Chapter 2 Sick Feeling


    Scarlett''s POV:


    "Anything else?" I asked in disbelief.


    "We have to get up early to see Rita tomorrow," Charles replied coldly.


    "Okay."


    I was confused. I could not help but wonder if he returned just to make a point.


    "I''ll sleep here tonight," he added.


    I came to my senses the instant I heard what he had said. I wanted to ask him if it was really okay


    for him to stay here, but I decided to swallow my words instead.


    "I''m afraid you''ll oversleep because of the jetg," he exined. He must have seen the confusion


    on my face.


    "Oh. Okay. I''d better clean the guestroom now."


    As soon as I finished speaking, I turned around and walked over to my suitcase, ready to leave with


    it.


    But then, Charles walked up to me and blocked my way.


    "Why are you avoiding me?"


    I looked back into his cold eyes and reminded him, "I''m just doing what you want. Didn''t you ask me


    three years ago to keep a distance from you?" As soon as I said those words, he slowly walked


    towards me, a hint of anger in his eyes.


    "You stay here."


    His words made me lose my grip on my suitcase, making it fall to the ground. He then walked


    closer, and my heart beat faster and faster...


    To my surprise, he just walked past me and then sat on the sofa. There he unbuttoned his shirt and


    made himselffortable.


    "I''ll sleep on the sofa," he said tly.


    I could not help but hit my head and scold myself for being imaginative. A dirty thought crossed my


    mind just now! Without another word, I picked up my suitcase and put it aside.


    I turned my back on Charles and heard him take his clothes off and open the closet to get fresh


    ones. A momentter, he finally entered the bathroom.


    It had been three years since we got married. The man of my dreams, my legal husband, was now


    only a few feet away from me. Even though he had gone to the bathroom, his scent still lingered in


    the air. It smelled so good, and it made me feel butterflies in my stomach.


    I walked to the bedside andy down on the bed. Iy on my side with my body curled up and


    listened to the sound of running water from the bathroom.


    When the sound finally stopped, I quickly closed my eyes and pretended to be fast asleep. I even


    slowed down my breathing, so he would not notice I was just feigning sleep.


    There were so many guest rooms. Why did he insist on sharing a room with me? Perhaps it was


    because we had not seen each other for three years. Nevertheless, this man was getting more and


    more unpredictable.


    A deafening silence filled the air after a long while. I secretly opened my eyes and looked at


    Charles. He was lying on the sofa with his back to me. As I gazed at his figure, my body finally


    rxed. I had known that nothing would happen tonight. Even so, I still could not help but be


    disappointed deep inside.


    ******


    Charles was already gone when I woke up the next morning. I checked the time on my phone, and


    my eyes widened in shock. It was already ten o''clock in the morning!


    I jumped off the bed and washed up as fast as I could. When I walked out of the room, I saw


    Charles reading a book on the sofa in the living room.


    "Why didn''t you wake me up?!" I asked, my voice slightly louder in panic.


    "I did. In fact, I almost sshed cold water on you just to wake you up." Charles did not even take


    his eyes off the book when he spoke. There was no emotion in his tone either.


    "Sorry. I was a little tired yesterday. Let''s go now," I said awkwardly with my eyes lowered to the


    floor. It seemed that I slept so soundlyst night.


    "Eat something first."


    "What? Then Ri—"


    "There''s no need to hurry. We''ll meetter at lunch."


    His words took me aback. Did he not say that I was supposed to get up early? Did I hear it wrong?


    Perhaps he said that only to trick me.


    Anyway, I did as I had been told. I ate a light breakfast and then urged him to leave afterwards. It


    was not because I was in a hurry to see Rita. It was just that I wanted to get this over with as soon


    as possible.


    I was silent on the way to the restaurant. Charles did not say a word either. We had been married


    for three years. But for some reason, we were like strangers to each other. To make this worse, I


    was currently apanying my husband to his fiancee.


    The car stopped at Rainbow Dream, a Michelin three-star restaurant. This was the most luxurious


    restaurant in the city. Truth be told, I had never been here before. Even after bing Mrs. Moore,


    Charles never took me to this ce.


    The instant we entered the restaurant, a waiter approached and greeted us. "Mr. Moore, Miss Lively


    is waiting for you on the second floor." Judging from the waiter''s greeting, it seemed that Charles


    was a frequent guest here.


    Without a word, I followed Charles into the elevator.


    "Smile when you see Rita and don''t pull a long face," Charles ordered coldly.


    I forced a smile and reassured him, "I will."


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    "Scarlett, long time no see!" Rita greeted us with a wide smile the moment we entered the private


    room. It appeared that she had not aged after all these years. She must be paying an exorbitant


    amount of money to maintain her youthful face. Impressively, her face was exactly as that in the


    movies. She did not look like a patient who had been ill for a long time.


