Chapter 33 Taboo
After a quite enjoyable meal at the restaurant, Moriah and Ethan retired to their bedroom.
Moriah kept swatting Ethan's hand. "Keep your hands to yourself, Mr Miller!"
"Mr Miller can't keep his hands off from Mrs Miller," Ethan teased her and turned her to face him.
"Why are you still using Chen as your surname?" Ethan likes it when people call her Mrs Miller. "Mrs Miller suits you."
His words brought a flurry of mixed emotion to Moriah. Confused and scared with her own emotion, Moriah whimpered.
"You didn't like to be called Mrs Miller?" Her refusal to be called Mrs Miller unnerved him.
"No," she hugged him and buried her face in his chest.
"Why are you crying again?" Frustrated, he took a long breath and released it slowly.
"Aren't you going to answer me, wife?" he asked again after a long silence.
When she still wasn't answering after a long agonizing silence, Ethan realized that she was already asleep as she was breathing evenly.
Ethan was bothered by Moriah's behavior. Since this morning her behavior has been odd. There must be something that was bothering her.
At nine in the morning, after they had breakfast, Moriah and Ethan headed to his parents' estate. Ethan tried to converse with Moriah, but she wouldn't engage.
After a few unsuccessful attempts to start a conversation with her, Ethan eventually gave up. He took his phone and began checking e-mails and made several phone calls.
"Sir, we're here," the chauffeur informed Ethan.
"You can bring our luggage to my room," Ethan instructed before he gathered Moriah in his arms.
Moriah kept still in his embrace, finding his embrace comforting. How could he bring her sorrow and all at the same time bring her comfort. She wants to avoid him and at the same time longs for him. She was rather perplexed by the complexity of her emotion.
"Wife, are you still going to ignore me?"
"Ethan, I'm so tired," she whispered.
The emotional fatigue was too much for her to bear. She had yet to recover from the trauma caused by Shaun and here she is, caught in a one sided love. And Hazel's presence in their lives made it more difficult for her to cope.
"After introducing you to dad, you'll have a nap," he said, stroking her back.
"No, you don't understand me," she said as she pulled away from him.
"I understand, you need a rest, you have been exhausted and you haven't fully recovered from your illness," he pulled her and encapsulated her with his arms.
He knew what she meant by being tired. She wasn't referring to physical exhaustion, but was talking about emotional fatigue. However, he's afraid to hear the D word again.
He was going to do everything to avoid discussing divorce. He would even pretend to be dumb not understanding her just so they won't come across this D word. He hates it.
"Mom and dad knew you just came from the hospital yesterday, so they will understand when you want to have a rest," he pressed his lips to her temple and then her cheeks.
His actions somehow stabilize her fluctuating emotion.
"Are you ready?" Ethan asked.
"Mm" she hummed her answer.
"Let's get inside," Ethen helped her get out of the car.
Taking in the surroundings, Moriah remarked, "It's a beautiful estate, but your estate we're we got married is more beautiful."
"Did you enjoy your time there?"
Moriah's steps halted, the pain in her heart was reflected in her face.
Ethan scolded himself for being so careless.
"It's just an hour drive from here. We will be going there and staying there for five days," Ethan saw the fear and reluctance in her eyes.
Clasping her small hand with his big hands. "I promise I won't leave you."
"Really?!" Her gloomy eyes sparkled in an instant, like the stars hanging in the vast canopy of dark sky, leaving those who gaze at them mesmerized.
Fascinated, Ethan was drawn to her, he held the back of her head and captured her lips with his.
Moriah tried to pull away, but he enfolded his other arm around her slim waist effectively caging her in.
With his skillful lips and tongue, Ethan quelled her protest. The corner of lips curled up when he sensed his coming victory as her body relaxed in his arms. Seconds later she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back.
"Son, you're already disrupting the servants' work," Fiona chuckled as the servants stopped working and watched them.
At once they unsealed their lips and he put his arm around her shoulder.
Moriah pinched his side while they were walking towards Fiona.
"Mom," Moriah hugged Fiona.
"Dear, I'm glad you came," Fiona's warm smile was like sunshine in the harsh winter days.
While they walked into the mansion, Fiona and Moriah had their little chatter, utterly forgetting Ethan's presence that they didn't even notice Ethan walked past them.
"Dad!" Ethan said to the man sitting on the couch engrossed with the newspaper in his hands.
Brandon Miller lifted his eyes from the newspaper onto his son's face.
"At last you showed up," the crows' feet on the corner of his eyes deepened as he smiled at Ethan, nevertheless it didn't diminish his good looks.
Folding the newspaper, he asked him. "Where's your wife? Didn't you bring her?"
"She's with mom," was Ethan's short reply.
Knowing his son's taciturn personality, he didn't ask any further.
"Brandon," Fiona came near her husband and sat beside him while Moriah went near Ethan.
Ethan stood up and placed his arms around Moriah's shoulder. "Dad, this is my wife, Moriah."
"Hi, sir," she bowed her head.
"Dear, call me, dad. Fiona, told me about your culture," his warm nature bewildered Moriah.
She wondered how two warm people could have a cold son.
"At last, Ethan brought you here after a few nagging from Fiona," Brandon couldn't help but chuckled.
He can't contain the joy that his son married a decent woman. He was averse to the supermodels and celebrities his son was seen with. They're just a bunch of brainless beauties using their body to live a life of luxury and fame.
"Dad, Moriah needs to have a rest," Ethan said.
"Er... Ethan, I want to spend time with mom," her voice nearing a whisper but loud and clear enough to be heard by Fiona.
"Are you sure?" His voice laced with concern causing her heart to flutter.
"Mm," she replied in a hum, nodding incessantly with her green eyes sparkling.
Ethan subdued his desire to take her to his room and kiss her senselessly.
"We won't be joining the two of you. Continue your chit chat. Ethan and I will have to discuss something in the study," Brandon rose to his feet and headed for the study, Ethan hot on his heels.
When Ethan closed the door behind him, Brandon spoke. "You are already married and you haven't stopped playing around. Are you really serious with your marriage?"
Ethan didn't utter a single word.
"What are you doing in Miami with that woman?" He was infuriated when he saw Ethan with Hazel. She was like a leech, latched onto his son.
"Dad, I've already explained it," he said in his controlled voice.
"You already bought her an apartment, an expensive apartment at that. You're even," Brandon said.
"Dad, she protected me with her life," Ethan didn't bother to conceal his anger.
He owed his life to Hazel. He wouldn't be with Moriah today if she had not saved him that day. Why can't they understand it?
"Alright, better divorce Moriah then if you can't give up that woman," The divorce sent Ethan to the edge and that unleashed his fury.
"I'll never do that!" He bellowed in rage. Divorce was a taboo for him.
Despite Ethan's fury, Brandon maintained his calm demeanor. "Son, by keeping that woman on your side you're pushing your wife away."
"I know what I'm doing," Ethan walked away, not wanting to further the discussion.