Chapter 7

SCARLET'S POV

"But you have always cherished it." He was baffled by my act and I could understand why. For the past three years, I had carefully kept my wedding dress in the wardrobe, despite sometimes lacking the space, but it was a treasure for me. A wedding was the sweetest memory and part of one's life and it wasn't easy to withdraw from the things that gave you the chance to relive that moment, but circumstances had changed for me.

Since we were divorced now, there was no point to look back in the past that would only ache my heart.

"I have learnt to let go, even if those things are one I cherished most in my life" I forced a smile to avoid the awkwardness and passed through him to walk back inside.

Suddenly I felt a warm hand around my shoulders.

"Why are you limping? Did you injure yourself?" I had to muffle my bitterness at his words; I was at loss for words for a while and quietly stared into his eyes.

"Scarlet? I am asking something" he looked annoyed with my quietness, I inhaled a sharp breath and averted my gaze to shift them on the ground instead.

"I had to kneel for hours at White house" his hands around my shoulder forced me to stop because he couldn't move forward due to shock, I sighed and turned my head to look into his widened eyes. However, his gaze lowered and his hands now removed from shoulder and hold my palms that were still bandaged.

"I just saw them now, what had happened to them" his voice hoarse.

"They were beaten by leather belt" I said casually.

For me it was really nothing. Grandma Ella always punished me like that whenever I disappointed her.

"But why? What reason does the White house has to treat you like that? Weren't you gone to have dinner with them?" He was disturbed by my injuries, not because he cared, but because for him I was a family of the White family ,and who treated a family member like that. I smiled bitterly.

"She had invited both of us and you didn't join, so I had to face the consequences." I shrugged my shoulders as if it was nothing important, not to even discussing with him, and that was true.

"How can you act so casually? Doesn't it hurt?"

"It does, but I am getting used to of it" I removed my hands from his grasp and was aiming to go back to room.

"What do you mean by used to of it? It wasn't first time?" I rolled my eyes and suppressed the annoyance. Why he had to act like a caring husband? He never knew or cared what I was going through, then why ask so many questions today?

"It isn't, every time, when we are invited and you don't show up, I have to face her wrath" If he insisted to know, then be it.

A trace of guilt leaped in his eyes, and he crouched down to lift the hem of my dress and gasped.

"Your knees?" he sounded angered. He stood up and took my hand to force me sit on the couch, taking my legs in his hand. He was checking the bruises. My skin had patches of dark purple. I hissed when he lightly pressed on one bruise.

"Why didn't you call me when Grandma Ella did this to you?" he asked angrily.

"Haven't you had urgent matter to deal? It wasn't good to disturb you" his eyes that were piercing through me, shrinking, and he instantly averted his gaze, coughing to inhale the breath. I smiled sarcastically.

"You never mentioned me before, that's how they treat you due to my absence." He seemed uncomfortable, I nodded in understanding.

"You would have objected and stopped White's to do that?"

"Of course, you are my wife, Scarlet" he sounded possessive. I smiled.

"That's the reason I never told you. Getting on bad side of Grandma would have done no good to you, and I never want us to be the reason for sabotage to the relations between Whites and Hughes." He sighed and asked for ointment from Aunt Molly to apply on my bruises.

I always wanted to be the good daughter-in-law of the Hughes, and so I had always endured everything on my own, understanding that my husband was actually busy with work, until that night when cruelty opened on me that it wasn't work why my husband was almost never on my side. Rather, it was because he couldn't dare to upset his lover.

But things had changed now. I had no remorse for Hughes, nor for Joshua, but I couldn't reveal my objectives yet, I had to be careful and take things a bit slow.

Guilt caught him up and I knelt on the floor to apply the ointment once Aunt Molly gave it to him.

"I am sorry for not being with you yesterday and you have to endure the anger of Grandma, as I know now what she does to you, I will be very careful next time. Let me fix this for now, I failed to be present on our anniversary too, tell me how I should compensate for this" I muffled the laugh, a bitter, mocking laugh at his words.

"Compensation!"The Hughes were never short of money, so it was easy for them to compensate anything with money. He had been doing this with me for three years, so why not today?

"Tell me." When I did not respond to him, he paused from applying the ointment and raised his head to look at me. He wanted me to tell him quickly to ease his guilt. Fine.

"If you insist, I will be happy if you like my birthday gift for you and will accept it." He was dumbfounded.

"Only that?" he confirmed and I nodded my head.

Three years back, I was a fool who wanted to marry Joshua, but three years of lessons were too much. Now I wanted to escape out of this marriage, without any drama and issues.

"It's easy you know," he warned me, that I might regret later but he didn't know what was inside the box.

We were talking when his phone started to ring. He fetched it out and answered swiftly.

It was Rosie, I glanced at the screen but remained quiet, however, he panicked after listening to her.

"How come you were alone; you should have asked the driver to take you out" his voice a bit louder than usual. I remained indifferent, already expecting what would happen next.

"Wait right there, I am coming," he ended the call and was rushing when he realized that he was applying medicine on my bruise and paused, looked at me helplessly, I smiled and came to his rescue as always.

"Give it to me, I can apply by myself" I extended my hand towards him and his voice lowered.

"Rosie has injured herself and with child alone she can't manage, I should help her." He didn't need to give justification. I didn't ask.

"Sure, go." He hesitated for a while before handing the tube over to me.

"I'll be back soon" I raised my head and gave a brief nod of my head. What else should I do? Should I fight? Stop him? Demand explanation why she depends on him only? There was no point in doing any of these. My reaction would be taken wrong and would only be used against me which I didn't want at all. After three years, when my easygoing nature was most needed for my peaceful escape from this marriage, I didn't want to make any fuss.

However, I failed to control my slip of tongue. Sometimes, no matter how much you remained composed, you couldn't hold everything inside of you.

"Joshua! Why don't you call her Sister-in-law rather than calling her by name." He was stunned at my words, and I quietly cursed under my breath.