While Dorothy and Belle were thinking of what to have for dinner, Credence hobbled over to the coffee table with two big bags of food. After putting them down, he took out the food box and some tableware. He turned to look at Dorothy. He spoke to Belle very gently and tenderly.
“Belle, ask your mother to come over for dinner.”
“Wow, Dad, you’ve already bought food? You are so awesome.” Belle grinned happily as she ran towards Credence. She inhaled the delicious aroma and smacked her small childish lips. She turned her head around and shouted at Dorothy who was still on the bed. “Mommy, hurry up. The food smells really good.”
Belle was so excited she lifted the lid of the food box, climbed up her small chair, and picked up a small spoon to start eating.
She gleefully shook her head after taking a bite. “It’s so delicious. Mommy, I’ve never eaten such delicious custard before.”
Dorothy’s stomach was growling, even though she looked a little bloated. She finally relaxed her harsh demeanor. She carefully held her belly as she slowly got off the bed and went into the washroom.
She casually glanced at the coffee table as she stepped towards the washroom. She noticed that Credence had brought food from Talco City’s oldest and most famous restaurant. Belle was happily gobbling up some custard. A single spoonful of that custard easily costs 99 dollars. How could it not be delicious?
She gazed at Belle, who was enjoying her food, and let out a sorrowful sigh.
For the sake of her children, she really should consider giving Credence another chance.
Hearing the gentle closing of the toilet door, Credence immediately knew exactly what Dorothy thinking about. He grinned a wispy smile. He was very happy to have his daughter’s support. “If you like it, then have some more.”
“Okay.” Belle nodded her head obediently.
Seeing this, Credence’s cold and hard heart immediately softened. He touched the braids on the back of her head with his hand and noticed something strange. He quickly spread out his hand and glanced at it. There were more than a dozen golden strands of hair between his fingers, and all of it were from Belle’s head.
His heart sank, and his pitch-black pupils were fixed on Belle’s hair. He frowned and carefully observed her.
He realized something was very wrong.
Not only had she lost a lot of hair, but the top of her head was already so sparse that he could almost see her scalp.
Belle’s condition was worsening the more time passed.
He had done so little for her throughout the years, he was so incompetent.
A few minutes later, Dorothy came out of the bathroom and slowly walked over to the coffee table. Just as she was about to sit down to have dinner, she noticed Credence was rooted to the spot and wasn’t moving. She lowered her eyes and saw the strands of hair in Credence’s hand.
She could tell at a glance that those were Belle’s. Compared to last month, she was losing even more hair.
Dorothy stared at him silently for a while. She smiled bitterly. “Credence, did you know that I’ve been having countless nightmares over the past six years? Whenever I wake up from my nightmares in the middle of the night, I would be terrified. I was afraid that I would lose all the people I loved. I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to hold on to them.”
Credence immediately understood what she meant.
In those four years of their marriage, she wanted nothing more than to keep him by her side. She would be satisfied even if he silently stood by her, without saying a word.
However, he was blinded by hatred, and he vented all his anger on her. As a result, their marriage slowly drifted apart.
And now, she wanted nothing more than to keep Belle alive so that she could grow up healthy like an ordinary girl. However, she was afraid that this too would end up like their broken marriage from six years ago, where everything fell apart in the end.
Ten years, that was about 3, 600 days and nights. She had probably spent every single night worrying about losing Belle.
All of this happened because of his cruelty.
He treated her so badly, he deserved to die!
Credence’s heart tightened, and his long, narrow eyes filled with all sorts of complex emotions. He was convinced that Dorothy would never forgive him or offer him another chance.
He felt a deep sense of bitterness sweeping over his heart as he closed his eyes. Then he opened his eyes and slowly walked towards Dorothy. He stared at her thin petite face, and his pale lips trembled as he spoke, “Honey, I am so sorry. I won’t hurt you like I did before. I won’t treat you badly like how I used to anymore!”
“Credence, I really, really want to believe you.”
Dorothy raised her head and stared back at him. Her eyes were filled with pain. “But… I am afraid, I am afraid that I will be disappointed in you again, I am afraid that I would get hurt so badly by you, I’d just want to die! Because, now, my life isn’t just mine alone, it belongs to Belle and to the child in my belly. I can’t risk my life with you again.”
“Honey, I am sorry, I understand, I really understand now!”
