He was clearly speaking out of anger, but before I could react, he spun on his heels and went downstairs.
Drawing in a deep breath, I suppressed the inexplicable emotions in my heart and suddenly felt that I was indeed behaving unreasonably.
I sat in front of the dressing table and took a moment to calm myself. Just then, Emery came upstairs with Xavier in her arms and looked at me with a baffled expression. “What did you guys argue about this time? Do the two of you get off on fighting and hurting each other?”
I shrugged and looked back at her. “If I told you no, would you believe me? I just lost control of my emotions.”
Sighing helplessly, she said, “Ashton is actually a good man. In fact, it’s close to impossible to find a man like him nowadays. His company is facing such a huge crisis now and he’s already overworking himself, but when he found out about your return, he still came here to admit his mistake and yield to you. Scarlett, I have no complaints about you in other aspects, but you’ve always been irrational when it comes to love. I think a large part of the reason is because you know that whatever you do, Ashton will always find his way back to you. This has become some sort of vicious cycle, one that you take pleasure in and even constantly induce. Have you ever considered the possibility that one day, Ashton’s patience might run out and it’d really be the end for the two of you?”
I was stunned and my mind buzzed as though her words had hit a nerve in me.
When I didn’t reply, she continued, “My relationship with Hunter isn’t as passionate or wild as yours with Ashton, neither is it as complicated. Marriage to me is pretty simple. When we’re in our own little home, we’d get mad and argue about unwashed socks, or if one of us isn’t spending enough time with our children, or if one of us brought home our emotions. Perhaps these trivial matters will keep happening, but at the end of the day, we know that these are just small, insignificant squabbles in life, and after the fight is over, we’ll leave it in the past. What’s important is to give each other a kiss when we wake up in the morning, give each other a hug before leaving, and let go of all the stress and unhappiness upon coming home to say ‘I missed you’. Yes, these are all little gestures that may seem troublesome to do in our everyday life. In fact, it’s not compulsory, but everyone lives differently. Hunter and I want a warm and cozy life for ourselves as well as for our child so that we can vividly feel each other’s love.”
Here, she paused briefly. “I know the love you and Ashton share is more passionate and intense than many of the couples out there, but there’s just something wrong with the way the two of you do it. You’re both overcomplicating love. Just think about it, is Rebecca really a substantial obstacle between the two of you? The same goes for Marcus. Is he really? No, both of them have their own lives, but occasionally appear in yours. Whether or not there’s anything going on between Ashton and her, or you and Marcus, neither of you have ever witnessed anything truly notable. Scarlett, love is about compromise and acceptance; about putting yourselves in each other’s shoes. You should be worrying about him and trying to understand him, not just taking what he gives you and asking for more. Ashton is changing bit by bit. He’s understanding and tolerant toward you. He even stands by your decision not to start a family. He’s already trying his best not to put pressure on you and let you do the things you love, but my dear, have you ever stopped to think what you’ve done for him over the years?”
What Emery said was like a hard slap to my face. During these ten years of marriage, I kept telling myself that my love for Ashton was real and that everything I did for him came from a genuine heart, but all these years, I never really tried to understand him. Since the death of our child to the day I found out that he was the reason my birth parents and I grew apart, I’ve been going in circles with only one goal in mind—to make his life a living hell.
Come to think of it, it seemed like I was exacting revenge on him in the name of love.
Emery sighed softly when I remained silent. “Scarlett, falling in love is easy. It’s staying in love that’s the hard part. Ashton grew up in a military family. His greatest strength is his responsibility and loyalty. He made a vow to Rebecca’s brother, so she has become his responsibility. And I’m sure you know better than me how fiercely loyal he is. Stop hurting each other in the heat of a moment, okay?”
I nodded, realizing that I may have been too impulsive and willful. I never seemed to consider things from Ashton’s perspective or try to truly understand him.
“What happened to Fuller Corporation?” I had been in A City and didn’t know much about the happenings in K City, so I had no idea how Ashton was doing these days.
Another soft sigh left her lips before she explained, “It’s an old incident from before. Remember when a few children’s bodies appeared on Fuller Corporation’s construction site a few years ago? This incident was already taken care of several years ago, but somehow, it was brought to light again and the public is pointing fingers at Ashton, accusing him of using Louis’ influence to illegally develop in K City. At present, the real estate that Fuller Corporation initially planned to develop has been put on hold. This current situation is quite serious.”
My brows knitted together. “Why would someone dig up the past? Aren’t all the real estate development documents reviewed before being approved? Why is Uncle Louis involved?”
