Chapter 54 Alexander is a Good Man
The apartment at North Courtyard.
Victoria was lounging on the sofa, scrolling through her phone when the room suddenly dimmed. She glanced up to see Alexander, freshly showered and in pajamas, standing in front of her.
"I've run a bath for you. Go take a hot bath, okay?" Alexander said, his eyes full of tenderness.
Lately, Victoria barely had to lift a finger. Alexander cooked, picked out her clothes, and took care of everything. She felt pampered, almost spoiled by his meticulous care.
Who would've thought the aloof CEO Alexander could be such a great guy at home? The thought that he was hers made her happy.
"I suspect you're trying to make me helpless so you can trap me at home," Victoria joked, squinting up at him.
Alexander actually considered it for a moment and then said seriously, "That's a good idea. I'll think about it."
Victoria was speechless. "No need to think about that," she said, getting up. Alexander gently pulled her arm.
"Oh, by the way," she remembered, "the day after tomorrow is Halloween. I want to bring Grandma over for lunch, then we can go back to Howard Villa in the evening. Is that okay?"
Alexander rubbed her head affectionately. "No need to complicate things. We'll pick up Grandma Davis and head to Howard Villa together. They want to see her too."
"Is that okay?" Victoria asked.
"Yes, I'll handle it. Don't worry," Alexander said with a smile. "Now go take your bath before the water gets cold."
He was like a father fussing over his daughter, making it hard for one to believe he was a CEO.
When Victoria came out half an hour later, Alexander was half-sitting on the bed with a laptop. Hearing the door, he looked up, then walked over and pulled her back into the bathroom.
"What's wrong?" Victoria asked, confused. She had just come out.
Alexander grabbed a hairdryer from the cabinet. "Come here, let's dry your hair."
Victoria didn't understand his obsession with drying her hair, but she stood obediently. At five-foot-six, she looked petite next to the five-foot-ten Alexander.
Alexander was gentle, careful not to hurt her.
Meanwhile, in a luxury car elsewhere.
Marlowe was curled up by the car door, hugging her legs with her head buried in her arms. She wore just one piece of clothing, looking disheveled, while Grant, beside her, remained dignified despite his slightly wrinkled clothes.
Even when the car stopped, Marlowe didn't move.
Grant got out indifferently, not glancing back, and walked towards the villa.
Kevin stood respectfully by the car door. After watching Grant disappear, he sighed deeply, then walked to the other side of the car and knocked twice. "Do you need me to call the house staff down?" he asked with concern.
After a while, Kevin heard Marlowe's voice, "No, Kevin. Just ask the butler for another car. I want to stay here for a bit."
Kevin had no choice but to leave.
Inside the car, Marlowe slowly lifted her head, her eyes vacant. If not for her breathing, you'd think she was already dead.
To her, living wasn't much different from being dead.
She hadn't cried because she knew it was pointless. Tears would only bring more torment from Grant, who'd question her right to cry.
In Grant's eyes, Marlowe wasn't allowed normal human emotions—happiness, sadness, pain, or even normal communication. She didn't deserve them because she was alive to atone for her sins. For the past five years, she had been numb, like a robot without emotions.
Even if she was hurt all over, she couldn't cry out in pain. Even if her heart was being cut to pieces by him, she couldn't let a single tear fall.
Because she had caused the death of the woman he loved most, and she was alive to atone for it.
After some time, she finally picked up the clothes in the car, numbly put them on, got out, and returned to that oppressive house.
The marital home she shared with Grant? No, it was the marital home of her sister, Abigail Rivera, and him. But she had lived there for five years. How ironic, right?
Dragging her tired and aching body, Marlowe walked into the bathroom and soaked in the bathtub. Her body slowly slid down until the water covered her head, and she stared at the glaring light above.
Sometimes she thought about drowning herself, but she was an excellent swimmer with lung capacity several times that of an average person. Even God didn't give her that chance.
If it weren't for her parents, she might have already taken her own life to atone for her sins.
Grant often said that her current life was stolen. If her sister hadn't died in her place, she wouldn't be alive, and she had no argument against that.
But she also felt pain, a deep kind of pain.
'Grant, you only know that Abigail loved you, but you don't know that I love you even more. I would even die for you, but what about you?'
With self-mockery in her eyes, Marlowe slowly closed her eyes and submerged herself completely in the bathtub.
The next day.
When Marlowe woke up, she glanced at the spot beside her. There were no signs of anyone having slept there, indicating he hadn't come back to sleep last night. But she had expected that, given that she had touched his taboo the night before.
After a self-mocking smile, she got up to wash and then changed into a loose white sweater paired with a black skirt before heading downstairs.
The butler, David Morrison, happened to be passing through the living room. Seeing her, he politely greeted, "Mrs. Scott."
Marlowe gave David a faint smile.
In this villa, David was the only one who still respected her. Everyone else looked down on her, but she had gotten used to it. After all, Grant's wife was supposed to be Abigail.
"Do you need me to prepare breakfast for you?" David asked kindly.
Marlowe shook her head and said gently, "No, I'll do it myself."
With that, she walked to the kitchen.
David didn't insist. Over the years, Marlowe had never eaten food prepared by the house staff. Watching her petite figure, he sighed silently and busied himself.
After breakfast, Marlowe went out. No one in the villa knew where she went. Every time she went out, she drove herself. She would be out all day and return before Grant came back. If she didn't go out, she would spend the whole day in the villa's backyard.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
