The moment Aurora heard the word “tea,” she felt like losing her mind. She had thought that leaving Julian behind would mean escaping that cursed herbal concoction.
Yesterday, when she mentioned she was leaving, Julian hadn’t brought up the subject of tea. Aurora had been ecstatic. But now, hearing the word again, her mood sank.
She silently prayed in her heart, “Please, let it be a coincidence. Just regular tea. Not for me. Definitely not my herbal tea. Oh, heavens, please!”
But reality proved her far too naive. Asher turned around and looked at her suspiciously.
“Your tea. Don’t you know?” he asked.
Aurora clutched her chest, her voice trembling. “What… what did you say? Whose tea?”
“Yours, of course. Before you even left your country, your man sent it over. A whole big box of it. He said it was a three-month supply, prepared specially for you. The herbs arrived here long before you did,” Asher explained.
If Julian hadn’t been so meticulous about Aurora, Asher wouldn’t have let her go so easily. He had been taken aback when he first heard about the tea preparation.
“What’s wrong with her? Why does she need to consume this stuff? I entrusted her to you, and this is how you treat her?” Asher had been visibly agitated.
“She’s fine-just a bit weak. These herbs are for her health. Why are you overreacting? I care about her more than you do,” Julian had said firmly.
Although Julian and Asher didn’t get along, their concern for Aurora was the same. Only then did Asher manage to calm down. “Weak constitution?”
“Don’t you know she has severe cramps every month? That’s because of her weak body. These herbs are to help her recover,” Julian explained, his tone softening.
Asher, having been with Aurora for three years, was well aware of her struggles. Every month on the first day of her period, she’d be in excruciating pain, her face pale as a sheet.
He had consulted doctors about it. They explained that it was a common condition for many women, and it often improved after childbirth. Since it was deemed natural, Asher hadn’t overthought it-he simply prepared hot water bottles for her whenever the time came.
Julian, at least, seemed considerate enough to take care of her in his own way.
“How long does she need to take it?” Asher had asked.
“I don’t know how long she’ll be staying in the States, so I prepared a three-month supply just in case. She hates these herbs, so you’ll have to make sure she drinks every single dose. I’ve already made her drink them for almost a month, and trust me, she despises them. She’ll probably come up with all sorts of tricks to avoid it.
No matter what she says or does, don’t give in. Everything else is negotiable, but this tea is non-negotiable. It’s for her own good,” Julian had instructed, his tone as serious as a father entrusting his daughter to someone else.
“Three more months? Julian, I’ve asked the doctors before. It’s just her constitution. Once she has a child, the issue will naturally improve. Instead of making her drink something she hates every day, wouldn’t it be better to help her get pregnant sooner?
And aren’t you worried about the long-term effects of drinking this tea? What if it affects her body or an unexpected pregnancy? I don’t think this is the best solution,” Asher had argued, offering a different perspective.
Julian’s tone had been unwavering. “No. Everything else is up for discussion, but she *must* drink this tea.”
“What kind of tea is it, exactly?” Asher had asked, sensing that something wasn’t right. If it were just regular tea, Julian wouldn’t be so adamant. Julian loved Aurora too much to harm her, but Asher’s instincts told him there was more to this than Julian was letting on.
Julian had sighed. “Fine. I know I can’t hide it from you. I’ll tell you the truth, but you must promise to keep it a secret. If you tell her, you’ll break her heart.”
Asher had grown even more anxious. “Tell me! What’s wrong with her?”
Julian’s voice had trembled slightly as he spoke. “There’s something wrong with her body. She doesn’t know yet. I discovered it by accident when she got injured last time. There’s an issue with her uterus. She might never be able to have children.”
“What? I thought it was just a constitutional issue. Why can’t she have children?” Asher had been stunned. For any woman, losing the ability to become a mother would be devastating.
“It’s complicated. Right now, it’s just a theory-I can’t be certain. But this tea is meant to help her body recover. I don’t know if it will work, but it’s the best I can do. She really wants to have a child with me. I can’t bring myself to tell her the truth and see her heartbroken.
So I used her cramps and weak constitution as an excuse to make her drink it. That’s why you can’t tell her the truth. If she finds out, it’ll crush her,” Julian had said, his voice heavy with emotion.
He thought of Aurora’s recent behavior-how she had been more proactive in their intimacy. It was clear she deeply desired a child. Seeing the hope in her eyes, he couldn’t bear to shatter her dreams.
“Isn’t there any other solution?” Asher had asked after a long silence.
“Not at the moment. The best we can do is keep trying. She’s young, and her body is still strong. Who knows what the future holds?” Julian had replied, his hope unwavering. Nobody wanted a child with Aurora more than he did.
“Fine. Send the herbs over. I’ll make sure she drinks them,” Asher had agreed, choosing to stand on Julian’s side for Aurora’s sake.
“Good. That’s all for now. Take care of her while she’s in New York.”
“Hmph. Aren’t you afraid I’ll take advantage of the situation?” Asher had teased.
“You’ve had three years to make your move and failed. What makes you think you’ll succeed now? I trust her, and I trust you,” Julian had replied confidently.
“Talk is cheap. I know exactly what you’re thinking-you’re just like me. But don’t worry, I’ll take good care of her. I just want her to be happy. If she had even a shred of love for me, I’d never let her go. But alas, her eyesight must be terrible to have chosen you,” Asher had said with a cold laugh.
“Thank you. Knowing she has you by her side puts me at ease. I have to get back to work. Goodbye,” Julian had said before hanging up.
Asher thought back to the conversation as he looked at Aurora’s troubled expression.
“Be good. He went to all the trouble of sending this tea from so far away. Just drink it, okay?”
“But you’ve never tasted it. It’s so bitter it leaves you speechless,” Aurora complained, frowning deeply.
“If you want to stop having cramps every month and avoid looking like a pale ghost, then drink up,” Asher teased.
“Who are you calling a ghost? You’re asking for it!” Aurora shouted, chasing after him.
“Mercy, my lady!” The sound of playful laughter and chasing echoed from the kitchen.