I couldn’t help but feel indignant.
Right before the elevator doors closed, Ashton caught up with a gloating smile playing on his lips.
I rolled my eyes at him and refused to speak throughout it all.
As soon as the elevator stopped, I stepped out without hesitation, went to the car, picked Audrey up, and sat inside.
“Mommy, what did you leave behind?” Audrey asked innocently.
Her question left me even more exasperated. I’m pretty sure I left my dignity behind.
“Nothing.” The last thing I wanted to do was recall the reactions of those store employees. Hence, I hastily changed the topic. “Let’s go home now, okay? I’m exhausted and don’t have the energy to talk anymore.” I purposely inserted a whine in my tone.
“Mm, okay!” Audrey got down from my lap and sat obediently. Mimicking the way adults spoke, she instructed Joseph, “Mr. Campbell, you may drive now!”
Ashton bent over to get into the car just in time to hear Audrey’s words, casting her a wounded expression as he settled down in his seat, as though saying, “Don’t you want your father anymore?”
Audrey stuck out her tongue at him and cheekily hid behind Summer, pretending to ignore him.
At that moment, how I wished I was sitting in the same car as John. At least there, he would expose the “true colors” of this sly and shameless man.
Previously, he intentionally let Ashton believe that he was the Stovall family’s live-in son-in-law just for the fun of it, but I ended up getting the short end of the stick.
No, I have to find a way to cure him of his unhealthy tendency of living off his wife!
Fully absorbed in coming up with a solution, I didn’t realize we arrived home until after a good few seconds.
After passing through the gates, I noticed several trucks parked in the yard, seemingly here to transport large items.
But the workers were making their way out, so I surmised that they were already done with their work.
The service was excellent as they made sure to avoid coming when there were many people at home, so as to prevent accidents.
But when I returned to the bedroom on the second floor at night, every trace of happiness was wiped from my face.
We were only out for a day, but Ashton’s master bedroom had been expanded to double its original size and was currently connected to the bedroom next to his.
Most importantly, the bed in the room was replaced by an excessively enormous one. If it wasn’t for the elaborate linen, one might even think that it was a communal bed stolen from a dorm.
I stood by the door, completely dumbfounded. Later on, when Audrey came over and saw the large bed, she instantly bolted in and flopped onto it with her slippers still on. “Wow! There’s a big, big bed! We can sleep with Mommy and Daddy now!”
Behind me, Summer and Gregory helplessly watched the scene before them. Similar to me, they had grimaces on their faces.
Audrey was probably the most innocent and ignorant one in this family, who was also easily satisfied.
After letting her roll on the bed for a while, Summer walked up and tried to persuade her. “Audrey, we haven’t seen each other for so long. Why don’t you sleep with me tonight, hmm?”
But Audrey suddenly sat up from the bed and came up with a mischievous idea. “Okay! Summer, Greg, Mommy, and Daddy will all sleep here!”
Summer was nonplussed and could only sit beside the bed to reason with her. “Audrey, you’re a big girl now. You must learn to sleep on your own instead of clinging to Mom and Dad all the time, understand?”
Audrey shook her head. “But other kids get to sleep with their parents. I want that too. I like Mommy and Daddy. I don’t wanna sleep alone…”
Children were difficult to reason with, and were also easily hurt. As they spoke, Audrey’s eyes became red-rimmed and her head drooped as she sobbed softly.
Of course my heart couldn’t take it when I saw this. Rushing forward, I comforted her. “Alright, alright. You don’t have to leave, okay? You can sleep here with me. You’re still small, so you can sleep on your own when you’re older. Don’t cry anymore, hmm?”
Audrey accepted my offer immediately, sniffling before returning to being all smiles. “Thank you, Mommy! I love you the most!”
Who could have resisted those large, tearful eyes of hers?
My mouth lifted into a smile. Then I told Summer to take her siblings to wash up while I, too, prepared for bed.
After all, we were out for an entire day. Tired, I took a hot shower.
Half an hour later, I opened the bathroom door and was surprised to see Ashton there. At that moment, he, Summer, and Gregory were huddled together and talking in hushed tones, which greatly aroused my suspicion.
