Chapter 37 The Bane
In the airport, Cindy clung to Moriah as if she was her lifeline while they waited to board.
"Don't forget about me, call me everyday," Cindy demanded like a spoiled child.
"Sure," Moriah chuckled and hugged Cindy tightly. "Visit me on Christmas." Moriah said to Cindy
"I will," Moriah is her only family now. Her parents died after she finished medicine. Her only brother died when he was 10 years old.
Cindy looked at Jianyu and Anastacia who were seated next to Moriah. "Baba, mama, I will visit you on Christmas."
"You're always welcome to visit us, anytime you want," Anastacia answered.
"Cindy, bye, bye for now, we have to board the plane now," Moriah hugged her friend tightly. "See you soon."
After the winter storm in Canada, Ethan and Hazel flew back to London.
"How is my wife, George? Is she home?" Ethan asked as George helped him remove his coat. George froze and hesitated to answer him.
Ethan frowned when there was no answer from him. "Did you hear me, George?"
"Er... didn't madam, tell you?" George nervously replied.
"About what?" Ethan's frown got deeper.
"Three days ago, madam and her parents flew to Shanghai," It never occurred to George that Ethan had no idea about Moriah going to Shanghai. He was saddened that the gap between them was getting worse.
"I thought she told you about it when you called," George added.
"No, she didn't," the sound of defeat and hopelessness in Ethan's voice didn't go unnoticed.
"Madam must be unhappy," George said as he closely watched Ethan's reaction. "When she came home after sending you to the airport, she locked herself in your room and didn't come out until the next day," seeing that Ethan wants him to continue, he went on. "That day she told me she's going to stay with Cindy before going to Shanghai."
"George, the telephone ringer was turned off," Ethan said as he strode to the stairs.
He dragged his feet to their bedroom. The mansion was cold and empty without his wife. He wondered if she must have felt the same while he was away.
'Make sure your mansion is really a home for her, not a cold and impersonal place like prison walls.' He recalled Cindy's words to him weeks ago.
'And stop being a jerk before it's too late for you.' Cindy told him. Was Cindy giving him a warning? Did Moriah leave him for good?
Ethan rushed to the walk in closet. A sigh of relief escaped his mouth when he saw her dowry and most of her personal belongings were there. But then he felt like being stabbed in the heart as she never took any of the winter outfits he bought for her.
Moriah didn't ask him for anything. Never asked for money. Never demanded to use one of their many private jets. She didn't even demand his time. She never threw a tantrum when their supposed vacation was cancelled. She never told him that she will miss him.
He was just nothing to her. In her eyes and heart, Shaun was her everything.
'Why force yourself if you don't like it?'
'I want to try what Ethan ordered for me. I'm kinda bored of eating the same thing.'
She forced herself to eat what he ordered for them that night.
Their intimacy weeks ago was just forced, she's trying to accept him as a husband. But... just like the food with garlic she vomited it... she didn't like it. He was like a garlic... she tried to accept him but couldn't, no matter how she tried.
"That will be all," Moriah said as she concluded her lecture. "If you have any questions about your assignment, you can contact me on wechat. Class dismissed," the students stood in an instant and nearly half of her students began to surround her, especially male students.
Numerous students and university staff were attracted to Moriah and she gained a lot of suitors. Though she said that she's already married and showed her wedding ring they still didn't believe her. They told her that it was just her ploy to chase away suitors.
"Ms Chen, add me in wechat"
Moriah spent 5 minutes scanning QR codes and adding her students in wechat.
When she was on her way out of the university, from a distance she spotted a familiar face standing by the gate holding a bouquet of red roses.
"Shaun!" Moriah smiled and walked hurriedly to him.
Shaun hugged her and swirled her around, "Moriah, I missed you."
"Shaun, put me down. People are watching us." Moriah said while they were swirling round and round.
Shaun set her to her feet carefully and gave her the bouquet of flowers. "How have you been faring?"
It's been two weeks since she came to Shanghai. Ethan hadn't called her, that's because she blocked his number. But then, she expected him to call her parents. He didn't.
On the other hand, Cindy calls her everyday and Shaun calls her thrice a week.
