Charles’s POV:
I pulled off the quilt, feeling amused and annoyed at the same time. I said, “Are you really my mother?
Why do you have to say something like that?”
“If you don’t want to hear something like that, then give me a great-grandchild with Scarlett as soon as
possible. Stop wasting my time,” Grandma backfired.
I chanced a glance at Scarlett. As expected, her cheeks turned bright red at Grandma’s words. She
immediately lowered her head and avoided eye contact with me.
“Grandma, I promise there will be a great-grandchild for you, but for now, I want to get some rest. You
and Mom should go home,” I replied.
Hearing what I said, Grandma began to pretend to shed tears. “That sounds nice and all. But Scarlett’s
belly is still flat. I don’t have much time left. There’s a good chance that I won’t be able to see my great-
grandchild.”
“Oh, don’t say that, Grandma. You’re still very strong and healthy. You’ll live a long life.” Hearing our
conversation, Scarlett hurried to comfort Grandma, “The great grandchild that you want is already on
the way, Grandma.”
“I don’t want a great-grandchild from that Rita woman! I don’t and will never consider her family!”
Grandma’s face darkened, and she turned around to leave.
She walked out of the ward quickly.
“Grandma!” Scarlett attempted to run after my grandmother, but my mother stopped her.
“Don’t worry about her, Scarlett. Stay here and take care of Charles, okay?” Then, my mother left.
The ward finally quieted down, and the headache that I got from all the commotion finally eased. I
rubbed my temples and heaved a sigh. Women were really difficult to deal with, and the most difficult
one of them all was standing at the door in a daze.
“Why are you still standing there?” I said crossly. Scarlett closed the door, turned around, and walked
toward me reluctantly. She pursed her lips and knitted her brows. She looked a little aggrieved. I knew
that she wanted to leave. She had been unhappy since Rita showed up. She was not only difficult to
deal with but also a jealous girl.
“Have you ordered the food?” I asked, trying to get her to focus on me.
She looked up at me, smacked herself in the head, and said, “Oh, right. The food.”
I could not help frowning. When did she get into the habit of knocking herself over the head? It made
her look silly and childish. But when I thought about it, it did not matter if she looked like a confused,
panicked little girl as long as I got to be with her for the rest of my life.
Soon, there was a knock on the door. It was the manager of the restaurant who sent the food.
Scarlett not only ordered all my favorite dishes but also made sure that they were healthful and
nutritious. It seemed that she was not as cold and ruthless as she would like to project herself to be.
She still remembered what I liked. I felt so happy that I wanted to smile, but I decided to suppress the
urge. I did not want the love of my life to think that I was having the best time with her.
Scarlett’s POV:
After lunch, Charles and I went about our own businesses. While I was busy reading on the sofa,
Charles was busy with his work.
The afternoon sunshine bathed the room in its warm, comforting glow, making everything feel
welcoming despite the smell of disinfectant that hung in the air.
Looking up at the busy Charles, I slowly got lost in thought. If he and I were a normal couple, would our
daily life be like this? Would we be in the same room doing completely different things and not talking
but still feeling at ease? Would we have a lovely child who would suddenly come running into the room,
breaking the silence, and bringing us joy?
“Scarlett,” Charles suddenly called to me.
“Hmm?” I instantly snapped back to my senses.
“Your phone is ringing,” he answered, tilting his head to the side.
I immediately fumbled for my phone as my cheeks burned with shame. Charles must have realized that
I was staring at him.
“Your phone is over here,” he said and pointed at the bedside table. “Why is it there?”
I giggled nervously and answered the call.
It was the wife of the TV station’s director. She sounded a little anxious and asked about the news.
I peeked at Charles and found that he was not paying attention to me. I told my boss’s wife in a low
voice that I would call her back later. I hung up after that. If Charles knew who I was just talking to, he
would definitely not be thrilled.
Charles continued dealing with his emails without saying a word to me. I looked at his face and tried
to figure out his mood. It looked like he had been cheery since eating his hearty lunch. I poured him a
glass of water. “Here, Charles, drink some water.” Without raising his head, he grabbed the glass, took
a sip, and handed it back to me
“Would you like an apple?” I asked.
“No, thanks,” he replied, still tapping away on his keyboard.
“How are you feeling now?” I eyed him carefully. Then, he finally looked up at me and then went back
to answering his emails without saying anything.
I could not figure out what that gesture meant for a while. After hesitating for a long time, I plucked up
the courage to ask him, “My boss says that if you’re willing to give him a chance, you can put forward
any conditions.”
“I just have one—that you don’t go abroad.” Charles closed his laptop and stared at me.
I was stunned. I did not expect that he would propose such a condition “What? Is it too difficult a
condition for you? If it puts you in a dilemma, then just forget it,” he said in an unfriendly tone.
“No, no. I promise you I won’t go abroad,” I pressed immediately for fear that he would change his
mind.
“And if you go back on your word? You always go back on your word, Scarlett. I want collateral this
time. I don’t want to suffer double penalties anymore.” Charles wanted me to make a promise.
I put on an awkward smile. I had a plan in mind, but I did not expect him to be so difficult to fool this
time around. “I promise I won’t go abroad. If I don’t put up my end of the bargain, then I will accept
whatever punishment you decide.”
A wicked grin slowly spread across Charles’s face. “You mean it? The punishment is up to me? Very
well, my good girl. Now, we just have to record our agreement.”
“Don’t you trust me? Why don’t people trust one another these days? I already gave you my word. I will
do as I say.” Honestly, I felt wronged.
“Well, you don’t trust me either. Trust is a two-way street,” Charles retorted. He took out his phone and
pulled up the voice recorder app. “Go ahead.”
I suddenly remembered the expression “every dog had its day”. This was it for Charles. And I
suspected that he did it on purpose.
In order to complete the task that the director asked me to do, I had to repeat my promise while
Charles recorded it.
After getting what he wanted, he rubbed my head complacently. I was so angry that I shook him off and
walked away. I sat back on the sofa, intent on ignoring him indefinitely
But Charles was not done pushing my buttons. He played the recording in front of me again and again
no matter how many death glares I threw in his direction. Then, I reached a point where I wished the
ground would split so that I could hurl myself into the fissure. That was how much I did not want to look
at Charles’s smug face. I rolled my eyes at him.
But he did not seem affected at all by my annoyance. What annoyed me even more was the fact that
he flashed me a sincere smile, the kind of smile that made me want to forget how awful he was being
to me.
My anger was dispelled in an instant, and I hated myself for it.
“Get over here and kiss me,” Charles ordered.
Damn it! What did he just say? I pretended not to hear him and focused on what I was reading
“Did you hear me? Do you want your director to keep his position?” Charles said in a menacing tone.
“I already agreed to your condition. I don’t have to get over there and kiss you,” I said through clenched
teeth. Although I did ask him for help, I did not have to cater to his every need. He did not own me.
“Fine. I won’t force you. And let’s just forget about our agreement,” Charles said indifferently.
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