49. Ashley's Mother

After the drugs took effect and affected her body, Ashley slowly started to get sleepy again. As the pain in her whole body gradually subsided, she fell back into a deep dreamland.

Meanwhile, Josh went to the living room with his cell phone with him.

He plopped down on the long sofa and opened the delivery app. He sifted through the restaurants for a while before finally choosing a menu and placing his order.

While waiting for it to arrive, he took the initiative to send a few messages to Sharon. This time without being burdened by the shadow of worry or fear, because he had already found half the solution to his relationship with Sharon.

The two of them messaged each other, exchanging sweet words, expressing their longing, until the impromptu idea of meeting out of the Hana town that day.

Then the doorbell rang. The delivery message that arrived made him stop texting and take care of the food first. He transferred the still-hot porridge into a bowl, filled some side dishes, and arranged everything on a mini folding table. A glass of water was also placed there.

Carefully, Josh carried the set meal into the room where Ashley was.

When he saw Ashley asleep, he placed it temporarily on the table near the sofa. Then he walked over to the bed and gently woke Ashley up. He tried several times until the girl's consciousness rose to the surface. Josh felt bad because the girl looked exhausted after being in such pain. But he had to eat anyway, or her condition would worsen.

"Sorry to wake you up. You should eat."

Ashley winced with her eyes still closed tightly. Small moans and murmurs of rejection were heard indistinctly because she made a sound with her mouth still tightly closed.

But Josh still seemed to be trying to patiently wait for her, "Get up slowly. Come on," he intended to help the girl come fully awake by patting her uninjured shoulder.

Once Ashley managed to open her eyes fully, Josh helped her sit up and arranged the pillow properly so that the girl could lean on the headboard comfortably.

“Thank you,” Ashley said softly.

Josh picked up the food that he had previously left on the table near the sofa and brought it to Ashley. He placed the mini folding table on Ashley's lap while making sure the bottom surface didn't hit the girl's injured leg.

"Eat up. The porridge just came so it's still hot," Josh tried to remind Ashley not to burn her own tongue.

He was still standing by the bed when Ashley took her first bite. He intended to watch until she managed to finish at least half the bowl. But the cell phone he had stuffed into the pocket of his shorts vibrated without pause - indicating that it was a voice call.

Josh picked it up and saw Sharon's name on the illuminated screen. Without waiting, he swiped the button and said, "Hello. Sorry to keep you waiting, I had to move the food to the bowl."

Earlier, Josh had briefly told Sharon about Ashley coming home injured and waiting for delivery food. He even had permission to take the food and give it to Ashley. It was a successful attempt to gain Sharon's trust and confidence as much as possible.

Sharon, on the other side, said in an excited voice. "It's okay. I just can't wait to hear from you. Can we really meet today? For real? You're not kidding? Because I've found a suitable place for us to be together."

"Of course. I can leave right now if you want," Josh looked happy.

Ashley saw him smiling so wide and laughing so brightly, before walking out of the room and his voice was gone.

There was a pause that made her feel in a hollow limbo as she watched the short scene. But her common sense brought her back to her senses and she continued eating her porridge.

A few moments later, Josh came back in but with Ashley's cell phone. The man handed it to her immediately.

“Your mom called.”

Ashley received the phone and picked up the call without thinking.

"Go to your cousin's restaurant this afternoon. We need to talk," Ashley's mom said straight to the point without any pleasantries.

“I can't, Mom,” Ashley realized her body condition made it impossible to go out.

"What do you mean?"

"I really can't go out today, Mom. Is there something really urgent?“

”Of course there is. I should at least check up on you. There are also some things I need to say. So stop making excuses. We have to meet today."

Ashley suddenly glanced at Josh who was already dressed and groomed so attractively. He was still standing by her bedside with a dropping gaze and a facial expression that looked like someone who was blatantly eavesdropping out of curiosity. Because there was no reason whatsoever for Josh to keep waiting there while just moments ago he was getting ready in a hurry because he couldn't wait to go see his girlfriend.

Josh could have left right then and there if he wanted to, but instead he was staring at him intently with rounded eyes and a slightly tilted head—the typical gesture of someone who is curious about something.

The fact that Josh was indeed leaving, however, gave her an idea of how she could pass her mother's request to meet her without having to trouble herself.

“Does it have to be today?” Ashley took her eyes off Josh and turned to look at her injured right leg.

“It has to be today,” her mom's voice on the other side sounded firm, as if not giving Ashley a chance to argue any further. "Get ready.”

“If it has to be today, is it okay if we meet at my house? I—you'll find out later why I can't go.”

"We have to talk together. It won't be possible to have this conversation at your house with your husband there."

Ashley replied with mixed feelings, "Josh isn't home. He was just about to leave." She didn't know which situation was far worse for her—stuck with Josh or with her mom. For all she knew, neither was a good thing for her.

"Ah, really? Didn't he still hasn't come into work yet?“