Chapter 27 Steven Takes Nora to Work
"No way," he snapped back.
Nora felt like her head was going to explode.
Being teased for the first time, Nora's toes curled up, and she felt incredibly uncomfortable, not knowing what to do... Finally, a knock on the door saved her.
"Nora, you guys awake? I made some breakfast," Olivia called from outside the door.
Olivia was six months pregnant and had trouble sleeping. She'd gotten up early after barely sleeping half the night.
"Olivia's outside!" Nora pressed against Steven's chest and whispered, "Olivia, I'm up."
Outside the door, Olivia thought Nora's voice sounded a bit off and seemed to catch on, smiling as she turned to leave.
It seemed like Nora and Steven had a good relationship.
That put her at ease.
Nora came out a few minutes later.
Steven went to the bathroom.
Nora heard the sound of the shower and blushed a little.
"Olivia, you're up so early?" Nora walked out, her steps a bit shaky.
Olivia was frying eggs in the kitchen. "I saw there were eggs in the fridge, so I decided to use them."
"No problem. We usually make lunch in the morning too, so we can bring it to work," Nora said, walking to the fridge and taking out the ingredients for today's lunch.
Olivia smiled and said, "That's great. Food outside isn't clean or healthy."
"Exactly," Nora smiled, chatting with Olivia while washing vegetables.
Olivia helped her out. The two sisters had always been in sync, having cooked together back home for years.
Despite the hardships they faced growing up, learning to cook turned out to be a good thing. They could take care of themselves and make whatever they wanted to eat.
"Do you make lunch for Steven, too?" Olivia asked.
Nora paused. She hadn't thought about it. Steven had once said he didn't need her to make lunch for him, so she hadn't done it since.
Their relationship hadn't been good before, so she didn't ask, but now...
Olivia leaned her head on Nora's shoulder and said with a smile, "I see you two have a good relationship. If you're making lunch, you should make one for him too. He's a company executive, right? Eating out and drinking all the time can't be good for his stomach."
Olivia made a good point.
She continued, "And having a good relationship means sharing a bed. Long-term separation isn't good. A harmonious sex life can effectively stabilize a marriage. Many marital conflicts are resolved through intimacy."
Nora blushed a bit.
Olivia went on, "To be honest, since my in-laws came to South City, they haven't let Willie and me sleep in the same room. Eleanor said she was worried he might accidentally hurt the baby, so we've been sleeping in separate rooms for over four months now. I can clearly feel that Willie has become more distant since we started sleeping apart."
"Eleanor wants us to sleep in separate rooms because she doesn't want us to have a good relationship."
Olivia shared her marital wisdom, "Men are much easier to get along with when they have a harmonious sex life with their wives. If there's long-term distance, they're worse than friends."
As they were talking, Steven came out of the bedroom, adjusting his tie, and overheard Olivia's last sentence.
Nora was carrying a plate of fried eggs and saw Steven standing in the hallway. Her scalp tightened.
Oh no!
He heard that!
Why does he always appear out of nowhere when we're talking about something private or embarrassing? It's so awkward!
Steven's expression was a bit uncomfortable.
Olivia smiled and said, "Steven, you're up? I was just telling Nora that food outside isn't very clean. She should make you lunch to take to work every day."
Steven, wearing a black shirt, looked at Nora.
Nora's face was still red, and she said in a small voice, "Yeah, Steven, Olivia's right. Food outside isn't very healthy. Since I'm making lunch every day anyway, would you like me to make some for you too?"
Steven pondered for a moment and then nodded slightly, "If you want to make it, go ahead."
Her cooking was delicious, and Steven didn't mind.
Nora was happy to hear that.
Steven looked at her with interest, "What was Olivia just telling you?"
"Nothing!" Her eyelashes fluttered. She was too embarrassed to say that Olivia had been giving her tips on intimacy, which had made her blush.
"Then why did I hear Olivia say that a harmonious sex life is important for a good relationship?" Steven smiled at her.
Nora almost bit her tongue. "She was just talking nonsense."
"Breakfast is ready!" Olivia brought out the vegetables from the pan and smiled as she set them on the table.
The three of them sat down to eat.
Nora and Steven sat on one side, while Olivia sat on the other.
Olivia had been in a bad mood yesterday, but after a night's sleep, she felt much better. She didn't like being grumpy all the time, so she smiled and asked Steven a few questions.
Steven responded politely.
Nora glanced at Steven.
She could clearly feel that Steven's attitude towards Olivia had improved a lot. He had gone from ignoring her to showing her some respect.
Nora felt really good.
