Chapter 23
Daniel's words kept repeating in William's ears. She had thrown up the whole ride in his car a while back, but then one night when he tried to hold her while sleeping, she kicked him away, claiming she was on her period and didn't want to be touched.
But they always used protection.
Thinking about this, he decisively replied to Daniel,
"Impossible."
At this point, Daniel understood - he came here to drink because he slept with Sarah, and this guy was planning to take responsibility for her.
"William, what are you thinking? Do you really love Sarah?"
Just then, his phone rang. It was Sarah.
William stared for a few seconds, then pressed decline. Sarah had been chasing him a bit too hard lately, which made him feel somewhat annoyed. After hanging up, instead of talking about love, he replied flatly,
"Eleven years. What do you think?"
Daniel scoffed lightly, "Stop struggling. If you really loved her, you wouldn't be this miserable after sleeping together once. Actually, you've never even felt attracted to her that way, have you?"
William glared at him and downed a glass of red wine.
The two kept drinking until dark.
Remembering the awkward scene last time when two grown men ended up rolling into the same bed after drinking, Daniel kept his last bit of clarity and called Ava.
"Ava, your husband's drunk. Could you come pick him up?"
Ava had just driven back to the Morgan Mansion. After being out all day, she was a bit tired, but more than that, she was forcing herself to distance herself from him, to let him fade from her world.
"Call his assistant. It's not convenient for me."
"He's drunk and keeps calling your name, won't let anyone touch him. Looks pretty pitiful."
Daniel exaggerated the description, and Ava finally agreed to come.
After several rounds of drinks, William leaned back on the sofa and lit a cigarette, the red glow at his fingertips flickering on and off.
Daniel knew that although he looked clear-headed sitting there, he was actually completely wasted - otherwise he wouldn't have groped him all night last time.
There was a knock at the door. Daniel muttered, "Ava got here so fast, she still can't let go of this jerk."
He opened the door and saw who it was, disappointed for a moment,
"Oh, it's not... how did you find this place?"
Sarah walked into the room in her three-inch heels, click-clacking,
"William, why didn't you answer your phone? I've been looking for you forever, knocked on every door to find you here, almost got hit on by some bald old man."
William stubbed out his cigarette and rubbed his eyes. Everything was blurry, seeing double.
"How did you get here?"
Sarah said coyly, "I came to take you home."
"Let's go then. Not going back to the Morgan Mansion today, let's go to SilkGrove Estates."
William stood up and looked around for his suit jacket. Sarah picked up his jacket, draped it over her arm, and helped him up to leave.
Ava walked in just in time to see this scene - him being held by Sarah's arm, the two of them intimate, looking very much like a couple heading home together.
"Honey, let's go home."
Sarah acted coy while giving Ava a challenging look.
Ava froze for a few seconds, then smiled bitterly. That "Honey" came out so smoothly.
She stepped aside, making way for them at the door.
As they were leaving, Sarah leaned close to Ava and whispered,
"Sorry, Ava, I'm taking William. Sorry, you came for nothing - I'll transfer you money for gas later."
Daniel shouted from behind,
"You jerk, you've got the wrong wife."
William stumbled and braced himself against the wall with one hand. His eyes caught sight of Ava standing obediently by the wall, then he looked sideways at Sarah. Rubbing his eyes, he murmured,
"Ava, why are there two of you?"
He reached out and touched Ava's face, his thumb gently brushing her eyelid, then looked back at Sarah,
"No, this one is you, that one isn't.
Honey, let's go back to SilkGrove Estates today. We haven't...
I want to hold you while sleeping."
Drunk William's eyes were much softer, staring straight at Ava, his gaze mixed with a mature man's desire.
Ava lowered her eyes. She gently touched her belly and curved her lips,
"You should go back with her. SilkGrove Estates is empty anyway; you can take her there."
Sarah, beside them, was grinding her teeth. Last time at JadeDragon Bay Residences, he was drunk and mistook her for Ava. Now again, and in front of Ava - it was so embarrassing.
"Honey, let's go home. I'll make you honey water."
Sarah held William's arm even tighter, constantly acting cute, "Let's go, Honey."
Those words - Ava was getting numb hearing them, and even found it funny.
William's eyes seemed glued to Ava's face, never leaving. He shook off Sarah's hand and scolded, "Miss, have you got the wrong person? How can you say I'm your husband? Please have some self-respect!"
Daniel burst out laughing.
"Ava, just take him back. The drinks today have a strong kick - once it fully hits, no one can carry him."
William nodded, "Ava, let's go home. Why aren't you leaving yet?"
He was set on her today.
Seeing the situation, Ava realized she had to take him back. Fortunately, she'd brought the Morgan Mansion driver, thinking of the baby in her belly - she didn't dare risk carrying this nearly six-foot-three guy herself.
She called the driver. Within two minutes, the driver found the room.
"Mr. Morgan, I'll carry you downstairs."
William glanced at the driver with some disdain, "Who asked you to come?"
The driver was too scared to speak, wondering if he'd come to the wrong place.
"Mrs. Ava Morgan asked me to carry you back."
Ava didn't want to hear his nonsense and told the driver to just do it. The driver didn't dare, afraid of offending him and getting fired.
"Johnny, don't mind him, just carry him out. He won't remember tomorrow."
Ava knew his alcohol tolerance too well. He was already blacked out now - you could pin him down and slap him around, and he wouldn't remember tomorrow. With Ava's words, Johnny took the plunge and forcibly carried William into the elevator. Daniel followed along. Once they left, Sarah was left standing there alone, fuming.
"Ava, just you wait!"
After the elevator doors closed, Daniel came over to chat,
"Ava, you're too honest. To handle men, you need to hold back, can't give your whole heart, and you need to use some tactics."
Ava smiled politely and asked, "What tactics?"
"Hey! Act cute. Men eat that up. Didn't you see how that bitch talked to your husband just now?"
Daniel finished speaking and mimicked Sarah's tone in a high voice, "Honey~"
"Ugh, so gross. Anyway, be soft with him. Men need to be coaxed, you know? A tough guy like him - if you go hard on him, it definitely won't work. Who's he ever been afraid of?"
Ava curved her lips, "Okay, I'll learn."
Once in the car, William was fairly well-behaved, leaning back in his seat in a daze. Ava glanced at the street scene outside - they were on the road back to the Morgan Mansion.
"Johnny, let's go to SilkGrove Estates instead."
If he went back like this, who knew how Grandpa would scold him when he woke up?
She'd softened again.
William slept the whole way. The driver, Johnny, helped carry him back to the master bedroom.
Not having lived here for a while, Ava found the place somewhat unfamiliar. She looked around the spacious room as memories flooded back.
The place where they'd lived together for three years would soon be given to another woman.
Thinking of those nights nestled in his arms, her heart ached like it was filled with sand.
William tugged at the tie around his neck several times but couldn't get it off, then irritably yanked at it with force.
Ava knelt on the bed to help him. She'd done this many times before and was quite skilled at it, easily undoing his tie with one hand.
William looked at the person in front of him with hazy eyes, his gaze moving down from her neck, two flames igniting in his eyes. With a light hook of his long arm, Ava fell onto him.
"Did you get implants recently? Why do they feel bigger than before?"