    "Long time no see," I greeted back with a gentle smile.


    "Have you gotten over the jetg? I was worried that you wouldn''t be able to get up in the morning


    today, so I set the time at noon."


    "Yes, thank you. I slept soundlyst night. This is my hometown, after all."


    "You''ve suffered a lot in the past three years. It''s all my fault. Good thing Charles is here. I feel so


    much better now than I did in the past." Rita coughed as soon as she finished speaking. As if on


    cue, Charles handed her a ss of water.


    When he saw Rita today, it felt as though the ice in his body melted, and he changed into a


    completely different person in an instant. His attitude towards Rita was different than the way he


    treated me.


    Today''s main course was steak. Charles carefully cut the steak on Rita''s te. It was unusual to


    see him like this—so gentle and considerate.


    "I''m fine. Don''t worry. I''m doing great. Actually, I just got my diploma." I smiled at Rita as I struggled


    with the steak with the knife and fork.


    "You stayed in France for three years. Do you have a boyfriend? We''re going to spend our


    honeymoon in France during the Cannes Film Festival this year."


    Boyfriend? As a dutiful Mrs. Moore, I had never considered being with another man while I was still


    married. For some reason, I still had a glimmer of hope for Charles.


    "Uh... yes, actually. I met a guy there. He''s an artist." I immediately thought of a guy whom I could


    show to her. As Charles had said yesterday,


    I should make Rita rest assured.


    I saw him from the corner of my eye. He was cutting the steak. He stiffened for a second.


    "Do you have any photos of him?" Rita asked inquisitively.


    Her curiosity caught me off guard. I looked at Charles in hopes that he would help me. Sadly, he did


    not even nce at me.


    "Well, we''re not together yet, so I didn''t save his picture on my phone," I reasoned out and then


    continued cutting my steak.


    "Does he have Facebook? Maybe he posts photos there. I want to see him," Rita urged. It seemed


    that she had no ns of dropping the topic until she saw the man herself.


    "Let me check." As I spoke, I took out my phone and thought about which ssmate I should


    pretend to be my pursuer for a while. The first person that came into my mind was Pierre. He and I


    had a good rtionship, so my n could work. I visited his Facebook page and immediately saw a


    picture of him in front of the Eiffel Tower. He had long wild hair and a young and handsome face.


    Pierre and Charles were pr opposites. The former was artistic and went with the flow, while the


    latter was cold and reserved. I handed my phone to Rita with Pierre''s photo on the screen.


    Her eyes beamed with happiness upon seeing the picture. "Oh my! He looks just like an artistic and


    carefree Parisian guy. I''m so happy for you, Scarlett. After all, Charles and I... I''m sorry." She then


    showed the photo to Charles.


    He just nced at it for a second. "You two are a perfect match," he coldly remarked.


    Rita finally returned my phone. "Will hee to America to visit you?" she asked excitedly.


    "He''s still in Europe. He''s holding an art exhibition in Lyon. He''lle here next month to establish


    his career, though." I lied. Everything that came out of my mouth was nothing but fiction. It did not


    matter, though. The most important thing for me right now was to make Rita happy. Besides, I might


    not see her again after I signed the divorce agreement. Otherwise, I would have to think about how


    to make Pierree here.


    "Do you love him?" Rita asked, her eyes twinkling in anticipation.


    I was stunned.


    "Of course." I tried my best to keep calm andposed, so she would not see right through me.


    "That''s great! Charles, it seems that we don''t need to worry about Scarlett at all. Let''s wish Scarlett


    happiness!" Rita excitedly raised her ss.


    Charles also raised his.


    "Scarlett, promise me that you''ll be happy." Rita looked at me in the eye when she spoke. But then,


    I knew very well that this was all a facade. Underneath her gentle mask was an ugly evil heart.


    "Of course. You too."


    We drank up the wine in our sses as a sign of promise.


    When I put down my ss, my hands suddenly trembled. Not only that, but I also felt sick to my


    stomach. I wished that this meal would be over soon. I did not want to see this hypocrite anymore.


    "Sorry, I have to go to the bathroom." I excused myself, unable to take it anymore. I wanted to go


    outside and breathe the fresh air to ease the sickening feeling in my stomach.


    When I returned to the table a few momentster, Charles was already helping Rita put on her coat.


    "Rita doesn''t feel well. I''ll drive her home. Later, I will—"


    "It''s okay. I can go home on my own," I reassured.


    I watched helplessly as Charles walked out of the restaurant with Rita in his arms. All of a sudden,


    the tense muscles all over my body loosened up.