Chapter 30 Barefoot and Pregnant
Later the doctor came back with the test result.
"Mrs Miller you have no infection, you can go home now if you want," the attending physician smiled at Moriah.
"Thanks, Dr Singh," Moriah smiled brightly at the doctor.
Ethan wondered why he never saw her smile like that when they were in high school.
"Do you really smile like that?" Ethan couldn't stop himself from asking her when the doctor departed.
Moriah misunderstood his question as criticism, she answered him laced with hurt "What's wrong with my smile?" "Nothing, don't be mad," he shook his head, "Let's go home."
Moriah pulled off the drip from her hand and changed from her hospital gown to the clothes George brought to her. As a person who loves to be incognito, away from curious gazes, scrutinizing stares and envious glares, Moriah was uneasy when many eyes followed them as Ethan wrapped his arm on her shoulder protectively.
"Your fever was a stress related fever," Ethan said while his eyes were on the road, he continued when there was no response from her. "I've called Dr Houston to give you a week off so you can have a rest."
"I won't be taking a leave from work," the idea of staying in the mansion for one whole week wasn't appealing to her. She crossed her arms under her breast imitating what Cindy does every time she conveys that she won't change her mind.
"Why won't you take a leave?" He wants to understand his wife as he has no idea who she really was.
His knowledge about her was only superficial. He knew nothing about what her desire was, what makes her happy, what she loves and hates.
"I will be bored staying in the mansion. You will be in the company and I will be staying home waiting for you to come home. I can't do that, you know."
'Waiting for you to come home' sounds good to him. He imagined being welcomed by Moriah with her bright smile that removes the weariness brought by a long and tiring day in the company.
What would be his feelings when she welcomes him home, barefoot and pregnant.
"Ethan?!" she called his name when he apparently zoned out.
"We are going to Manchester and visit your parents so you could talk to them about going to Shanghai and then we're going to visit my parents. What do you think about that?"
Moriah felt a sting in her heart recalling the time he left her, he always does that to her. Leaving her without warning, wondering when he will be back.
Fidgeting her seatbelt, she asked him, "Will you leave me again and let the chauffeur pick me when my stay is over." He had done that twice since they got married. She doesn't know how she will cope when he does that again. It was hard at that time, but it's going to be a lot harder, now that she loves him.
"No," he regretted leaving her twice like that, he was such a jerk.
He had taken control of his business empire, but failed to control his emotion when it involved her. As always, Ethan's weakness is Moriah, his Achilles heel.
Moriah didn't utter a single word after that and drifted off to slumber as the medication made her groggy.
Stopping in front of the mansion, Ethan watched his wife sleeping. His recollection of his bittersweet memory when they were in highschool painted a faint smile on his ever cold face.
Moriah opened her eyes as he slowly lowered her on the bed.
"Are you leaving again?" The fear and uncertainty in her eyes unnerved him, it shook him to the core that what he did caused her to be insecure.
"I'm not," he answered her while he took off her shoes and then covered her with the duvet.
Moriah smiled and closed her eyes. Seeing her smile as she went back to sleep, it became his ambition to put a smile on her face and make her laugh.
It was already morning when Moriah woke up. Slowly she sat up on the bedside, despair swept over her as she looked at his side of the bed that was already empty. Did he go to the company or work at home? She was wishing that he didn't go to the company.
After having a hot bath, she felt refreshed. She did her morning rituals before dressing up and went down. "Where is my husband, Uncle George?" She still held onto the hope that he stayed home with her.
"I'm here, wife," standing at the top of the stairs, he spoke, his deep and raspy voice reverberating in the living room.
Moriah spun on her heels and saw her husband, wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt hugging his lean chiseled torso. His hair was a bit disheveled because of running his finger through it several times, but it didn't diminish his handsomeness.
Ethan's heart leaped seeing his wife's bright smile. He hurriedly came downstairs, eager to gather her in his arms.
"Are you okay," he asked her when he was just a few inches away from her.
"Mm," she hummed as she nodded incessantly.
He inched forward to close the gap between them and encapsulated her in his arms.
Like a drug, Moriah is addicted to his embrace, unable to resist it. She also couldn't resist the urge to hug him, so she wound her arms around his torso and laid her head on his chest, inhaling his scent.
"Let's have breakfast," he murmured into her ears.
She squealed in delight when Ethan carried her in his arms. They laughed together as he strode towards the dining room, kissing her forehead as he sat her on the chair.
"We are going to Manchester after my video conference," he said as they were about to finish their breakfast. "You can read a book in the study while I have my video conference," he suggested so she won't be bored while waiting for him.
"Okay," her answer energized him for the meeting.
Before they began their meeting, Ethan called Moriah. She stood beside him and all of the sudden Ethan made her sit on his lap. She glared at him, but Ethan's response left her and those at the video conference astounded as he threw his head backward and roared in laughter.
When his laughter subsided, "I haven't introduced to you my wife. This is my wife, Mrs Moriah Miller, she's one of the youngest surgeons in the UK. In the days to come you will be seeing her frequently in the company," Ethan chuckled, " as you respect me, your CEO in my bespoke suit, respect my wife who frequently in her scrub suit."
Turning to his wife, he asked her, "Wife, what do you want to say to them?"
"Me?" She pointed at herself.
Ethan nodded.
Moriah looked at the screen and smiled brightly and said, "Hi, everyone!"
"Hi, Mrs Miller!" They simultaneously responded.
"I'll leave you now for your meeting," she said.
Ethan turned aside his MacBook and captured her lips with his.
"Ethan, they're waiting for you," she murmured as he kissed her.
He stopped kissing her and let her go before he lost the last vestige of control he had.
Moriah put the airpod in her ears and played soft music. Then she opened her book. She was so lost in the book she was reading that she didn't realize Ethan's video conference had concluded.
Ethen knelt in front of her and rested his hands on the armrests, successfully caging her.
"Are you done?" She removed the airpod from her ears.
"Not yet," he stood up before he bent forward, placed his hands under her armpit and lifted her to wrap her legs around his waist.
"Are we leaving now?" She asked him, her face stained with colour.
"Not yet, I still have business to do." He walked out of the study with Moriah clinging to him like a koala bear.