Chapter 128: How Can a Married Couple Sleep in Separate Beds
Mia was covered in wounds and exhausted.
She didn't want to waste another word on this psycho and turned to go upstairs.
When she got upstairs, she found the guest room door was locked.
She froze for a moment, then went back downstairs to look for the key.
She pulled open the drawer. Empty.
Her hand tightened around the drawer handle. She turned around and stared coldly at James, who had sat back down on the sofa. "Where's the key?"
James slowly blew out a smoke ring. His voice was gentle, but the malice in his eyes was obvious. "Mia, as long as we're not divorced, we're still husband and wife."
"And since we're husband and wife, there's no reason to sleep in separate rooms, right?"
Mia kept her head down, her face dark with anger.
She knew he was doing it on purpose.
Whatever she didn't want, that's exactly what he would do.
After four years of close contact, they knew each other too well. When they wanted to hurt each other, every strike hit its mark.
She slammed the drawer shut with force, then turned and walked upstairs expressionless.
These past few days, she thought she'd become immune to him.
That facing him, she could remain indifferent.
But his series of cruel actions just now still made her emotions surge violently.
Mia pushed down the discomfort in her heart and continued upstairs.
She entered the master bedroom and closed the door.
James sat downstairs, smoking.
His phone suddenly rang.
He glanced at it and walked to the balcony to answer.
"Mr. Smith, all items are intact. Do you need me to arrange for someone to organize them?"
The call was from Robert.
Two hours ago, James had him move everything from the nursery, not allowing even the slightest damage.
He said those things were all one-of-a-kind.
"No need."
James answered flatly, telling him to just lock the door and leave.
He stood on the balcony, looking at the night outside, continuing to smoke.
The smoke rings he exhaled, one after another, intertwined together.
Just like his heart.
Completely chaotic.
Clearing out the nursery, "throwing away" the child's things—he said it was to torment her.
But deep down, he knew he couldn't bear to see her trapped in the pain of losing their child, unable to move on.
Night after night in the nursery, crying herself to sleep.
Then waking from dreams, still crying.
...
Mia had just come out of the shower when she heard the door handle turning. She ignored it.
Right after entering the room, she'd locked it from inside.
She walked calmly toward the vanity. After just a few steps, she heard a loud bang.
The door lock was kicked open by James with one powerful kick. He pushed lightly and the door opened.
James walked in casually.
Mia never expected James would use such a violent method.
Seeing the surprise flash through her eyes, James laughed without warmth. "What, thought it was still like before?"
"Mia, before I spoiled you. Now it's different."
Mia hid her surprise and gave him a cold glance.
She grabbed her phone from the vanity and turned to leave.
If he wanted to sleep in the master bedroom, and she had no room to sleep in, she'd sleep on the sofa.
She understood what he meant.
She no longer had the right to keep him out of the master bedroom, or to keep him from sleeping in the master bed.
As she passed him, James easily grabbed her wrist.
With a slight twist, he threw her onto the bed.
The force wasn't that strong, but Mia hadn't rested properly since the miscarriage and had been running around outside. Her body was still quite weak.
Thrown onto the bed, her vision darkened.
After recovering a bit, just as she was about to sit up, James pressed down on her, locking her in his arms in the most intimate position.
His large hand gripped her chin, forcing her to look at him. His tone was cruel as he said, "Mia, I deliberately don't want you to be comfortable. Do you think I'd allow you to sleep on the sofa?"
"Don't want to sleep with me? I'm going to make you sleep with me. You'd better cooperate nicely and not try to anger me, or else don't blame me for not caring about your body."
Hearing this, Mia's face looked terrible.
The old James would never do something so inhuman, but now—
This James who was determined to torment her—she wasn't sure anymore.
Mia's hands gripped the sheets tightly, though she didn't have much strength. She tried hard to suppress her anger.
She wouldn't give him a reaction.
She couldn't get angry.
If she got angry, she'd be playing right into his hands.
But her restraint only made him push further.
"Mia, I have to say, I'm quite satisfied with this body of yours."
James looked at the stubborn Mia. As he spoke, his gaze had already moved from her face—he didn't dare look into her eyes anymore.
His gaze moved downward.
His large hand followed, sliding down from her cheek.
His fingertips traced her body's curves, clearly feeling the change in her measurements.
She'd obviously lost a lot of weight.
James's lowered eyes were full of heartache.
His emotions were surging inside, his fingertips trembling uncontrollably. He tried hard to suppress it.
He didn't want Mia to notice that even though she'd been so heartless to him, he still pathetically felt sorry for her.
Mia was so angry her lips turned pale.
From holding back, her body kept trembling slightly.
So she didn't notice that James's fingers moving across her body were also trembling.
Unable to bear it anymore, she raised her hand.
But as soon as she lifted it, James grabbed it.
Without thinking, she raised her other hand, which he also grabbed.
Her resisting hands were pressed into the bedding.
Their eyes met. That look in her eyes made James unwilling to face it.
He half-pressed against her, burying his head in the side of her neck.
Using this method to hold her in his arms.
His lips pressed against her ear, in the same intimate position as before, but there was no warmth left between them.
His breath brushed past her ear.
His voice, still gentle, "So be good, eat well, take care of your body."
Stop losing more weight.
And stop torturing your body like this.
"I don't want to wait too long. Recover quickly and fulfill your duties as a wife."
Mia couldn't break free. She bit her lip hard.
She just silently closed her eyes and let him hold her.
But in her heart, she was silently recording every bit of James's cruel behavior at this moment.
She would remember it well.
Remember it firmly.
He was only bullying her like this because she couldn't escape his control right now, wasn't he?
She refused to believe she truly had no way out!
...
Night fell silent.
The room with the lights off was plunged into darkness.
He'd also turned off the night light in the corner.
Perfectly hiding his emotions.
The bed was large. Mia, who used to always sleep in the very middle, was now pressed against the edge of the bed, curled up in a ball, far away from James.
James lay in his usual spot, also with his back to her.
Time passed quietly, until deep into the night.
The exhausted Mia heard steady breathing behind her, and her body finally slowly relaxed.
After a long while, her breathing finally became steady.
Only then did James open his eyes in the darkness.
He turned around.
Moved closer.
Extended his arms and carefully pulled Mia's slender body, which was about to fall off the bed, into his embrace.
His large hand hovered gently over her flat stomach.
In the darkness, his eyes gradually turned red.