Chapter 23 She Felt Used And Cheap
Moriah unbuckled her seat belt and squirmed to free herself from Ethan's embrace. Without missing a beat, she opened the door and went out of the car, leaving a puzzled Ethan.
Ethan couldn't figure out why she was vacillating between being warm and cold towards him. When they were in Manchester, she kissed him back and snuggled against his chest. Then she avoided her after waking up. After that when they were roaming around Chinatown she became warm again, but became cold before they retired for the night.
What's wrong with her? He heard Shaun say that she's a consistent lady and not hard to decipher.
Instead of going straight to their bedroom, Ethan went to the study.
In the bedroom, having donned her pajamas after her bath and nightly skin regimen, she walked to the bedside and took a book on the nightstand. Carrying a book with her, she sat on the couch near the floor to ceiling window. She didn't read much before the rigors of the day caught up with her and her eyes drifted shut.
She was awakened when she felt she was lifted in the air. Squinting her eyes, she said groggily, "Put me down."
"Sleep," Ethan said in his typical cold and commanding tone.
Having no strength to argue with him, she wound her arms around his neck and snuggled against his chest.
It was still dark when she woke up, but the room was filled with the eerie gray light of the forthcoming dawn. She soon recognized that she was wrapped in Ethan's arms. He lay spooning her, his knees tucked into the crook of hers, one strong arm under her head and the other draped over her upper body. His large hand was possessively spread over her belly.
Moriah refused to think about how incredibly right she felt in his arms and concentrated on freeing herself from his hold.
Tentatively, she moved, however, his arms flexed and his hand gently applied a little bit more force on her tummy. She relaxed until she felt the tension draining out of his arms and heard his breathing normalized again.
Once she was certain he was still asleep, she subtly tried to move away again, but he reacted as before. She stilled her movements and breathed out silently.
She once again tried to disentangle herself from his embrace, but Ethan tightened his hold.
"Let me hold you," his warm breath fanning her nape, sending shivers down her spine.
She couldn't stand it anymore, so Moriah squirmed out of his embrace.
"Don't move," he said and Moriah stilled.
With a swift motion, Ethan half covered Moriah's body, pinning her on the bed.
"What are you doing? Let go of me," her face paled a few shades at the thought of what he was about to do.
Ethan released her after he had done what he longed to do to her for a long time.
Moriah was too exhausted and her eyes drooped down. Before sleep claimed her to oblivion she felt being pulled and wrapped with a pair of strong arms.
Ethan nuzzled her hair before he succumbed to slumber again.
Moriah groaned as the alarm clock went off. Stretching her arms to stop the alarm clock ringing, her torso was exposed in the process. She quickly pulled up the duvet to cover her body and pressed the top of the digital clock.
Snippets of what transpired several hours ago came across her mind. Her face burned with mortification at the thought that she was used and she felt cheap. Self disgust churned in her bosom for falling into his arms. She was appalled, couldn't believe her own stupidity and could hardly gather her scattered thoughts.
After getting ready for work, Moriah went down to have her breakfast. She was taken aback when she spotted Ethan in the dining room.
"Why are you still standing there? Come, let's have breakfast," he said as he closed his MacBook.
He saw her at the doorway, the people he was having a video conference with were surprised to see her. They were asking him who was the beautiful lady in a scrub suit that was standing by the doorway. Answering their question, he sent a message, "she's my wife"
Moriah sat beside him, but didn't dare to look at him.
"I will send you to work as I have to talk to Dr. Houston," he said, breaking the awkward silence between them.
She took a toast and spread butter on it. While she was masticating the piece of bread she put in her mouth, Ethan stuffed her plate with bacon, poached egg, baked beans, sausages, grilled tomatoes and mushrooms.
She looked at the plate full of food and complained, "This is too much, I can't finish them all."
"You have too, you are running about the hospital and you need energy," he said like he was coaxing a child to eat. She began to eat the food, albeit reluctantly.
Sensing her reluctance, Ethan pinched her chin and lifted it, "You look thin, you should eat more."
Moriah didn't like to see his captivating blue eyes, hence she shut her eyes.
Looking at his wife, Ethan, unable to resist her inviting lips, leaned forward to lock their lips together.
Moriah's eyes went wide open as soon she felt Ethan's warm and soft lips against hers.
She looked away and her ear came in contact with his lips, sending jolts of electric waves in her body.
"Eat or else," he said in a non threatening rather seductive voice.
"Move away so I could eat. I'm getting late," she said, afraid of what he'll do to her.
"Are you afraid of me?" He teased her.
"Don't talk to me, how could I finish this food you put on my plate if you keep on asking me?" She retorted to his teasing.
"Alright," Ethan threw his hands up in the air gesturing to her that she's right.
Ethan poured coffee in the mug and placed it before her. Then he resumed eating his breakfast.
Within 30 minutes they were done with their breakfast and were heading towards the car when he interlocked their fingers together.
Not wanting to embarrass her husband in front of the bodyguards and chauffeur, she suppressed the urge to yank away her hand.
As soon as the car moved, Ethan was already on his phone, making a call. Moriah didn't bother to listen to the conversation and thought of how her day in the hospital would be today.
"Yes, we're near the hospital. I'm with my wife," he said before disconnecting.
"Sir, we're here," announced the chauffeur a few minutes after he ended the phone call.
Immediately, the chauffeur got out of the car and opened the door.
Ethan came out first and then he stretched his arm, offering to help her out of the car. She held his hand and went out of the car.
As soon as she emerged from the car, reporters swarmed around them. Moriah was petrified at the sight of the reporters. Ethan protectively wrapped his arms around his scared wife, seeing the body guards hardly control the reporters.
"Mr Miller, is she your wife?"
"Yes, she is," he answered.
"How long have you been married?"
"Precisely, seven months and 20 days," Moriah looked up to him in surprise at his answer, Ethan tilted to kiss her forehead.
As soon as his lips fell on Moriah's forehead they heard numerous shutter sounds of the camera.
"Excuse us, my wife needs to attend to her patients," Ethan started to move away from the reporters.
"Mr Miller, how about the woman who was always seen with you? Is she your mistress?" One of the reporters shouted. Moriah was hit by the question like a boulder crushing her heart. Her eyes stung at the unshed tears around her eyes. "Good morning, Mr and Mrs Miller!" one of the nurses greeted them, she smiled at Moriah and winked at her. The greeting unnerved Moriah and the tears she was keeping at bay when she heard the question regarding Ethan's mistress, began cascading her glass skin face.
Once they entered her office, in haste, Moriah rushed to the washroom and cried silently. Only after she collected herself did she come out of the washroom.
"Are you alright," Ethan asked her when he observed that she was avoiding his gaze.
"Mm," she hummed her answer as she flipped the files on top of her table as if she was perusing her patient's record, but the truth, she was just pretending.
"I thought you were going to speak to Dr Houston?" she wanted him to leave her alone, she felt suffocated seeing him.
"Alright, I'm leaving now," with his long legs, Ethan took only a few steps to reach the door.
Moriah heard the sound of knob being twisted and in a couple of seconds the door kissed the door jamb.
Sighing, she looked up at the ceiling and fanned her eyes to stop her tears. She imagined the unbearable humiliation of being cheated on by her husband.