Chapter 04

It's been three to four hours since Clarice arrived at Alice's house last night at four-thirty in the morning. She called Alice to rescue her, and Alice immediately said yes. The next morning, she accommodated Clarice and went to work. Clarice, who hadn't slept all night, looked at the Golden Osmanthus Tree outside her window with a heavy heart.

How did she end up like this? In the end, she overestimated her own abilities and desires. Perhaps she should have known that, with her birth and background, how could she be worthy of Nicholas's honorable identity? The Cinderella and Prince story only existed in fairy tales.

In the evening, after Alice finished work, she rushed home immediately and dragged Clarice out for dinner. Clarice originally had no appetite, but she forced herself to focus and followed her to the restaurant at the entrance of the small district.

They sat down and ordered. Clarice smelled the fragrance of food from the adjacent table and frowned, clutching her chest. Alice noticed that the situation was not good and immediately asked with concern.

"What's wrong? Clarice, is there something wrong with you?"

"I... Ugh..." Just as Clarice wanted to speak, she couldn't help feeling nauseous and on the verge of vomiting. Seeing this, Alice immediately poured her a glass of water, and Clarice vomited twice, drank some saliva, and forcefully suppressed the nauseating smell.

"Alice, I can't stand the smell. Can't we eat somewhere else?" She feared that if she vomited again, it would not only ruin Alice's appetite but also make the people at the neighboring table want her life.

Seeing that she was in poor condition, Alice didn't dare to linger any longer. She nodded and helped her to her feet, and the two of them left. When the waiter saw this, he immediately intercepted them.

"Miss, where are you going? The dishes you ordered are not ready yet." Alice thought about it and immediately took out a hundred dollars from her purse to give to the waiter.

"We won't eat anymore. Go and tell the kitchen not to cook the dishes. A hundred dollars should be enough, right?"

"Wait a moment, I'll go to the kitchen to check." The waiter took the money and hurried to the kitchen. "Madam, some dishes are ready. Would you like me to pack them?"

Alice waved her hand, thinking that Clarice's body was not in good shape.

"No need," she replied, and the two of them left the restaurant and breathed in the fresh air. In this way, Clarice felt much better.

"Alice, you must be hungry after working all day. Tell me what you want to eat, and I'll buy it for you." Seeing that Alice was still accompanying her despite her hunger, she apologized.

"Forget it, you can't smell the food, I'll buy some bread and nibble on it." Alice looked at her pitiful pale face and sighed.

"No, bread isn't nutritious. How about I treat you to Western cuisine?" Clarice felt unwell and suggested.

"Clari, I really wanted to ask you yesterday, what's wrong with you? How did you end up on the street all of a sudden?" Alice asked, and Clarice opened her mouth, wanting to respond, but didn't know where to start.

Should she tell her crazy story with Nicholas? Should she tell the truth that she dropped out of college and became a call girl to pay for her brother's medical expenses, and then she met Nicholas, who went from being a client to her boss? And that she fell in love with him? What should she say?

Alice, on the other hand, seeing her friend's confusion, just took a deep breath and shook her head.

"Never mind, you don't have to say if you don't want to! We're sisters, don't worry, no matter what happens, I'll protect you." Alice didn't want to make things difficult for her, so she patted her on the shoulder and comforted her.

Clarice looked at Alice and felt moved in her heart, revealing a faint smile on her face.

"Alice, thank you."

"Why are you being polite to me?" Alice waved her hand indifferently, paused for a moment, and continued. "However, you have to tell me one thing, are you pregnant?"

Clarice didn't think she would be able to say that she was pregnant in one glance, and her expression immediately became somewhat surprised.

Seeing her expression, Alice knew she had guessed right, so she said.

"Your reaction is too big; even normal people can guess, okay? So, did you come to see me because of this child? Tell me honestly, did you run away from a man with heart problems? Were you abandoned because he found out you had kids? A heartless person?"

She didn't know how to define the relationship between her and Nicholas. He told her they were a couple, but it seemed like he had never told anyone about her existence. But if they weren't a couple, what was the point of them sleeping in the same bed every night?

Seeing Clarice keep her head down and not say a word, Alice thought she had guessed correctly.

"Okay, if you don't want to say, I won't force you. Let's go home now, and I'll cook some pasta for you."

Clarice looked gratefully at Alice and nodded.

"Alice, there are some things I still need to think through clearly. After thinking it over, I'll tell you."

"All right, no need to rush. Take your time to think it through. In any case, for the sake of the baby in your belly, you have to take care of yourself." Alice said, holding her hand, and the two of them headed home.