From Wife to Aunt: His Worst Nightmare novel Chapter 40

Chapter 40

It had been a very, very long time since Steve had held me with such gentleness,

His chest was still as broad as it used to be. Through the thin fabric of his clothes, I could even clearly feel the steady, powerful beat of his heart, yet the warmth I once knew was gone.

My heart no longer stirred the way it once did.

I slept in Steve’s arms all night. When I woke up, he was holding me from behind.

Before I was fully awake, there was a knock at the door.

“Daddy, are you in there? I’m coming in!”

Hearing Dorothy’s voice, Steve jolted awake.

The next second, she pushed the door open.

He hurriedly pulled the blanket over my head, covering me completely. I almost suffocated.

Under the blanket, I curved my lips into a bitter smile.

Right now, I really look like a mistress caught in bed by the legal wife. Ironically, I was the one who was legally married to Steve.

Steve’s voice, still tinged with morning drowsiness, carried obvious displeasure. “Why did you bring Dorothy here?”

Isabel smiled faintly and said, “Dorothy didn’t see her daddy all night. This morning, she refused to go to kindergarten no matter what and insisted on coming to see you.”

As she spoke, Dorothy had already run to the bedside and even tried to climb onto the bed.

Steve kept me covered tightly, afraid that his precious daughter would discover my presence.

Using the excuse that hospital beds were full of germs, he had Isabel pick Dorothy up and stop her from coming closer.

He was terrified of shattering Dorothy’s beautiful illusion of her loving, harmonious parents.

In her childish voice, Dorothy asked, “Daddy, are you sick? Why are you staying in the hospital?”

Steve explained gently, “I caught a cold, and I was afraid of passing it to you. That’s why I will

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Chapter 40

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have to go home after the cold gets better.”

Dorothy wasn’t satisfied and pressed, “But I miss Daddy. What should I do?”

Steve said, “I can video call you every day. But if I pass the cold to you, the nurses will have to give you injections. Aren’t you afraid of needles the most?”

With an especially pitiful look, Dorothy said, “That’s such a shame! There will be a parent- child activity at kindergarten today. All the other kids have both their mom and dad go. Mommy is a celebrity, and she can’t go. I didn’t expect that Daddy couldn’t go either.”

Upon hearing this, how could Steve bear to let his daughter live with that regret?

But

The man who had just sworn he wouldn’t be home for days immediately changed his tune. Dorothy, wait for me outside for a moment. I’ll change clothes and come right out.”

“Yay! That’s wonderful!” The little girl clapped her hands in delight, celebrating the moment.

Isabel said gently, “Then we’ll wait for you outside.”

After they left, Steve lifted the blanket.

I stared at the ceiling with a blank expression. Being left behind wasn’t a first for me anymore. At this point, my heart barely felt anything.

Steve’s tone carried a rare trace of guilt. “Get some rest. I’ll come back after attending Dorothy’s kindergarten parent-child activity.”

“Sure,” I replied calmly as I listened to the sound of water in the bathroom, the rustle of him getting dressed, and finally, the click of the door closing behind him.

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