Chapter 43 Marriage
Sebastian drove out of the underground parking lot and saw Isabella standing at the bus stop. As he thought about her rejection, Sebastian's emotions became complicated.
At that moment, Vanessa called him and asked, "Are you coming back for dinner tonight, Mr. Landon?"
"I have a prior engagement, you can do whatever you want."
"Okay then." Vanessa's tone sounded a bit disappointed. "Would you like a light snack at night? I can make it in advance for you."
"No need, it's not a habit of mine. You've been busy all day and you must be tired, so get some rest."
"Okay."
After hanging up, Sebastian sat in the car for a while. When he saw Isabella get on the bus, he lightly tapped the steering wheel and opened the phone book to dial Zaire's number.
"Where are you?" Sebastian asked.
"The Moon Club." Zaire's voice sounded somewhat seductive. "What's up? Are you coming?"
"I'll be right there." Sebastian hung up the phone and drove to the Moon Club.
*****
At the hospital, Isabella carried the oatmeal into the ward. Charlie was sitting by the bed, feeding Nina an apple.
This was a rare scene, so Isabella was slightly stunned. Nina was also a bit shy and asked, "Have you eaten, Isabella? Charlie brought dinner for you."
Isabella replied, "I've eaten."
She put down her bag and walked to the side of the bed. Charlie greeted her, but Isabella bit her lip and did not respond or even look at him. Instead, she looked at Nina and asked, "Are you feeling better now, Nina?"
"I'm much better," Nina said, holding her hand. "I just told Charlie that I’ll be discharged tomorrow after another round of drip. It's too expensive to stay in the hospital, and I feel more at ease at home. I want to go home."
Isabella's eyes dimmed when she heard that. She knew that Nina would definitely not get a divorce.
She silently pulled over a chair and sat down by the bed, still holding the thermos in her hand.
"What's this?" Nina asked, noticing the thermos.
Isabella lowered her head and took a glance. She replied, "It's oatmeal."
As she said that, she opened the lid and scooped out a bowl for Nina. "Try it, Nina."
Nina was surprised. "You’re busy with work every day. How did you find the time to make oatmeal? You shouldn’t cook in the office anymore, or your boss will punish you if he finds out.”
"My boss gave me this," Isabella answered casually.
Charlie, who was standing nearby, suddenly became excited and asked, "Is this from Mr. Landon, Isabella?"
Isabella didn't say a word.
Charlie just smiled and said, "That's great, Isabella. Your relationship with Mr. Landon is progressing quickly. I told you that Mr. Landon values you a lot. Be good to him in the future, and he’ll definitely like you."
Nina quickly slapped him when she heard his excessive words. "What nonsense are you saying?"
Charlie mumbled, "I'm just telling the truth. Since I’m her family, I have to teach her how to handle herself. I wouldn’t harm her."
Isabella frowned. She didn't want to explain herself to Charlie, but she didn't want him to get the wrong idea about Sebastian either, so she said, "Mr. Landon's girlfriend gave me this."
"Mr. Landon's girlfriend?" Charlie's smile froze. "Mr. Landon has a girlfriend?"
"Yes, they’re getting married soon."
Charlie's smile completely disappeared, but he quickly regained his composure and said, "That's normal. Successful bosses these days often have many companions. You’re young and beautiful. Even if he does get married, you’ll still have a chance."
Nina interrupted him. "Charlie, I want some hot water. Please go get it."
After Charlie left, Nina asked, "Bella, is what Charlie said true? Does Mr. Landon really have his eye on you?"
Nina was worried that Isabella would go astray and afraid that she would be deceived. In Nina's eyes, Sebastian was a sleazy middle-aged man, and bosses like that often liked to flirt with young girls in the company.
Isabella shook her head, denying it. "No, he already has a girlfriend."
"He can still flirt with other girls even if he does have a girlfriend."
"No, Mr. Landon isn't like that," Isabella replied without realizing that she was instinctively taking Sebastian's side, afraid that others would misunderstand or tarnish his reputation.
Nina had heard a lot of those unspoken rules from Charlie and gave Isabella a few reminders before picking up her oatmeal, taking a couple of bites and saying, "This oatmeal tastes really good. Mr. Landon's girlfriend is a good cook, but why would she make such delicious oatmeal for you?"
"He doesn't like oatmeal," Isabella casually replied.
Nina wondered, "If he doesn't like oatmeal, why would his girlfriend make it for him? Are they really a together?"
Isabella paused.
She didn't know how to answer that. She had also thought about that when Sebastian told Vanessa about his likes and dislikes. Vanessa said they had been together for over a year, so wouldn't she know Sebastian's preferences?
Although Isabella didn’t like Charlie, they had lived together for several years, so she knew his dietary preferences.
But Vanessa's situation had nothing to do with Isabella. She waved her hand and said, "Maybe she's been busy lately and made a mistake. Is it really delicious? Let me taste it."
Nina scooped some with a spoon and brought it to Isabella's lips. Isabella took a sip and immediately felt surprised. She hadn't expect Vanessa to be a good cook. At the same time, she felt a bit sorry for Sebastian, who hadn't liked this delicious oatmeal. Instead, she was enjoying it.
After finishing the oatmeal, Isabella went to the bathroom to clean the thermos. When she came out, Nina was sitting by bed peeling oranges.
"I peeled oranges for you, Bella." Nina pushed the fruit in front of Isabella, smiling indulgently. "You never liked eating oranges since you were young. I had to peel them for you every time before you would eat them."
As Isabella looked at the oranges, tears welled up in her eyes. "Are you really not going to get a divorce, Nina?"
Nina paused and looked up at her. "You're still young, Bella. You don't know how important marriage is to me. Charlie has a bad temper, but he cares about this family."
"But he hits you." Isabella's eyes turned red. A man who wasn’t a gentleman must have a bad character. Although she wasn't married, she understood that.
Nina smiled. "He just pushed me a little; he didn't mean it. Besides, he sincerely apologized to me before you came. That's how marriage is, you'll understand once you get married."
Isabella felt a bitter taste in her mouth. "If this is what marriage is like, then I’ll never get married."
