Chapter 3

I stayed in the hospital for a week, only returning home after the doctor confirmed there was no serious problem.

During this time, Damien didn't call even once, and I couldn't be bothered to check social media to see where he and Cian had gone off to play.

As I pushed open the front door, I caught Damien standing in the living room.

He was holding his phone, turning his head with furrowed brows to look at me.

"I told you to wait at home. Where did you run off to?"

After saying this, he put away his phone. He had probably been about to call me when he found I wasn't home.

Apart from thinking I wasn't obedient enough, he wouldn't be in such a rush to call me anymore.

"I fell down the stairs and just got out of the hospital. What's the matter?"

Damien was about to say something but ultimately let it go.

He sat on the couch, rubbing his forehead.

"I'm hungry. Go make dinner."

I ignored him and walked straight upstairs.

He angrily kicked the suitcase and loudly questioned me: "Scarlett! Is this how a wife should behave?"

I held onto the banister, turning slightly to look at him, "Who's your wife? Isn't it Estella? What's it got to do with me?"

I went upstairs.

I vaguely heard him kicking the coffee table downstairs.

But I locked the bedroom door. After all, he hadn't entered our room in a long time.After waking up from a brief rest, it was already the next day.

In the past, I would have hurriedly gotten up to prepare all the essentials for his trip.

But Damien always managed to find fault with me.

The clothes I chose weren't good enough, the food I cooked was too common.

My small-town ways weren't up to his standards.

Since I was so inadequate in his eyes, I couldn't be bothered to keep trying to please him anymore.

However, when I went downstairs, I unexpectedly saw Damien cleaning up the glass coffee table he had shattered last night.

He heard me coming down and glanced up at me before averting his gaze.

"I know your father's passing was a huge blow to you, but I rushed back specially yesterday, and you're still jealous of Estella?"

Yesterday?

"Being five days late counts as rushing back?"

Upon hearing this, Damien tossed aside the broom. "Have you forgotten what day it was? You even forgot our wedding anniversary?"

He jerked his chin towards the gift box on the sofa. "With your half-hearted attitude towards me, you have the nerve to compare yourself to Estella..."

Before he could finish, he suddenly froze.

Seeing my smile, he heard me gently remind him: "It was the day before yesterday, Damien."

Damien looked a bit embarrassed and could only change the subject. "You said you fell down the stairs, what happened? "I didn't handle my father's affairs all day, then spent the entire night by the sea getting blown by the wind. I hadn't eaten anything, so I passed out from low blood sugar."

"Estella's altitude sickness was more important. I don't blame you."

Damien pressed his lips together, his hands at his sides, fidgeting restlessly as if they were superfluous.

"Are you hungry? I made a reservation at that French restaurant you love. Let's go out to eat."

"Let's not," I shook my head. "I'm exhausted."

"Besides, I don't even like French cuisine."

"I'm just a regular Joe. I can't stomach raw food—it gives me allergies."

I was too tired to deal with his momentary sympathy.