Credence’s eyes were red and wet, and he felt a deep regret in his heart. His body, which was as heavy as a mountain, trembled.
He had never felt like his before. He admitted to being a big, stupid jerk who mistreated her.
He had severely hurt her body, her mind, and her heart. He believed that he needed to atone for his sins before she could truly forgive him and give him another chance.
If he wasn’t able to understand the pain and suffering she experiences in a single night, what chance did he have of atoning for all the years she had to suffer alone?
Belle drank her bowl of soup and looked up with her beautiful blue eyes. She looked at the grim-faced Credence and then over at Dorothy who was sitting very quietly. She scratched her head and pursed her lips. “Mommy, Daddy, hurry up and eat. Stop quarreling. My teacher said that children who like to quarrel are not nice children.”
As she said that, the ward fell into an awkward silence.
Dorothy turned her head away and walked over to her daughter’s side. She found a stool and sat down. After picking up some silverware she began to eat silently.
With her current physical condition, having a good meal was of the utmost importance.
Credence coughed and pinched Belle’s tender little face. He turned around and brought a large chair over and sat down next to her. He picked up some chicken, meatballs, and mushrooms, then placed it all into Dorothy’s bowl. His eyes had an extremely gentle light about them as he said, “You should eat more.”
“That’s enough. I can’t eat that much.”
Dorothy glumly stared at the pile of food that looked like a mountain on her bowl, and her lips twitched.
He was feeding her like a pig!
As Dorothy ate her meal, she gave Credence a few spoonfuls of minced onions and garlic. “The weather is getting colder, you should eat more of these to keep your body warm.”
She picked these out because she knew he disliked them. Given the choice, he would always refuse them.
His hand paused for a moment before finally putting a piece of garlic into his mouth and then swallowed it without chewing. Dorothy smiled.
It was a charming and slightly mocking smile, much like that of a child who had succeeded in committing a prank.
Credence’s entire body shook. He felt an electric current shooting into each of his blood vessels, from his heart to his hands and legs. He felt numb.
He would be willing to swallow an entire clove of garlic for her, never mind these minced ones.
After he finally gulped it down, he lowered his head. “Belle, be a good girl. Go to the opposite room and play with Mr. Benjamin. Right now, I need to talk to Mommy alone.”
“Okay, Daddy!”
Belle had enjoyed a delicious dinner with her parents, she was very satisfied. She patted her round belly, stood up, and ran out of the door.
Credence followed her to the door. As he stood by the door, he took out his cell phone and called Benjamin. “It’s me! Go to my ward and keep Belle company at once. That’s right, I’m with my wife.”
After noting Benjamin’s response, he hung up the phone. Holding the phone in his hand, he proceeded to lock the door. He then went back to the coffee table where Dorothy was.
Dorothy was holding a bowl of soup in her hand and was just about to finish her food when Credence picked her up and was about to carry her towards the hospital bed.
“Credence, what are you doing?”
The man lowered his head and carefully took the bowl from Dorothy’s hand. He placed it on the bedside table and softly spoke to her. “The doctor told me to massage your belly and legs often. He said it was good for the baby.”
Dorothy asked hesitantly, “Really?”
“Yes! If you don’t believe me, you can ask Benjamin.”
“Oh.”
Before she could react, he had picked her entire body up. He lifted the quilt and got onto the bed with her. He then pulled the quilt over them, forming their own little world.
Just like that, she fell for one of his traps again. She reached out her hand and pushed his chest away. “Credence, I’m not used to sleeping like this. If I don’t get a good night’s rest, it will affect the baby. If you want me ending up with a miscarriage, then go ahead!”
Credence almost gave up right there.
But he soon found a solution to this. He pressed her hand firmly on his chest, pretended to be weak, and frowned as though he was enduring a lot of pain. “My wound really hurts. Let me lie down for a while. I will leave once the pain subsides!”
Dorothy saw that he had a thin layer of sweat on his forehead, and he was grimacing in pain. It was very convincing.
On top of that, he was such a stoic and tough character, he wouldn’t pretend to be so weak and pitiful in front of her.
Dorothy relaxed. She glared at him and took her hand away. “Alright then, when the pain has subsided you have to leave. I’ll be sleeping with Belle.”
She turned around and had her back facing him. Credence suddenly asked in his deeply charming voice. “Honey, how long must I wait before you’ll let me sleep with you again?”