Chapter 5
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Drogo’s kick landed so hard that Chelsea ended up with internal bleeding in her stomach. The hospital had to hook her up to an IV, but she insisted on checking herself out as soon as possible.
Just as she was about to leave, the doctor gave her one last warning, dead serious. “Your stomach’s already in bad shape. You’ve got to take care of it–and yourself. No more getting worked up like this, alright?”
Chelsea’s stomach was fragile to begin with, and that kick had nearly wrecked her. If they hadn’t treated her in time, she didn’t even want to think about what could’ve happened.
After thanking the doctor, Chelsea realized she was in no condition to drive, so she called Kate.
Kate showed up in record time, fuming. “What the hell is up with the Wise family? Why do they kiss Margot’s ass so much? And you–why didn’t you call me the second that asshole laid a foot on you?”
The second she saw Chelsea’s pale face, though, her anger melted into worry, and her eyes got all watery. “Chelsea, how could that bastard Wade just stand there and let this happen to you?”
“Don’t even start,” Chelsea muttered, slumping against the passenger seat, her voice barely above a whisper. “He’s not the same Wade anymore.”
The Wade who’d once treated her like something precious, someone he couldn’t bear to hurt… that Wade was long gone.
“If I’d known things would get this bad, you should never have―” Kate started to say, frustration clear in her voice.
“Enough,” Chelsea cut her off. “Just take me home.” She gave Kate her address.
Kate threw a jacket around Chelsea’s shoulders and sighed. “Alright, fine.”
Half an hour later, they pulled up outside a shabby building, and Kate’s jaw dropped in shock.
“Chelsea… you’re living here?” She looked around, completely taken aback. Even if Chelsea had fallen out with her family, she hadn’t expected her to be living like this.
“Let’s just go up,” Chelsea mumbled, sounding utterly exhausted.
Kate helped her up the stairs, one slow, painful step at a time. By the time they reached the apartment, Chelsea was sweating and looked even paler than before.
Kate headed straight to the kitchen, boiled some water, and brought it over. “Alright, spill. What the hell is going on?”
Chelsea gave her the quick version. “Drogo tried to sell me off to Mr. Robinson, I said no, so I went and married the first guy I could find. I’ll introduce him to you sometime.”
Kate ranted about Drogo for a solid half hour before finally taking a breath. “So… this guy you married–can you even trust him?”
Chelsea shrugged. “He’s easy on the eyes, and he’s pretty chill.”
Kate threw her hands up. “Chelsea, are you insane? You can’t just marry some random guy! What if he’s got some hidden agenda?”
“What else was I supposed to do?” Chelsea sighed, clutching her stomach, her voice barely a whisper.
If she hadn’t been pushed this far, she never would’ve married a stranger.
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5:16 pm GDD
Chapter 5
Kate took in the cramped little apartment with a look of pure skepticism, eyebrows arched in barely hidden disgust. “So… is this guy broke or what? I mean, seriously, this place is… pretty damn basic.”
Growing up with a silver spoon, Kate was obviously out of her element in a place like this.
“It’s just a rental,” Chelsea replied quietly, almost like she was trying to justify it to herself.
“Wait–what?” Kate’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. “Chelsea, you’re the eldest daughter of the Wise family! How did you end up marrying some guy who lives here?”
She shook her head, speechless. “Look, if you were dead set on getting married, it’s not like you didn’t have options! Why settle for this?”
In Kate’s world, Chelsea could–and should–have done a hell of a lot better.
“Kate, I’m married. It’s done. So can we not?” Chelsea’s voice had a hard edge to it, her patience running thin.
Winston was her husband now, and she wasn’t going to let anyone drag him down.
Kate sighed, seeing she’d hit a wall. “Alright, alright. Since he’s your husband, I’ll zip it. But listen, where does he work? Why don’t you pull some strings, get him into Nova Group? I’m in HR; I can vouch for him. The pay’s good, and it’d make things easier for you two. Not like the company’s gonna notice an extra paycheck going out.”
Nova Group had a solid reputation and even better salaries. If Winston joined, it’d definitely help take the load off Chelsea.
“No need; he already works at-” Chelsea started to explain, but Kate’s phone cut her off with a loud ringtone.
“Kate Meyer, are you out of your damn mind?!” Her manager’s voice exploded over the line. “Leaving a meeting halfway- with the CEO right there? Get your ass back here, NOW!”
Kate groaned and shot Chelsea an apologetic look. “Sorry, Chelsea gotta run. I ordered some food for you, so please just eat something, alright?”
Chelsea nodded, managing a small smile. “Go on, don’t get yourself fired.”
