Chapter 382:
That night, I stayed at Hank’s house.
In the following days, I did my best to take care of Betty and her baby. I noticed that Betty was very dependent on Hank. She had to consult him about everything before making any decisions. Although Hank bought all kinds of food and ordered the nanny to cook for Betty, his demeanor was quite cold. He spoke gently to Betty, but he wasn’t as warm as a husband would be. He was also distant with the baby. Betty listened to Hank attentively. Even though he never raised his voice, he was cold to her, rarely engaging in conversation. He spent very little time in the master bedroom and almost always retreated to the study.
As the days passed, I noticed changes in Betty’s personality. She had become sensitive, fragile, and easily irritated. Of course, she never showed this side in front of Hank. In his presence, she was always gentle and composed.
Soon, I had been at Hank’s house for over half a month. I felt a heavy sadness in my chest. I had to deliberately keep my distance from Hank, not wanting to cause any misunderstandings with Betty. I had already decided to leave in a few days.
That afternoon, when I saw Betty and the baby both asleep, I quietly closed the door to the master bedroom.
The nanny was busy drying clothes. I approached her and said, “I’ll handle this. Go and prepare dinner.”
The nanny was very professional, and I helped her out whenever I had the chance. After finishing the clothes, I turned around and was startled to see Hank standing behind me.
“Why did you suddenly appear behind me?” I complained, still recovering from the shock.
“I’m sorry!” Hank said.
“It’s fine. You got off work early today,” I replied, still confused. It was a weekday, so why was he back so early?
“I went to the supermarket to buy some fish for Betty. She wanted to eat it,” Hank explained.
I nodded, feeling a little more at ease.
“Thank you for all your help these past few days,” I said.
Hank met my gaze with eyes full of guilt. I smiled and replied, “Betty is my biological sister. It’s the least I can do.”
“Betty is still young. Sometimes, she goes a little overboard with her words, even if she doesn’t mean to,” Hank said.
I studied Hank carefully. Today, as usual, he was dressed in a white shirt and black trousers, looking like a gentleman. However, what he said sounded strange, and his expression was odd, as though he had just eaten something unpleasant.
After living here for so many days, Hank rarely spoke to me, but there were moments when I felt his eyes linger on me. It could have been just my imagination, though. Perhaps I was overthinking it. But I couldn’t ignore that Betty had been keeping her distance from me lately. Sometimes, she even spoke with sarcasm. I assumed she might be feeling a bit down after giving birth, so I didn’t take it to heart. Still, Hank seemed to notice it too.
“It’s not easy being a mother. As her husband, you should show her more care and attention,” I said, hoping that Hank would show Betty more concern.
