Chapter 3 Seeing Willard Again

Kathryn fell from the window. The wind rushed in her ears as she quickly plunged to the ground. She turned so that her shoulder took the impact and rolled on the grass.

Suddenly, a loud screeching noise rang through the air.

The tires rubbed against the ground and screeched to a halt.

Kathryn was lying on the ground, panting hard. Her body was positioned awkwardly, but she could see a pair of shiny, black leather shoes appear in front of her.

She raised her head to see Willard gazing down at her.

He was tall, slender and straight, and dressed in a sharp suit. His face was handsome with angular features, and his hair fell over his eyebrows above a pair of deep, thoughtful eyes.

When his familiar face came into view, Kathryn's heart trembled. Somehow, simply seeing him formed a lump in her throat.

"Willard..."

Then, Kathryn fell unconscious.

Willard quickly bent down to hold her in his arms.

"Kathy! Are you okay?"

As her consciousness slipped away, Kathryn could feel Willard's arms holding onto her tightly.

His broad embrace made her feel safe again.

Slowly, her mind numbed, and she could hear Willard still calling her name anxiously.

He was clearly worried about her.

Kathryn wanted to kick herself. She was such a jerk!

How did she not see that Willard was so good to her?

Instead, she had ended up abandoning him for that prick, Edmund!

Caylee stood not too far away, hidden in the shadows. Her hard eyes were as venomous as snakes.

"Damn it! How did Kathryn escape so easily? It doesn't matter. Everything in the Ramsey family will be mine!"

***

It was the following morning when Kathryn finally awoke.

The soft sunlight filtered through the curtains as she gauged her surroundings. The luxurious bedroom and its elegant furnishings felt familiar yet strange to her.

She moved slightly and felt a small tug at the back of her hand. She looked at the needle and tube and realized she was hooked up to an IV drip.

Hearing her shift, Willard, who was sitting on the cushy leather sofa, looked up and closed the magazine in his hand. He asked, "Are you awake?"

Kathryn looked at him, her heart clenching.

She could finally see him again.

He was alive!

And he was by her side again, looking out for her while she was on infusion.

Why was she blind enough to abandon a good man like him for a complete hypocrite like Edmund?

Now that she was awake, Willard's expression stiffened, and he asked rigidly, "Don't you owe me an explanation for last night?"

An explanation?

"Kathryn, I didn't marry you for hitting the headlines from time to time."

Willard walked over to her on the bed and threw the magazine he was holding in front of Kathryn.

The magazine's cover depicted a photo of her dancing at the bar!

The background was vibrant and colorful. Among the glittering crowd, her silhouette was distinct, her body twisting wildly and alluringly.

The title declared, "Iriebury University's pure princess transformed. She partied at the bar at midnight, lonely and insatiable!"

The implication behind the title practically screamed her newfound notoriety.

But Kathryn gazed at the magazine calmly.

Her composure irritated Willard. He grabbed her chin between his fingers and forced her to look at him.

"You don't seem to care at all."

Or was this what she wanted? Did she want to leave him so badly, even at the cost of her own reputation?

There was a sharp pain in her jaw, but Kathryn didn't care. She pulled out the infusion needle to free herself and wrapped her arms around his waist tightly.

"I'm sorry, Willard. I'm so sorry."

Willard's hand froze in the air, and his body stiffened.

Kathryn's guilt was overwhelming her.

How cold was she to him that even a mere hug would shock him so much?

"I won't make a big fuss over nothing in the future. I'll live with you peacefully, okay? Don't be mad at me. I really am sorry."

But her apology only made Willard's frown deeper.

He abruptly pushed Kathryn away.

"Don't worry about it. I've already bought all the magazines. And I'll explain this to your dad for you. You can rest assured!"

Kathryn was rendered speechless.

Did he think she apologized because she was embarrassed by the magazines?

He was such an idiot!

If it were still her previous life, she would have been furious at Willard's reaction.

But she didn't know what to do now. She felt helpless.

The room froze for a moment.

With his left hand in his pocket, Willard looked at Kathryn.

"Get some rest. I have to go to the company."

After saying that, he strode out of the bedroom and shut the door behind him. Kathryn sat on the bed, feeling a little crestfallen about his cold attitude.

Why did Willard indifferently leave her behind in this condition?

But she didn't feel too discouraged. She placed her hand on her chest to feel the soft thump of her heartbeat again.

"Willard, I won't miss my chance with you in this lifetime. You can't escape from me!"

Just as Willard left, there was polite knocking on the bedroom door.

"Come in," called Kathryn.

The housekeeper of the Ellsworth family, Norah Deleon, entered with a box in her hands. She timidly approached Kathryn and handed her the box carefully.

"Miss Ramsey, this is a Valentine's Day gift Mr. Ellsworth prepared for you. He hopes you like it."

In reality, Kathryn and Willard's marriage was purely for commercial reasons.

The Ramsey family's capital chain was facing trouble, and they were in urgent need of a large investment.

The Ellsworth family was the leading family of the four wealthiest families in Olisburgh. They were well acquainted with the Ramsey family for generations. In the end, the two families finally agreed to unite their families through marriage.

Kathryn was only 20 years old, but she had no choice but to marry Willard for the sake of the Ramsey family.

Neither of the two was ready; they were young and unprepared to marry. Willard was reticent by nature which caused Kathryn to misunderstand him and get the impression he disliked her. What was more, Caylee only furthered this sentiment by speaking ill of him.

The colder Willard was toward Kathryn, the more Kathryn assumed he didn't care about her at all.

Therefore, at some point, she forbade the servants of the Ellsworth family from calling her "Mrs. Ellsworth." She did this on purpose to irritate Willard.

But, despite everything she did, Willard never blamed her from the beginning till the end. Instead, he quietly continued to clean up messes for her and tolerated her aggressions.

At this memory, when Kathryn laid eyes on the kind Norah again, her eyes welled up with tears.

"Norah, please call me Mrs. Ellsworth from now on. I have been too stubborn. As Willard's wife, it's inappropriate for you to call me Miss Ramsey."

Norah stared at her in astonishment. "Miss... Mrs. Ellsworth, you've thought this through?"

"If I have been rude to you before, Norah, please forgive me. I have been far too childish in the past."

"That's good, that's good. I'm so glad that you and Mr. Ellsworth are finally getting along with each other!"

Then Norah gently opened the black velvet box.

A delicate platinum bracelet inlaid with pearls was nestled on a velvety cushion. It glinted beautifully in the light.

Kathryn gaped at it in shock.

Some time ago, she fell in love with this bracelet at first sight but was unable to get it because she was told it was customized and not for sale.

She remembered being depressed for a long time because of it.

But now Willard was gifting her this bracelet.

It could only mean that Willard specially asked someone to customize this bracelet!

Seeing Kathryn's positive reaction, Norah smiled and offered, "Mrs. Ellsworth, let me help you try it on. The pearls are elegant, and they suit you."

"Okay. Thank you."

Kathryn nodded, a sweet smile on her face. Her heart felt happy and light.

Although Willard's attitude was abrasive, he actually prepared a Valentine's Day gift for her. Maybe he did have feelings for her after all.