Clarissa burst into laughter at her son’s outrageous reply. She knew how much Damian loved his toys and food, so naturally, he’d want those as rewards too.
Now that her mood was significantly better, Clarissa was ready to spoil her son with whatever he wanted.
“Darling, what reward would you like? Tell me, and I’ll get it for you.”
“Really? I want a box of chocolates! And the railway set you didn’t buy the last time. And, and, I also want to eat…”
“Okay, okay. You can eat a little, but not too much. Haven’t I already bought you the railway set?”
“But I like the big one, Mommy. The set you bought was small,” Damian whined.
“Very well then, we’ll get the big railway set and one box of chocolates. You can only have one chocolate a day, but since you’ve been so good today, I’ll let you have two. And, you have to brush your teeth after eating. If you don’t, I’ll take back all your rewards. Deal?”
Damian truly disliked brushing his teeth, but for the sake of toys and chocolates, he reluctantly nodded his head.
“Okay, deal. You have to keep your promise, Mommy.”
“Of course! But you have too as well, darling.”
Clarissa and Damian were so engrossed in their conversation that they seemed to be living in their own world. Even though Matthew was seated right beside them, Clarissa never once acknowledged his presence.
The mother and son just enjoyed their time together as Clarissa cuddled and played with Damian the entire ride home.
Once they were back at Zen Highlands, Clarissa ordered the railway set for Damian under his watchful eye. She had stashed away a box of chocolates previously, so all she had to do was pretend to find it in the fridge before surprising Damian with it. As expected, Damian was so happy he couldn’t keep his hands off of it.
As she watched her son smile from ear to ear, Clarissa felt her heart burst with an incredible amount of love and happiness.
And at that moment, that heart had space for only Damian and no one else.
Matthew silently made his way upstairs to pack and change into a new set of clothes before coming back down. When he saw how Clarissa still had her undivided attention on Damian, a cold glint flashed across his darkened gaze.
Without a word, he turned and left Zen Highlands.
Later that night, when Clarissa was playing with Damian, Julia received a call from Matthew.
“Mrs. Tyson, Mr. Tyson said he won’t be coming home for dinner tonight.”
Clarissa was shocked but still gave a nod of acknowledgment. Yet, she couldn’t shake off that feeling of unease.
She didn’t mind that Matthew wouldn’t be home for dinner, but it was odd that he would inform Julia instead of herself.
Clarissa even checked her phone to ensure that it was working, and yet, there were no texts from Matthew.
Is he doing this on purpose?
Or am I overthinking it?
“Mommy, I’m hungry,” Damian suddenly piped up.
“Let’s go eat then. Your father’s not coming home for dinner, so we can eat his share and not keep any for him.”
Ever the obedient boy, Damian frowned slightly and replied, “Mommy, Daddy will be hungry when he comes home. Can we leave some food for him?”
“Haha, as you wish, my darling. When your father’s home, don’t forget to let him know how much you love him.”
Damian chuckled in delight before running off to the dining table, excited to tuck into his food.
When Clarissa woke up in the morning, Matthew’s side of the bed was cold to the touch.
With a sinking heart, she changed her clothes and made her way downstairs.
“Mrs. Lawson, did Matthew come back last night?”
“Yes, Mrs. Tyson. But it was late when he came back. He left very early this morning too.”
Afraid that Clarissa might get overly worried, Julia immediately added, “Maybe work has gotten busy? I hear it’s common for companies to be busier than usual around the end of the year.”
Clarissa smiled and nodded. “I guess so.”
For the rest of the day, Clarissa didn’t see Matthew at all until late at night.
On the first day, Clarissa convinced herself it was just her overthinking things. On the second day, Clarissa thought that work had indeed gotten busier.
However, when the behavior continued to the third day, Clarissa knew in her heart that she could no longer lie to herself with excuses.
Is Matthew giving me the cold shoulder? For what reason, though?
Clarissa frowned as she tried to recall what she might have done to upset Matthew.
Is it because I made him kneel on the washboard? But that can’t be, as I remember him being quite happy then.
Or is it because I protested about his lack of restraint in bed and refused to be intimate with him?
But that’s also impossible as he always gets what he wants. My rejections in bed are always futile against him, so why would he ignore me over that?
Just then, something else clicked in Clarissa’s mind. Could it be the hospital visit? Is he mad at me for being rude because I didn’t visit his father?
Yes. That’s very likely the reason.
Clarissa had never thought that she was in the wrong for not visiting George. If she had, the hospital visit might have turned chaotic, with the Tysons feeling extremely uncomfortable in her presence.
Everything that she had done was in the best interests of the Tysons, so why couldn’t Matthew appreciate that?
That night, Clarissa forced herself to stay awake with coffee so she could wait for Matthew to get home. Even if he insisted on giving her cold shoulder, she was determined to know the reason for it.
