Chapter 829 Helping To Reconcile
When Carter sent the drunk Jennifer home to Larson residence, his brows furrowed at the empty mansion. He had no idea what had happened, for the place was usually swarming with housekeepers.
After he carried Jennifer out of the car, it took him a while to retrieve the key from her bag to open the door. Subsequently, he carried her into the bedroom and took off her shoes in a chivalric manner. Then, he brought out a wet towel to wipe her face. Once everything was done, he sat by the bed and swept her fringes aside. While he was staring at her, his eyes were filled with more than just infatuation. In reality, he was scrutinizing her with a sense of doubt.
“Jennifer, tell me, are you using me?” Carter remarked, followed by a gentle sigh.
When Jennifer came to his office in the morning to tell him that she was considering getting together with him, it came as a sudden shock to him. By the time he regained his senses, the initial joy he felt was replaced by suspicion of her motives.
In the beginning, doubt was all that he harbored. It wasn’t until Jennifer was being over-friendly with Amelia at the homestay that he was certain that his hunch was spot on.
Never did he imagine that Jennifer would one day use him, causing mixed emotions to arise in his heart.
“Jennifer, what’s really going through that mind of yours?” Carter murmured as he watched her fall asleep in her drunken stupor.
Jennifer responded by turning to her side and mumbling—as if she was talking in her sleep, “Carter, I really love you. Don’t leave me, all right?”
Jolted by her words, Carter, who was staring at her back, felt the tension in his gaze ease. Meanwhile, the previous suspicions he harbored toward her gradually dissipated.
“I’ll never leave you. Whatever you want to do, I’ll always be on your side,” Carter replied in a relenting tone. If she truly wanted to take Amelia down, Carter decided that he would deal with the situation from within. He neither wanted to make an enemy of Amelia nor see Jennifer be driven down the wrong path by her unresolvable hatred. Now that she was his woman, he would take over the responsibility of protecting her.
After sitting by the bedside for a long time, he finally got up and left. The moment he did, the supposed drunk and sleeping Jennifer opened her eyes. She stared at the tightly shut door with her eyes filled with conflicted emotions.
Retracting her gaze, she murmured in a guilty tone. “Carter, I’m sorry. Please don’t blame me for using you, as I just don’t have any other choice. It was the Clinton family who betrayed my mother first. If Oscar hadn’t been so ruthless toward my mom, I wouldn’t have chosen to harm his son. This is simply payback for what he has done.”
That night, both of them were unable to sleep with their minds occupied by their respective thoughts.
The next day, Jennifer woke up after managing to get only two hours of sleep. The aftereffects of the alcohol and the lack of sleep drained the color off her face and caused her lips to crack from dehydration.
When she held her head and attempted to get out of bed to get some water, the door unexpectedly opened, and in walked Carter.
The moment they made eye contact, a sense of awkwardness flashed across Jennifer’s face. Nevertheless, Carter, who seemed quite composed, walked over to help her up and asked in a concerned tone, “Are you awake? Does your head hurt? Come, here’s some honey lemonade. I woke up early and made it for you.”
Upon drinking a mouthful, Jennifer finally felt her thirst quenched. Since she had just woken up, she felt as if her throat was on fire.
“Thank you,” she responded sincerely.
As Carter gently helped her to drink more, he remarked, “I’ve made breakfast for you. Once you’ve freshened up, you can come down for food. Now that you’ve agreed to date me, it’s only natural that I take care of you.”
His words warmed Jennifer’s heart, eliciting a blush on both her cheeks. However, when she recalled that she was just using Carter, the delight she felt disappeared just as quickly as it came.
“Carter, you should wait outside. I’ll be down in a minute.”
“Are you feeling shy? Okay, I’ll go downstairs first.” Holding her cheeks, Carter planted a kiss on her forehead and gave her a look of deep affection. “If there’s anything you need, just let me know. Don’t take it all upon yourself, all right?”
Jennifer nodded.
After Carter left the room, Jennifer stroked her own head in a daze as an avalanche of warmth and bitterness swept into her heart.
“Carter, would you hate me the day you find out that I’m just using you?” Jennifer mumbled.
Initially, she never had the intention of doing so. However, her hand was forced by the circumstances, as she had no other way of getting close to Tony. Only by doing so could her plan to kidnap the latter proceed.
Given the progress she made, there was just no turning back now.
The thought of her mother’s condition steeled her wavering heart immediately.
After getting out of bed to brush her teeth and wash her face, Jennifer picked out an elegant dress from her wardrobe and put it on.
