Chapter 2 Meeting with Ruby

Lance’s POV…

I have no idea why I am still here. Now… standing outside my own room, I am sweating with nervousness.

The door opens, revealing her slim figure wrapped in a towel.

I freeze, my eyes glue to her spotless bare shoulders. Molly's skin glows like a pearl under the bright white light of the room. She looks fresh. The scent of lavender shower gel wafting from her body makes me want to lean in and inhale deeply.

I am aroused.

‘Darn… What is she trying to do?’ I asked myself.

The heat is creeping up my cheeks. My throat is becoming parched. I can't stop picturing horny scenes in my head.

And her blushed cheeks and slightly trembling lips.

‘Mm…’ I stifle a groan. I want to wrap my arms around her and kiss her. Then I’ll take her to bed and…

‘Shit… What am I thinking?’

I drop my eyes on her long slender legs, which are slightly parted.

‘Fuck…’ I swallow. My crotch is getting tighter. ‘She is definitely going to kill me tonight.’

My fantasies begin to vanish when she turns around and flees into the closet, picking up her pajamas.

‘Wait…’

I am not done yet with watching her. Why did she run away? I frown. The anger that has subsided a while ago, rolls to my chest again.

'Is she trying to avoid me?' I speculate, and my face grows stern.

My mood immediately turns bitter. Of course, she is avoiding me. That's exactly what she has been doing all along. She left because she didn’t want to be with me.

I walk into the room and unbutton my shirt. I turn around when I hear footsteps behind me and meet her big brown eyes, which were shining.

She looks lovely in her pink pajamas.

I can't take my gaze away from her. If she gives me a hint, I won't hesitate to make love to her.

"I will arrange the guest room for you," she says, jolting me back to reality.

Those words were like a bombshell, irritating me further.

She is going out of the room.

I grimace, annoyed.

"There is no need," I say coldly, and she stops right in front of the door. I feel her surprised gaze on me, but I don't turn to face her. "I'm going to sleep here."

I walk to the sofa and sit down. When I glance at her, I see her frowning at me. I know she is pissed and this adds to my annoyance.

'What is there to be upset about? We are still husband and wife.’ I desperately want to remind her. But I choose to say, "I am not interested in touching you. You can sleep on the bed without fear."

She storms towards the bed, her mouth set in a tight pout. Before I know it, a pillow has flown over and smacked me in the face.

I am speechless and staring at her as she lies on the bed with her back to me.

‘Damn, this woman’s attitude,’ I mutter under my breath as I stretch out on the sofa, furious.

I have never seen her react in this way. She used to be docile, and never raised her head in front of me. And now… she dared to hit me… with a pillow!

‘Damn…’ I clench my teeth.

She has changed a lot in those three years. I feel the coldness in her eyes towards me, and this is quite disturbing. On top of that, she asked for a divorce upfront. How can she dictate to me? She can’t tell me whether I will give her a divorce or not. It is entirely upon me.

I look at her through the corners of my eyes. I can’t tell if she is asleep or not, but I am not sleepy at all.

The next morning…

I wake up with stiffness around my back and neck. I wince and sit up in a daze. The first thing I found was myself on the sofa. It reminds me that Molly is back. My eyes go to the bed.

She is still sleeping. This is the Molly I know… calm and docile. She is beautiful.

I cannot stop staring at her. The slightly parted rosy lips are so alluring as if they are asking me to claim them. However, my attention moves to the strands of hair that fall on her cheek. I stand up and walked over to the bed, then stretch my hand to push the hair away. But I pause, worrying that my actions could wake her up.

‘She must be tired from the long journey.’

I walk into the bathroom, not disturbing her in her sleep.

Molly’s POV…

I wake up in a daze and see a handsome face right across from me. At a closer look, that face seems gloomy and those gray eyes are cold. I blink and realize that this handsome face belongs to my husband, who is staring at me from the sofa.

