Stuck in The Marriage Pact
Chapter 44: throw away the source of your worries

Chapter 44: throw away the source of your worries

The next day...

Early in the morning, Isabella had prepared breakfast for Hunter with Carol’s help. She arranged breakfast with cinnamon rolls, lemon tea, and apple pie.

"Ma’am, he was very angry last night," Carol said.

"It’s my fault," Isabella replied, then sighed, looking at Carol. "The situation is confusing. I think I need advice, and only you can give it because you understand my position. I don’t have the courage to tell anyone else... I can’t just trust anyone," she continued.

"You can tell me, and I’ll try to find a solution," Carol said with a warm smile.

Isabella glanced around until she saw Hunter entering the dining room with a cane, looking neat and fresh in a blue suit.

"Maybe we can talk after he goes to the office," she whispered, then greeted Hunter with a smile, while Carol quickly returned to the kitchen. "Hey... You don’t need to use that damn cane now!" she said with a sweet smile.

Hunter smiled, looking at Isabella, who looked fresh and sexy in a knee-length white dress with open sleeves and blue floral patterns, her hair cascading elegantly.

"You mentioned that Estella will be coming, so I have to be prepared... I don’t want her to suddenly walk in while I’m casually walking and see me... That could cause chaos," he said.

"I don’t think it’s a problem if she knows you’re pretending to be paralyzed. She might understand because she’s the closest to you," Isabella replied, raising her eyebrows.

"It can’t be like that..." Hunter shook his head and then moved to sit down. "We are close, but I know her nature. She would never support a lie; she would get angry and insist on the truth." He explained while taking a cinnamon roll and placing it on a small plate in front of him.

Isabella immediately sat down across from him.

"Alright, she won’t know," she said.

"What about your mother, how will you talk to her again?" Hunter asked while eating. "I mean, will she come to see you or just call?"

Isabella remained silent and frowned.

"Are you still not ready to meet her?"

"I don’t know..."

Hunter sighed, looking at Isabella who became gloomy as he brought up her mother.

"Honey... I know you hate her, but don’t cut off communication. No matter what, she is your mother, who gave birth to you, and took care of you until you grew into a beautiful girl... You even inherited her beauty. You are part of her shadow," Hunter said softly. "You need to learn to forgive, then you will find peace," he continued.

"I’m trying," Isabella whispered, looking down. "But every time I hear her name, I always remember her embarrassing behavior... It hurts too much, I can’t find peace," she continued anxiously.

"I know, but you won’t find peace by continuing to avoid her. You’ll keep harboring hatred in your heart, always thinking about how to avoid her... It will always be like that. You’ll find peace once you get used to communicating with her again, even meeting her... Although it will make you sad, slowly you will find peace," Hunter replied, holding Isabella’s hand, who looked at him directly. "Start now, I’ll always be by your side, I won’t let you be alone to face this," he continued.

Isabella nodded.

"Good girl..." Hunter smiled and then looked back at their food. "Let’s have breakfast. I like your cinnamon rolls. I think you’re not only good at drawing but also cooking!"

"Mom taught me," Isabella whispered.

"Really?" Hunter’s enthusiasm was evident. "So how can you keep hating her if there are so many valuable things you got from her?"

"I know... I’ll try not to hate her anymore," Isabella whispered, sighing and gazing deeply at Hunter. "I’m confused about us, Joe... It seems like I need time to calm down."

Hunter frowned, while Isabella stood up.

"I want to rest," Isabella said, then walked away.

Hunter looked at her with a frown, feeling puzzled by Isabella’s behavior, making him confused about whether to leave for work or not.

"But she wants to be alone; she might get angry if I keep talking to her," he said softly.

"Sir..."

Carol’s voice caught Hunter’s attention.

"If you don’t mind, maybe we can talk; it’s about your wife," Carol said gently.

Hunter nodded. "Please, sit down."

Carol immediately sat across from Hunter, looking at him with reluctance, occasionally glancing at the door as if ensuring no one was coming in.

"Your wife looks very confused; she wants a solution from me," she said.

"Do you think it’s about our relationship?" Hunter asked.

"Possibly."

Hunter exhaled roughly, looking away while thinking about how gloomy Isabella had been since talking with Joe.

"Sir, I don’t mean to be presumptuous, but... it would be good if you give her certainty soon, so she won’t be confused anymore," Carol said carefully. "She seems to be waiting for you, but it looks like she’s still doubtful about your love, so if you love her, you need to prove it through something significant," she continued.

"Significant?" Hunter frowned.

"Yes... Maybe you should say it in front of your mother, cancel all the agreements, or perhaps start discussing this with your mother first," Carol explained.

Hunter instead made a sour face.

"I think your mother would agree if you made her to be your wife forever... She would probably think that your wife is the key to your recovery... As a mother, I’m sure she would be happy for your happiness too," Carol added.

"It’s not that simple, Carol... It’s not as easy as you think," Hunter replied, shaking his head. "My mother never prioritized my happiness... If I told her about my desire to make Isabella my wife forever, she might do something bad to her, secretly without my knowledge... Maybe even make her leave me. One day, I will be honest, but not now because I’m not ready to face the chaos... I’m still enjoying our days as a couple... Sweet moments..."

"You enjoy it, but she doesn’t... She may seem to accept everything from you, but we don’t know how she feels."

"She’s happy, she will always be happy with me if she can drive her ex out of her mind. That’s the key for her to find peace," Hunter said casually, slicing the cinnamon roll with the fork again. "Her ex was terrible, selfish... She knows he is the source of her distress, but that’s her fault for always caring about him," he continued.

"Because she loves him," Carol replied.

Hunter scoffed. "I’m not sure."

Carol sighed, looking at Hunter who seemed relaxed as if he didn’t care about Isabella’s ongoing anxiety.

"You can give her a solution to not hold on to the things that worry her, that’s all," Hunter said again, devouring the cinnamon roll. "I’m not forcing her to choose me, but I want her to choose me... Of course, whatever my parents’ response later, I will keep her based on love... But for now, I want her to think clearly... I won’t influence her or coax her... Give her incentives. I just want to make her happy while we still have a chance to be together... Then I’ll see how it ends up. It doesn’t mean I don’t care about her... But I just want to give her the freedom to choose. And you, as a woman... Give advice that you think is good for her. I don’t want her to decide out of obligation," he continued casually.

"Alright then, I need to get back to cleaning the kitchen," Carol replied as she stood up from her chair.

Hunter remained silent, letting Carol leave, but gradually his relaxed demeanor faded and he turned his thoughts to Joe.

’If I ask him to stop approaching Isabella, he’ll say I’m being cruel. No, I can’t do that... I have to continue giving Isabella freedom. I want her to know that I am the best for her, I will never put her in trouble... I will always give her peace... That’s what I need to do to win her, to save her from that scoundrel!’