had a
third eye, "take a nap if you are sleepy. I will wake you up when we arrive your home."
Her rational minds warned her that it was rude to fall asleep in front of a man with whom she was not
so familiar. However emotionally, she felt that it was okay. After entangled with the thoughts over and
over again, she couldn't help falling asleep.
In her dream, she felt something just like a feather touched her lips gently. Half asleep, she saw a
blurred and handsome face.
Jasper... She whispered.
She felt a bigger kiss, hot and moist, on her lips. She fell asleep again in such a dreamy state.
Ashley woke up with a sore neck. The car had already stopped in front of the courtyard of her house.
She thought of the strange dream she had just now and felt embarrassed to look at Jasper. "Why didn't
you wake me up?" she asked
"I did but you didn't wake up." Jasper answered unsparingly.
Ashley fell in embarrassing moment again because every time she drank, she would fall asleep
soundly just like a pig and it was difficult to wake up her up. "Well.. I'm so sorry to trouble you so much
today. "
"It's okay." The man said briefly as ever.
"It's getting late so I won't hold you up then. Go home and have a rest." Ashley opened the door and
got off the car. She only wanted to leave this embarrassing place as soon as possible. "Be watchful on
the way!"
Then she turned around, opened the door and walked in.
Covering her blushing face, Ashley walked into the house. Everyone was asleep; anyhow, very quiet.
She went upstairs, threw her bag on the bed, removed her makeup, washed her face, changed her
pajamas, and then slipped in a thin blanket. Although a lot of thoughts came to her mind, she could not
resist the effect of alcohol and the softness of the bed, she soon fell asleep again.
Ashley's bedtime routine was always inconsistent. She either got up too late or too early. Most of the
time when she went downstairs, others were asleep or went to work or went shopping.
While today everyone was sitting at the table for breakfast, as if they were waiting for her to announce
something. After what had happened last night, Ashley had mentally prepared, so she came down
stairs calmly and sat down have breakfast.
However, Sheila couldn't help showing off, "Francis and I will be engaged next Sunday. Ashley, you
can't be absent by then."
Having foreseen things would turn out this way, Ashley asked in surprise deliberately, "engaged? You
are pregnant now. Why don't you get married instead? Francis is so irresponsible! "
As soon as she mentioned this, Samuel said furiously, "she's not pregnant. No child at all!"
Seeing this, Gloria came to the rescue. She was absolutely born for mediation. "Well, Ashley. The fact
was the hospital made a mistake. Sheila was not pregnant. Don't mention it again in the future to make
your daddy annoyed."
'Well, if you are afraid that daddy will be annoyed, how can you still lie?'
But Ashley didn't want to cease this topic. "This hospital is really unreliable. How can make such a
mistake? It's ridiculous!"
"The hospital is of no importance. What matters is your sister's engagement ceremony. You can't be
absent." While changing topic, Gloria muttered in her heart, 'now Ashley always sticks to talk
trenchantly. Every word is really incisive."
She raised her chin arrogantly. "I have no interests to see my ex-husband marry my sister."
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