CHAPTER 9: CHAPTER 9: CRAVING MEAT

The entire table, filled with vegetarian meals that the chef had painstakingly prepared all morning, was completely overshadowed by the sight of other dishes!

Having eaten vegetarian meals with Timothy Xavier for two days, Serena and Doris couldn’t take their eyes off the food.

Serena visibly swallowed, and Doris almost drooled.

Only Timothy Xavier coldly asked, "Who allowed you to bring these into the house?"

I chuckled disdainfully and retorted, "This villa was purchased after your marriage, considered community property, right? Since I own half, why can’t I eat what I want in my own space!"

Then, I walked over to the wine cabinet, took out an extremely expensive bottle of red wine he had purchased last year, and poured myself a glass.

Under Timothy Xavier’s glare that could cut like a knife, I sat down and gracefully cut into my steak with a knife and fork.

Taking a bite of the steak, followed by a sip of red wine.

Ah, it was so delicious!

Without the marriage, suddenly, it seemed like I had everything again.

But Timothy Xavier wasn’t the type to have a good temper; he never let anyone provoke him.

He ordered the bodyguards, "Throw her things out."

However, just as he finished speaking, Doris unexpectedly tugged at his sleeve gently and said in a pitiful voice, "Daddy, I... I also want to eat steak..."

The little girl swallowed several times, her watery eyes blinking as she asked, "Why can’t we eat meat?"

Timothy Xavier was taken aback, speechless for quite a while.

After all, explaining Buddhism to a child would be like talking to a wall.

To please Timothy Xavier, Serena immediately said, "Doris, your dad is doing this for our good. Eating vegetarian is healthy. People who eat meat all the time get many diseases."

I continued to savor the delicious food, nodding, "Mm, let the suffering be mine, you all just enjoy your health."

Then, looking at Timothy Xavier’s dark expression, I said with a smirk, "Could it be that watching me eat these things made you crave them too? So eager to throw my things out, what’s the matter, President Xavier, afraid of losing control of your desires and breaking your vows?"

Timothy Xavier glanced at me, expressionless, continuing to eat his vegetarian meal, and didn’t order the bodyguards to throw away my meal anymore.

Serena and her daughter reluctantly ate vegetarian with Timothy Xavier, but frequently glanced at my food out of the corners of their eyes.

This was the most satisfying meal I’ve had in years.

After eating and drinking to my heart’s content, I couldn’t finish the pizza I ordered, leaving it untouched.

Doris stared at my pizza, her lips pursed, her intentions obvious.

Although children are innocent, if she ate what I brought and then got sick, what if Timothy Xavier accused me of harming his daughter?

So, under the hopeful gaze of the little girl, I called for Nanny Lowell and said, "Take this to feed the stray dogs in the neighborhood."

After I spoke, the hope in little Doris’s eyes vanished just like that.

I wasn’t sure if it was my imagination, but it seemed even Serena felt a bit disappointed.

After all, with the media and paparazzi constantly following her outside, she didn’t dare leave the villa.

This meant she had to continue eating vegetarian with Timothy Xavier.

Could it be that both mother and daughter were eyeing my leftovers?

That thought almost made me burst out laughing.

I took a tissue and slowly wiped my mouth.

As I was leaving the table, I looked around at the vegetarian spread and said to Serena, "From now on, these good days are all yours. Do enjoy them, hmm?"

But if I had known the consequences this small incident at lunchtime would bring, maybe I would never have done it!

...

In the afternoon, I went to the hospital to see my mom.

Ever since falling into a coma from a car accident when I was five, she had been treated there.

She lay there as peacefully as ever, and the doctor still said the chances of waking up were slim.

To just barely maintain her vital signs was already considered a blessing.

Even so, I still talked to her at the bedside about many things, like my marriage to Timothy Xavier; like how I pretended to be nonchalant, yet was also confused and afraid about the future.

In the evening, I received a call from Nanny Lowell, "Ma’am, something’s happened, you’d better come back quickly!"

Her tone sounded as if the sky had fallen. When I asked her, she hesitated and didn’t dare to tell me what exactly had happened.

A bad premonition drove me to grab my bag and head to The Xavier Manor.

Just as I entered the house, I heard the sounds of an argument between Nanny Lowell and Serena.

Nanny Lowell said, "Put the vacuum down. Wait for Madam to come back to deal with it. You’re going too far!"

"Can’t you see the floor is dirty? How can you leave it uncleaned?"

Serena’s tone was that of a casual threat, "You’re quite loyal to Zoe Ellison, but don’t forget, who’s paying you? If Timothy comes back and sees the mess, would he be pleased?"

I hurried into the living room.

On the wooden floor were specks of gray-white, like an untimely snow.

The rosewood urn, which held my daughter’s last warmth, lay slanted on the ground, the lid split open with a hideous crack, as if my treasure was crying silently.

The night outside swallowed the last ray of daylight entirely.

With a stiff body, I stepped forward, crouched down, and gently touched the scattered mess with my fingertips.

The tiny particles seemed to radiate a burning heat, causing me to pull back my hand as if my child were heart-wrenchingly questioning why I hadn’t protected her. As if she were saying it hurt so much!

At this moment, Serena’s voice reached my ears, "I’m sorry, Miss Ellison. Doris saw you eating something delicious at noon today and thought you’d hidden the goodies in your room. So she snuck in when I wasn’t paying attention this afternoon, believing there was food in that box and took it out. But she accidentally dropped it as she entered the living room, and – well, you see..."

In the next second, I stood up, grabbed her by the collar, and slapped her across the face repeatedly.

"Ah!"

Serena screamed, instinctively struggling, "Zoe Ellison, let go of me. If Timothy finds out, he won’t let you off!"

But she underestimated the strength of a despairing mother.

I wanted to kill her!

In the chaos, I heard Timothy Xavier’s voice.

"Zoe Ellison, what are you doing? Stop it!"

Serena cried out as if seeing a savior, "Timothy, please save me!"

But unexpectedly, as Timothy was about to pull me away, Nanny Lowell stepped in front of him.

She must have feared Serena would turn things around and complain, afraid that I would suffer.

So Nanny Lowell firmly blocked Timothy Xavier.

When Timothy Xavier saw the ashes scattered on the floor under Nanny Lowell’s guidance, he was clearly stunned as well.