Chapter 4

A large wedding photo hung on the wall, with two familiar faces. Claire, wearing a strapless wedding gown, pressed closely against Curtis. Their noses almost touched as they gazed deeply into each other's eyes, like a couple who had been in love for years. Just then, Claire hurried in from the living room. "Ash, why don't you go rest in the guest room? Curt's health isn't great, and this room faces the sun, so I decided he should stay here instead…" She paused mid-sentence when her eyes landed on the wedding photo on the wall. After a brief hesitation, she continued, "That was only taken to appease his family—they were pressuring him to get married." Registering their marriage was an act of kindness, while taking wedding photos was to appease his family. Faced with Ashton's cold gaze, Claire felt inexplicably flustered. She tried to grab his arm as she said, "Ash, don't overthink this. I was just trying to—" "Don't touch me." He dodged her touch, cutting her off. For the first time in six years, Ashton had a negative reaction to her. Her heart skipped a beat. She was eager to explain herself, but Curtis barged in at that moment, choking, "Mr. Gill, don't do this to Clairy. It's all my fault. I shouldn't have moved in and come between you two. "Here, I'll go now—" Without hesitation, Claire stopped him. "This isn't your fault!" The show had to go on, and Curtis' tears fell like an untightened tap. "You've already helped me a lot, Clairy. I can't let myself come between you two anymore. "Perhaps this is just my fate. God is trying to punish me for what I've done in the past. And you know what? I'll take it…" His bloodshot eyes and longing gaze pierced Claire's heart deeply. Her voice was gentle as she coaxed, "Don't you worry. Nobody can force you into any marriage with me around. And neither will Ash be mad at you for this. "Just relax and stay here because you're not going anywhere." The scene prompted a smirk on Ashton's face. "Yeah. Why would I be mad? Sooner or later, this will be your home, anyway." With that, he walked out of the bedroom. Aggrieved, Curtis spoke in an upset tone. "Is Mr. Gill still mad at me?" This time, Claire didn't comfort him. She was seemingly in shock after hearing what Ashton had said. Without much regard, she ran out and grabbed Ashton's wrist. "What was that for? What do you mean by 'this will be his home sooner or later?' All I wanted to do was help him out of a desperate situation, where he was forced to marry a total stranger! "You're a man—can't you be the least bit forgiving in this situation? Do you have to get all jealous and throw a tantrum at a time like this?" Before she had even finished her words, the sharp sound of breaking glass suddenly came from the bedroom. Claire's face changed instantly. She let go of him and rushed inside. "Curt, what are you doing?" she exclaimed, her voice trembling with panic and fear. Curtis knelt on the floor, a jagged cut bleeding along his wrist, and tears streaming down his face. "Just leave me be. Nobody in this world cares about me, anyway. If my death can stop Mr. Gill from being mad, then that's how it should be…" Claire snatched the broken glass from his hand, pressing down hard on his wound with her other hand. Then, she turned sharply toward Ashton and shouted, "Are you happy now, Ashton? Do you not feel an ounce of guilt or remorse? "No wonder they say you're a cold-hearted bastard who didn't even cry when your father died. How could someone so selfish and heartless like you care about anyone else's life?" Her words hit Ashton's heart like a heavy hammer, pounding so hard that his limbs went numb, and a cold chill ran through his body. His deepest childhood memories were of an alcoholic father and worn belts used as punishment. When his father died unexpectedly, Ashton didn't shed a single tear. The relatives called him a heartless ingrate. That label became a thorn lodged deep in his heart. Every time it was touched, it bled afresh. Later, when Claire learned about this, she comforted and guided him for a long time, ultimately helping him let go of that pain. But now, it was she who had driven that thorn back into his heart. The last trace of love he had left for her slowly began to fade away. "Listen here, Claire. Not once since stepping into this apartment have I said I'm against him staying here, and neither did I throw a tantrum at you. I avoided your touch simply because I'm highly allergic to shellfish." It was only then that Claire noticed the large red rash spreading across Ashton's wrist, the very spot she had touched. Meeting his reddened eyes and recalling what she had said, she felt a pang of guilt weighing on her chest. "Ash, I—" At that, Curtis gritted his teeth and struggled to stand. "Don't stop me, Clairy. Just let me die…" As he struggled, fresh blood began oozing from the wound on his wrist. Claire no longer had the privilege to make up to Ashton. Instead, she helped Curtis up and hurriedly stumbled toward the door. "I won't let you die. We're going to the hospital now!" Just like that, Ashton stood quietly in his spot, watching the two figures disappear into the night.