Filed to story: Love Entangled with Her Unconscious Husband Novel >>
However, she was strangely certain that Elliot must have gone through something dark to hate the world a s much as he did.
Not only did he hate the world, but he also did not want to bring the next generation into it.
Nobody was born to be bad.
Her loathing for him suddenly lessened slightly.
He was not at fault, and neither was she. Fate was the only one to blame for entangling their lives together.
At breakfast the next morning, Avery and Elliot sat at the dining table in silence. She was having eggs and toast, while he was eating cereal. “Thanks for getting my phone back last night,” Avery said, shattering the silence between them. “I’m sorry about my mother,” Elliot said, finally expressing the apology that had been bothering him. Avery’s cheeks flushed as she said, “You weren’t the one who hit me. Why are you apologizing?”
“She shouldn’t have slapped your face,” Elliot said in a stiff voice. “If anyone touched my face, I would,”
Before he could finish his sentence, Avery lifted her hand and gently caressed his cheek.
His skin was surprisingly smooth and felt good against her fingers. Elliot’s eyes were smoldering as his Adam’s apple rolled in his throat, while his hand trembled slightly around his glass of milk.
“Okay, we’re even,” Avery said as she withdrew her hand and lowered her head to have a sip of her tea. Her heart was thumping wildly in her chest, and the skin on the fingers that touched his cheek felt like they were on fire.
She hurriedly finished her breakfast and returned to her room.
The bruise on her face was lighter than the day before, and it did not hurt as much.
Avery put on a light layer of makeup to cover up the bruise.
She could no longer stay cooped up in the house.
The office had called her multiple times throughout the week, and Trust Capital was sending inquiries every other day.
She emerged from the room after she got dressed. Elliot had already left.
“Are you going to the office, Madam? Let me get the driver,” Mrs. Cooper said then went off to call for the driver.
Avery was waiting at the front door when her phone rang.
“Do you have time to spare today, Miss Tate?” Ben’s voice came through the phone speaker. “I have a favor to ask.”
“What is it?” Avery asked sounding puzzled. “Are you sure I could help?”
“I’m sure,” Ben answered assuredly. “Are you at home? I’ll come pick you up. We can talk more when we meet.”
“Okay,” Avery responded hesitantly. Ben arrived at the gates of the mansion half an hour later.
Apart from the color, which was white instead of black, he had the exact same car model as Elliot.
“Aren’t you going to the office today, Mr. Schaffer?” Avery asked as she hopped into the passenger seat and fastened her seat belt.
“I don’t need to clock in at the office,” Ben grinned. “We need your help picking out a present.”
“What do you mean by “we”? Who else are we talking about?”
“The other managers at the office. Elliot’s birthday is coming up. We need to get him something, but we’re not sure what to buy.
That’s where you come in.”
“When’s his birthday?” Avery asked bashfully.
“Do you not care about your husband at all?” Ben chuckled as he felt some pity for Elliot.
Chelsea worshiped him like a god while Avery treated him like garbage.
Even so, he willingly chose to be garbage.
Avery’s cheeks reddened with embarrassment. She simply came up with an excuse and said, “I’m pretty busy.”
“Of course, you are. Your company’s going through a rough patch, and you’re working on your thesis. I’m sure you’re even busier than Elliot,” Ben said. “You’re making fun of me,” Avery said as she noticed the teasing tone in his voice, but she was not angered by it. “I don’t know what he likes. I’m afraid I won’t be of much help.”
“Of course, you can help,” Ben said as he drove the car onto the freeway. “Let’s head to the mall.” It was not long before the car came to a halt in front of the city’s largest shopping mall.
There was not much of a crowd on a weekday morning.
Avery and Ben walked into the department store and went straight to the jewelry section on the first floor.
Avery raised her brows in confusion and asked, “Does he like jewelry? I’ve never seen him wear any…”
Was jewelry not a more suitable gift for women?
Ben had no choice but to be honest with her.
“Elliot has never accepted any gifts from us,” he said. “But now that he has you, you can accept a gift from us on his behalf.”
If Ben had mentioned this when he arrived at the house, Avery never would have gotten into his car.
“Mr. Schaffer, I know that all of you want to get on Elliot’s good side-“Avery began to say.
“What do you mean? Haven’t you ever gotten presents for your friends?” Ben interjected with a smile. “He always gets us something for our birthdays.”
“So, you don’t get him a gift just because he told you not to? That just shows that you don’t see him as a friend at all, but as a boss,” Avery said. “I don’t think you should drag me into this. If I accept your gift on his behalf, it would be the same as me accepting a gift from him. If that’s the case, I won’t be able to take pleasure in reprimanding him when he makes me angry in the future.”
Ben was bewildered.
Take pleasure in reprimanding him? How exactly does Avery treat Elliot every day?
Ben began to suspect that his boss had a masochistic side to him.
“You should think of something else! I’m leaving,” Avery said, then turned and began to walk away.
Ben immediately reached out and grabbed her arm.
“Miss Tate, Elliot’s birthday this year is different from the ones before,” he said.
He had already prepared the perfect script, and his professional acting instantly silenced Avery.
“It was after his last birthday that he had gotten into that accident and that rendered him a vegetable. At the time, the doctors said that he didn’t have much longer to live… None of us expected him to pull through, but he woke up in the end. It’s a good thing he did, too. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to celebrate his birthday this year…”
Avery’s heart turned as soft as cotton.
She put herself in his shoes and thought about how painful it would have been if she was the one who was in a coma after getting into a car crash.
All Ben wanted was to celebrate Elliot’s birthday and get him a gift to cheer him up. Was that so wrong?
“Don’t worry, Miss Tate. We won’t give you anything too expensive. I hope you will be able to accept it with ease,” added Ben.
Avery gestured at the jewelry counter and said, “Everything here is too expensive. Let’s go somewhere else.”
She finally gave in!
“Do you need some beauty products, Miss Tate? I see you’ve got makeup on. Should we get some new makeup products? You’ll need some makeup remover to go along with that, right?”
Ben was in full swing.
“You have slender wrists, Miss Tate. I’m sure a bracelet would look good on you! Let’s get one! It’s pretty cheap!
“What do you think of these brand’s bags, Miss Tate? Let’s get something classy! A classic style would go with everything and you can it’s big enough to carry a bunch of stuff! It’s both stylish and practical!
“Miss Tate… Your shoes are looking worn out. Let’s get you a new pair! I know a store that sells flats that last forever. I’ll take you there!”
Avery saw a whole new side to Ben.
It was like he had never-ending spirit and energy.
He also seemed to have a vast knowledge of women’s products.
He was able to easily list out everything from the best tampons to the stores with the most comfortable lingerie.
He truly was womankind’s best friend.
Avery would have been less cautious with him if it were not for the fact that he was Elliot’s CFO.
After spending the whole morning shopping, her entire body began to ache.
She spotted a cafe and immediately went in and took a seat. She refused to walk into another store.
“What would you like to eat, Miss Tate? Go ahead and order whatever you want,” Ben said as he passed a menu to her.