Once Bitten, Twice Shy

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Timothy still did not speak. He crossed his slender legs gracefully and leaned lazily on the sofa before making eye contact with Samantha again.

His answer was evident.

Samantha’s delicate brows frowned into a small heap. She completely forgot her fear of him for the time being and walked up to him in a couple of steps. “Timothy, I know that Grandma is the one who requested all this. I can cover for you. You don’t need to force yourself to stay. You can go.”

She knew that Timothy did not like others to force him into doing things he did not want to do. He was unwilling to be forced into doing things even by his own grandmother, and it was Samantha who ended up suffering in the end!

Every single thing she said was just to get him to leave…

The light in Timothy’s eyes darkened and he finally opened his mouth. With a voice as cold as ice, he said, “Do you hate seeing me so much?”

That question was so amusing that Samantha was stunned for some time.

There was a time she used to want to see him.

During the broken-off marriage two years ago, she missed him dearly when she stayed abroad for so long after being chased away. She wanted to see him, and she wanted to return to the sweet times they had.

After she returned, she continued to have extravagant hopes in her heart, but he tore up her hopes to pieces again and again.

Ever since their reunion, he had misunderstood her countless times and embarrassed her with all those hateful words. It was the same the previous night where he had no qualms hurting her in such a way. Why would she even dare to have any other wishful thinking?

Firstly, they were in a ward; secondly, the torture she experienced one night ago still left a lingering fear in Samantha’s heart. She opened her mouth but was unable to say a single word despite having much to say.

Timothy looked at her expression and knew her answer from that response. The anger in his heart began to rise uncontrollably.

Whenever she was facing him, she could not be bothered to even lie to him or give him a half-hearted answer.

Timothy smiled in anger. He opened his lips, and the words he spoke were practically squeezed out from between his teeth. Every single word was filled with cold hatred. “Too bad. I really want to see you. I want to see you all the time!”

Samantha’s heart trembled unconsciously.

Had it not been for the tone that Timothy used, Samantha would have been inclined to think that he was saying something sweet to her.

Such were the nuances of language. Different contexts could make even a very affectionate sentence turn unaffectionate.

Seeing his handsome face covered in a haziness again, Samantha’s cheeks turned pale. Was he about to explode in anger just like the previous night and hurt her again?

Timothy seemed to have seen through her thoughts and a glow seemed to manifest under his eyes. His hands clenched subconsciously and his thin lips were practically pressed into a rigid line.

She could easily turn him into an emotional hostage and cause him to lose control.

However, the words his grandma told him rang suddenly in his ears.

‘If you make her heart cold, she will be sad and disappointed. Once that happens, she would give up.

‘But if you’re still worried about her, like her, and care about this hard-earned marriage between the two of you, you ought to think long and hard about how you’re going to treat Sammy after this.’

Timothy closed his eyes and forcibly kept his boiling anger in check. He then lifted his eyelids again, and said while looking right at Samantha, “Grandma’s people are watching.”

“Huh?” Samantha could not react for a moment.

“Samantha, fulfill your obligations in our deal and play your role properly!” The man’s tone became colder and there was a trace of suppressed anger.

Samantha heard it clearly and finally reacted to it.

It turns out, Old Madam Barker not only forced Timothy to come to the hospital to see Corey and stay with her, but even sent someone to monitor them in order to prevent Timothy from merely paying lip service.

No wonder Timothy was so enraged that he looked at her as if he could not wait to tear her apart.

As the saying went, old people were usually the wisest. Samantha never expected that her act with Timothy extended beyond the villa and even had to be continued when she arrived at the hospital.

In all honesty, Samantha did not dare to be alone with Timothy at that moment, but if Old Madam Barker’s spy noticed that something was not right, Timothy would never spare her for that.

Simply thinking of his methods was enough to make cold sweat appear on her back.

She weighed up the situation before making up her mind. She then gulped heavily, bent down, and approached Timothy, whereby she lowered her voice and said, “Okay. I’ll cooperate with you, but you have to promise, not…not to…do anything to me.”

Timothy raised his gaze to look at her and Samantha straightened her body by reflex, with her eyes turning alert once more.

That reaction stung Timothy and he smiled contemptuously, “You think too highly of yourself, Samantha.”

There was nothing better for her than having him disdain her!

Samantha responded with a forced smile.

It was a waste of breath to continue the discussion when they were irreconcilable, but since the conditions have been negotiated, Samantha was not about to say another word. She turned around, walked to the bed, pulled out the chair, and sat down.

Timothy could stay if he wanted—she would just treat him as though he was air.

She was accustomed to reading the newspaper to Corey every night, so she reached for the bedside table, took the book she had read halfway to him, and continued softly from where she had left off.

As she read, she could sense the man’s gaze falling on her. She initially felt that it was impossible, but the gaze became stronger and stronger, causing her to raise her head instinctively to look toward the sofa.

Timothy had picked up a newspaper at some point and was reading it while sitting on the sofa. His eyelids drooped low and he was looking at the paper, rather than looking at her.

Samantha frowned, ignored it, and lowered her head to continue reading the book.

However, she soon felt herself being stared at again. The presence of that gaze was just too strong and she raised her head again to look over.

Timothy had finished reading his newspaper by then. It had been folded and placed on the coffee table. He was propping his head with one hand while scrolling through his phone.

Samantha wondered to herself whether she was being too sensitive? Was it a stress response toward Timothy? Or could her screws have been a little loose after not sleeping well enough the night before?

She rubbed her eyebrows involuntarily, then focused her attention on the book and continued reading.

Barely moments after she resumed reading, she felt Timothy’s gaze once more. She raised her head indiscreetly and looked right at Timothy.

The man’s posture did not even change. He was still looking at his phone while his fingers were typing.

Just as Samantha was at a loss, Timothy finally raised his head and looked straight at her with his black eyes. His thin lips opened slightly and he asked with clarity, “I thought you said you didn’t want to see me, Samantha? But you kept stealing glances at me?”

“…I didn’t, I…”

Samantha’s words ended abruptly at ‘I’. There was no way for her to offer an explanation, and she could not possibly tell him that she constantly had the feeling he was watching her, right?

“You what?” Timothy had a slightly more inquisitive look in his eyes.

Samantha avoided his gaze guiltily and merely answered, “It’s a bit hot, I’m going out to get some air.”

She then walked out of the ward quickly.

Samantha took a few deep breaths near the corridor window. Once her breathing had calmed down, she was about to walk back when she saw a familiar figure not too far ahead of her..