Chapter 22
Caleb smiled but said nothing before leaving.
I lay in bed for the entire morning. After the doctor came in to brief me on post-care instructions and handed me my medication, I was discharged from the hospital.
Stacey was waiting for me at the hospital entrance. She helped me into the car, and as I settled into the seat, I looked at her and said, “Make sure Rebecca hears about the abortion.”
She nodded, started the car, and drove me back to the villa.
Ashton wasn’t home. After sending Stacey back to the office, I had nothing else to do. Since I had just been discharged, I lay in bed and drifted into sleep.
Just before I succumbed to exhaustion, the low hum of an engine reached my ears. I got up and walked over to the balcony, peering down to see Ashton and Jared arriving.
As expected, Ashton didn’t spare me a second glance. He had only called Jared over to check on me.
I climbed back into bed as Jared entered the room, his medical kit in hand. Upon seeing me, he raised a brow but said nothing, motioning for me to extend my hand so he could check my pulse.
“Did you bring the medicine I asked for?” I asked quietly.
Jared gave me a long look before letting out a low chuckle. “Your cover-up plan is quite something.”
I didn’t respond. He finished checking my pulse, then reached into his kit and handed me a bottle. “These will help keep the baby healthy. Take them regularly, and as long as nothing unexpected happens, the baby should be fine.”
Jared left after that. I quickly swapped the pills he had given me with the ones from the hospital and lay back down.
I needed to keep up the act for at least a week. Delaying Caleb’s project for that long wouldn’t be an issue, but staying cooped up in the villa for days on end felt suffocating.
I had assumed Ashton’s anger would subside after he saw Rebecca, that he would eventually move on.
I couldn’t have been more wrong.
The real battle between us was just beginning.
Ashton stayed away, likely still furious about the supposed abortion. His absence was a relief. The villa was quiet, and I spent most of my time resting. Whenever I needed something, Stacey would handle it for me.
By afternoon, she had come by to stock the fridge. Once she was done, she walked over and said, “Ms. Stovall, the balance payment from Medwin Hospital has been pending for several days. The Finance Department has been calling for an update. Should I reach out to Dr. Ludwick?”
I had taken a few bites of durian but found the smell too overwhelming, so I threw the rest into the trash. Wiping my hands, I gestured for Stacey to sit. “How long has the payment been delayed?”
“About two to three days.” She hesitated before adding, “The amount involved is quite significant. It was allocated for a new market development project, and this delay might impact the company’s profits for the next quarter.”
I nodded. Fuller Corporation’s cash flow was highly dynamic—any delay from our partners could disrupt operations. Even if the money wasn’t immediately needed for an investment, it could still generate a considerable profit just sitting in the bank.
Pausing for a moment, I said, “Dr. Ludwick is a man of his word. I’ve been preoccupied these past few days, but I’ll take responsibility for the delay. Inform the Finance Department that I’ll handle it as soon as I’m back at the office.”
“Yes, Ms. Stovall.” Stacey rose and headed to the kitchen to prepare some food for me.
I checked my phone and saw a message from Martha:
Mrs. Fuller, are you feeling better? Caleb has managed to settle his cash flow situation. We really need to thank you for this.
It seemed Caleb had resolved his issue. That meant I could return to work. After replying to her message, I called Caleb to set up a time for him to sign the project completion agreement once his payment was processed.
By the time I finished, Stacey had set the table. She had something urgent to attend to, so she prepared to leave.
“I think I’m almost fully recovered,” I reassured her. “You can stay in the office tomorrow. I’ve arranged a meeting with Dr. Ludwick, and I’ll wrap things up then.”
She frowned, clearly worried. “Are you sure you’re okay? You’re supposed to rest for at least two weeks after a miscarriage. It’s only been a few days, Ms. Stovall.”
I smiled. “I seem fine, don’t I? Besides, if I don’t handle this now, it’ll keep dragging on. The company can’t afford that kind of delay. Ashton’s already giving me the cold shoulder—I’d rather not deal with even more trouble.”
Of course, there hadn’t been an abortion at all. If I stayed idle for too long, things would spiral out of control. My belly would only get bigger, and if I didn’t take action soon, confronting Ashton would become unavoidable.
My only option was to settle everything as quickly as possible and leave J City for good.
Stacey sighed in resignation. “Alright, but please take care of yourself.”