Chapter 31
After speaking, I lifted my full glass of wine. Resisting the urge to throw up, I chugged down a few glasses in a row. My alcohol tolerance wasn’t that high to begin with. Hence, by the third glass, a dull ache had formed in my lower abdomen.
Jared sensed the change in me and held down my hand. Glancing at Ashton, he said slowly, “Ashton, she’s still your wife now. You know she can’t drink in her current state. It’ll be too late to regret it if something happens to her.”
“Let me go!” I was already a little dizzy. Driven by rage and indignance, I pushed Jared’s hand away and reached out to grab another glass of wine.
I was stopped by a powerful grip, then pulled into a familiar embrace. Joe stared at Ashton with a bewildered expression. “Ashton?”
“She’s my wife, so I’ll drink the rest,” Ashton declared, his tone firm. Without hesitation, he finished the remaining drinks in front of me. Rebecca’s face fell instantly, her eyes glistening red with emotion.
My stomach churned, nausea washing over me in waves, but Ashton held me firmly in his arms, leaving me no choice but to fight through the discomfort.
After a while, Rebecca abruptly stood up and turned to Joe. “Take me home!”
Anger and hurt laced her voice, but Joe hesitated, glancing at Ashton for approval. When he received none, he sighed and trailed after Rebecca, leaving the room.
Jared, clearly exasperated, yanked the wine glass out of Ashton’s hand and snapped, “If you don’t want anything to happen to her, you’d better take her back now!”
Ashton frowned but wasted no time. In one swift motion, he lifted me into his arms and carried me out of the nightclub. My head spun, and my body felt weak. I had no idea what happened to Jared after that—all I could focus on was the stabbing pain in my abdomen.
Ashton placed me gently into the car, his brows knitting together in concern when he saw me curl up protectively around my belly. His palm pressed against my abdomen. “Does it hurt badly?”
I nodded weakly, sweat beading on my forehead.
He started the engine. “Hold on. I’ll take you to the hospital.”
Panic surged within me. Gripping his arm, I shook my head. “Take me back to the villa and call Dr. Crest. He can treat me.”
His frown deepened, clearly displeased.
Afraid that he’d refuse, I quickly explained, “He was the one who monitored my recovery after the surgery. He knows my condition best.”
Ashton hesitated for a brief moment before pressing down on the accelerator, heading straight for the villa.
I breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
In record time, we arrived. Ashton carried me inside, his steps swift yet careful. Jared was already waiting, and after administering some medication, the pain in my abdomen gradually subsided.
Exhaustion weighed down on me. Between the alcohol and the day’s events, my body felt drained. Before long, I drifted off to sleep.
Even in my sleep, I vaguely heard Ashton calling my name, his voice a distant murmur. I felt him undress me and lift me into the bathtub, his hands gentle as he cleaned me. I wanted to protest, to push him away, but my limbs felt too heavy. My consciousness faded again as he carried me back to bed.
—
The next morning, a pounding headache greeted me. I sat up slowly, rubbing my temples as my phone buzzed a few times.
Once the nausea settled, I checked my messages. There was one from Macy:
How was the male escort last night? Did everything go well?
I held my forehead, utterly speechless, before typing a response: Macy, you do know that after a miscarriage, it’s not advisable to have sex for at least a month, right?
A minute later, my phone rang. I picked up, and Macy’s panicked voice came through the line. “What the heck? You should’ve told me that earlier! Do you know how much I paid that male escort yesterday?”
Stretching lazily, I walked to the window and pulled back the curtains, sunlight streaming into the room. “Let’s go shopping soon. I’ll get you something nice to make up for it. By the way, I ran into Rebecca last night.”
Macy scoffed. “Isn’t she always acting like some virtuous saint? What was she doing there?”
“Ashton and the others were there too,” I replied, watching as the raindrops from last night glistened under the sun, making the villa’s surroundings look fresh and renewed.
Macy let out an exaggerated sigh. “Forget it. Let’s not waste our time talking about her. Have you decided when you’re leaving J City?”
A headache formed at the thought. “Ashton hasn’t signed the divorce papers, and I still have to sort things out at the company.”
Macy hummed in acknowledgment, then fell silent for a moment. “Let me know once you’re done. I’ll head to Q City in a few days to scout for locations and finalize the bar transfer here.”
A lump formed in my throat. “Hour Bar has been running for years now. Aren’t you sad about giving it up?” The thought of her making such a big sacrifice for me left an uneasy feeling in my chest.
“Tsk! Some things come and go in life. What’s there to be sad about? Besides, I can always open another bar in Q City.”
She quickly changed the subject, excitement creeping into her voice. “So? Have you thought about what you want to do once you leave Fuller Corporation and settle in Q City?”