Chapter 14: You Belong to Me Now
1102words
Late at night, after an exhausting day, I finally lay down in bed.
The next day, I slept until ten o'clock.
I dragged my aching body out of bed. Fortunately, the swelling on my face had subsided considerably, though my hands still hurt annoyingly—even brushing my teeth was painful.
I changed into casual clothes and walked out.
Ethan was still sitting on the living room sofa, a pillow on his lap supporting his laptop, wearing frameless glasses as he managed his affairs.
Beside him was a neatly folded blanket.
Had he slept here last night?
"Morning," I said softly.
"Morning."
He looked up, finally looking at me properly, but quickly returned his gaze to his work.
"Go downstairs for breakfast, then we'll do the check-up, and after that get the marriage license."
He focused on his work as he spoke.
"...Okay." I tugged at the hem of my clothes and went downstairs.
He was moving so fast; my head was still buzzing.
"Good morning, Miss Levin!" the maid greeted me.
"Morning."
Breakfast was bacon and eggs with whole wheat toast, accompanied by a glass of fresh orange juice—exactly to my taste.
After breakfast, I wandered around the first floor, finally noticing the layout of his villa.
The front yard was a meticulously designed garden with roses and tulips, while the backyard featured a leisure area with a patio, elegant stone pathways, and an outdoor dining table with a parasol. A small swimming pool encircled part of the area, giving the whole space a modern yet elegant feel.
I observed quietly, my mind filled with various thoughts.
[Climbed 16 flights of stairs, my legs are about to fall off.] Noah had messaged me early in the morning.
[Did you offend the elevator? Did it refuse to let you in?] I replied, remembering how he had rushed in last night, out of breath.
[I wanted to use it, but I got your call just as I reached the elevator. It was crowded at that time, and the elevator had just gone up. The boss was worried something might happen to you, so he took the stairs, and I couldn't wait for the elevator again.]
They had run up the stairs?
Sixteen floors...
At some point, Ethan appeared beside me.
"Let's go."
I was startled for a moment: "Okay."
—
Today, William, the butler who had been on leave visiting his hometown, was driving. I had seen him once or twice after work before.
Noah sat in the front passenger seat, handling documents.
We had switched to a car with a partition, which rose as soon as we got in.
I felt somewhat awkward. We sat stiffly in the back, with an invisible boundary between us.
"If I'm not pregnant..." I left the sentence half-finished.
"If you're not, then next time. No need for too much pressure."
Next time...
Oh my, my face reddened again.
“Did you bring your passport and birth certificate?”
"Yes."
"Do you have any requirements of me?" Ethan turned his head to look at me.
I glanced at him, then quickly looked away.
"I... I'm not quite used to this yet..."
"That's fine. Take your time."
—
At the hospital, we went to the nurse's station to pick up pre-arranged forms, then directly to the ultrasound room for the scan, completely bypassing the queue.
I followed behind him the whole time, like a puppet, not needing to do anything.
Until I lay on the examination bed, Ethan stood beside me, waiting.
"Would you like to step out first?" I asked shyly.
"No need, it'll be quick. Please remove your pants," the female doctor smiled. I guessed she had been briefed beforehand.
I clutched my clothes, my face burning red: "Ethan, please wait outside..."
"Alright."
This was so embarrassing—it was a transvaginal ultrasound—
Less than two minutes later, I walked out.
Ethan took me directly to Dr. South's office.
"Dr. South."
Ethan walked to Dr. South's desk, pulled me along, and gestured for me to sit down.
I obediently sat down. "Hello, Dr. South."
"Ah!" Dr. South smiled broadly, looking at the computer screen while opening files: "I saw you at the hospital a few days ago. I didn't expect to see you again so soon!"
"..." I smiled awkwardly.
"You're not pregnant, Alia. Your recent diet must be irregular," Dr. South frowned. "Have you been skipping meals again?"
I was startled, and the heavy stone in my heart instantly dropped! Thank goodness I wasn't pregnant!
Though my diet had indeed been irregular lately. Because of the Jack situation, sometimes I couldn't eat at all.
"Ethan, this is your fault! Last time she had stomach pain from hunger, and now you've let her starve again!"
Dr. South continued: "When you don't eat regularly, your stomach rebels and sends signals. Everyone's constitution is different. Nausea is normal, but remember to eat on time and avoid junk food."
"You're right, Dr. South. I'll be more careful next time," Ethan said, placing his hands on my shoulders and patting them.
"Since you're here for an OB-GYN check-up, let me add a few words. Before trying to conceive, take some folic acid. You're only twenty-two, there's no rush. Take it for a month or two before considering having children." Dr. South was quite open in her speech, but I didn't dare listen further.
Finally escaping her office felt like a relief.
"You haven't been eating much lately?" Ethan casually took my hand.
I didn't hide it: "I haven't had much appetite while dealing with some personal matters."
I wanted to pull my hand away, but he held it even tighter.
"Mm." Ethan didn't press further.
After much deliberation, I still felt I should tell him about my ex-boyfriend. I gathered my courage and stopped at the hospital entrance.
"Ethan, you know Jack is my ex-boyfriend. The person we met at the hospital yesterday is..."
Ethan looked at me like a child who had done something wrong. He stroked my head, interrupting me:
"It's in the past. Don't think about him anymore. I don't care about your past—that doesn't belong to me. But your future is mine, and that's what I care about."
I looked up at him, and for a moment, I thought Ethan was incredibly handsome.
"Stop worrying, little one. Let's go eat." He smiled slightly, took my hand, and walked toward the street.
He smiled! He actually smiled at me!
Instantly, my mood lightened, and I didn't feel so nervous anymore.
This made me like him even more.
