When His Eyes Opened

When His Eyes Opened Chapter 1

When His Eyes Opened Chapter 1

It was the day of Avonsville socialite Avery Tate’s wedding, but there was no groom in sight.

The groom, Elliot Foster, had been in a vegetative state since a car crash half a year ago. His doctors said that he was not going to make it until the end of the year.

In a grief-stricken act, Elliot’s mother decided to arrange a marriage for her son before he met his untimely end.

The Fosters were one of the wealthiest families in Avonsville, but no socialite in her right mind would want to marry a man who was knocking on Death’s door.

……

Avery sat at the vanity with her slender figure gracefully dressed in a white wedding gown. With her elegant makeup that brought out the exquisiteness of her pale complexion, she looked as delicate as a budding red rose.

Yet, there was an uneasiness in her almond-shaped eyes.

There was only another 20 minutes until the ceremony, and Avery was frantically sliding her fingers across her phone screen, anxiously awaiting a text message.

She had a boyfriend before she was forced to marry Elliot, and it was a terrible coincidence that he just happened to be Elliot’s nephew, Cole Foster.

However, they had never made their relationship public.

Avery had texted Cole the night before in hopes that they would escape Avonsville together and elope. She had stayed up all night waiting, but she never got a reply.

She could wait no longer.

Avery rose from her seat, clenched her hand around her phone and made up an excuse to leave the room.

She hurried down the corridor and froze in her tracks as she walked past one of the rooms.

Avery heard the sound of her sister, Cassandra giggling delightedly through the slightly ajar room door.

“I bet my dumb sister is still waiting for you to go to her, Cole! Maybe you should go and butter her up a little more. What are we going to do if she changes her mind and decides to back out of the wedding?”

“Do you think she has a choice now that things have come this far?” Cole said as he held Cassandra in his arms and nuzzled his thin lips against her neck. “Even if she tries to back out now, the guards will drag her down the altar by the neck!”

Cassandra snickered wickedly, then said, “Avery will lose her mind if she finds out that you’ve been spending every night with me!”

Avery felt a violent buzzing in her head. She took a step back and almost lost her balance.

She clenched her fists around her gown and held back the tears in her eyes.

Her father was admitted into hospital when his company went under.

Her stepmother, Wanda Tate, turned on Avery and forced her to marry into the Foster family so she could reap the benefits. She had made it sound like the marriage was for the good of the Tate family, but Avery knew that this was Wanda’s way of getting rid of her!

What was least expected, was the fact that the boyfriend who said he loved her would turn around and betray her!

It was no wonder Cole urged her to carry on with the wedding. He said that he would marry her once Elliot died, but it was all a huge lie!

All of her hopes and dreams were crushed, and she could barely breathe.

As the voices in the room intensified, Avery clenched her fists, and her eyes turned ice cold.

For years, she endured her stepmother and stepsister’s bullying for her father’s sake. She suffered through all kinds of injustices for the sake of the family.

She was too stupid and naive.

Now, she would no longer allow them to take her for a fool!

She would take back all that was hers!

The wedding ceremony began shortly after.

Dressed in her wedding gown with a bouquet of flowers in her hands, Avery walked down the aisle as soft, romantic music played in the background.

She said her own vows and put on her own wedding ring.

The crowd looked puzzled, but she paid them no mind.

From now on, she was Mrs. Foster, and she was untouchable.

However, her new husband, who used to hold Avonsville in the palm of his hand, did not have much longer to live.

……

That night, Avery was sent to Elliot’s mansion.

It was located in the heart of the city’s affluent district and cost over 150 million dollars.

Before Avery could properly take in the mansion’s layout, Mrs. Cooper had dragged her to the master bedroom.

Her eyes were immediately drawn to the man on the large bed. She slowly walked over and carefully watched his face.

Elliot’s deep-set features stood out on his chiseled face, and he exuded a majestic aura of nobility.

His skin was unusually pale from spending all that time indoors, but his handsome face made one unable to take their eyes off of him.

If he were not sick, Avery would have never become his wife.

Before he had been bed-ridden from the car crash, Elliot was a powerful figure in the country of Aryadelle. Sterling Group, which he headed, was one of the country’s top ten corporations.

He was rumored to be ruthless and tyrannical and had a legal business as well as deals with the underworld. Anyone who crossed him was bound to pay a hefty price.

