I sat on the sofa for quite some time. Michael was already asleep by the time I went into the bedroom.
I laid down beside him, and while on the bed, I tossed and turned. I simply couldn’t sleep. Everything at home was draining me.
I was distracted at work on the following day, so I didn’t accomplish much. When it was time to clock off, I went to look for a house to rent. The most urgent matter at hand was to find a decent place to rent, or Steven would be homeless after he got discharged.
I searched high and low in the region near the hospital. It took some time before I finally found a place I could afford. The place was rather small, but it was clean and relatively convenient.
It cost about two thousand a month, and I paid one month’s deposit to rent the place.
Staring at the cash notes in my wallet, I sighed in exasperation. It would take some time before I received my next salary. How am I going to survive in the coming days?
I had been working for years. Yet, I had fallen to that extent.
With absolutely no other options available, I called Natalie to loan some money from her. It’s not like I could actually starve myself until I receive my salary.
I never enjoyed loaning money from others, but at that moment, the most crucial thing at hand was to survive.
Natalie had always been generous with me. I asked for one thousand, but she transferred two thousand over to my account. With a friend like that, it made me feel warm and fuzzy.
The accommodation issue was solved, so I was relaxed. I wasn’t as gloomy as I was earlier either, so I made a few of Michael’s favorite dishes after I returned to Birchwood.
I was busying away in the kitchen while Michael was reading a finance magazine on the sofa.
“Your mood seems better. Did you find a place to rent?” asked Michael as he flipped the magazine. He never even looked up when he asked that question.
“Yeah, I rented a small place. The interior was decent, and it was quite convenient.”
Hearing Michael’s voice prompted me to turn around and look at him. I was a little excited when I shared the good news.
I was truly relieved to have solved the housing issue, but Michael didn’t share that relief. He simply warned, “Don’t celebrate just yet. This is just the beginning.”
He took one look at me and said those words before he stopped talking again.
It was rare of me to have a good day, but Michael’s words instantly turned my mood around. I glared over in displeasure. Darn it, why can’t he just let me be happy for a while? I’ve just solved a huge issue. Isn’t that something worth celebrating?
“It’s fine if you don’t want to say anything to make me happier, but you didn’t need to attack me like that either,” I mumbled while glaring at his back.
“I was just reminding you because I worried that you’d go unprepared and upset yourself in the end. Things won’t progress that smoothly tomorrow,” replied Michael.
He had put the magazine away, and his eyes shone with exasperation when he looked at me.
“I’ll deal with it tomorrow. The important thing is that I have done all I can.”
I understood that my mom would not be happy with the place I found them, and she would definitely behave passive-aggressively with me tomorrow. Still, I had already done my best, and there was nothing I could do even if she was upset.
After serving the food on the dining table, I called out to Michael, “Dinner’s ready!”
He remained quiet the entire meal, and his expression was blank, so I had no idea what he was thinking.
“I’ll have my secretary pick Steven up from the hospital tomorrow,” informed Michael when we were almost done eating. He only tilted his head up and looked at me at that moment.
“No, that’s not necessary. I’ll just get a taxi.”
I rejected his offer instinctively. The more Michael helped me, the more troubled I felt. I was worried that my debt to him would just keep snowballing.
“Must you repeatedly reject my offers like that, Anna? Have you forgotten that you are mine?”
My constant refusal ignited tiny flames of fury in him. I guess there aren’t many women who would refuse his kind gestures.
I tilted my head up and looked at him. My heart trembled when I saw his somewhat angry eyes. Still, I knew that he was just trying to help me despite the anger.
“T-Thank you.”
In the end, I accepted his help. I had always felt especially at ease when he helped me.
After dinner, we retired to the bedroom. That was when Michael acted up again.
I had just closed my eyes and was getting groggy and sleepy when his misbehaving hands started caressing all over me.
I frowned in frustration and slapped his hands away. I wanted to ignore him, but his hands came at me again immediately after.
We didn’t do anything the night before, so there was no way he’d let me go that night.
“Michael, I’m tired. You should get some rest, too.”
I was rejecting him politely and nicely. I prayed that he was kind that night and would let me off just like that.
“If you’re tired, then you can just lay there. I’ll be quick and won’t ask you to do anything else.”
It seemed that my rejection did nothing to Michael. At that moment, I felt like he wouldn’t let me go unless I was dying.
I sighed exasperatedly because I knew that there was nothing I could do. I simply closed my eyes and let him be.
He kept his word and didn’t ask me to change position whatsoever. However, his promise of being quick was a total lie—it lasted over an hour! Why was that man such a lunatic on the bed?
I was so tired that I didn’t want to budge at all. Michael returned to his side of the bed when he was finally satisfied. I got the after pill from the nightstand’s drawer and swallowed it without water.
Michael’s beautiful brows frowned when he saw me taking that pill. He seemed to have something to say, but he chose to remain silent in the end.
I didn’t even look at Michael after I took the pill. I just went straight to bed.
Steven was getting discharged on the following day, so I took the day off. When I reached the hospital room, I saw that my parents had already prepared everything.
My mom glared at me when she saw me there. Her face shone with blatant anger.
“I found a place to rent, mom. You guys can move in today.”
I knew that she was still angry about what happened the day before, and I was mad as well. Still, I was a little regretful about leaving her there in the underground parking.
“Then why are you still standing there? Go get the paperwork done. Your dad and I have been caring for your brother in the hospital all this while. It’s bad enough that you didn’t take any shifts, but are you really going to demand that I do every single little thing?”
It didn’t matter how well I behaved. My mom would remain upset with me. I felt like she would never want to see me again if she didn’t need me to get more money.
“I’ll go do that right away.”
I didn’t want to argue with my mom again in the hospital, so I was quick to leave after saying those words.
Michael’s secretary followed me over to the hospital because things were inconvenient for Steven and his broken leg. That was why they got a more spacious car over for him.
