Chapter 108 How Long Do You Think You Can Avoid It »
But soon, Janet forgot about everything as excitement bubbled up in her heart. She was so happy that she didn’t bother probing how it all happened.
“Aren’t you going to work today?” Ethan asked in a muffled voice as he wiped his face with a cotton towel.
“No, I have taken the day off. I planned to go to the hospital, but that seems unnecessary now.” Clenching a rubber band between her teeth, Janet casually coiled up her chestnut curly hair into a bun.
After that, she smoothed her unruly bangs in front of the mirror, tucking long strands of hair behind her ear. She looked like a college student. However, the dark rims around her eyes made her look haggard.
“All right. Then, sleep well at home.” Ethan playfully ruffled her hair and lowered his head to meet her eyes. Their faces were inches apart. The next moment, the darkness consumed Janet as he pecked on her lips.
“I’m going to work.” With that, he left. Janet touched her lips in a daze. By the time she returned to her senses, the door was closed, and the apartment returned to silence.
After breakfast, Janet slumped on the sofa and watched TV. It was humid and dark outside. The cloudy sky showed signs of a rainstorm. Janet didn’t know when she fell asleep.
When she woke up, the light in the living room was off, and a football match was playing on the TV. Ethan was sitting on the sofa beside her. The dim light from the TV cast sharp shadows on his face, making his features look sharper. He was leaning comfortably against the sofa, sending messages on his phone.
“Why didn’t you wake me up?” Janet rubbed her eyes. A gray blanket slipped down from her shoulders.
“I thought you would wake up any time.” Ethan smiled and handed a glassof warm milk to her. “Drink this and go to your room. It would be more comfortable for you to sleep there.”.
Janet took the milk and drank it obed*iently. The room fell silent again. “By the way, thank you for helping me last night. Did your hand get hurt when you smashed the wine bottle?”
She had been busy worrying about Hannah that she almost forgot what happened in the Lind family house. Holding the glass, she stud*ied Ethan’s face. His expression remained the same throughout. He put down his phone and took a sip of beer.
“It’s okay. We are husband and wife,” he said, his eyes still fixed on the TV. “You don’t have to thank me.” Janet pulled the blanket closer in her arms and looked at him. The light from the TV brightened her face. She drew circles on the rim of the glass, carefully choosing her words.
“Now that you know I wasn’t the one you had planned to marry, do you still want to be in a serious relationship with me as my husband?” Ethan stopped drinking beer and turned his head. His eyes narrowed as he looked at her.
“Why do you ask? Who else do you want to marry?” Janet’s hair stood on end when she heard the threat in his tone. She looked away and shook her head.
“No. I didn’t mean that.” Ethan was an excellent man, and she had no reason to stay away from him. After a moment’s thought, Ethan asked,
“You always refused to consummate our wedding and be a real couple. Was it because you married me as a subst*itute? Were you planning on leaving me one day?” Janet’s mouth parted. She didn’t know what to say. Ethan had observed her every move intently.
“Well, that was one of the reasons. But I didn’t intend to leave without telling you the truth. I just wanted to wait for a proper timing to tell you everything so that we could decide what to do next.” A blush flamed Janet’s cheeks. She didn’t know why they were talking about this all of a sudden.
“What about now?” Ethan grabbed her wrist. The warmth of his body seeped into her skin. He pushed the blanket away and leaned closer to her. His tall nose and chiseled jaw made him look manly. Janet pulled the blanket closer to her as she felt her heart was about to leap out of her chest. At such a close distance, she could see his drooping eyelashes.
“I… I’m not ready yet. I have to pay for Hannah’s surgery. There are still a lot of things for me to do. I have to finish the design for the company as well. And… and there are eggs in the fridge… well, we have to finish them as soon as we can. They have been in the fridge for almost two months.”
Ethan arched his brows and listened to her rant about the most random thing to avoid the topic. “How long do you think you can avoid it?”
Fl*stered, Janet cleared her throat and said, “You know what, Ethan. The money Bernie and Fiona give me won’t even cover up to half of the surgery fee. I have to find a way to pay for it. Now, I think I have no choice but to borrow money from the bank even if the interest rates are high.”