Upon descending the stairs, she could see a smorgasbord of food laid on the table. As her eyes glistened with warmth, she broke into a vibrant smile when her gaze met Carter’s.
Consequently, gentleness filled Carter’s eyes.
“Quick, let’s have breakfast,” Carter urged as he pulled out a chair for her.
Settling down into her seat, Jennifer stared at the breakfast in front of her. “Did you prepare all these? I never knew that you were such a good cook.”
“I know how to cook, just that I seldom do it. In fact, I even signed up for a cooking class half a year ago. Although my cooking looks the part, I’m not sure whether the taste would come through. Here, why don’t you give them a try,” Carter explained as he served her a bowl of oatmeal.
Nodding in response, Jennifer attentively tried all the food he had prepared. Not only did they taste good, but they also gave her stomach a comforting sensation. Subsequently, the headache she felt was also gone.
Ever since what happened to Laura, she had never dared to dream of having a leisurely breakfast with Carter. Even though their relationship was a Machiavellian one, enjoying such a scrumptious breakfast together was still something out of her wildest dreams.
“Is it any good?” Carter asked.
Jennifer replied with a smile, “It is. I didn’t expect you to be such a good cook—it’s almost similar in standard to those from five-star hotels. When you no longer want to run a company one day, you can consider being a chef.”
Gazing deeply into her eyes, Carter made a sweet comment when she least expected it. “If you’re willing to let me, I can be your personal cook for the rest of your life.”
The words caused Jennifer’s hand to freeze. At the same time, she almost choked on the food in her mouth. Even the smile on her face began to fade slightly.
“What’s wrong? Do you not like the idea?” Carter inquired with a dimmed gaze.
Shaking her head, Jennifer’s smile brightened. “Why would I? It would be a dream come true to have such a handsome and exceptional chef. It’s just that I can’t afford to hire you for the rest of my life.”
Carter scratched her nose with a grin. “You don’t have to pay me. All you need to do is allow me to love and pamper you. After that, bear me two adorable children, and I’ll be you and the children’s chef for the rest of your lives.”
Jennifer teased, “Sounds like a very good deal to me.”
“In that case, you should cling onto me tightly so that I can take good care of you and be your personal chef.”
Jennifer responded with a vibrant smile.
Carter, when you learn that I’m going to harm a child, would you still be willing to be my chef for eternity? Would you still see me the same way once you discover that I’m just using you?
Smiling wryly to herself, Jennifer didn’t harbor any hope for her future with Carter, for the gulf between them was just too big to bridge. Faye alone would be the first to object to their relationship.
After breakfast, Carter asked, “Jennifer, where are your parents and the housekeepers? When I came back last night, I didn’t see anyone around.”
Jennifer briefly froze before she continued as if nothing had happened. “After my mom recovered from her sickness, she missed the old days of living overseas. Hence, my dad went over there with her. Since I’m the only one left at home, there was no point in keeping so many housekeepers. As a result, I dismissed all of them except the butler, who left with my parents given that they were used to his care.”
Carter’s heart throbbed after he heard her explanation.
He suggested, “Considering that you have to run the company and there’s no one to take care of you at home, why don’t I send some housekeepers over so that it won’t be so quiet?”
“Thank you,” Jennifer replied.
Satisfied, Carter added, “I’ll come with some staff in the afternoon. They’re honest folk from rural areas, so there’s nothing for you to worry about.”
“I trust you.”
After chatting a while longer, Carter got to his feet and prepared to go to work.
When Jennifer walked him to the car, he offered, “Let me send you to the office.”
“It’s fine. I’ll still need my car to meet a client for business. After that, we’ll probably have a meal together,” Jennifer declined.
As Carter stroked her cheeks, it suddenly dawned upon him that their time together was hard-earned.
“Jennifer, I know it wasn’t easy for you to give me another chance. Because of that, I treasure it a lot and am serious about this relationship. Therefore, let’s get married when the time is ripe,” Carter declared.
Shaken by his words, Jennifer was gripped by a sudden sense of fear, for she knew that this was nothing but an illusion. When she was exposed for using him, they would probably go back to where they started—not having any contact with each other.
Her viral video had ensured that the Scott family would never accept her. Despite living in the twenty-first century, conservative values continued to make women’s lives more challenging than men’s.
Instead of answering directly, Jennifer urged, “It’s getting late. You should hurry up now.”
After giving her a thoughtful look, Carter changed the subject. “Take good care of yourself, and stay away from June. He’s nothing but trouble.”