Avery never thought that she would marry a man like Elliot.

The bedroom door opened while she was lost in thought.

It was Cole!

“I’m sorry, Avery! I was too busy today and just managed to come to see you,” said Cole as he approached Avery with feigned sincerity on his face.

“I just married your uncle,” Avery snapped coldly. “Do I need to teach you how to address me?”

“I know you’re mad. I didn’t elope with you because I didn’t want you to suffer a difficult life. Uncle Elliot is practically a dead man, so you don’t have to lift a finger while married to him. Once he’s dead, I’ll get a good lawyer and make sure you get his whole estate!”

Cole eagerly grabbed Avery’s hands and said, “When that happens, everything he has will be ours!”

Avery recalled the earlier scene she had witnessed between Cole and Cassandra, and she felt a surge of disgust.

“Let go!” she yelled as she violently shook his hands off.

Her sudden cry took Cole by surprise. Was this the Avery he knew?

Avery was always gentle and kind, and she would never raise her voice at him.

Could she have found out about something?

Cole felt a hint of guilt and moved closer to Avery in hopes of explaining things to her.

The next moment, his eyes shifted to something behind Avery. His eyes widened in disbelief as if he had just seen a ghost.

“He… He…” Cole stammered.

Elliot, who was lying still in bed, began to slowly open his eyes.

When His Eyes Opened Chapter 2

When His Eyes Opened Chapter 2

Under the lights of the crystal chandelier, Elliot’s obsidian black eyes were deep, magnetic, and dangerous.

As always, it was a gaze that sent a chill down one’s spine.

The color disappeared from Cole’s face as he stumbled a few steps back.

“Avery… I mean, Aunt Avery… It’s late, so I won’t bother you and Uncle Elliot!”

Cole was drenched in a cold sweat as he frantically fled the room.

Avery’s heart tightened as she watched his panic-stricken escape, and her body began to tremble uncontrollably.

Was Elliot awake? Was he not about to die?

She wanted to speak to him, but she could not find her voice. She wanted to take a closer look, but her feet were glued to the ground.

A wave of terror washed over her, and she could not help but back away, and she ran toward the stairs.

“Mrs. Cooper! Elliot’s awake! He opened his eyes!” Avery cried.

Mrs. Cooper rushed up the stairs upon hearing Avery’s voice.

“Master Elliot opens his eyes every day, Madam, but it doesn’t mean he’s awake. Look, he’s not responding to anything we’re saying right now,” Mrs. Cooper said. She then sighed and added, “The doctors said that there’s a very low probability for someone in a vegetative state to wake up.”

Avery still felt a lingering uneasiness and said, “Can I leave the lights on at night? I’m a little scared.”

“Of course,” Mrs. Cooper said. “Go to bed soon. You have to visit the old mansion tomorrow. I’ll wake you in the morning.”

“Okay,” Avery responded.

Once Mrs. Cooper walked off, Avery changed into her pajamas and got into bed.

She sat stiffly next to Elliot and watched his striking features. She stretched her hand out and waved it in front of his eyes.

“What’s on your mind, Elliot?” she asked, but there was no response.

Avery felt a sudden pang of sadness. Compared to what he had to go through, her own pain was nothing.

“I hope you wake up soon, Elliot. If that scumbag Cole gets his cold sleazy hands on all your money, you won’t be able to die in peace.”

Elliot slowly closed his eyes after that.

Avery stared at him in shock as her heart began to thump violently in her chest.

Some people are conscious even when in a vegetative state. Could he have heard what she just said?

She lay down next to him, still feeling unsettled. After a while, she heard the sound of her own sigh.

She was officially Mrs. Foster, and no one would bully her— for now.

How would the Foster family deal with her once Elliot was dead?

Avery’s heart tightened at the thought.

She had to use her position as Elliot’s wife to get back everything that she had lost while he was still conscious!

Everyone who had wronged her before would pay the price!

……

At eight in the morning the next day, Mrs. Cooper took Avery to the old mansion to visit Elliot’s mother, Rosalie Foster.

The whole Foster family was in the living room when Avery arrived, and she proceeded to greet and serve tea to each family member.

Rosalie looked pleased with Avery’s manners. An obedient child would be easier to control.

“How did you sleep last night, Avery?” asked Rosalie.

Avery’s cheeks flushed as she said, “Quite well.”

“How was Elliot? He wasn’t a bother, was he?”

