Chapter 35 Does Pregnancy Make You Sleepy?
Eliana knew what he wanted. Since finding out about her pregnancy, plus all the arguments about Chloe, they hadn’t been intimate. Samuel had always had a strong sex drive, but she was worried about the baby’s safety, even if he didn’t know about it, Glancing at the clock, she quickly pushed him away.
“Samuel, it’s seven o’clock. You said you had an important meeting this morning,” she said.
Samuel hastily sucked Eliana’s nipples and she suddenly wondered what it might feel like to nurse her baby. Her husband was talking. “You’re off the hook today, but I’ll deal with you next time,” he said.
He might have a strong sex drive, but Samuel could control himself. And especially when he had business matters to deal with. Besides if his wife wasn’t up for a morning tumble, that was okay, he wouldn’t force intimacy. After getting dressed in the bathroom, he came out and reminded her to get along with Chloe.
Eliana, thinking about having nothing to do during her break from university, and knowing she couldn’t possibly get along with Chloe at home, followed him and asked, “Can I go to the company with you?” she asked, “We could consider it early internship experience.”
“You’re still a student, why work? It’s not like I can’t support you. I’ve assigned you a driver – if you want to go out, let him take you.” She wanted to protest as he adjusted his cufflinks while she helped him put on his jacket. But she couldn’t find the words. He called Ethan to bring the car around, gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, and left.
After Samuel had gone, Eliana went back to bed and slept a bit more–pregnancy seemed to make her drowsy. When she finally got up and went downstairs, she found Nora massaging Chloe’s legs in the living room. Eliana ignored them and walked toward the kitchen.
Nora called out brightly, “Mrs. Nelson, you’re up! Wait a moment, I’ll come prepare something for you.”
“No need, Nora,” Eliana said. “I’ll handle it myself.”
After lunch, she wanted to avoid being around Chloe, so she gathered some magazines to read on the swing in the garden.
Chloe also stopped deliberately picking fights with Eliana.
Until the afternoon… When Nora went out shopping, Chloe slowly made her way to the garden with her cane. Though she clearly saw Eliana on the swing, she pretended not to see and called out: “Eliana, Eliana…!”
Eliana looked up, saw Chloe walking slowly nearby, and went back into the house through the side entrance. Watching Eliana walking away from her, Chloe stood and thought, ‘Did Eliana actually think avoiding her would solve anything?” She had a thousand ways to deal with younger women like this one.
From the side door, Eliana passed through the kitchen and went straight up to her bedroom to lie down. Thinking Samuel always accused her of bullying Chloe, she now decided to keep a mile between them if she saw her. Let’s see how Chloe could slander her now. So for the entire afternoon, Eliana stayed in her room.
Samuel’s black BMW arrived home promptly at six o’clock. Equally promptly, and apparently by sheer coincidence, Chloe dropped her cane and fell down in the front driveway. Samuel, just stepping out of his car, saw Chloe on the ground. He rushed over to help her up, saying irritably: “How many times have I told you to stay inside? Either stay put or go back to the hospital, How will you ever get better if you keep falling like this?”
Chloe hadn’t expected her fall would get her scolded instead of sympathy and concern. She immediately became remorseful and tearful: “I’m sorry Sam, I heard the car and thought you were back. I just wanted to come welcome you.”
“You’re blind and lame, for goodness sake, it’s enough trouble already. Get inside.” Though Samuel’s words were harsh, he still carried her into the house.
Eliana, leaning by the window, watched as Samuel carried Chloe into the house below.
