Exposing the Charade of Deep Affection (PDF)

Chapter 21

Chapter 21 Ashley Moves Into the Old House

I didn’t look at Walter. I just said indifferently, “Does that matter? She has been wanting for

greatgrandchildren for years, and now she’s got two all of a sudden. What can she say?” Then I tilted

my head and looked at him. I sneered, “And you, have you decided what to do with your two soon-to-

be-born babies?”

He frowned slightly and looked at me without blinking. “What do you want me to do with them?”

I sneered again, got up, straightened the wrinkles in my dress, and said, “What do I want? Of course, I

want you to have Ashley’s baby gone. I want you to be the father of my baby only. Mr. Hinton, can you

do that?”

“You wicked bitch, Tabatha!” Of course, it was Ashley instead of Walter that said so.

Dale accompanied Ashley through the tests and then brought her back to the old house to brief Carley

on the baby. Hearing my conversation with Walter, Ashley was so furious that she bared her teeth and

was about to hit me.

Yet Walter pulled her and frowned, saying to her, “Be careful. You’re pregnant.”

Hearing his concerned words, Ashley calmed down. She said to him. with tears in her eyes, “Walter,

you won’t want me to get rid of the baby, will you?”

There was a trace of helplessness on Walter’s face, which was rare. When he looked at her, even his

gaze turned soft. He said, “Grandma has decided to let you move here in the future to get ready to

give

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birth. Why would I want to hurt the baby?”

Hearing his words, Ashley looked a lot better. She looked at me and said to him, “What about her? Is

she moving here as well?”

Walter pressed his lips, looked at me, and said calmly, “It won’t be appropriate for both of you to live

here.”

Ashley looked even more complacent. She looked at me defiantly, and what she said was so

hypocritical. She said, “I’m not the great- granddaughter-in-law of the Hinton family after all. Will it be

improper if I move in just like that? Besides, Tabatha is the great-granddaughter- in-law of the Hinton

family. She…”

“Grandma has already had everything arranged.” Walter said. He pulled her and continued, “Come with

me to talk to Grandma about the baby.” Then they went to Carley’s room.

From beginning to end, I was calmly watching the whole process, silent and indifferent.

Dale looked at me. He probably felt a bit sorry for me, so he walked to me and said, “Mrs. Hinton

arranged it this way, because she wanted to take better care of the descendants of the Hinton family.

Don’t take it personally.”

Shall I not take it personally?

I couldn’t, unless I was indeed heartless. I was married to Walter for two years. If Ashley hadn’t come

back suddenly, I’d have thought once that Walter would at least have had feelings for me. He

remembered my favorite snacks and occasionally would bring them home for me. When I had a high

fever, he would stay with me all night long. Every trace that once existed showed that he had feelings

for me.

Yet certain people and certain things ought not to dwell on. Someone in this world would give you

anything and would do anything for you,

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but he just didn’t love you. He was nice to you, simply because you were his wife. If it were another

woman, he would have treated her the same way. It was never about love. It was simply about duty.

Forget it. Nothing could be forced.

Now was the peak of autumn, and the scenery in the old house was naturally very beautiful. Carley

asked us to stay here for lunch, so I couldn’t leave. I enjoyed the trees in the sideyard alone.

The sideyard was where Walter and I stayed for the holidays. It was a separate, two-story house, which

was regularly cleaned. Walter and I rarely stayed here, but it was always clean, bright, and

comfortable.

I used to like to wander the yard alone when I came back for the holidays. Sometimes I would watch

the fish in the pool, and sometimes. I would take a nap on the swing in the yard. The tiredness brought

by work could always be swept away a lot thanks to such a pleasant environment.

When I was picking up the leaves scattered on the ground in the yard, I saw a group of people carrying

a lot of things into the side yard, and I couldn’t help walking over. Odin House saw me and was a little

stunned. He said to me, “Mrs. Hinton.”

I looked at him and nodded. Then I glanced at the things these people had brought in, which were all

luggage and daily necessities. I couldn’t help but look at Odin and say, “This is?”

Odin was Dale’s nephew, and he had been working for the Hinton family for many years already. He

handled many of the chores of the family. Hearing my words, he paused and said, “These are Ms.

Conner’s stuff. Mrs. Hinton wants her to live at the yard over here, as it’s quieter here, and it’s better for

her to give birth to the baby.”

I pursed my lips. I should have figured it out already. Now that Carley

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had asked Ashley to live at the old house, of course, she would want. Ashley to live at the side yard.

Where else could it be?

Noticing my silence, Odin was a bit hesitant. “Mrs. Hinton…”

“Go ahead. Do as you’re ordered,” I said. I had wanted to pick up some more leaves, but I was no Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

longer in the mood. I went to the swing and sat down for a nap.

Odin looked at me with some sympathy in his eyes and then had Ashley’s luggage carried into the

house.

I didn’t sleep well last night, and the autumn sun was extra warm. I leaned on the swing for a while and

felt drowsy shortly after.

I was still sleepy when I heard the noise in the house. Yet the noise was so loud, so I got up and went

inside. I saw that Odin was standing in the hall, looking a bit sullen.”

With her head in the air, Ashley yelled at him, “You’re bullying me, right? Mrs. Hinton wants me to live

here. How come you arranged for me to live in the cramped second bedroom? Why can’t I have the

master bedroom?”

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