Flash Marriage With Mr. Sheffield: Go Away, Cheap Man!-Chapter 118: I’m Not That Thirsty

These days, Clara Sterling felt a bit awkward facing Julian Hawthorne.

Fortunately, Julian knew she was married and didn’t say or do anything strange anymore.

Apart from work-related matters, the two of them hadn’t exchanged many words.

During the day, Clara worked, and in the evening, she took time to read books.

The books given by Mr. Cheney were all on deep professional topics, which she found engrossing. She got so immersed in them that she lost track of time.

For several days, Clara was engrossed in reading, leaving no opportunity for Silas Sheffield to make any plans in the evenings.

Soon it was Friday.

After work, Clara asked Lisa Holloway, "Tomorrow is Anabelle’s birthday, are you going to the birthday party?"

Ever since that drinking night, Lisa had been in much better spirits. At least, during work hours, she no longer cried secretly, though Clara occasionally caught her staring into space.

It was likely that she hadn’t moved past the breakup yet.

After all, they had been together for five years, and were discussing marriage, only for her to catch her boyfriend in bed with another woman. Such a shock wasn’t easy to get over.

"Yes, I’m going," Lisa said. "It’s good to go out and take my mind off things, otherwise I’d just go home after work and think about him all the time."

Clara asked, "What did you get Anabelle for a gift?"

"Well, considering her family is well off and doesn’t lack anything, I bought a preserved flower arrangement." Saying this, Lisa opened her phone gallery, "Here, it’s this one, a Hello Kitty design."

"Wow, that’s nice, looks beautiful!"

Clara said, "I’m planning to shop at the mall for Anabelle’s gift. Are you free? Want to join me?"

Clara didn’t necessarily need company while shopping.

She just wanted to take Lisa out for a stroll.

As Lisa herself mentioned, a little fun outing would be a good distraction, otherwise, she’d go home after work and keep thinking about her lousy ex-boyfriend.

"Sure." Lisa, currently in her post-breakup period, needed company and didn’t decline Clara’s suggestion.

They went to a nearby shopping mall.

After buying the gift, they shared a hot pot meal.

Leaving the restaurant, Clara was searching something on her phone.

"Let me see if there’s a flower shop nearby to buy a bouquet to bring to Anabelle tomorrow."

Lisa said, "Alright."

"Found it, there’s a flower shop on the first floor, let’s check it out," Clara said, linking arms with Lisa.

The flower shop had a wide variety of fresh-cut flowers, and the shop’s bouquets were beautifully arranged.

The shop owner, a woman in her thirties dressed in a blouse and jeans, welcomed them with a gentle smile, "Welcome, feel free to look around."

Clara browsed around and selected a bouquet of light pink fairy kisses.

"I’ll take that one too," Clara pointed to a bunch of sunflowers.

"Alright."

"You’re buying two bouquets?" Lisa asked, "One should be enough, it’s hard to carry both."

"Nope." Clara took the sunflowers from the shop owner.

After paying, Clara handed the bunch of sunflowers to Lisa.

"These sunflowers are for you, Lisa. Keep looking forward, may you be as vibrant and lively as sunflowers, always facing the sun."

In an instant, Lisa was moved to tears.

Lisa accepted the sunflowers, reaching out to hug Clara, whispering in her ear, "Thank you, Clara."

Clara said nothing, gently patting Lisa’s back, a gesture more powerful than words.

She had also experienced heartbreak and understood Lisa’s pain.

Lisa was her first friend in Veridian, and apart from Sophie Sheffield, her most important friend.

Clara cherished this friendship.

She sincerely hoped that Lisa could let go of the past and look forward.

It was just past ten when she got home.

Silas wasn’t there.

He had flown to Crestwood again.

After all, Sheffield’s headquarters were still in Crestwood, and there were some important matters that couldn’t be resolved over video meetings and required him to handle personally.

Clara took a shower and lay on the bed, alone in the spacious room.

The space beside her was empty, the man who usually cuddled her to sleep was absent.

Clara wasn’t used to it.

They had only been apart for a day, and she already missed him.

She checked the time, it was eleven, and she wondered if Silas had gone to sleep.

Clara opened WhatsApp to message Silas, only to see an unread message from him as soon as she clicked it open.

[Miss you so much.]

Those simple three words made Clara’s heart skip a beat like a startled deer.

She smiled and replied.

[Me too.]

The next second, Silas’s video call came through.

Clara answered, her breath suddenly a bit short.

On the screen, it was Silas’s eight-pack abs!

Clara swallowed and teased, "Is this my long-distance benefit?"

The man moved away from the camera and sat back on the sofa, "I accidentally spilled the water cup and was wiping it up."

Silas was using his laptop for the video call.

When he answered, the cup of water spilled, and the water ran to the back of the laptop. The angle he bent at to wipe the water was just right for the camera to capture his abs, hence that scene.

Clara pretended to be disappointed, pouting, "Oh, I thought it was a benefit you were giving me."

"Want it?" Silas chuckled.

"No!" Clara’s face turned red, "We’ve only been apart for a day, and I certainly don’t... don’t feel that..."

Impassioned.

"What are you thinking?" Silas leaned back on the sofa, his deep eyes gazing intently at Clara through the camera, "I was asking if you wanted to see abs?"

"..."

"Okay, I admit I want to see." Clara confessed without any dignity.

Silas laughed, getting up and leaning towards the computer as he had just wiped the water, for the camera to show his abs.

"Is this okay?"

He had just taken a shower, wearing a loosely tied robe. The neckline was a bit deep, and bending over, the camera picked up his abs through the collar.

"It’s fine," Clara said with a smile, "Too bad I can see but can’t touch."

"Wait for me to come back," Silas returned to the sofa.

They chatted for a bit, but soon, as Clara grew sleepy, her voice got softer and eventually turned into gentle, rhythmic breathing.

The phone slipped from her hand, landing face down on the bed, turning the video into a field of darkness, nothing visible.

Silas didn’t hang up the video call.

Listening to the girl’s breathing, Silas slightly curled his lips, getting up to return to the bedroom.

...

Next morning.

Clara woke up to find the video call still going, running for nine hours.

She spoke into the phone, "Hey."

From the other side came Silas’s magnetic, pleasant voice, "Awake?"

"Yes." Clara, just waking up, replied in her soft voice, "Why didn’t you hang up?"

"Didn’t want to."

Clara pressed her lips together, a sweet feeling spreading in her heart.

Lying in bed, she chatted with Silas for a while before reluctantly hanging up the video call to get up and wash up.

Today was Saturday, Anabelle Spencer’s birthday.

Anabelle was in Veridian, and the birthday party would be held there, too.

The time was set for seven in the evening, and the location was her villa in Veridian.

According to Anabelle, her dad was in Veridian, and he would also attend the birthday party.

Though Anabelle mentioned that with grown-ups present, the youngsters’ gathering wouldn’t be as enjoyable, so her dad would just make a brief appearance, deliver a gift, say a few words, and leave.