With that, Kate dashed out, nearly tripping as she scrambled back to the office. When she slipped back into the meeting room, though, the CEO’s chair was empty.
A chill went down her spine. ‘Wait… the boss already left? So does that mean my little escape act is now company gossip?”
Kate could almost picture her name on the next layoff list.
After Kate left, Chelsea picked up the takeout but didn’t have the appetite to eat. She curled up on the couch and ended up dozing off without meaning to.
By the time she woke up, dusk had already fallen, filling the room with a soft, dim light.
She rubbed her eyes, then reached for the bottle of meds on the coffee table. Taking a sip from the cup of water that had long gone cold, she swallowed a pill.
Digging into her bag, she pulled out a bottle of iodine and a few cotton swabs. The bruise on her lower back was nasty, and the doctor had warned her to apply the iodine regularly.
After changing into something more comfortable, she settled back on the couch, lifting her shirt just enough to reach the bruise and carefully dabbing it with the iodine.
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5:16 pm G
Chapter 5
Right then, Winston came in, pushing open the door, looking worn out from a long day. His eyes fell on her back, where the ugly bruise stood out stark against her pale skin.
He stopped dead, his hands clenching for a second. He wondered, ‘She is hurt? And it looks bad‘
Chelsea jumped, startled by the sound of the door, and quickly pulled her shirt back down, her cheeks flushing as she turned to face him. “Oh… you’re back.”
Winston slipped off his shoes, his face calm but his eyes darkening as he looked at her. “Yeah. Have you eaten?”
“Not yet,” she admitted, eyeing the food Kate had ordered. It sat there on the table, but now it was stone–cold.
Winston tossed his briefcase by the door and strode into the room without a word.
Chelsea sat there, staring after him, her mind spinning. ‘Did he see the bruises on my back?‘ she wondered. ‘If he saw them and didn’t say anything… is he really that damn heartless? Or maybe he didn’t even notice?‘
She let out a quiet, bitter laugh. ‘God, I am pathetic, she thought. With so few people left who genuinely cared about her, and here she was, actually hoping for a sliver of sympathy from this man she barely knew.
Swallowing that gnawing ache in her chest, Chelsea carefully lifted her shirt and tried to reach the wound to apply some
ointment.
Dealing with an injury on her back was bad enough, and the dull ache in her stomach didn’t make it any easier.
Suddenly, she felt a warm, steady hand around her wrist, gently taking the cotton swab from her fingers. A deep voice cut through the silence. “If you’re hurt, stop fidgeting and let me do it,” he said.
Winston’s hand rested on her waist, holding her steady, while he took over with the swab. For once, there was something unexpected in his eyes–a trace of warmth she’d never seen before.
Chelsea looked up at him, startled. “Why… why are you doing this?”
She’d assumed he either hadn’t noticed her injury or, if he had, just couldn’t be bothered to care. In her mind, he was always cold, like he had ice running through his veins.
“You’re still my wife. I’m not about to ignore this,” he said, his gaze drifting to the bruises on her waist.
He remembered noticing her delicate frame before, when someone had tried to use her as leverage against him. Now, seeing her smooth skin marred by these ugly purple–blue bruises, something stirred inside him–something hot and raw.
It pissed him off, really, like seeing a priceless piece of art defaced. He couldn’t even fully explain it. But he kept his touch careful, applying the ointment with surprising gentleness.
They were close enough that she could catch the faint scent of pine and cedar on him, crisp and clean. Chelsea bit down on her lip, holding back any sound. Even though he was being as gentle as possible, every touch still sent a sting through her.
She clutched the edge of the couch, trying to keep her breathing steady. By the time he was done with the first application, her forehead and the tip of her nose were dotted with beads of sweat.
Seeing her reaction, Winston instinctively softened his movements even more.
“These bruises won’t heal right if you don’t take care of them. Just grit your teeth and bear with it,” he murmured.
“Mm.” Chelsea’s response was barely audible, flat and distant, yet somehow, that little sound twisted something deep inside him. She felt her chest tighten, a dull ache making her want to choke up, though she pushed it down.
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5:16 pm
Chapter 5
Once he finished, Winston put the ointment aside and glanced at the takeout containers on the table. “This from you?”
“No, Kate got it,” she replied.
He knew Kate’s taste well enough to guess this wouldn’t be some cheap takeout. He opened the containers, picked out a few things that looked easy on Chelsea’s stomach, and took them to the kitchen.
Watching him, Chelsea felt like she was coming out of some fog. A strange, quiet question tugged at her. ‘Is he… taking care of me?‘
actually
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