"Yes, it's delicious."
The truth was, he didn't even know if the food was salty, sweet, or spicy.
He just chewed and swallowed mechanically whatever Ashley put into his plate. Even when he came
across some very hot and spicy peppers, he continued to eat without making a single reaction.
He was becoming more and more anxious. He didn't know what to expect. He was convinced that his
instincts were right as time passed. She was so gentle to him as she served food on his plate.
'Is she just waiting for the right moment to talk to me about it or is she going to ask me to let her go so
she could be with the person she really loves?'
As he thought about it, his eyes turned cold. 'No way! I'd never do that. I'm never letting her go!'
Meanwhile, Ashley was thinking that since she had been treating him so well, it shouldn't be a problem
if she suddenly started asking him her questions.
She hoped he would answer her questions honestly. In any case, she would respect his choice, she
reminded herself.
However, on second thought, she realized she still wasn't ready to accept that scenario in case it would
happen.
She shook her head in an attempt to clear her head. "Okay, if you want more, feel free to get more."
After dinner, Ashley took away the dishes and put them in the kitchen. Then she walked over to Andrew
who still hadn't moved. She said, "We should go upstairs to talk."
Andrew trailed behind her as she climbed the stairs, taking one step at a time and watching her back.
When they got to the bedroom, Ashley closed the door and took a deep breath. She was trying to
gather all her courage. 'You can do this, Ashley, ' she said inwardly.
After which, she turned to Andrew. When she spoke, she tried to level her voice. "Are you having an
affair with another woman?"
Andrew was stunned.
'What's going on here?
What did she just say?
Why wouldn't she just say that she's leaving me? Why would she accuse me of having an affair?
I've only loved you and that's always going to be the case! I've never even come close to another
woman.
How could I have another woman?'
However, his lack of response only meant one thing to Ashley: her suspicions were right. He was at a
loss for words because he had been found. His secret was finally out in the open.
"Are you really having an affair? What about all those things that you promised me? You've probably
made the same promises to your other woman. Or maybe I was just a novelty to you and you've found
someone whom you genuinely love? If that's the case then I..." 'I'll give you what you want.'
She thought she'd be able to say that out loud but she just couldn't. She choked and couldn't utter
another word.
She squatted down and hugged her knees and started to cry.
She realized that she couldn't say those words because she had been so used to having Andrew in her
life. She couldn't just let him go.
'Ashley, just admit it. You're in love with him. Your heart's been conquered.
If that wasn't true then why would you be acting this way?' she told herself.
Andrew stared at Ashley, astonished as she spoke to him. 'What kind of nonsense is she talking about?
I'm having an affair? Then how come I don't know about it?'
He was a bit distracted when Ashley had started talking about his supposed affair.
But when he saw Ashley slump down to her knees and cry, he panicked.
His mind went blank. All he could think of was that he had made her cry.
He had never seen her cry. Even when she was kidnapped, he didn't see her cry. But now she was
crying like a baby in front of him.
He anxiously got down on his knees too. He tried to sooth her, "Ashley, what's wrong? Don't cry. It's all
my fault. I shouldn't have ignored you. It's my bad. Ashley, please, don't cry, okay?"
Upon hearing this, she sobbed harder.
'Why would he comfort me now?
It only makes it more difficult for me to let him go.'
Andrew felt as if his heart was being torn from his body by an invisible hand. It hurt to see her like this.
But what did he do to make her cry so hard?
He couldn't bear to see her cry like that.
He pulled her into his arms and rubbed her back gently. "Ashley, don't cry. It's all my fault. You can beat
me and curse me if you like, but..."
He felt so helpless and sad, but at this moment, he didn't know what else he could do except to comfort
her.
Ashley hid her face in his arms and spoke, her voice quivering, "You tell me... Are you having an affair?
If not... If not... why would you do that to me? You didn't talk to me for so long and... And you had
lipstick marks on your clothes... And after you came back home... you tried to destroy the evidence...
You threw the clothes away..."
Ashley's tears had soaked his shirt wet. Andrew felt as if her tears were burning into his skin.
He didn't need to see his shirt to know how stained it must be now.
For a person like him who liked his things clean, this was a bit unbearable for him.
But he didn't push her away. Instead, he pressed her tighter against his chest and wrapped his arms
around her.
Upon hearing what she'd said, his mind went blank.
'What is she talking about?
Lipstick mark on my clothes?'
He's never come close to any woman for them to be able to leave a lipstick stain on his clothes.
But he did remember throwing away the clothes. He couldn't remember why but he knew that ever
since that, Ashley had changed towards him.
He remembered having dinner with Lesley about a week ago. He had originally made an appointment
with her father. He just didn't know that Aaron would ask Lesley to go to dinner on his behalf. During
that dinner, Lesley threw herself on him.
After that, his clothes smelled like her perfume. He couldn't stand it, so as soon as he got home, he
changed out of those clothes and trashed them.
That same day, Ashely had gone to see Ron. Andrew had assumed that she had already fallen in love
with him.
However, it seemed it wasn't true at all. It appeared that he had just assumed all of it.
She thought the same as he did. She was jealous and had gone on to assume so many things.
Now that he had seen the light, he felt stupid. He had been chasing his own tail. It was completely
uncharacteristic of him to let it go on for so long. In addition to that, he had made her cry like a baby.
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