Jennifer cracked a slight smile. “I know. You don’t have to nag.”
After breaking into a vibrant smile, he planted a kiss on her lips before driving off.
Jennifer, watching his car disappear, couldn’t stop the tears from welling up in her eyes.
Subsequently, she retrieved her phone and gave June a call. Once she got through, she reported, “June, he has taken the bait. With his help, I’m confident of becoming close friends with Amelia. When the time comes, we’ll definitely be able to kidnap Tony.”
June replied over the phone, “Well done, Jennifer. To be able to use the one you once loved, you’re more ruthless than I expected. Now, I truly believe that working together with you will achieve my desired goals.”
“As long as you don’t mess up, I’m sure we’ll get what we both want.” No sooner had Jennifer spoken than she ended the call.
After driving to the office, she spent a busy afternoon there before leaving. When she arrived in the private room at the restaurant where she was due to meet her client, the person waiting for her was none other than Derrick.
“Derrick, sorry to have kept you waiting,” Jennifer apologized as she walked over with her bag slung over her shoulder.
Raising his gaze to look at her, he tugged the corners of his mouth and flatly replied, “I just got here too.”
Upon settling down, Jennifer called for the waiter and ordered some food. When she was done, she handed the menu to Derrick, to which he replied, “You decide.”
After ordering on his behalf, she returned the menu to the waiter and said, “Please hurry up with the food, thank you.”
The waiter nodded in acknowledgment.
Once he was gone, Jennifer spoke candidly. “Derrick, I met Tiffany the day before and heard that both of you are divorced. That’s the reason I asked you out.”
The moment he heard Tiffany’s name, Derrick’s expression visibly changed.
“How is she?” he inquired anxiously.
Observing Derrick closely, Jennifer threw the question back at him instead of answering. “Derrick, it’s obvious that you still have feelings for her, while she hasn’t forgotten you as well. In fact, she burst into uncontrollable tears at the mention of your name. Therefore, can you really bear to see her stay by another man’s side?”
Despite the sudden change in his expression, Derrick gave Jennifer a suspicious and wary look. “Since when are you so close with Tiff?”
Jennifer responded with a smile, “Derrick, it seems you don’t understand how relationships between girls work. Going for a meal and shopping together is enough for us to share our secrets with each other. Before we know it, we’re all on the same side. Besides, now that Carter and I are together, I’ll be seeing her more often. Considering that I have found happiness, I don’t want you to wallow in your own loneliness. So, I’ll get to the point. Do you want to reconcile with her or not?”
Her words elicited an extremely bitter expression on Derrick’s face.
“She’s the woman whom I love the most. If I had a choice, I would never have let her go,” he replied solemnly.
Jennifer advised, “In that case, you should pursue her again. After all, you still have a chance as long as she isn’t dead.”
“You don’t understand. There’s no way she’ll forgive the mistake I made. Hence, there’s no getting back together for us.” The bitterness in Derrick’s smile intensified.
In truth, Jennifer had already investigated everything that happened between the two of them. From her perspective, it wasn’t such a big deal at all. After all, Derrick had only cheated on Tiffany by getting Crystal pregnant, which was a mistake every man on Earth was susceptible to. As long as the man had sincerely admitted his mistake and changed, most women would choose to forgive.
Despite knowing the truth, Jennifer pretended to be oblivious to it. “Derrick, why don’t you tell me what happened? Perhaps I can help you in some way.”
Leaning against his chair, the composed Derrick stared at her.
“Jennifer, I never knew that you were such a helpful person,” he commented.
Jennifer spread her hands with a shrug. “Derrick, if you don’t trust me, I’ll just stay out of it. After all, it’s your marriage, and an outsider like me shouldn’t be interfering anyway. Just treat this meal as a casual catch-up then.”
Nevertheless, Derrick continued to scrutinize her as if to determine the sincerity of her intentions.
As for Jennifer, she maintained her composure in front of him.
It wasn’t until the waiter arrived with the food that the tension in the air was broken.
Once the dishes were laid out on the table, Jennifer served Derrick a bowl of soup. “Come, have some soup. You look as if you have lost a lot of weight. If not for the fact that I know you, I would’ve thought that you were a refugee from Alendor. As for your affairs with Tiffany, you can tell me whenever you’re ready to do so.”
Only then did Derrick—staring at his soup—relate to her everything that happened between him and Tiffany. From his voice, one could hear how he was tormented by his betrayal and how much he wanted Tiffany to return so that things could go back to the way they were.