"I'm good," trying to bury the sadness that was trying to show. "When did you arrive?" she said, forcing herself to sound cheerful.
"I arrived 8 hours ago," he said, grinning at her. "Knowing that you are still teaching. I checked around, it's nice here."
"I'm hungry, let's have lunch together," Moriah tugged his arm before he could react.
Moriah hailed a cab and before he knew they were inside the cab.
"Where to, madam, sir?" Looking at Moriah and Shaun who didn't look Chinese, he spoke in English.
"Elixir Health Pot," Moriah answered.
"Did Ethan call you?" Shaun said after a minute of silence.
Moriah looked at him and smiled, the sorrow and pain in her green eyes couldn't be hidden by the smile. "No, I think he won't be calling again."
"That idiot!" Shaun was livid.
"It's my fault," Moriah dropped her eyes on her lap. "He called every day, but I rejected it every time and then blocked his number."
"Why did you do that?" He frowned, confused why she did that when she's obviously missing Ethan so badly.
"I just don't want to talk to him," Moriah replied.
Shaun didn't ask or talk about Ethan anymore as Moriah's mood became somber.
After they finished eating, Moriah requested for him to accompany her to go ice skating. Knowing her struggles, he agreed with her.
Shaun felt a mixed emotion while they were skating. He was happy that she forgave him and was regretful that her heart now belongs to another man. She's happy to be with him, but it wasn't as before.
He wistfully looked at Moriah, who was still skating and laughing while he rested. He took his phone and took a picture of her.
In London
While Ethan was busy perusing the file in front of him. His phone rang, in exasperation he picked up his phone and connected the call.
"Talk if it's important, if not, forget about it," Ethan curtly said to Zachary, who was at the other end of the line. "Moriah... is she important? If not I'm going to hang up now," Zachary now knew how Moriah meant so much to Ethan. Every night since Moriah left for Shanghai Ethan had been hanging out with them in the bar.
"Okay, I'm hanging up," Zachary said when Ethan was silent for a scant second.
"Don't," Ethan said, "What about her?"
"Shaun is in Shanghai now, he visited Moriah, he sent me a photo of Moriah while happily skating. He also sent me a copy of his ticket to Shanghai when I didn't believe him. I already sent it to you, check it out," The force of Ethan's palm nearly crushed his mobile phone as he listened to Zachary.
"Is that all?" Ethan spat through gritted teeth.
"Yes," as soon as Zachary's reply left his lips he heard a disconnect tone.
Ethan pinched his nose bridge as he leaned his back against the backrest of his swivel chair.
"Moriah," he sighed.
"Am I really nothing to you?" He murmured.
Moments later, after several minutes of hesitation, he looked at the images that were sent by Zachary.
He wistfully looked at his wife's face. Her face seemed to glow.
Ethan zoomed the photo. Her pinkish cheeks and red lips are more apparent now. His finger trailed her eyebrows, her eyes, her nose, cheeks and finally her lips as if she was before him.
"You have no idea how I'm dying to see you," he missed her so much.
He wanted to follow her that day he learned she flew to Shanghai. However, he decided not to, for he dreaded that she would chase him away.
"Sir," Cameron said.
He looked up, Ethan's morose expression had frightened the already scared Cameron.
"Why didn't you knock?"
"I've knocked several times, sir," he replied as politely as ever, not wanting to accidentally press any button that will cause his boss to blow his top.
Ethan realized that he must not have heard him knock as he was thinking about Moriah.
"Very well, what is it?" Ethan stood up while he loosened his tie.
"Sir, the meeting will begin in five minutes," Cameron said, he inwardly sighed as he didn't explode in anger.
Cameron was stressed out as Ethan became ill tempered ever since the day they can't fly back to London because of the winter storm.
Cameron knew that it was Moriah, who can make Ethan like a ferocious lion who will tear anyone who comes his way and it's Moriah also who could only tame him like a house cat.
He silently prayed that Moriah and Ethan would be okay. So he could relax and be stress free. As for Hazel, he prayed that the witch would vanish forever from their lives. She's the bane of his life. She's the one who's causing the misunderstanding between Ethan and Moriah.
As long as his boss's relationship with Moriah is going well Ethan will always be in a good mood.