When Emma Johnson woke up, Liam Williams was still at home.
"Are you taking the day off today?"
She couldn't help asking the man sitting on the sofa.
"Aren't you going to visit a friend?"
She nodded.
"I'll come with you."
Just like that, without asking Emma's opinion, Liam accompanied her to Brookhaven General Hospital.
When they arrived at Mia Lewis's ward, Mia was completely absorbed in chatting with Elijah Clark.
"Emma, you and your husband are here."
Mia's voice sounded very pleasant. For someone who had suffered severe burns on her back, she seemed to be recovering remarkably well. Elijah's treatment must have been incredibly effective.
"Thank you for saving my wife yesterday."
Liam expressed his gratitude to Mia seriously. Mia waved her hand, saying it was nothing to worry about. Then she looked at Emma with a teasing glint in her eyes, clearly implying that marriage had changed her.
While Mia chatted with Emma, Liam and Elijah stood to the side. Elijah glanced at Liam and noticed that Liam was also looking at him. In the dim light, Liam's eyes were as cold as snow, devoid of any warmth.
Elijah didn't back down. A silent contest began, making the air around them feel icy.
Even after Liam and Emma left together, the chill from their exchanged glances lingered in the air.
Maybe he was being too sensitive, but Elijah felt that Liam was different from before.
That evening, Liam and Emma didn't return to their apartment. They made a weekly trip to Sunrise Manor for dinner. She had missed last week's dinner because of a cold, so this afternoon, Emma took the initiative to go.
The old man was delighted to see them. While waiting for dinner, he asked Emma to play chess with him. Although Emma knew how to play, she was no match for the old man, who was still sharp as a tack. If he hadn't gone easy on her, she would have lost miserably.
Amelia White was thrilled to see Liam, but she wasn't happy to see Emma. If only her big brother had come back alone, that would have been perfect. Unfortunately, that was just a fantasy of hers.
Even though she could see her brother often at the company, it still wasn't enough. Amelia felt she wanted to be with her brother all the time. In her eyes, Emma seemed even more redundant and annoying.
"Brother, I made spicy chicken and squirrel fish, your favorites."
Amelia looked like the perfect wife and mother. She glanced at Emma as if she were challenging her.
Under normal circumstances, Emma would have ignored her. But now, for some reason, a subtle change had taken place in her heart. She was starting to see herself as a woman.
There was still a long time before dinner. Emma decided to make a bowl of wonton noodles for Liam herself. This was the only dish she had managed to master so far.
Besides, the old man also liked it, so it was a good way to please him.
However, an accident happened while she was cooking the noodles. During that time, Ava Brown from the magazine called Emma. Since Emma hadn't been in the office during the day, many decisions couldn't be made. The magazine came out every two weeks, and the theme for the new issue had to be finalized in a few days.
Emma unconsciously slipped back into her work mode. She chatted on the phone for half an hour.
She was the only one in the kitchen at that moment. When she smelled something burning, she suddenly remembered that she was still cooking noodles. She turned around and hurriedly tried to finish.
As she tried to turn off the stove, a flame shot up. Emma panicked and tried to turn off the switch, but the flame began to spread toward her.
She instinctively raised her arm to block it, but how could her speed match the speed of the fire? Just as she thought the flame was about to engulf her arm, a strong arm grabbed her waist and pulled her back.
The next moment, she heard a sizzling sound. The fire was smothered with a wet towel.
Emma's forehead was covered in cold sweat. Looking at the messy kitchen counter, guilt welled up inside her. She didn't dare to look back at the man's face behind her, but she was still held firmly in his strong arms.
"What happened?"
His magnetic voice was laced with anxiety. Emma looked into the warmth of his eyes and unconsciously calmed down a little.
"I'm sorry. I was so busy on the phone that I forgot."
Emma bowed her head and admitted her mistake, like a child.
"What kind of phone call was so important that my sister-in-law didn't even have time to watch the stove? It seems that person is very important."
A sarcastic voice came from the kitchen door. Amelia's beautiful face was slightly distorted as she looked at Emma in Liam's arms.
Liam seemed to think of something, and doubt crept into his heart. He unconsciously tightened his grip on Emma's shoulder, causing her to cry out in pain.
She looked up at him with innocent eyes. Liam looked into her pure, beautiful eyes, but the image of her intimate attitude with Elijah at the ward door came to mind.
He loosened his grip.
"I'll leave this to the servants. Go upstairs and change your clothes before coming down to eat." His tone began to turn cold, and there seemed to be disgust in his eyes.
Emma looked down at her chest. There was a splash of noodle soup on her skirt. It seemed he was still angry.
She said nothing and silently went upstairs to change her clothes. Although she had moved out of Sunrise Manor, there were still a few of her clothes in the bedroom closet, just in case.
Walking to the duplex corridor, Emma stood on the landing and looked down at the happy scene of three people at the dining table. It was harmonious and beautiful. She suddenly felt that she didn't fit in no matter what.
Looking at Liam's smiling face, Emma couldn't remember the last time she had seen it. Had he started to hate living alone with her?
That evening, when the old man and Amelia asked them to stay, Liam and Emma decided to spend the night.
Lying on the bed she hadn't seen in a long time, Emma still felt a sense of strangeness. It wasn't as comfortable as the apartment. She turned over and looked at Liam, who had his eyes closed. She didn't know if he was asleep.
Emma tried to call him softly. The man opened his eyes. His cold gaze showed no sign of sleepiness as he looked lightly at Emma.
"Liam, are you angry? About what I did tonight."
Actually, what she really wanted to ask was if she was an unqualified wife. But when the words came to her lips, she felt that this question wasn't suitable for their current relationship. She was afraid it would cause Liam to misunderstand.
"Don't try to do things you can't handle in the future."
Liam's tone was light, but the meaning of blame was clear.
Emma felt frustrated. She thought about how Amelia was proficient in all kinds of skills. She was truly a well-bred young lady from a prestigious family. She could handle anything, whether in the living room or the kitchen.
And she, Emma, couldn't even make a simple bowl of wonton noodles without running into trouble.