Chapter 11
Their blurred reflections on the metal doors suggested nothing
but estrangement.
His black Maybach was parked outside the company entrance.
As they approached it, she reached for the door to the back seat.
Meanwhile, he sat in the driver’s seat.
Till now, she still remembered that humiliating day. Shortly
after their marriage, Tamera Townsend, his grandmother, had
asked him to bring her back home for dinner.
He had locked the door to the passenger seat when she was
about to get in the car.
It was the most embarrassing moment of her life.
From then on, she never rode in his car again.
Tonight was purely an accident.
After he started the car, she crossed her left arm over her chest
and lowered her head to browse news on the phone in her right
hand.
Chapter 11
She didn’t look at him, let alone chat with him.
The atmosphere in the car was so quiet.
In the past, she had been so eager to share every moment in her
life with him, always wanting to tell him first whenever
something interesting happened.
But the day she realized he had been deliberately ignoring her
calls and messages, she learned to shut up.
Ellsworth didn’t say anything either.
Silence hung between them until he pulled into the courtyard.
Patsy walked toward them with a grin, and only then did the
tension in the air ease a little.
“Hara, hey. I made some soup for you. Come and eat it while it’s
still warm,” Patsy said to Harriet lovingly, completely ignoring
Ellsworth.
“Alright, Patsy,” Harriet smiled.
Meanwhile, Ellsworth walked into the dining room, pulled a
chair, and sat down.
Chapter 11
The servants brought dishes onto the table.
Patsy sat down next to Harriet. “Hara, I wanna stay here for a
couple of days. Is that OK with you?”
Harriet quickly said, holding a fork and a knife in her hands,
“Of course. Patsy, stay here for as long as you want.”
Patsy beamed at once.
Then she turned to Ellsworth. Noticing the grim look on his
face, she said, “If you have any objections, keep them to
yourself.
“From now on, come back after work. Have dinner at home.
You’re Hara’s husband, and you should act like one.”
Her real purpose of staying here was to keep an eye on
Ellsworth.
She wasn’t going to leave before Harriet got pregnant.
Kelsey wouldn’t stand a chance to sabotage Harriet and
Ellsworth’s marriage-not under her watch.
Ellsworth looked up and said nonchalantly, “How am I
supposed to make money then? Or you’re fed up with those
Chapter
designer bags already?”
She spat, “Not working overtime won’t change anything. Stop
with the excuses. Just do as I say!”
Her tone dripped with dominance. Apparently, she wouldn’t
take no for an answer.
Ellsworth couldn’t be bothered to talk back. Her commanding
words meant nothing to him.
Harriet, however, glanced up at him after hearing Patsy’s
words.
He’d suffer unless they had a divorce.
After dinner, Harriet and Ellsworth sat with Patsy in the living
room for a while. Soon, she urged them to go upstairs to rest.
After walking them back to the bedroom, she turned to leave.
Ellsworth closed the room door. Then he took off his suit jacket,
tossed it onto the couch casually, and rolled up his shirt sleeves.
His fair skin made his blue veins stand out even more.
Just then, his phone rang.
He didn’t pick up immediately. Instead, he lit a cigarette before walking over to the floor-to-ceiling window with his phone in
hand.
Blowing out a smoke ring, he said, “Mom’s here. I won’t come
over tonight.”
“Alright. Get back earlier to rest.”
“OK. I see.”
“Alright.”
His voice was all gentle and soft-a privilege Harriet had never
enjoyed.
And he didn’t mind that Harriet was right behind him.
After hanging up, he walked back to the coffee table and
casually stubbed out his cigarette.
