Classic Novel
Chapter 194
Chapter 194
After spending a little time, Theresa took her leave.
Once she was gone, Susan looked around and found Ben grappling with the duvet.
“Let me help you,” she approached.
“No need,” Ben sternly refused, “I can manage.
He faced the bed’s disarrayed duvet and cover as if preparing for battle.
To appear proficient in household tasks, he had even sought tutorials online.
Now was the time to put that research to the test!
Fortunately, it didn’t seem too challenging.
Ben recalled the online guide and methodically began to follow the steps.
Five minutes later, he stared at the tangled mess of duvet and cover, lost in thought.
“Let me do it,” Susan offered with a smile, and in a couple of minutes, she had the duvet neatly covered.
“Grab that corner there, and we’ll give it a shake,” she instructed.
Ben quickly positioned himself opposite her, coordinating the shake of the duvet with her. This is property © of NôvelDrama.Org.
He stole glances at Susan.
The corners of her lips were turned up. She seemed in good spirits.
Yet, a nameless emotion stirred in Ben’s heart.
He had always been a bit cynical..
He wore his scars as a reminder to himself but also as a silent protest.
He felt wronged, that he had suffered.
Even after Susan entered his life, a corner of his heart remained rigid.
Now, separated by the duvet, Ben felt a softening inside.
His childhood hadn’t been easy.
But at the very least, he never worried about food or clothes and hadn’t ever needed to lift a finger for housework.
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His father had simply neglected him, not abused him intentionally.
But Susan’s parents were a strange case
With two daughters, they exalted one to the skies and trampled the other underfoot.
Susan’s proficiency with housework clearly showed it was a common task for her, yet the Miller family certainly wasn’t short on servants.
Ben glanced subtly at the calluses on Susan’s hands.
He had initially thought that the calluses on her hands were from typing too much.
But now, he realized there might be more to it.
“All done,” Susan said.
Ben didn’t respond right away, as if lost in thought.
Susan looked at him curiously, “What’s the matter?”
Coming back to the moment, Ben took the duvet from Susan’s hands with a certain solemnity and carefully laid it
out on the bed.
Susan was a bit perplexed.
Then, Ben spoke earnestly, “Susan, from now on, you don’t have to do any housework.”
“Huh?” Susan blinked.
“I know I’m a bit clumsy now, but I’ll learn quickly,” Ben said seriously.
Susan rarely spoke of her past, and he never pried
Susan never liked to broadcast her troubles.
A little girl, regularly locked to a hospital bed from the age of seven, repeatedly having her precious blood drawn.
And such a person, who had been excessively bled for years, might still be forced to take on household chores.
If not for Susan’s remarkably strong constitution, she might not have even survived to this day.
Anyone else undergoing such trials might not have remained unscathed.
Yet Susan, who endured it all, always remained tender and kind.
Suddenly, Ben felt he hadn’t been good enough to her, that he hadn’t given her enough.
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He wanted to give her so much more.
To make her the happlest woman alive.
“Why say this all of a sudden?” Susan asked, puzzled.
Ben smiled, “A man’s hands are made for work, and a woman’s hands should be taken care of.”
Susan was speechless.
She really wanted to tell Ben!
She had read that line in Love Magic Code!
Was Ben taking advantage of her supposed amnesia to recycle old lines?
What irked Susan the most…
Was that she actually felt touched by it?
“Susan, stay calm. See how he acts from now on,” she reassured herself internally.
After finishing the chores together, Ben suggested they go to the supermarket to buy some groceries.
Susan agreed.
Ben, who in his life had never personally shopped for groceries, started comparing vegetable prices like a pro once they reached the supermarket.
“Let’s get this one,” Susan casually picked up a pre–packaged box of vegetables.
Ben glanced at it and said seriously, “This is just fancier packaging, and it costs one cent more per unit. It’s not economical.”
He then earnestly began selecting loose vegetables.
Susan blinked and silently curved her lips in amusement.
Back home..
Susan moved to start cooking.
“Sit down, I’ll do it,” Ben stopped her.
Then he faced the vegetables with a stern look, as if trying to intimidate them into cooking themselves.
“Do you even know how?” Susan was doubtful.
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“Of course, I do. You forgot, I’m the one who does the chores at our home,” Ben said without hesitation as he ushered Susan out, “Just wait for the meal.”
The kitchen door slammed shut.
Susan watched apprehensively as smoke started to waft from the kitchen.
Ben… was this his first time cooking? Was he sure he wouldn’t blow up the kitchen?
An hour later.
The kitchen door opened.
Ben emerged with the dishes, significantly more relaxed than when he’d entered the kitchen, as if he had just returned from a victorious battle.
“Sit at the table,” he said with a hint of pride, placing the dishes in front of Susan.
Susan blinked in surprise. The two dishes actually looked quite appealing.
A vegetable salad appeared crisp and fresh.
And the roast ribs seemed tantalizingly fragrant.
“You made these?” Susan couldn’t help but glance at him.
“Of course,” Ben’s face was the picture of calm, “You might not remember, but I’ve always prepared our meals. My cooking skills are quite decent.”
Susan was speechless.
“I’ll buy that story.” She thought.
Ben quietly hid his phone.
He wouldn’t admit to Susan that it took him three attempts to make these two dishes look presentable, thanks to a lifesaving cooking app!
‘Try it. I’ll go get the soup,” Ben said as he headed back to the kitchen.
Susan, driven by a blend of curiosity and hunger, was about to taste the food when suddenly, the doorbell rang.
She walked over to open the door.