In the end, Matthew never returned home.
Understandably, Clarissa seethed with rage. She could put up with him wanting a quarrel or giving her the cold shoulder but spending the night outside was unacceptable.
It was a way more serious problem than anyone could imagine, one that could bring about terrible consequences. All it took was one wrong step to have a third party take advantage of the situation, thereby leading to broken relationships and families. With those concerns in mind, Clarissa knew it was all the more imperative that she dealt with the matter.
Fueled by coffee and rage, sleep was an impossible task now. Thus, Clarissa decided to call Matthew instead.
As soon as Matthew picked up the call, Clarissa felt a fresh swell of rage rise in her.
“Matthew Tyson, I don’t care where you are. I want you home right now! If you fail to do so, I’ll never forgive you!”
Before he could reply, Clarissa had hung up the phone as she shook with fury.
The only thing Clarissa could be thankful for was that Damian was still fast asleep. Otherwise, her demeanor would have undoubtedly scared the daylights out of him.
Half an hour later, Matthew was finally back at Zen Highlands. An irate Clarissa had been waiting for him on the couch, staring angrily with big, bloodshot eyes.
With brows slightly furrowed, Matthew walked into the living room and removed his jacket,
“What’s wrong?” he calmly asked, although deep down, he felt apprehensive.
Clarissa scoffed. “You dare ask me that? You stayed out all night without an explanation, Matthew. You tell me what’s wrong.”
“I was at the hospital the whole night, keeping my father company.”
Even though her anger was gradually subsiding, Clarissa pressed on, “That’s not the point. The point is why you haven’t told me anything. For the past few days, you never once informed me if you’d be working or going to the hospital. Are you intentionally avoiding me, or do you not want to come home?”
Matthew looked haggard as he massaged his temples, “I’ve informed Julia.”
“Oh? Is Julia your wife then?”
Judging by how overbearing Clarissa was, Matthew knew she was fuming.
Yet he couldn’t help but be amused at how she got riled up only after three long days.
“Why? Did Julia not inform you?”
“Why does it matter if she informed me or not? And what’s with that icy gaze of yours? Just say it if you’re sick of me! I’ll leave immediately with Damian and never bother you again.”
I can’t live like this anymore.
Even though Clarissa didn’t say it out loud, that was what had been weighing on her mind.
She never understood why married couples loved throwing that sentence around, but now she finally realized how impactful those few words could be.
I can’t live like this anymore.
Still feeling the anger thrumming in her veins, Clarissa glared at Matthew, ready to up and leave with Damian if he were to so much as nod his head.
However, Matthew never did. His unwavering dark eyes seemed to pierce Clarissa’s soul, making her feel somewhat nervous.
“What are you looking at?” Clarissa barked. “If you have something to say, say it. Don’t try to act mysterious with me.”
Matthew sat up and leaned forward with his elbows resting on his knees, closing the distance between them.
With such a compelling presence, Clarissa couldn’t help but lean back.
There was a glint in Matthew’s eyes as he said, “Clare, have you still not realized why I’m angry?”
“What? Why are you angry? Is it because I didn’t visit your father? But you know I can’t go! If I did, it’d…”
“No! It’s not that.”
Matthew’s expression darkened even more, annoyed that Clarissa had answered wrongly.
Clarissa’s heart skipped a beat as she felt a mix of embarrassment and rage wash over her. “Okay, so I got it wrong. Do you have to scare me like that? Are you trying to scare me to death and ask for a divorce?”
Matthew flinched at her words and replied sternly, “Clare, don’t be unreasonable.”
“How dare you even suggest that! Matthew, you were the one who scared me, so I…”
Before Clarissa could finish yelling, Matthew had shut her up with his hand on her mouth while hugging her tightly.
“Clare, calm down!”
Clarissa made a few muffled sounds as she offered a doe-eyed stare, looking so pitiful and sad.
Alas, Matthew didn’t go soft on her. “That day at the hospital, how did you treat me?”
How did I treat him? I didn’t treat him badly in any way!
Still unable to talk, Clarissa blinked innocently.
“All you cared about was Damian. Not only did you not care about my feelings, but you also didn’t trust me. No matter how much I reassured you that I’d bring Damian home safe and sound, you didn’t believe me at all. Did you think I’d let them take Damian away too?”
Clarissa tried to protest, but again, her sounds were all muffled.
When did I not care about him?
Frustrated, Clarissa shot back with a glare.
Relentless, Matthew continued, “You didn’t? Are you sure you didn’t?”
After much thought, Clarissa decided that it didn’t matter what she felt about it. She’d stick to her guns and deny it till the end.
With that, she glowered back at Matthew, expressing her firm resolve.