Steven seemed to be getting better and better.
After breakfast, Nora said to Olivia, "Olivia, if Willie doesn't come to pick you up today, don't go back. Just stay here with us."
Having run away after being bullied by her in-laws, it was best not to go back on her own. Otherwise, she'd be even more bullied in the future.
"I know," Olivia replied. "You guys go to work. I'll take care of myself."
"Okay, Olivia. If you get hungry at noon, just heat the food. There's a microwave, and there are fruits in the fridge. I'll make dinner when I get back." Nora felt sorry for Olivia, who was six months pregnant and still experiencing morning sickness.
"Got it," Olivia smiled and saw Nora and Steven out the door.
As they left together, Nora handed him a lunchbox. "Steven, this is your lunch."
Steven took it with a nod.
When they got to the first floor, it was raining heavily outside.
Nora had brought an umbrella. She took a foldable umbrella out of her bag.
Steven turned and called her, "Nora."
"What's up?" Nora looked up.
"It's raining hard. How about I drive you to work?" Nora looked outside. The rain was indeed heavy.
Steven's rare thoughtfulness made Nora happy, and she nodded gently.
Steven smiled faintly and called James to bring the car around.
An Audi, with exterior features matching his current income level and interior features suiting his true luxurious tastes, had just been freshly delivered this morning!
Nora asked curiously, "Steven, didn't you have a BMW? Why do you have an Audi now?"
When they first met, Steven had been driving a BMW.
Feeling a bit guilty, Steven said, "I did well at work, so my boss rewarded me with a new car."
Steven's expression was a bit uneasy.
Olivia grinned, "Steven, you're up? I was just telling Nora that eating out isn't very clean. She should make you lunch to take to work every day."
Steven, dressed in a sharp black shirt, glanced at Nora.
Nora's face was still flushed, and she murmured, "Yeah, Steven, Olivia's right. Food outside isn't very healthy. Since I'm making lunch every day anyway, would you like me to make some for you too?"
Steven thought for a moment and then nodded slightly, "If you want to make it, go ahead."
Her cooking was great, and Steven didn't mind.
Nora was pleased to hear that.
Steven looked at her with a smirk, "What was Olivia just telling you?"
"Nothing!" Her eyelashes fluttered. She was too embarrassed to say that Olivia had been giving her tips on intimacy, which had made her blush.
"Then why did I hear Olivia say that a harmonious sex life is important for a good relationship?" Steven teased.
Nora almost bit her tongue. "She was just talking nonsense."
"Breakfast is ready!" Olivia brought out the vegetables from the pan and smiled as she set them on the table.
The three of them sat down to eat.
Nora and Steven sat on one side, while Olivia sat on the other.
Olivia had been in a bad mood yesterday, but after a night's sleep, she felt much better. She didn't like being grumpy all the time, so she smiled and asked Steven a few questions.
Steven responded politely.
Nora glanced at Steven.
She could clearly feel that Steven's attitude towards Olivia had improved a lot. He had gone from ignoring her to showing her some respect.
Nora felt really good.
Steven seemed to be getting better and better.
After breakfast, Nora said to Olivia, "Olivia, if Willie doesn't come to pick you up today, don't go back. Just stay here with us."
Having run away after being bullied by her in-laws, it was best not to go back on her own. Otherwise, she'd be even more bullied in the future.
"I know," Olivia replied. "You guys go to work. I'll take care of myself."
"Okay, Olivia. If you get hungry at noon, just heat the food. There's a microwave, and there are fruits in the fridge. I'll make dinner when I get back." Nora felt sorry for Olivia, who was six months pregnant and still experiencing morning sickness.
"Got it," Olivia smiled and saw Nora and Steven out the door.
As they left together, Nora handed him a lunchbox. "Steven, this is your lunch."
Steven took it with a nod.
When they got to the first floor, it was raining heavily outside.
Nora had brought an umbrella. She took a foldable umbrella out of her bag.
Steven turned and called her, "Nora."
"What's up?" Nora looked up.
"It's raining hard. How about I drive you to work?" Nora looked outside. The rain was indeed heavy.
Steven's rare thoughtfulness made Nora happy, and she nodded gently.
Steven smiled faintly and called James to bring the car around.
An Audi, with exterior features matching his current income level and interior features suiting his true luxurious tastes, had just been freshly delivered this morning!
Nora asked curiously, "Steven, didn't you have a BMW? Why do you have an Audi now?"
When they first met, Steven had been driving a BMW.
Feeling a bit guilty, Steven said, "I did well at work, so my boss rewarded me with a new car."