Chapter 137 Mr. Brown, Is This an On-the-Spot Raise?
"Mr. Brown."
"What?"
Thalia lay beside William, her fingertips fidgeting with the blanket. "Didn't your ex-girlfriend teach you that when a girl has her period, you should help rub her stomach?"
William sighed and moved closer to Thalia, placing his warm palm on her stomach and gently massaging it.
She let out a comfortable sigh.
Thalia was like the ragdoll cat at home, practically wanting to stretch out her limbs and wag her tail in contentment.
"Before bed you said I was too hot and told me to stay away from you."
"Did I?" She wouldn't admit it.
William didn't argue with her—Thalia was too good with words. "When will this show finish filming?"
"Depends on whether Mr. Brown comes through or not."
"What do you mean?"
"If you come through and help me deal with all the messy stuff at home, I can focus on filming here peacefully. Maybe... three to five months. But if there's too much annoying stuff and I have to keep taking time off, it could be... more than half a year."
William: .......
Was she hinting at him?
"Thalia, ever heard this saying?" William's hand didn't stop massaging her stomach.
"What?"
"You need to be well-fed to get things done. Whether I come through depends on how good you are."
Thalia, who had been drowsy, was jolted awake by William's words. This jerk—she'd already married him, and he was still pulling this?
Thalia turned over to face William.
Looking up at him: "Is Mr. Brown raising the stakes now?"
William held her, reaching back to tuck the blanket around her, correcting Thalia's words: "Marital fun."
"What about this then?"
William, who was holding Thalia, suddenly got pinched by her. He gasped in pain and bent slightly.
"Are you trying to ruin your happiness for the rest of your life?"
"Isn't this what Mr. Brown wanted?"
William pulled Thalia's hand away from himself, his eyes darkening. Just as he was about to say something, Thalia's mocking voice rang out: "Mr. Brown, you're pathetic. Getting hard from just a touch—will you be unable to control your desires in the future?"
"Thalia," William said through gritted teeth.
"Hit a nerve?"
"You."
William bit down on Thalia's shoulder, making her cry out in surprise.
Then William pushed Thalia down. Lying on the bed, Thalia's mind went blank for half a second, followed by a sharp pain in her chest.
And cursing mixed with anger: "You bastard..."
Half an hour later.
William stood over her, fully dressed and composed, while Thalia's pajamas had long since disappeared.
She was breathing heavily, her face flushed, her clear eyes mixed with tears of grievance.
William asked: "Am I good enough?"
Thalia nodded pitifully and said: "Yes."
.......
"What's wrong with you, Thalia? You need to control yourself, understand? Look at yourself—what's the difference between this and having your life force sucked out?"
Layla thought to herself that ever since William and Thalia got together, she hadn't had a single good night's sleep, worrying every day that Thalia was overdoing it.
A calculating man like William couldn't possibly marry a woman and not touch her. A sexless marriage couldn't exist in his life.
The rumors about him in Emerald City's business circles were quite spectacular.
Thalia sat in a chair holding a hot water bottle, casting a resentful glance at Layla: "I have my period."
Hearing "period," Layla's expression softened: "Cramps?"
"Yes."
"Did you take painkillers?"
"I did, but they haven't kicked in yet."
Layla sighed: "I'll tell the director to film your scenes later. Rest for a bit."
"Can't handle it anymore?"
Nora had just finished getting her makeup done and was about to film her scene. Passing by Thalia's dressing room, she happened to hear Layla's words and couldn't resist coming in to mock her.
Thalia didn't even need to look to know who was at her dressing room door: "Get lost, or I'll throw a bloody pad in your face."
Nora left, feeling it was pointless.
........
"What's wrong with you?"
"Heartbreak."
On Friday, Thalia had a day off and left the film studio in the evening to return to the city.
On the way, Evelyn called to invite her for drinks. As soon as she arrived at the bar, she saw her looking dejected.
Evelyn picked up her glass and took a sip: "This is worse than heartbreak."
"What happened?"
"I'm going bankrupt."
Thalia: ....... "Can you still achieve your goal of supporting me?"
Evelyn sighed worriedly: "It's a bit difficult."
"Tell me what happened."
"My mom canceled my credit card."
Thalia: ........ Worried for nothing.
She called over the bartender and ordered a room-temperature juice. Evelyn propped her face up and looked at her: "What? Has William tamed you?"
William was a few years older than Thalia. Although the gap wasn't huge, there was still an age difference. In all the times she'd been drinking with Thalia, when had she ever ordered room-temperature juice? Going to a bar to drink juice was like going to a restaurant full of hot guys and being blind.
Thalia took the juice from the bartender and shook her head: "I bow to my period."
Hearing this, Evelyn remembered something and leaned in: "How's married life with Mr. Brown?"
"Who's better in bed—college guys or him?"
"Is he the type who's a beast once he takes his clothes off?"
Thalia's ears turned red as she looked at Evelyn: "How should I answer that? If I say married life is harmonious, won't that hurt you as a single woman?"
Evelyn's mood dampened: "No fun."
She had just turned her head to look at the hot guys on stage.
"I heard Walter has become famous on this bar street lately. He's drunk his way through almost every bar on this street—walks in standing, gets carried out."
"Do you think we'll run into him today?"
"Bad luck," Thalia muttered.
Thalia had been tired all week, and with her period, she didn't stay long. They chatted for a bit and then left.
The bar street was known for being well-managed. Cars were parked at the entrance parking lot—you either waited for someone to pick you up or walked.
"Walk?" Evelyn asked.
Thalia agreed.
"You know..."
"Thalia..."
Before Evelyn could finish her sentence, a voice came from the alley—moaning mixed with sultry calling—and adults could tell what was happening just by listening.
Good thing Thalia was beside her, or she'd think Thalia was doing something inappropriate with a man in the alley.
"Do you think that's... I don't know why, but that voice sounds a bit like Walter?"
"Don't gross me out," Thalia got goosebumps all over.
Evelyn looked at Thalia with an indescribable expression: "You don't follow Emerald City's social circles, so you might not know—everyone says the reason Aria managed to hook up with Walter was because when he was drunk, she wore the same clothes as you, styled herself like you, and climbed into his bed."