Chapter 57 Not On Speaking Terms


    Scarlett''s POV:


    I left with Charles after dinner. However, I walked slowly and kept a distance from him.


    "Hurry up. Why so slow?" Charles grumbled in annoyance


    "You don''t have to do this. I can just take a taxi," I replied. The truth was, I was nervous, especially


    since we were alone. I would rather take a taxi alone or keep a distance from him than be with him.


    Upon hearing that, Charles strode over and grabbed my wrist. Then, he quickly walked to the front


    of the car and pushed me into the passenger seat without giving me a chance to resist.


    Unable to do anything, I touched my nose and sulked.


    "Put your bag away," Charles ordered. He then leaned over, and I caught a whiff of a pleasant scent


    of pines.


    I looked at him confusedly. Charles sighed helplessly. Then, he put my bag on the backseat, pulled


    the seatbelt beside me, and fastened it.


    "Thank you," I said in a barely audible voice in embarrassment.


    It was already dark when we left the vi, and the streetlights had been turned on.


    While we were stuck in heavy traffic, Charles nced at me and asked, "Did you meet with Rita?"


    I sneered and looked at him with amusement. "Why? Did she tell you that I bullied her again? Don''t


    worry. I didn''t do anything to your dear Rita. In fact, I think she''s beaming with happiness."


    Rita used the same trick every single time. She would meet with me and thenin to Charles


    about my attitude. Her trick was getting old, and I was getting sick of her.


    Charles did not say anything in response. He only spoke just as a deafening silence filled the air.


    "Nothing. I''m just worried you''ll misunderstand me." "I don''t think there''d be any misunderstanding,"


    I retorted. My rtionship with Charles wasplicated. Even I could not understand it at times.


    Charles seemed to be displeased with my response. He cast a scornful nce at me and scoffed,


    "So you don''t care?"


    "Rita was the one who had ordered to pour paint in my apartment," I replied crossly while twiddling


    with the seat belt. The more I thought about it, the more aggrieved I felt.


    Before he could open his mouth to speak, I added, "And you... you''ve known it all along."


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    Charles nodded in response. It seemed that he did not intend in hiding anything from me.


    Unfortunately, it was toote for him. My anger rose in an instant, and I could feel my blood boiling


    in my veins. Now that I knew the truth, my chest tightened in resentment. I opened the window to


    get some fresh air.


    "Why didn''t you tell me sooner? Were you afraid I''d make trouble for her? If that''s what you think,


    you''re wrong. I''m not the kind of person who seeks revenge for something petty. Besides, I don''t


    care about your affairs anymore." I could not bring myself to look at Charles, so I just looked out of


    the window when I spoke. To my surprise, I calmed down sooner than I had expected.


    All of a sudden, Charles turned a corner and pulled over on an empty road.


    "What are you doing?" I asked, bewildered. Did I say something wrong? Well, I might have. Rita


    was Charles''s weakness, after all.


    "I pulled over so we could talk." Charles looked at me with a frown. Judging from the look on his


    face, he disagreed with what I had said.


    "About what? Are you going to tell me that even if Rita did that, I have to cut her some ck


    because she must have reasons for doing that?" I sneered and averted my gaze. I tried my best to


    suppress the worries and scruples in my heart.


    "I''ve already sent someone to teach Rita''s bodyguards and the person who had sshed the paint


    a lesson. I won''t let go of those who dared to bully you." Charles paused for a second and


    continued, "As your husband, it''s my job to help you. Is there anything wrong with that?"


    "What about Rita? Did you teach her a lesson?"


    Charles fell silent. Seeing this, I folded my arms in front of my chest and snickered. "You''re doing


    this to defend Rita, aren''t you? In the end, you''re just afraid that I''d take my anger out on her. If you


    really care about me, you shouldn''t have kept me in the dark in the first ce."


    "She''s ill!" Charles bellowed.


    I closed my eyes. Suddenly, a scene of Charles and Rita hand-in-hand shed through my mind. He


    was dazzling, and Rita was gorgeous. They looked like they were walking out of a painting. They


    were indeed a perfect match.


    I suppressed the bitterness in my heart and asked. "Can a patient do whatever she wants? Forget


    it. Just do your job and protect Rita at all costs. After all, if she calls you in the dead of night, you''ll


    juste running to her, won''tyou?" "Don''t mention her anymore," Charles warned.


    "Then what else do you want to talk about? Do you want to talk about our rtionship? There''s not


    much to say." I pursed my lips and looked at Charles coldly.


    "Scarlett, I will never be your brother, nor will I ever follow your stupid rules. You''d better stop


    thinking about it. You can only be my wife," Charles said in an icy cold tone.


    I blinked my eyes, incredulous with what he had just said.


    I raised my chin confidently and looked him in the eye. "I won''t ept a man who has affairs with


    another woman. Charles, just ept it. Our rtionship is over."


    "Rita and I have only hugged and held hands. Nothing more," Charles reasoned out as if saying that


    would make a difference.


    "But I didn''t hug and hold hands with anyone except you," I fired back.


    Just as I was about to say something more, Charles leaned over and kissed me. His breath was


    shallow and quick, and the way he kissed me was not gentle but passionate.


    He only let go of me until he had run out of breath. For some reason, his eyes were dark and


    unfathomable. "I''ve never kissed Rita like that. Scarlett, do you believe me now?"


    Like a sweet, loving couple, he then rubbed his nose against mine.


    My body trembled like a leaf, but I forced myself to get a grip. Then, I wiped my lips in front of him


    with apparent disgust. "You have no right to kiss me."


    "Who has the right to kiss you then? Abner?" Charles asked while pinching my chin.


    "It''s none of your business." I lowered my head and did not look at him anymore.


    "I beg to disagree. If you dare to do this, I''ll lock you up and make sure you won''t be able to go


    anywhere." As soon as Charles finished speaking, he started the engine and sped away, even


    faster than the speed limit.


    I clutched my seatbelt tightly as though holding for my death life and pleaded, "Charles, you''re


    crazy! Slow down!"


    Charles did not stop until he heard that I broke down into tears because of fear. "Yes. I''m crazy," he


    mumbled to himself.


    I did not notice the inexplicable look on his face. All I wanted at the moment was to get the hell


    away from him.


    When I arrived home, I hurriedly got out of the car and mmed the door behind me.


    "Don''t show up in front of me again!" I said through gritted teeth. For a second, I felt an urge to bite


    him out of anger.


    Charles ignored my explosion and just drove away without saying a word.


    In the following week, he and I did not see each other. We were not on speaking terms.


    Nevertheless, I still knew about his whereabouts. After all, all his movements were posted on the


    Inte. There was even a picture of him that took the Inte by storm. It was a picture of him


    picking Rita up from the hospital.


    Many writers took it as an inspiration and wrote romance novels. Meanwhile, theizens all called


    for them to get married as soon as possible.


    Me? Well, I paid no attention to it and instead buried myself in work.


    One day, I happened to bump into Abner while I was walking out of the studio. He was wearing a


    silver gray suit. He looked handsome and elegant. I greeted him with a smile.


    "There''ll be an important dinner party tonight. You have to go." Abner invited me.


    "No problem. What time should we go there?" I agreed without a second thought. I had nothing to


    do at home anyway. I had better put my worries aside and focus on my career.


    Abner looked at me apologetically. "I''m afraid I can''t go with you. I have another appointment


    tonight. You would go with Linda instead. Be careful, okay? Call me if anything happens."


    "I will. Thank you," I replied with a smile. I appreciated his concern and kind gestures.


    It was undeniable that Abner was a great man. Sadly, we could only be friends.