“For God Shake, can’t you stay longer?”
Edward grumbled in frustration. In their bedroom, as they were about to sleep, he complained to Julia, who had just asked for permission to travel again.
Edward thought Julia had intentionally returned early to make up for her long absence. But, who would have thought that now his wife was asking for permission to travel abroad again, citing the need to fulfill her professional work schedule.
“You’ve only been back for a week. And now? You’re asking for permission to go back to Paris for two months? You’re really pushing it.”
Julia sighed. Rising from her seat, she picked up her tablet from the nightstand. Opening the calendar feature, she then showed it to Edward.
“I’m not bragging. You can see the schedule Dior has issued. There are workshops, photoshoots, and fashion shows I have to attend for the next month.”
Edward sighed. His frustration hadn’t subsided. He suddenly missed the times when Julia wasn’t as famous as she was now. At the beginning of their relationship and marriage, Julia could still control herself. She was sweet and obedient. Very different from now, too busy and sometimes not willing to compromise at all.
“Is my wealth not enough for you?”
His heavy voice conveyed deep disappointment. And his gaze showed that Edward had reached a point of being fed up.
“Oh, come on, Edward. It’s not just about money.”
“Then what have you been looking for all this time?!”
Julia took several deep breaths. Trying to keep her emotions in check, she softened her words to Edward.
“This is my dream, Ed. I’ve said it repeatedly from the beginning, long before we met, I’ve always dreamed of becoming a famous supermodel. And now? After I’ve achieved what I dreamed of, I don’t want to waste it just like that. So, please support me like you used to. Besides, who else do I have besides you?”
Edward remained silent. Feeling like there was no common ground in their conversation, he chose to lie down and pull the blanket over himself.
Meanwhile, Julia, feeling uneasy, approached Edward immediately and hugged him from behind.
“Forgive me for always making you angry and disappointed. But, I can’t cancel the contract I’ve already signed, Honey.”
“Don’t you know that I still miss you?”
Julia smiled. She kissed Edward’s neck repeatedly while continuing to hug him.
“If you miss me, why not take time off? Besides, if you miss me, you can join me anytime.”
Edward then turned around. With a furrowed brow, he looked at Julia, who was smiling in front of him.
“Time off?”
Julia nodded.
“Yes. You can come with me to Paris. Consider it a vacation while accompanying me at work.”
“But, there’s no way I can take a month off.”
This time, Julia laughed at Edward’s response.
“Oh, my God. You don’t need to take a month off. One to two weeks should be enough for us to spend time together in Paris. And if that’s not enough, you can reschedule to meet me.”
Edward seemed to consider carefully. Thinking about what Julia suggested to him. Upon reflection, it had been a long time since the two of them had traveled together.
“If we both go, then who will take care of and attend to Bella’s needs?”
As usual, Julia appeared relaxed. She never bothered about such things.
“Don’t worry. Clara will take care of Bella and ensure she’s safe and sound. If you’re not sure, I can arrange for one or two more people to take care of Bella and make sure her condition is well controlled while we’re away. If necessary, we can ask Samuel to occasionally check Bella’s condition directly at home.”
Edward still weighed Julia’s suggestion. Even though Julia had thoroughly and meticulously considered everything.
“Don’t bother so much, Honey. I can assure you nothing bad will happen to Bella while we’re away. Or, if you’re still unsure, you don’t have to come with me.”
“Alright,” Edward finally agreed. After being convinced, he gave his answer. “I’ll ask Axel to arrange time off so I can go with you to Paris the day after tomorrow.”
Two days later, Edward indeed went with Julia to Paris. Before leaving the house, he gave instructions and entrusted full responsibility to Clara while he was away.
“Please take care of Bella and ensure she’s well looked after while I’m not at home. If anything happens, contact Dr. Samuel immediately or take Bella to the hospital.”
Clara nodded in understanding. She agreed to what Edward instructed.
“Alright, Sir. I will gladly fulfill the task you’ve given. I’ll make sure Miss Bella is in good condition and well taken care of until you return home.”
***
For the past five days, while Edward and Julia were away from home, Bella seemed to enjoy her routine of taking care of plants, cooking, or light exercising. Sometimes, before going to bed, she would make sure to keep her promise to call her mother.
“Everything Bella does is to chase away the boredom of living alone in such a big house. Luckily, there’s Clara. Her assistant helps a lot and becomes the only confidante when she feels bored or confused about what to do.
“Miss Bella, why don’t you let me prepare dinner for you?”
This wasn’t the first time Clara protested out of concern. In the kitchen, she watched Bella busy cooking dinner.
As long as Edward wasn’t around, Bella seemed to freely explore her cooking abilities in the kitchen. Because she had a hobby and skill in preparing various dishes, Bella deliberately cooked the food she wanted to eat herself.
Besides, in this early trimester, Bella’s appetite clearly fluctuated. That’s why she chose to prepare her own food, which she thought she desired or could stimulate her appetite.
“Clara, you don’t need to panic. Relax. I won’t burn Mr. Edward’s kitchen,” she replied with a laugh.
“I’m not doubting your skills. It’s just-”
“You’re worried I’ll get tired? Oh God. I’m cooking, not lifting weights or doing strenuous work. Besides, it’ll be done soon anyway.”
Just a few minutes later, Bella appeared to turn off the stove. She transferred the cooked food onto plates and served it on the dining table.
“Done,” she said with a wide smile. “Finally, I managed to cook Fettuccine Alfredo, which I’ve been craving since yesterday.”
Clara smiled back. She helped Bella tidy up the plates on the table.
“Now, you can go take a shower and get ready for dinner. It’s already very late. Let me take care of the rest.”
Bella nodded in agreement.
“Alright then. Since there’s still an hour left, I think I’ll just go swimming. It’ll be a good exercise.”
“But please don’t take too long, Miss. It’s already very late. I’m worried you might catch a cold.”
“Don’t worry,” Bella tried to reassure her. “I can take care of myself. I promise I won’t stay too long.”
Bella then went to her room to change into the swimsuit Clara had bought for her earlier. Wearing a bathrobe, she returned downstairs to the first floor and walked towards the swimming pool.
For the past week, she had probably chosen swimming as her exercise more than three times. Besides being a hobby, she felt swimming was the only exercise that was easy to do and didn’t tire her out. Plus, she simply enjoyed playing in the water.
Bella enjoyed her time playing in the water. At exactly six in the evening and after feeling satisfied, she got out of the pool and intended to rinse off.
Choosing the shower located right next to the swimming pool, Bella rinsed her body repeatedly until she felt clean. As she finished and turned around to grab a towel, Bella’s steps halted. In front of her, she found Edward’s figure, who suddenly stood in front of her and was now looking at her.