Chapter 195: It’s Like I Cheated
Chapter 195: Chapter 195: It’s Like I Cheated
It was a little after four in the afternoon.
They had already returned to the old family home.
Caroline Whitman looked at the unfamiliar house. To be honest, even though they were married, this was the first time she had ever set foot in this home.
Ryan Grant hadn’t seen his parents all day, and he ran out as soon as he heard the car.
After they got out, he rushed over with his arms outstretched. "Daddy, Mommy, what took you so long? I missed you so much today."
The little guy was being incredibly sweet the moment he saw them.
Caroline Whitman bent down and poked his little cheek. "It’s only been a day, and my sweetie is already laying on the honey."
"I’m not laying it on, I really missed you!" Ryan Grant came between them, took one of their hands in each of his, and started leading them toward the house while reporting on his day:
"Grandpa taught me to play chess today, and he bought me a new big dinosaur. Grandma made me little cookies, and this morning, my other grandparents came to visit."
Adrian Grant looked down at him, interrupting his joyful recounting. "Have you done your homework?"
Ryan Grant stopped in his tracks. He looked up and said with righteous indignation, "Dad, this is my first day after getting out of the hospital. Grandpa said I don’t have to do homework since I just recovered."
’Not bad. The kid knows how to use his grandpa to one-up me.’
Adrian Grant didn’t press the issue, and the little guy secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Once inside, Ryan Grant quickly pulled his father to the sofa and changed the subject. "Daddy, does your head still hurt today? Did you change your bandage?"
"It doesn’t hurt anymore. I changed it."
As he spoke, Adrian Grant still lowered his head slightly to let his son inspect the gauze on his forehead.
"Then I’ll blow on it for you. Blowing on it will make it heal faster." After saying this, the little guy blew a couple of breaths on his forehead, then tilted his head to inspect the effect.
"Okay, one more blow."
He blew again.
When Jonathan Grant came out of the back garden and saw this scene, he felt a sense of relief.
’He’d been thinking that if Adrian used his amnesia as an excuse to give Caroline and their son the cold shoulder, he’d have to knock some sense into him.’
’Good thing Adrian hadn’t done anything despicable.’
"You’re here."
"How’s the recovery going?"
Jonathan Grant was referring to the amnesia.
Caroline Whitman gave a helpless smile. "It is what it is."
And so, Adrian Grant was summoned to the study by Jonathan Grant.
Ryan Grant watched his father’s retreating back and asked Caroline Whitman in a low voice, "Is Grandpa going to check Daddy’s work? Is he going to criticize him?"
"Why would you think he’s going to criticize him?" Caroline Whitman asked, curious.
The child didn’t know about Adrian Grant’s amnesia; everyone had a tacit agreement not to mention it.
Otherwise, if the little guy found out, he’d probably cry buckets.
"I’m just guessing. It’s like when Dad calls me into the study to do homework. That’s him criticizing me too."
Caroline Whitman was amused. She ruffled his hair and said with a gentle smile, "No, Grandpa is just concerned about your dad."
"Oh."
In fact, besides asking about their marital relationship, Jonathan Grant had also called Adrian Grant in to get an update on his work review.
Only after Adrian Grant solemnly promised he wouldn’t let the family fall apart did he ask about the current work progress.
Only the two families knew about Adrian Grant’s accident and amnesia. They hadn’t even dared to tell Gavin Grant about the child’s sudden chest pains the night before last.
They were afraid Gavin Grant wouldn’t be able to handle the double blow.
Grace Lawson, who was in the kitchen working on recipes, heard voices outside and hurried out. Seeing Caroline Whitman alone, she thought Adrian Grant hadn’t come back.
She asked, "Did that boy not come back with you?"
"He’s back. He’s in the study with Dad."
"Oh, good."
Grace Lawson took Caroline Whitman’s hand. "During this time, if he gives you the cold shoulder, please don’t take it to heart."
She knew her son’s cold and unapproachable nature all too well.
It was because she knew this so well that she was afraid Adrian Grant would stubbornly insist on his own way and end up hurting Caroline Whitman’s feelings.
Caroline Whitman’s mind flashed back to Adrian Grant’s behavior over the past two days. "I don’t think so. Adrian... he’s been quite proper."
’Yes, that was about his character, and that was all she could really say.’
’At least he hadn’t shirked his responsibilities.’
"That’s good, that’s good."
There was nothing particularly noteworthy during dinner; everyone ate quietly.
After dinner, Grace Lawson told them not to go back, saying that since tomorrow was Sunday, they should just spend the night.
Caroline Whitman didn’t mind either way. In any case, the happiest one was Ryan Grant.
It was only after going upstairs and pushing open the bedroom door that she realized a problem: this was Adrian Grant’s room in the old house.
’That meant this guy couldn’t just run off to sleep in another room in front of Grace Lawson and the others.’
Adrian Grant walked in behind her. He glanced at the bed he had slept in for over twenty years, then at Caroline Whitman. Without a word, he walked into the walk-in closet.
Only then did he realize that besides his own clothes, the closet also held clothes for Caroline Whitman—all new and unworn.
He froze for a moment.
Caroline Whitman peeked in and froze as well.
’The pajamas inside came in quite a variety. This guy really knew how to look out for himself.’
"Did Miss King prepare these?"
"I don’t think so. I didn’t hear them mention it today."
’If they didn’t say anything, didn’t give a heads-up, then it wasn’t Grace Lawson and the others who prepared them in advance.’
’It must have been him—his past self—who prepared them before the amnesia.’
Adrian Grant was more inclined toward the latter possibility. Otherwise, Miss King, having cleaned the room in advance today, wouldn’t have been so unobservant as to not prepare clothes for his wife.
But seeing Caroline Whitman’s surprised reaction, Adrian Grant grew curious. "You’ve never been to the old house?"
"No. Tonight is my first time staying here."
The corner of Adrian Grant’s mouth twitched. "Then I must have been pretty terrible before my amnesia, not even bringing you back to stay after we’d been married for so long."
Caroline Whitman laughed. "No need to be so hard on yourself. We haven’t even been married that long. After Grandpa announced our marriage alliance, we were both so busy with one thing after another. It’s normal we didn’t have time to come stay here."
"You’re pretty quick to defend my old self."
"..."
Caroline Whitman took her clothes from the closet and shot him a look when she heard that. "Your past self and your present self are both still you. Don’t act like you have a split personality and have become two different people."
"..."
Caroline Whitman took two steps, then turned back and tilted her head to ask him a question:
"Do you know what that sounded like?"
"What?"
"Like I was cheating on you."
"..."
"I’m going to go wash up first," Caroline Whitman said, hugging her clothes as she went into the bathroom.
When she came out, Adrian Grant was sitting on the armchair by the window, still looking at data on that laptop of his.
Adrian Grant looked up at the sound. His gaze lingered on her for a moment, then he closed his laptop. "I’m going to wash up."
"..."
’Okay, you’re going to wash up. Why do you need to tell me?’
Caroline Whitman watched his back as he walked into the bathroom, suddenly getting a strange sense of déjà vu.
’How should I put it... It was a bit like a young couple staying in a hotel for the first time. One washes up, then the other follows, and in between, they pretend to be busy with work to ease the tension.’
’They were a long-married couple, and they were still pulling this kind of routine.’
’It was all Adrian Grant’s fault for losing his memory, dragging her back to the newbie village along with him.’