Chapter 96: I Send Him Home
She craved the love and tenderness James gave her.
She craved the happiness and sense of belonging this marriage brought her!
Ever since her dad left, even though she lived in a house with her mom, she never felt she belonged.
She knew very clearly that it wasn't her home.
Every single moment, she felt like a boarder.
It was James who gave her a home.
Who gave her his wholehearted love, who treasured her like a precious gem.
He was the one who told her that even if the whole world didn't want her, she still had him.
He was the one who made her feel again that she was worthy of being loved and cherished.
For him, she—someone who couldn't tolerate even a grain of sand in her eye—tried hard to ignore Amelia, that grain of sand.
For him, she voluntarily walked into the therapy room.
People with deep insecurities have the strongest pride.
When she decided to start therapy, she crushed her own pride to pieces.
When she spoke about how the man she loved called out another woman's name while making love to her, the humiliation in her heart nearly broke her.
But for him, she endured it.
She didn't want to let go easily.
Didn't want to give up on this James who was good to her.
Didn't want to give up without trying when he hadn't given up on her yet.
She felt he was worth her fighting a little harder for this marriage!
So, no matter how painful, no matter how hard to speak of, she still went.
But while she was enduring all this, while she was fighting for their marriage, what was James doing?
"Mia!"
James's face turned completely cold at Mia's resistant movement.
He had been putting up with her.
In just a few days, because of his backing down, she had gotten to the point where she wouldn't even let him touch her!
"Have you made enough of a scene?"
His face was frosty, his tone ice-cold and cutting.
Those beautiful eyes now held no warmth at all.
Anger flickered in them.
Just like before a storm hits.
"I'm making a scene?"
Mia asked mockingly, "Am I the one making a scene?"
Before she could continue, James's anger exploded. He'd put up with her long enough.
"If you're not making a scene, then have you become so precious that I can't even touch you?"
Was she planning to treat him this way for the rest of their lives?
Even if he didn't touch her for the entire pregnancy, what about after?
If she kept holding onto the Amelia thing and refused to move forward, did she expect him to never touch a woman for the rest of his life?
"Mia, my patience has limits!"
He had been too indulgent with her.
So indulgent that she was becoming more and more unreasonable.
Last time when she wanted a divorce, he didn't want to lose her, so he lowered himself.
These past days, whenever she made a fuss, he went along with her, coaxed her.
He'd spoiled her into what she was today.
James yanked hard at his tie. Mia's unreasonable behavior, Amelia's gentle tenderness.
He knew he didn't want to lose Mia, didn't want to betray his marriage, so when faced with Amelia's tenderness, he kept avoiding it.
But what was she doing?
"What exactly do you want me to do?"
Hasn't he done enough?
Since that business trip to Harmony City, when she started dry heaving in the middle of making love, he'd been putting up with her.
"You don't want to do it, I don't force you. I sleep in a separate room from you."
"You don't want me to kiss you, I go to work early every day to avoid you."
He was giving her time to adjust herself.
But she, because of his tolerance, kept pushing for more!
"These past few days, for you, I've been working overtime every day..."
"For me?" Mia's sharp tone cut off James's words.
Her eyes were bloodshot, her gaze fixed on James.
The things she'd heard at the office replayed in her mind again.
How dare he say it was for her?
"James, are you really doing it for me or to be alone with Amelia? Do you dare say you've been working overtime alone every night these past few days?"
"You've had a beauty in your arms every night, too happy to think of home, and you say it's for me?"
"James, I just don't get it. Why do you have to make your beloved woman suffer as the lowest kind of mistress? Making her carry the title of mistress, sneaking around having an affair with you in the office. Or do you two think that sneaking around like this makes it more exciting..."
"Shut up!"
James went from initial shock to fury.
He sharply cut off Mia's increasingly outrageous words!
He and Amelia were completely innocent!
Even if Amelia had confessed to him, even if his heart had wavered, he had never thought of betraying this marriage.
His choice had always been only Mia.
Why did she never trust him?
"Why should I shut up? Which part did I get wrong? Amelia is a shameless, disgusting mistress..."
"Mia!"
James cut off Mia's words again. He took a deep breath, trying hard to suppress his anger. "Amelia and I..."
"Enough, I don't want to hear about you two anymore. James, you both disgust me!"
...
James left, slamming the door in anger. Mia went upstairs alone and sat on the window seat in the side bedroom.
She didn't turn on the light, just held herself like that.
Why do people have to be so foolish?
For a bit of sweetness, knowing full well there might be a bottomless pit ahead, they still rush forward without looking back.
Just wanting to take a gamble.
Gambling on that what if...
But how could she forget—nine times out of ten, you lose.
Having bet everything she had, she lost this round completely.
James had ultimately betrayed her.
Alice had also gone somewhere unknown, only sending her a message saying she was fine, don't worry, and then couldn't be reached again.
Now, she sat here alone, looking at the thousands of lights outside the window. Each light represented a home.
Only she was all alone.
Her home was gone.
From now on, she only had herself.
Mia's hand gently touched her belly.
She wasn't alone.
She still had the child.
The night grew deeper, and the thousands of lights went out one by one. Mia held herself tighter and tighter, until the last light went out.
She slowly closed her eyes.
Tears flowed freely.
...
James was incredibly restless. Staying home would only make the conflict worse.
He sat in his car, smoking one cigarette after another, but it didn't calm him down.
So he drove to Luxe Hideaway, for the first time drowning his sorrows in alcohol.
He didn't call Louis and the others, just wanted to use alcohol to calm himself down.
One bottle after another.
Before he passed out drunk, James had someone call him a designated driver to take him back to Luxe Haven.
Soon after, the server responsible for James's private room saw him drunk and immediately called a colleague to help him out.
The designated driver was already waiting at the door.
Seeing James being helped out, he immediately went to open the back door.
Just as he pulled it open, a hand pressed against the door.
"I'll take him home."
Amelia smiled gently.
She took money from her wallet and handed it to the driver and the servers.
Amelia had hosted clients here before, so the servers all recognized her.
They also knew she and James were close friends.
Taking the money, they helped Amelia get James into the car.