The Wife He Forgot to Marry novel Chapter 29

Back in the bedroom, Winona showered and was settling into bed with a book when Yulen walked in. He went into the walk-in closet to get his pajamas and then headed into the bathroom.

Winona ignored him and continued to read.

After his shower, Yulen’s phone rang. It was Paige.

“Yulen, if you’re done with work, you should come see Mom. She adores you; seeing you might make her headache go away. And bring Winona. Tallulah has no idea how to take care of her.”

Yulen, wanting to have a serious talk with Winona and hoping she would stop being so difficult, gave his sister a dismissive answer. “I have to work late tonight, and Winona isn’t off yet either. You’ll have to manage Mom on your own.”

Paige wouldn't dare criticize her brother, but she had no such reservations about Winona. “It makes sense for you to be busy with work, but what could that freeloader possibly be doing? She actually dared to hang up on me earlier! You can’t let her get away with that. A man has to be firm, or his woman will walk all over him. If she gets too out of line, you need to put her in her place!”

“Mm,” Yulen grunted and hung up. He walked out of the bathroom and saw Winona sitting quietly in bed, the line of her profile serene and gentle in the soft light. An impulse stirred within him.

His approach made Winona’s stomach turn. She shifted away, rejecting his touch. Seeing her reluctance, Yulen didn't press the issue. Ever since that incident, she had been distant in their intimacy. Over time, his own desire had faded as well.

“How are you settling in at the company?” he asked, his voice heavy.

“It’s fine,” Winona replied coolly.

Yulen frowned, about to say more when his phone rang again. It was Paige.

“Yulen, Tallulah fainted! She’s pregnant, and we were worried about the baby, so we sent her to the hospital. You need to get here now!”

Without a second thought, Yulen changed his clothes and rushed out.

Watching him leave again, Winona let out a self-deprecating laugh. It seemed Tallulah was truly important to him.

Paige, annoyed at seeing her brother stoop to placate a woman, pulled him up. “Alright, they’ve already checked. The baby’s fine. Let’s go home and check on Mom.”

As the Locke siblings prepared to leave, Blythe stared in disbelief. She moved to stop them, but Tallulah grabbed her hand. “What are you doing?” Blythe hissed at her daughter. “They treat you like this, and you just take it? I’m standing up for you!”

“Mom,” Tallulah whispered, “Yulen still has feelings for Winona. I have to appear generous and understanding. If I act selfishly now, I'll just push him back to her. That would be a huge mistake.”

Blythe pressed her lips together, saying nothing more. As much as she found the Locke family cold and heartless, she also thought Winona was pathetic. If she had any sense, she would have left Yulen long ago.

*

On Saturday, Winona went to the hospital to visit Nikita. To her surprise, Yulen was there too. He took the plate of sliced apples Helena had prepared and began feeding them to Nikita himself. Both Nikita and Helena praised him for being so attentive and thoughtful.

Winona stood silently to the side, enduring his presence for Nikita’s sake.