Avery recalled Elliot’s handsome but unresponsive face and said sympathetically, “He didn’t move at all. It didn’t bother me.”

He might have been unmoving, but his body was warm. While she was deep in sleep, she held him like a pillow.

She was startled when she woke up in the middle of the night and realized what she was doing.

“I have something for you, Avery,” Rosalie said as she opened up a purple gift box and passed it to Avery. “This bracelet complements your skin tone. Do you like it?”

Avery did not dare to reject the old woman in front of the whole family and immediately accepted her gift.

“I do. Thank you.”

“I know things are hard for you, Avery. With Elliot the way he is now, he can’t treat you well. However, there’s a way for you to benefit from all of this,” said Rosalie as she began to reveal her plan. “Elliot is running out of time. He was always busy with work and never had the time to date. He didn’t even have the chance to have a child of his own…”

Avery stiffened upon hearing Rosalie’s words.

A child of his own?

Was Rosalie thinking of having her give birth to Elliot’s child?

“I’d like you to give Elliot a child and continue his bloodline,” Rosalie finished.

Avery was stunned, and everyone else in the room had an equally shocked expression on their faces.

“Mother, Elliot has been sick for a while. It’s possible that he’s infertile,” said Elliot’s eldest brother, Henry Foster.

Elliot was not dead yet, but everyone already had their eyes on his estate.

Rosalie chuckled and said, “I have a trick or two up my sleeve with the doctors, of course. With Elliot’s vast estate, how could he not have an heir? I’ll have Avery give Elliot a child. Even a daughter will do.”

At that moment, everyone’s eyes immediately fell on Avery.

When His Eyes Opened Chapter 3

When His Eyes Opened Chapter 3

Avery felt restless and uneasy.

“You’re still in school, right, Avery? Your studies will be affected if you get pregnant now,” said Henry’s wife.

Henry immediately agreed and said, “That’s right! Avery is still young. I doubt she’s willing to give up on her studies and raise a child at home!”

Rosalie knew what her son and daughter-in-law were thinking. This was also the reason why she was adamant about ensuring Elliot had an heir.

“Are you willing to have Elliot’s child, Avery?” Rosalie asked Avery. She did not hold back. “You should know that you and the child will inherit all of Elliot’s estate in the future. It’s a fortune large enough for you and the child to live a comfortable life.”

“I’ll do it,” Avery responded without hesitation.

She was willing to try anything to ensure Cole did not get a dime of Elliot’s money.

Besides, even if she was unwilling, the Foster family was powerful enough to force her into it.

Rosalie beamed from ear to ear after hearing Avery’s answer.

“That’s wonderful! I knew you were different from the other stupid women out there. They thought that they wouldn’t be able to benefit if Eliot was dying! Ha!”

Once tea was over, Avery walked out of the old mansion and prepared to return home.

Cole stopped her before she could leave.

The morning sun was shining, and the cicadas were chirping.

Avery felt sick to her stomach at the sight of Cole’s face.

“Please take the gifts home first, Mrs. Cooper,” Avery said.

Mrs. Cooper nodded, then walked off with the gifts.

Cole made sure no one was around, then said, “You’re breaking my heart, Avery! You never let me touch you the entire time we were dating, but now you’ve agreed to give birth to Uncle Elliot’s kid!”

“Giving him a child means getting his estate. Why wouldn’t I do it?” Avery snickered as she deliberately chose words that would hurt him.

Sure enough, Cole was agitated.

“It’s not a bad idea, but you can have my kid instead and say it’s Uncle Elliot’s. It would still be a Foster. Even if my grandmother gets angry, she would never make you abort it.”

The sneer on Avery’s face instantly vanished.

“It’s good to be ambitious, Cole, but ambition without brains can be a dangerous thing,” Avery warned. “I heard that the people by Elliot’s side are a ruthless bunch. As long as he’s breathing, his minions will be waiting for him to wake up. Do you really think they’ll let you go if they find out that I was pregnant with your child?”

Avery’s words were like a wave of ice-cold water, chilling Cole to his core.

He knew better than anyone how heartless his uncle’s people could be.

They kept a low profile after Elliot’s accident, but it did not mean that they were gone.

“I’m just kidding! Whether it’s his or mine, the kid will still be a Foster. When Uncle Elliot dies, I will definitely treat his child like my own,” Cole said as he desperately tried to defend himself.

