Chapter 156:
I found myself curious too. Would he return?
“I’ve been busy lately and won’t be back. Take good care of Mrs. Wharton. Connor will bring the ingredients on time. Call me if anything urgent comes up,” he said, his tone flat.
A bitter taste filled my mouth. What did this mean? Was he trying to distance himself from me? Or was the timing just not right to talk about divorce? Was he planning to abandon me once I was better?
A bitter smile tugged at my lips. Deep down, I realized that Herbert had, in a way, been responsible. But even as I acknowledged that, I couldn’t bring myself to thank him for his version of “responsibility.”
Bella’s POV:
“I’m leaving. Do you have anything to say to me?” Herbert suddenly asked. What could I say to him? I shook my head, saying nothing.
“Okay, I’m leaving!” There was a hint of anger in Herbert’s voice. Was he angry again? I really couldn’t understand why he was angry. After Herbert left, Miranda sighed.
“Mrs. Wharton, don’t be too stubborn. Be gentle, and only then will you be able to keep Mr. Wharton here.”
I didn’t respond. I couldn’t help thinking, “Would he stay if I was gentle with him?” If I could make him fall in love with me by being gentle and not stubborn, I would do that in a heartbeat. But deep down, I feared that no matter what I did, he would only despise me.
In the following days, he didn’t come back. My mother visited often, always asking why she hadn’t seen Herbert. I didn’t want her to worry, so I kept telling her that he was busy with work or had gone to another city for business. Thankfully, my mother didn’t press the issue further. She had seen Connor bring things over a few times, and each time, he’d say that Herbert had ordered him to do so.
My mother believed that Herbert cared about me, thinking his frequent deliveries of valuable items showed his concern. But I knew better. Herbert wasn’t a stingy person—he was generous with the people around him. But being generous didn’t equate to caring.
On Sunday, Betty came to see me and shared some news.
“Sister, Hank has been asking me about your recent situation,” Betty said as she ate an apple. Hearing this, I frowned.
“What Hank? He’s your teacher now!”
Betty, however, was stubborn.
“It’s too formal to call him Professor. It’s better to just call him Hank.”
I didn’t argue about how she addressed him and instead asked, “Why is Hank always asking about me?” Although I had met Hank a few times last time, it was mostly related to Betty’s university education. We hadn’t been in contact for the past few months.
“Probably because he knew you were having a baby. He wanted to give you a gift.”
Betty guessed.
I said, “Didn’t you tell him that the child was gone?”
“Yes,” Betty replied.
So, Hank knew that my child was gone? Maybe he was aware of the pain I had gone through and was worried about me. In fact, I was grateful for Hank’s concern, but I couldn’t allow myself to get too close to him. First, I didn’t want Herbert to misunderstand me, and second, I didn’t want to give Hank any false hope because I wouldn’t fall in love with him.
After a while, I said to Betty, “If he asks you again, just tell him that my body and mood have recovered very well, and that I have a very good relationship with my husband.”
