Chapter 441 Ethan Becomes a Scumbag Dad
For years, Ethan had been starved of female companionship. Now, overcome with desire, he kissed her hungrily—from her lips to her chin, down her neck to her collarbone, until his hands ventured beneath her blouse.
Ashley snapped back to reality and shoved him away, slapping him hard across the face. "You pig!" she cried, flushed with humiliation and anger.
Five finger marks appeared on Ethan's handsome profile.
He came to his senses with a jolt, horrified by his own reckless behavior. He stumbled backward.
What had he done? He'd sexually harassed a woman he'd just met! What he'd done could easily be classified as assault—he could be arrested for this.
Looking at Ashley's face, Ethan couldn't shake the feeling that he knew her from somewhere. As he strained to remember, a splitting headache and ringing in his ears overwhelmed him.
"I'm... sorry..." he rasped, clutching his head in agony.
Ashley bit her lip, covered her face, and pushed past him to escape.
As she fled, she knocked Ethan against the wall. His vision blurred before he collapsed to the floor.
Hearing the thud, Ashley paused and looked back to see Ethan unconscious, his face drained of color. She froze in shock.
Mary, who had been wondering why Ethan was taking so long in the restroom, came looking for him. "Oh my God, he's passed out!" she cried upon finding him. "Someone help! Call an ambulance, quick!"
Ashley snapped out of her daze and fumbled for her phone to call 911.
Soon after, paramedics arrived at the bakery. They loaded the unconscious Ethan onto a stretcher, with Mary and Angela climbing into the ambulance behind him.
As the ambulance drove away, Ashley sank into a chair, feeling as though her soul had left her body.
"Pearl?"
"Mommy!"
Ashley turned toward the voices. Atticus and her two adorable children had been upstairs and missed the commotion, only hearing the ambulance sirens. They had come down to investigate.
"What happened?" Atticus asked.
"Someone collapsed and was taken to the hospital," Ashley replied.
Recalling Ethan's ashen face, Ashley felt an inexplicable concern and, for a moment, wanted to rush to the hospital to check on him.
Atticus nodded, then noticed Ashley's swollen lips and the suspicious marks on her neck. "Pearl, what happened to your lips... and your neck?"
Ashley blushed crimson and lowered her head in silence.
Remembering that he had seen Ethan earlier, Atticus guessed they must have met and something intense had occurred between them. He lowered his gaze to hide the pain in his eyes.
"Mommy, what's wrong?" Nate asked, puzzled.
Ashley felt even more embarrassed.
Andy's eyes flashed with understanding. "Mommy probably got bitten by mosquitoes. Mommy should put some cream on it when we get home."
"Yes," Ashley awkwardly agreed.
"I got some pastries packed for you," Atticus said. "Let's head home."
"Okay," Ashley nodded.
The atmosphere in the car was subdued as they drove away. Ashley stared out the window, her mind elsewhere. She worried about why Ethan had collapsed—was he sick? Despite her amnesia that erased her memories of him, she knew he was her husband. Had he kissed her because he missed her, or for some other reason?
Was what her "sister" had told her true? If Ethan still remembered her, would he harm her and the children?
These thoughts intensified her headache.
Atticus glanced at her bruised lips, his eyes filled with sorrow.
Noticing his mother's distress and recalling the scene at the bakery, Andy suspected something was amiss and resolved to investigate.
Nate, oblivious to the tension, cheerfully said, "Mommy, you promised this morning that you'd show us Daddy's pictures when we got home from school!"
Ashley pulled herself back to the present. "Yes, I will when we get home."
Andy shot Nate a cold glance, but his brother was too excited to notice the warning look. Andy sighed and pulled out his tablet, his fingers flying across the keyboard.
While Ashley sat in the passenger seat, Nate chattered, "I can't wait to see if Daddy is fat or thin, tall or short!"
No one noticed Andy hacking into the bakery's security system. He quickly accessed the footage from earlier and witnessed the scene outside the restroom. His eyes filled with complex emotions—anger, shock, and disbelief.
Damn it! Angela's dad had sexually harassed his mom. He'd thought the man was a decent uncle, but he turned out to be a creep!
Andy silently vowed that next time they met, he would teach that man a lesson.
Back home, Ashley retrieved a dusty metal box from her bedroom. Opening it, she took out several photos of Ethan and handed them to her children. "Andy, Nate, this is your father."
Nate excitedly took the photos, but his expression quickly changed to shock. "Wait, this is Angela's dad! If he's our father, does that make Angela our sister?"
Andy looked over and confirmed it was indeed Ethan.
Andy thought to himself, 'That's so awful! He abandoned us and then started a new family!'
Hearing Nate's words, Ashley gave a bitter smile. "Sweethearts, your daddy and I went through some difficulties and separated. He's a good father—he still loves you; he just... doesn't love me anymore."
She added, "Now that you know who your father is, this stays between the three of us. He has a new family and another child now, and we shouldn't disrupt their lives. Okay?"
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