He is dressed in his gray suit and ready to go. I recall him asking me to accompany him to see Rose.

I sit up abruptly, wipe the drool from the corner of my mouth, and try to tidy my unruly hair with my fingers.

The bright light from the outside is screaming at me that it is late. I don’t know what time it is. I know my face is red because I can feel the heat.

‘How can I sleep so late?’ I wonder.

He won’t stop making fun of me.

I am a little annoyed with this thought, and I shoot him a question, "Why didn’t you wake me up?"

"I did," a cold reply comes from him. "But it is nearly impossible to wake up a lazy woman."

Another wave of embarrassment washes over me, and I flush again. "It’s just that I am still jet lagged." I clamber down from the bed and rush into the bathroom.

An hour later…

We arrive at a high-end hotel. I glance at him, who is walking beside me, and wonder why he is so quiet. He didn't say anything in the car either. It's not like I'm desperate to talk to him. But he is the one who brought me here. Shouldn’t he be a little more courteous?

I sulk and resent having come here.

When we walk into the elevator, I hear him say, "Don’t make a face like that in front of Ruby. She will be sad."

‘I made a face.’ I turn to him with a scowl. ‘I see. He is silent because he is worried I will make Ruby unhappy!’

My stomach churns with annoyance. "Don't worry," I say, forcing a smile. "I have no intention of making her unhappy."

I avert my gaze, feeling his scorching gaze on me.

The elevator whisks us to the top floor.

When we walk into the restaurant, I notice Ruby sitting at a corner table. She looks beautiful in her navy-blue sleeveless dress. Her fair skin is radiant. She doesn't appear sick at all, though she is noticeably thinner than before, nothing like she is going to die in a few months.

I can’t stop suspecting her. It is, after all, Ruby. Who knows her better than I do?

She looks up and smiles at us.

I muster a smile and greet her, "Hello, Ruby. You are looking pretty."

"Thank you." She blushes a little, then stands up and links her arm with Lance’s.

I subconsciously glance at him and find him looking at her with affection.

Great…

He never gives me that look.

"Did you take your medication?" he asks gently, and she responds with a coquettish smile and a small "Yes."

I take my seat in a chair and pour myself some water, trying to ignore them. It hurts me to see them so close and intimately. But I can't stop looking at them. I get caught by Lance, who raises his eyebrows slightly.

I immediately look away from them and drink some water, pretending nothing has happened.

My appetite has already died, so they take the charge of ordering the food. When I see how much Lance cares about what she should and should not eat, I sneer inwardly. I never got so much attention and care from him. To him, I am invisible.

Ruby is acting very friendly toward me. She is asking many personal questions, such as how my studies are going, if I have found a job in Boston, and if there is anyone I like.

I don’t want to answer her, but I reply to all her questions patiently.

"Oh, please, Molly, don’t be shy. We are friends. You can tell us if you have any boyfriends there. "

I glance at Lance, who is staring at me with indifference. I don’t know what he is thinking. But Ruby’s questions and his silence are pissing me off.

"Seriously, I don't have a boyfriend."

Lance shifts his weight and loosens his tie.

"I heard that a senior is following you," Ruby continues. "Is he interested in you?"

Wow! Ruby seems to be keeping an eye on me. I sneer and cock my head. "I am pretty and young. Many men are interested in me. It is obvious that there is a long line behind me. Please excuse me. I need to use the restroom."

I get up and hurry to the restroom, feeling suffocated.

Ruby is deliberately messing with me, trying to show Lance that I am dating someone.

‘Well, Ruby, you don't have to prove anything. He is not interested in me,’ I mutter to myself as I splash water on my face.

After some time, I calm down and return to the restaurant.

I am surprised to see that they are ready to leave. "What is the matter?" I can’t help but ask when I see Ruby leaning on Lance.

"She is not feeling well," Lance replies glumly. "We are leaving."

With that, he walks out with Ruby in his arms. I can do nothing but stare at his back, my fists clenching.