That night when Matthew arrived home, it was eleven o'clock and he sensed that something was wrong the moment he opened the door.
The lights in the living room were switched off, but the 100-inch TV was still on. It was playing a movie—a scary one. On the screen, the black and white messengers from the hell were talking to a ghost with long hair and dressed in white, standing by a decrepit tomb.
"Your soul has been hovering here for six years. It's time you return to the world of the living!" The black and white messengers spoke in harmony.
The ghost floating in the air started crying, but instead of tears, there was blood in her eyes. "But I haven't seen my husband. I cannot leave yet! I won't leave!"
"This time it is not up to you!"
Just when the black and white messengers were about to capture the female ghost, another ghost, seemingly male, with a green-colored face and sharp teeth rushed out from nowhere.
The woman on the sofa clutched the cushion in her hand tightly as the noise from the TV blared intensely. She kept reciting "Amitabha" in her mind while her eyes remained glued to the screen.
"You..."
said the man abruptly, as he stood next to her. Frightened out of her wits, Erica screamed at the top of her lungs and jumped to her feet. "Ahhhh!"
When she recognized the man in front of her, she screamed for another three seconds before she finally stopped.
Matthew was rendered speechless. She had the courage to stay up late to watch a horror movie with the lights turned off, but was so frightened of seeing another person. Why was that?
Erica immediately picked up the remote control and turned on the lights in the living room. Almost instantly, the living room became as bright as day.
With a pale expression on her face, she stuttered, "When...did you get back?"
"Just now."
"Why didn't you say anything?" Needless to say, she was still a bit shaken up.
The living room of Matthew's villa was enormous to say the least. After she closed the door, shut the curtains and turned off all the lights, the whole place fell into darkness. It was perfect for watching a horror movie.
Matthew rolled his eyes at her. He had just come back and all he wanted to do was say "hi" to her. "You know, we have a projector on the fourth floor, right?" he said. He was talking about the entertainment room, where the sound system and atmosphere were designed specifically for the enjoyment of movies.
Erica shivered. "I know about the entertainment room, but the thought of watching a horror movie there seemed more frightening. I prefer the living room."
Casting an indifferent glance at the girl squatting down on the couch, he said, "Carry on and enjoy the movie then."
He turned around to go upstairs.
When he took the first step, Erica said, "Hey, will you be out tonight?"
Matthew turned around and stared at her emotionlessly. "What do you think?"
'What do I think?' "You can leave now and come back in the morning. Well, if you don't want to come back tomorrow morning either, let's just meet up in A Country."
"I don't think I will be able to go to your parents' home tomorrow. Can you put it off until the day after tomorrow?"
Erica was a little disappointed. "How can we put it off? It's a wedding tradition. Do you have something important to do?"
She was disappointed not because she couldn't go back together with Matthew, but because she would be disappointing her parents.
"Yes, I'm afraid I do."
'I understand that you have something important tomorrow, but is it a business or a personal matter?' she wondered. In truth, she didn't care whether it was for work or for personal reasons and she didn't intend to compel him. "Well, don't worry about it. I can go by myself tomorrow. You can go when you have time!"
Matthew went upstairs without saying anything else.
Erica didn't feel so scared anymore as she continued to watch the rest of the movie because she knew that there was another person at home.
At midnight, Erica went upstairs, yawning and rubbing her drowsy eyes.
On the third floor
The villa was very quiet. If not for the stream of light from the half-closed door of the study, Erica would've thought that she was still alone at home tonight.
When she returned to her bedroom, Erica climbed into bed and texted Wesley. "Colonel Li, just letting you know that your daughter will be coming home tomorrow. She's not bringing your son-in-law with her. Over!"
Wesley was chatting with Blair when his phone beeped. He looked at the screen and saw that it was a text message from Erica. He took his phone and replied, "Why aren't you bringing him with you?"
'Humph! I called you so many times the other day but you didn't answer. Now when it's about your son-in-law, you respond in a heartbeat, ' Erica sulked silently. "Well, you know your son-in-law is very busy and we're not really in love with each other. What? Were you really expecting him to come see you?"
Erica curled her lips, thinking that Matthew would rather be with his goddess than spend time with his wife and her family.
"Okay." Wesley responded with a simple reply.
'Okay? That's it?' She rolled her eyes at her dad's message.
Erica had gotten quite used to sleeping in this bed after spending three nights all by herself. She yawned again, putting the phone aside and soon fell asleep.
The next morning, as the alarm rang, Erica slowly opened her eyes and welcomed the sun through the curtains.
She looked at the time. It was six o'clock, but she didn't want to get up. Erica thought about taking the high-speed train later since she hadn't bought the air ticket yet. In any case, since she was in no rush to go anywhere at the moment, she decided to catch some more sleep.
When she woke up again, it was an hour and a half later. In fact, she wouldn't have woken up if Wesley hadn't called her phone. "Dad?"
"I know you are still sleeping. It's almost eight o'clock. Are you still coming home?"
"Yes!" There was no way Erica could avoid this even if Matthew didn't go with her. "I'll take the high-speed train later. Don't forget to pick me up at the station."
"Just get a taxi!"
Erica had her arms wrapped around a big stuffed doll. She closed her eyes and in a spoiled child's voice, she said, "Then I'm not coming back. You don't miss me anyway. I will just go back to sleep alone in this big villa!"
Wesley conceded, after all, he knew how stubborn his daughter could be. "Your brother will be there to fetch you at the station."
"Okay, I'll get up now! Bye, Dad!" She hung up the phone and put it back on charge.
Sitting upright on the bed, she looked around the empty bedroom and suddenly remembered that Matthew had come back last night.
When she looked at the other side and found no signs of another person sleeping there, she thought, 'I wonder if he left the villa last night.'
She scratched her head, trying to figure it out, but after a while she decided not to think about it anymore. She sprang up to her feet and went to the bathroom for a quick wash.
In the Huo family manor
Carlos shouted at the person on the other end of the line, "Put off all your plans for today. Ask your sister to deal with the project of New Coast Company. You have to go to A Country with Rika today."
Carlos would have personally dealt with the company's affairs for Matthew if he hadn't been out of the loop for a while now.
Matthew hung up the phone without saying another word. Debbie was so anxious she was like an ant on a hot pan. She immediately called Wesley and Blair to apologize to them.
Although Blair had repeatedly said that there was nothing to worry about, Debbie couldn't help feeling sorry.
After all, it was a custom for a newlywed couple to go back to the bride's home together on the third day after the wedding. How could Matthew let his newlywed wife go back alone? It was utterly disrespectful to his parents-in-law!
"I guess Erica is on her way to A Country now. What should we do? This is so embarrassing," Debbie said anxiously.
After a moment's consideration, Carlos said, "I'll go and bring Matthew back."
Unfortunately, the old man couldn't find his son anywhere. Not in the headquarters, the branch office or his villa.
When Carlos tried calling his number, he found that Matthew's phone had been switched off. Infuriated, Carlos found himself shaking in anger and thinking about disowning his son.
In A Country
When Erica showed up at the high-speed train station dragging her luggage, she immediately spotted Gifford in his military uniform. He was so eye-catching, even from a distance. A young girl had gone up to him and asked for his WeChat account.
The look of seriousness on his face and the look of disappointment on the girl's indicated that he had refused to comply with her request.
As Erica watched the girl walk away, she approached her brother and said, "Is that why you've been single for more than thirty years?"
Taking the suitcase from her hand, Gifford gently tapped her on head with his knuckles. "Don't talk nonsense. But hey, this is the first time I've seen a bride come back to her parents' home without her husband."