CHAPTER 15

My mother-in-law Lisa's voice floated in from outside, "Damon, Eliana, are you guys in bed yet?" Damon quickly stashed the divorce papers under the sheets, and went to open the door, "Mom, why are you still up?" "I was about to go to bed, but I noticed your bedroom light was still on, so I wanted to check if you were asleep." Lisa chatted with Damon at the door. "Mom!" I peeled off my face mask and joined them at the door, playing along with Damon in a perfectly orchestrated "husband and wife" act, "Damon and I were just about to hit the sack." I was even arm in arm with Damon, snuggling up against his shoulder with an air of sweetness. Damon glanced at me calmly without uttering a word. "Indeed, it's pretty late. Your father has a business summit to attend the day after tomorrow. He just arrived in the city, and didn't plan on staying at a hotel. So he'll be staying here for a few days." Lisa informed me with a smile. My parents-in-law usually live outside the city, a short distance away. I put on a happy face, "That's great! I haven't seen you for so long and I'll take you out for some good food in the next few days, just to relax." "Alright, you guys should get to bed too, don't mess up your sleep." After reminding us, Lisa finally left. In my past life, I misunderstood Damon, thought he was a maverick and didn't heed his family's words. I put all my heart into him, believing that as long as he fell in love with me, the rest of the Coleman family didn't matter. Only later when I saw him striving for the Coleman s' approval and blessing for Ariel did I realize how important family was to him. If I had a good relationship with my parents-in- law, or if I were pregnant, maybe I wouldn't have lost in my past life. After closing the door, I let out a sigh of relief and exchanged glances with Damon.

"Do you want to sleep on the bed and I'll take the couch, or vice versa?" I began to consider this issue.

Damon nonchalantly flopped onto the bed, answering indifferently, "Don't fret, do you really think we'd have any interaction when sleeping together?" I have to admit, Damon's words hit the nail on the head. "Fine." Not wasting any more words, I just sprawled on the other side of the bed. This was the second time Damon and I had shared a bed since getting married. The first time was our wedding night, and he didn't touch me then either. We slept back-to-back, as if the other didn't exist. After a while, I broke the silence, "Can you give me Jones's WhatsApp or phone number?" Damon didn't respond. I turned to look at the back of his head, wondering if he'd fallen asleep. "I want to give him a piece of my mind." I added. "I already did." Damon's cold voice came, simple and straightforward. Alright, I closed my eyes again, trying to fall asleep. Then, the rumbling of thunder started outside the window, signaling a thunderstorm. When I heard a loud clap of thunder, I gripped the quilt and pulled it over me. The thunder roared, but it couldn't cover Damon's voice in grinding teeth, "Eliana!" I peeked out, looking at Damon's annoyed face, and explained in a small voice, "Sorry, I'm scared of thunder." "What does that have to do with me?" Damon was blunt and he straight up and took the quilt back. "Boom!" There was another deafening thunderclap. I immediately jumped into Damon's arms. The divorce could wait, safety was the priority now. Damon's body stiffened noticeably, he seemed unable to accept it. Who could accept a skinny person clinging to him on a stormy night? I felt uncomfortable all over, as if poked by my own bones. Damon pushed me away, his face looking rather angry, "Don't touch me, okay?" "Then don't steal my quilt." I tried to suppress my embarrassment and pain, attempting to keep calm. Damon kicked the quilt onto me, then got off the bed finding another quilt, and prepared to sleep on the floor. I wrapped myself in the quilt and my eyes landed on Damon on the floor. I began to imagine scenes of him and Ariel. If Ariel were afraid of thunder, he would definitely do his best to protect her.

That night, I dreamt of my past life again, the despair and unwillingness were unforgettable. The next day, when I woke up, Damon was already gone. I got dressed and went downstairs, Cherry was making breakfast, the other servants were cleaning, Lisa was outside pruning the plants after last night's storm, and my father-in-law Silas was exercising. "You are up early?" I stepped out and greeted my in-laws. "At our age, we can't sleep for too long. We like to get up and exercise." Lisa chuckled. I went over and naturally took Lisa's hand, ignoring her surprised look, and started to chat with her, "Mom, I have a friend who sells jewelry. She recently got a pair of violet diamond bracelets, they're very beautiful. But she's short on cash, so I bought them, and I want to give them to you." Lisa loved collecting precious gemstones and even had a special collection room at home. I did this to improve our relationship. Not to win Damon back, but to make the road of love between him and Ariel more difficult. This counted as revenge, I guess. As expected, Lisa's eyes lit up, "Violet diamond bracelets? Good, bring them for me to see. If I like them, I'll buy them." "Mom, don't talk about buying and selling. I'll bring them to you in the next couple of days." I replied with a smile. I do have a pair of violet diamond bracelets, a gift from my mother a few years ago. They're quite valuable, and if they can make Lisa like me more and be harsher than Ariel, then I think it was worth it. "I know you're nice, but I can't let you give them to me for free. I'll give you what they're worth." Lisa patted my hand, speaking kindly. I shook my head gently, "Mom, don't say that. As your daughter-in-law, I can't always be around to take care of you. So I can only compensate you with money. As long as you and Silas are happy and healthy, any amount of money is worth it." My parents-in-law exchanged a glance, possibly feeling a bit puzzled. In the five years that Damon and I have been married, I've never spoken such sweet words. Silas paused, dusting off his sleeve gently. "Eliana, it's the kindness that counts. Lisa and I don't really expect anything else. We just can't wait to hold our grandchild. You and Damon should get a move on!". Mentioning this, Lisa seemed to recall something. She pulled me aside, speaking hesitantly, "Eliana, have you and Damon been to the hospital for a medical test? Could it be that the lad has been living a luxurious life with too much wine and women, so it has taken a toll on his health? I was taken aback. This was the first time I realized Lisa was so considerate. She was quick to suspect her own son, not her daughter-in-law, in such a situation.