“Susan, I was about to order some takeout, want me to add something for you…” Theresa was saying when she caught sight of the food on the table and paused mid–sentence, “You cooked? Did you make this?”
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Susan shook her head, “Ben did.”
Theresa was dumbfounded.
She looked at Susan with a blend of horror and disbelief, then quickly whispered in a hushed tone, “A billionaire’s cooking? You’re brave enough to eat it?”
“The soup is ready,” Ben announced, emerging from the kitchen with an apron wrapped around him, carrying the
hot soup.
Theresa was frozen in place.
Ben was draped in a Pikachu apron, his hair a mess from bustling about. In his hands, he cradled the steaming
soup.
This was homey to an extreme!
Theresa rubbed her eyes, thinking she was seeing things.
But no matter how much she rubbed, Ben, the CEO, still looked ready for household duties.
“Got a good look?” Ben asked her, his face expressionless.
Theresa quickly shook her head, then rapidly nodded.
“Why don’t you join us for some?” Susan invited.
Theresa shook her head in horror, “No need, no need.”
Eating Ben’s cooking was a risk she wasn’t willing to take either food poisoning or a shortened lifespan!
“Are you sure?” Ben asked, squinting.
‘No, I’ll order takeout,” Theresa quickly turned and dashed away.
Susan couldn’t even call her back and had to turn her head to look at Ben.
“It seems she prefers takeout, Ben said calmly, “Let’s eat.”
Susan raised an eyebrow, “She seems quite scared of you.”
Ben maintained his composure, “Maybe it’s because I don’t smile much? She doesn’t know that I’m actually a very friendly person.”
Susan was speechless.
Hahaha.
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She believed him, she really did.
The two sat opposite each other, and Ben served some vegetables into Susan’s bowl.
Susan was initially cautious as she began to eat.
But after the first bite, she relaxed.
Ben’s cooking might not have been delicious, but it was far from bad.
Ben, after tasting his own cooking, wasn’t satisfied, though he kept it to himself. He resolved silently that he needed to improve his culinary skills quickly.
After the meal.
Ben took it upon himself to wash the dishes too, leaving Susan feeling somewhat idle.
Was Ben really not going to let her do any household work?
She felt strangely guilty about it.
When Ben finished and came out, Susan had brewed a cup of coffee for him.
I
Ben looked at her with disapproval, “You should have just called me for coffee. Why do it yourself?”
Susan felt a bit embarrassed, ‘My hands aren’t broken. You… you don’t have to be so over the top.”
“It’s not over the top at all,” Ben said, looking at Susan gently.
He felt he still wasn’t doing enough.
He wanted to do so much more.
Only then might Susan willingly stay by his side.
Susan’s cheeks warmed under his gaze, and she tried to change the subject, “Why don’t you tell me about our past? Maybe it’ll jog my memory.”
She was simply curious to see how Ben would spin the tale.
Ben cleared his throat, “We just have a very special bond. Nothing much else.”
Susan blinked, ‘Such a strong bond? We never argue?”
“Argue?” Ben said with calm assurance, “Impossible! In our home, you’re always right. Whatever you say, you’re right!”
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His earnestness almost made Susan laugh.
She raised an eyebrow and teased, “But I seem to recall, while I was still unconscious, I vaguely heard you talking. What was it again? A divorce agreement?”
Ben broke out in a cold sweat.
“That was a misunderstanding,” he said slowly.
“What misunderstanding?” Susan pressed, feeling a slight tension.
“The misunderstanding doesn’t matter anymore. All you need to know is that I have never thought about divorcing you. I’ve never signed any divorce papers,” Ben said earnestly, his gaze as solemn as a vow, “Susan, I may have disappointed you in the past, but please believe that I will do better. I won’t let you suffer again.”
Susan’s heart skipped a beat, she looked up at him, “You…”
“Hmm?” Ben listened attentively.
“Nothing.” Susan hung her head ostrich–like.
She felt utterly useless.
When she had left, she was determined to sever all ties with Ben.
She thought her heart had turned completely to stone.
But just knowing that Ben had come looking for her in the small town melted all her defenses like Ice in the sun.
Her first impulse was to see him.
Although she told herself she was going to see Ben to make a final break, deep down, she knew she just couldn’t
let go.
She despised her inability to let go, so she chose to feign amnesia.
Yet now, guilt was driving her nearly mad.
Maybe… it was time to come clean.
In the evening.
Ben took the initiative to sleep in the guest room, leaving Susan alone in bed.
After wrestling with her thoughts, she stealthily sent a message to Theresa.
I
[Theresa, I plan to come clean tomorrow.]
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Theresa sent back several question marks, [????]
Susan felt guilty. [I just felt bad about lying.]
[It’s not so much that coming clean is the issue… It’s just that our CEO Ben might feel humiliated. By telling him you pretended to have amnesia, you’re basically letting him know you saw through all his acts. Wouldn’t that embarrass and anger him?]
Susan paused, [You’re right.]
Theresa tried to strategize, [Here’s what you do. Don’t say you faked the amnesia. Pretend it was real. Over the next few days, you can gradually regain your memory, and in about a week, you’ll have it all back! Then, after regaining your memory, just pretend to forget everything that happened during the amnesia. This way, you save face for Ben, right?]
Susan nodded.
Hmm. That sounded quite reasonable.
Tomorrow… she would start by regaining part of her memory.
But which part to start with was the question.
She needed to think about how she would act out regaining her memory.
Sigh, she wasn’t an actress, yet she had to match Ben’s acting prowess.
Life was certainly tough.