Chapter 3 I'm Not Ditching You

"I think you should get a doctor over, Mr. Cromwell." Louisa turned down Thaddeus' order. This was the first time she had defied him. Thaddeus' already tightly furrowed brow knotted even deeper. Without another word, he seized her wrist and pulled her forcefully into his villa, kicking the door shut with a resounding bang. "Louisa, don't think I can't tell you're throwing a tantrum," Thaddeus said, his gaze icy as he looked at her. So he knew. And yet he still chose to wrong Louisa. A bitterness rose in Louisa's chest, slowly spreading in every part of her, until it stung the tip of her nose. "You've slept with me for seven years, Thaddeus. And now you're just ditching me without a word. Am I not even allowed to be upset?" He didn't even give her a heads-up that he was getting together with Danica. Even if she had only ever been his lover, he could at least have told her if he was marrying someone else. But Thaddeus hadn't. And not only so, he even openly showered affection on Danica right in front of Louisa, as if she were nothing more than an ordinary assistant. "Who said that I've ditched you?" Thaddeus, clearly extremely uncomfortable, yanked violently at his collar. With a series of sharp pops, buttons scattered across the floor. His shirt fell open, revealing his chest covered in angry, red allergic hives. Over the years, Louisa had seen him through several allergic episodes and knew exactly how much he was suffering now. Though a voice inside her screamed not to care, that whatever happened to him was no longer her concern, she still couldn't bear to see him in such distress. So, she went to fetch the ointment. Thaddeus grabbed her hand, along with the ointment, in his feverishly hot grasp. "Louisa, I never said I'm ditching you. Besides, you promised you'd never leave me. Neither of us is allowed to forget that." So he remembered. Louisa thought he had forgotten. Back when she had first taken him in, drawn by his looks, they had spent days in her rented apartment doing little but eating, sleeping, and making love, until the day came when neither of them had a single cent left. Thaddeus had gone to work as an inflatable mascot. During a sweltering heatwave, he had donned a giant panda suit, handing out flyers to children on the street, using every penny he earned to buy her food and drinks. He kept at it until one day, he collapsed from heatstroke. When Louisa asked him why he was pushing himself so hard, he said, "I can't let you suffer with me." And just like that, he stole her heart, binding her to him devotedly for seven years. Louisa had to admit that throughout those seven years, he had given her all his tenderness and affection. Even when friends expressed doubts about Thaddeus' love for her, she had retorted, "Thaddeus will never marry anyone but me in this lifetime." But reality, cruel as always, had a way of humbling the stubborn. Thaddeus was, in the end, going to marry another woman. "Thaddeus, don't you find it ironic to say something like that when you're about to get married?" Louisa asked, the light glinting in her eyes, making the unshed tears sparkle like shattered crystal. "Louisa, you're the one I truly want to marry," Thaddeus said, his other hand rising to cup her cheek. "As for why I'm marrying Danica, you'll find out on the wedding day. Lou, you were the one who stayed by my side through the darkest times of my life. No one can ever replace you." Thaddeus' eyes were as deep and fathomless as night itself. "Lou, you must remember that what I have with her is just an act. No matter what happens, you have to believe that it's you I love," Thaddeus said, pressing a kiss to Louisa's hand. "Will you trust me?" She wouldn't. Had Thaddeus truly wanted to marry her, he would have done so over the past seven years, now that he had achieved success. "Thaddeus…" Louisa's words caught in her throat. Before she could finish, Thaddeus' phone rang. Louisa glanced at the device on the couch and instantly recognized the caller ID—it was the nursing home. A jolt of alarm shot through her. She realized that she must have left her phone in the car. This call was undoubtedly for her. Something must have happened to her grandmother, Flora Pomfrey. Louisa snatched up the phone and answered quickly. "Hello, this is Louisa… Yes, alright, I'll come over right away." After hanging up, she looked at Thaddeus. Flora had been clamoring to see him over the phone. Now, Louisa wasn't sure if she should even ask him to come with her.