Chapter 18: Do You Need Anything Else, Miss?
"What are you standing there for? Do I have to come to get you and carry you over here? Or do you want me to feed you with my own hands? Hurry up and eat, or we're going to be late!" Tanaga shouted, who seemed to be angry with her, but wasn't.
Ashley had no choice but to listen to him. He went and sat across from him. Not long after, a maid arrived with a tray of food and placed it in front of Ashley. She covered her mouth in awe as she looked at the dish containing two fried eggs, three sausage links, two slices of toast, and a bowl of fruit. The maid put a glass of milk in front of her and filled another glass with water.
The maid asked, "Do you need anything else, Miss?"
Ashley was speechless. Uh, when did I become a Miss? She blinked her eyes while staring at the maid, still dumbstruck. She then looked Tanaga's way, but he didn't even bother to look up at her.
"Miss, if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave now," the woman said as she gave a quick bow.
Ashley didn't know how to reply to the maid. Why is she calling me, Miss? I'm not her boss. What's going on with these people? She asked herself, unsure of what she should do. The older woman stood in front of her, patiently waiting for a response. She had to say something, so she blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "Thank you for the food," she said politely.
The maid nodded and then left the two of them alone. Ashley started to eat. She was hungry, but she was determined to eat as a noble lady would. She thought to herself, If Tanaga would leave for just a few moments, I'm sure I could eat this whole platter of food in one go.
Fifteen minutes passed, and Ashley had only eaten a fraction of her food. Tanaga thought she didn't like it and called for the butler.
"Next time, ask her what she wants to eat instead of just cooking something and bringing it to her!" Tanaga scolded the butler.
Ashley felt terrible that she was the cause of the scolding. "Sir, excuse me. It's not that I don't like the food. Everything was delicious. It's just…it's just that…I find it difficult to eat well when you're around." She said the last part in barely a whisper, but Tanaga heard every word and frowned.
Ashley saw the expression on his face change and grew uneasy. "If it's okay with you…" she gulped and then continued, "I'll eat faster now." She began eating like a person who hadn't seen food in days, shoving big spoonsful of food in her mouth. Her cheeks bulged like a chipmunk's when they carry food in their mouth.
Tanaga's jaw dropped, and his eyes widened as he watched her. In all his life, he had never seen a woman eat like this. It was like she was in an eating contest, racing against a clock to finish everything, desperately wanting to win the prize.
Tanaga shouted, "Ashley! Ashley, slow down! We're not in that big of a hurry!"
Embarrassed, she wished she crawl under the table and hide. She knew it would not go over well with her boss if she did. "I'm sorry," Ashley said sheepishly. "I'm used to eating this way. I have five brothers. I have to eat fast, or they won't leave any food for me." Ashly explained shyly, her voice tiny, and her shoulders slumped.
Deep inside, she was angry with herself. Why do I feel the need to explain the way I eat?
Her timid reply had only increased Tanaga's frustration with their relationship. He didn't know how to react to her. When Ashley didn't speak, it irritated him. When she did precisely what he said, he was angry that she seemed to have no mind of her own. When she tried to explain herself, it always seemed like she was about to cry. All of this weighed heavily on Tanaga. He kept all of this in mind as he planned his response.
"Ah, I see. Fine, you can eat like this when it's just the two of us, but not in front of other people," he said matter-of-factly before dropping his napkin. He then leaned on his chair and looked at Ashley.
After watching him, she laid her spoon down.
"What? Why did you stop eating? Why not just finish? There's only a spoonful left. Why are you getting shy now when you were eating like a pig just moments ago?" Tanaga blew his frustration and irritation at Ashley, and she did the same in return.
"That's it! You're driving me nuts! Just because you're my boss and we signed a contract, that doesn't give you the right to stomp on me like I'm just some kind of property you own." Ashley was in tears as she spoke. She then stood up and started to walk away without saying another word.
"Hey! Where are you going? If you're done, then let's get out of here." Tanaga shouted at Ashley's back.
She stopped short and turned to face him. She took a deep breath before she responded. "Mr. Jones, I understand I have a contract with you. Don't worry. I intend to fulfill that contract as my way of thanking you for saving me."
She continued, "But there's something you have to remember. I'll say this once, and I won't repeat it again, so listen carefully. You paid me to be a surrogate mother to your future heir. I'm contracted to carry your child, but that doesn't mean my entire being is under contract. Now, if I'm not good enough to be the mother of your child, then I'd appreciate it if you'd buy me a plane ticket, and I'll happily return home to my family."
Tears flooded Ashley's face as she spoke to Tanaga, finally unable to contain her anger and resentment.
"If you have nothing else to say to me right now, then please leave me alone and come find me when you've made a decision." On that note, she turned and ran into the mansion, not knowing exactly where she was heading.
Ashley mumbled to herself as she walked. "Some rich guy…Who does he think he is? He does nothing but insults me. He is the one that needed me.!" Walking with no destination in mind, she continued to herself, "Get out of here on your own, jerk. I'd rather stay here and hear nothing than go with you and hear nothing but insults every time you open your stupid mouth."
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