Avery sighed, then said, “Your uncle’s child would be your cousin.”

Cole looked like he had just swallowed a fly.

“Let’s not fight about this now, Avery. We’ll talk after Uncle Elliot’s dead.”

“What if he never dies? Will you wait for me forever?” Avery retorted.

Her question left Cole speechless.

Seeing him speechless, Avery chuckled mockingly and said, “I’m off. Your grandmother’s sent a doctor to see me to your uncle’s place.”

……

When Avery returned to Elliot’s mansion, she was immediately taken to the hospital for a medical checkup by two doctors.

If she was ovulating, they would extract the eggs from her body. Otherwise, they would give her a shot to stimulate ovulation.

“There’s no need to worry, Mrs. Foster. This might hurt a little, but once you give birth to Mr. Foster’s child, your position in the Foster family will be secured,” consoled one of the female doctors.

Avery lay on the bed as her heartbeat quickened.

“How long will it take to make that happen?”

When His Eyes Opened Chapter 4

When His Eyes Opened Chapter 4

“It’s hard to say. If we’re lucky, it would take three to four months. Otherwise, it might take forever,” said the doctor.

She paused, then added, “You’re young, so I’m sure this will go smoothly.”

Time flew by in an instant. An autumn shower later, fall had arrived in Avonsville.

Avery emerged from the bathroom after a shower.

She sat by the bed, took out the new face cream she had bought that day, and massaged it onto her skin.

“Hey, Elliot, do you want me to put some of this on you? The weather has been dry lately,” Avery said as she walked over to Elliot’s side.

She sat on the edge of the bed, then spread the cream on Elliot’s face with her fingers.

Elliot’s eyes suddenly shot open. His eyes were a deep shade of amber, and they shone like gemstones.

The sparkle in his gaze shocked Avery so much that her breathing turned heavy.

It was not unusual for her to see Elliot open his eyes every day, but she was still startled every time it happened.

“Am I rubbing too hard? I’m not using that much pressure, though!” Avery said as she continued to gently massage his face.

At the same time, she began to mumble to herself.

“I read online that the reason you’ve never had a girlfriend before must be because of your body… But I don’t think you’re that bad! You have strong arms… and these muscular legs…”

Once she was done putting the cream on him, she tapped her hands on Elliot’s arms and legs.

Her touch was light and was not enough to get a reaction out of anyone.

However, Elliot’s reaction made her eyes instantly widen.

This was because… She thought she heard the sound of a man’s voice.

“Was that you, Elliot? Did you say something just now?” Avery exclaimed as she sprung off the bed. Her almond-shaped eyes fixed themselves on him in an intense stare.

Elliot stared back at her.

There was something different about his gaze. When he used to open his eyes before, they were lifeless and empty. This time, the eyes staring at Avery had emotion in them, even if those emotions bore a hint of anger, hatred, and suspicion.

“Mrs. Cooper!” Avery cried as she rushed downstairs like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. “Mrs. Cooper, Elliot’s awake! He just spoke! He’s really awake!”

Her cheeks were flushed, her heartbeat was irregular, and her chest rose and fell rapidly.

Elliot was awake.

Avery was sure that he was awake. Not only were his eyes open, but he had also spoken to her.

Even though his voice was husky and he spoke slowly, it was threatening.

Elliot had asked her who she was.

Avery’s mind instantly went blank.

Everyone around her had told her that he was going to die soon, so she had never thought about what she would do if he ever woke up.

Mrs. Cooper, the doctor, and the bodyguard rushed over upon hearing Avery’s cries.

The mansion was filled with people half an hour later.

Everyone was in shock. None of them thought that Elliot would ever wake up.

“I knew you would wake up, Elliot!” Rosalie exclaimed through tears of happiness.

“It’s good that you’re awake now, Elliot,” said Henry. “You have no idea how worried all of us were, especially Mother. She was so upset that all of her hair turned gray.”

After the doctor was done checking on Elliot’s condition, he turned to Rosalie and said, “This truly is a miracle! There were no signs of recovery when I checked on him last time. Now that Mr. Foster can speak, we just have to follow up with rehabilitation treatment, and he will be back to normal in no time.”

The good news came so suddenly that Rosalie could not bear it. Her legs buckled, and she fainted from shock.

Henry caught his mother and carried her out of the room.

The doctor, Mrs. