Chapter 281 Too Late
Normally, Ambrose would have fired back a retort, but this time, he stayed silent, merely dragging Scarlett toward the exit.
"We're taking this outside."
Scarlett recoiled at his touch. "Let go of me. I can walk out myself."
Sensing her rejection, Ambrose's grip tightened around her wrist. Scarlett yanked her arm desperately, fighting the pain until her strength gave out.
Up ahead, Ambrose didn't break his stride, pulling her straight out of the bar.
Just as he was about to shove her into the passenger seat, Scarlett asked, her voice icy with fury.
"Ambrose, do you always have to force me into things?"
Ambrose froze. He turned around. The neon lights from the bar entrance washed over her face, illuminating the unmistakable disgust in her eyes.
It was like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over his head. He had never seen her look at him with such pure revulsion.
They couldn't go on like this. His hoarse voice drifted into the night breeze.
"Let's get in the car. We need to talk."
Scarlett had zero desire to be trapped in a confined space with him.
"Then let's talk right here."
People were constantly coming and going around the bar entrance. He pressed on.
"In the car. Don't worry, once we're done, if you don't want me to drive you home, you can get out."
Perhaps seeing that he had calmed down for the moment, she finally got into the car.
Once inside, she huddled close to the door, gently rubbing her aching wrist.
The way she cradled her arm didn't escape Ambrose's notice. He had hurt her again.
He had been losing control way too often lately. He really needed to cool it.
"Let me see," he said, reaching out toward her.
Scarlett flinched, pulling her hand back on pure reflex. The look she shot him was entirely defensive.
That look made Ambrose's heart skip a painful beat. She was scared of him.
She had never been like this before.
Was it because of last night? Had he completely traumatized her?
"I just want to see where you're hurt."
"No need," she said, her face completely blank. "Let's just talk."
He stared at her. "I wasn't trying to disrespect you."
Since they were on the subject, she decided to lay her true feelings on the table.
"If forcing me is what you call respect, then we have completely different definitions of that word. I can't agree with your mindset. Our values are just too different. Being together is going to be exhausting."
Scarlett's voice was low and flat, stripped of its usual vibrancy.
She was just too tired to fight anymore.
Ambrose unbuttoned his collar. Frustrated, he let out a heavy breath, making his displeasure known.
"When two people are together, there's always going to be friction. But you can't just throw the word 'breakup' around every time we have an argument. Do you have any idea how much that hurts?"
"Does it hurt more than what you did?"
He froze. Memories of last night flashed through his mind, and a wave of crushing guilt washed over him.
He had been so stressed with work lately, and she had been picking fights. He had lost his temper in the heat of the moment and crossed a line.
"I apologize for losing control last night."
The apology was, without a doubt, too little, too late.
In the past, whenever they fought, he would do exactly this—coax her until she gave in.
Back then, Scarlett used to think that because a man of his status was willing to admit his mistakes and apologize, it meant he truly cared about her. She used to be able to accept it.
But constantly forgiving him in this endless cycle only taught him that he could get away with anything as long as he said 'sorry' afterward.
It was too exhausting. This wasn't the life she wanted.
"Not everything can be fixed with an apology. At least, not this time."
"What you did last night was no different from rape."
Scarlett's tone was firm and painfully detached, leaving zero room for negotiation.
Ambrose furrowed his brows. He leaned back against the headrest, pinching the bridge of his nose, overwhelmed by frustration.
"Since we started dating, you've definitely put in a lot of effort, and I've seen your sincerity. But sincerity alone isn't enough to sustain a relationship. Over time, things just break down. That's exactly where we are right now. You're exhausted, and so am I."
"Let's just take a break and cool off for a while."
A suffocating silence filled the car. The outside lights flickered across Ambrose's face, highlighting his sharp cheekbones and tightly clenched jaw. His dark eyes, blending into the shadows, bore straight into Scarlett.
Scarlett's pulse did a nervous flutter. Just as she braced herself for him to lose it, she heard him speak.
"If this is what you really want, then we'll do it your way."
As the words left his mouth, Scarlett let out a quiet sigh of relief. Seeing that, Ambrose finally realized just how desperate she was to escape him.
He couldn't believe it had actually come to this.
"About Hayden," she said. "Whether he stays with me or goes back to Silver Oak Heights is fine either way. But I think we should ask what he wants first. We can't let our mess affect him."
"He likes living with you. Let him stay with you," Ambrose murmured, his voice low.
Briar's phone call came at the perfect time. Scarlett glanced at her screen, then looked up at Ambrose. "Alright. Then it's settled."
With that, she pressed the phone to her ear, pushed the car door open with her free hand, and stepped out.
"Hey, Briar, I'm out front."
By the time she hung up with Briar, the black Bentley was already pulling away, eventually vanishing from her sight.
Scarlett couldn't even name the emotion twisting in her chest. Maybe, from now on, their relationship would start and end with being co-parents.
A few moments later, Briar walked out and linked arms with her.
"Why are you out here all alone? Did you find Quinlan?"
At the mention of Quinlan, Scarlett couldn't help but think about the conversation she had just overheard. She lowered her gaze and muttered,
"Couldn't find her. Shoot her a text and tell her we're heading home."
The two of them walked slowly toward the intersection under the cover of night. Meanwhile, back at the bar entrance, Felicity stepped out from a shadowy corner. Watching their retreating figures, she pulled out her phone and dialed a number.
"Scarlett and Ambrose are having drama."
"If I manage to bag Ambrose, don't forget your promise."
Slipping her phone away, a faint smirk played on Felicity's lips. Men hated it when women caused drama. Scarlett had really just handed her a golden opportunity on a silver platter.
Half a month went by in a flash. Ever since Scarlett and Ambrose cleared the air, he hadn't shown his face at Lakeside Garden. With just the three of them—mother, son, and daughter—life at Lakeside Garden was cozy, yet undeniably mundane.
But when things stayed mundane for too long, a quiet sense of longing started to creep in.
"Mommy, why hasn't Ambrose been staying at Lakeside Garden lately? I actually miss him taking us to school," Yara suddenly brought him up at the dinner table one day.
Scarlett paused what she was doing and offered Yara a gentle smile. "He's busy with work. It's not convenient for him to stay here right now."
Yara turned her head to look at Hayden. "He was busy with work before, too, but he still lived here. Did you get into a fight with him?"
Facing Yara's sharp intuition, Scarlett wasn't sure whether to be happy or anxious.
Sitting beside them, Hayden had noticed the absence a long time ago. He had already guessed that Ambrose and Scarlett had a falling out.
In the past, when Scarlett would kick him and Ambrose out of Lakeside Garden, it was always because the two of them were fighting. But this time, she hadn't kicked him out—only Ambrose had gotten the boot.
He felt this couldn't go on. What if Ambrose got mad and—just like how Cody transferred his longing for Dahlia onto Yara—went out and found a Scarlett lookalike? That would be a disaster.
He knew he had to come up with a plan. After some serious scheming, he decided to fake an illness.
Right after breakfast, Hayden suddenly complained of a stomachache. Scarlett applied a soothing patch for him, but he kept whining that he felt awful.
Left with no other choice, Scarlett called the kindergarten to excuse him and prepared to take him to the hospital. But since Hayden had always had a private family doctor, she had to notify Ambrose.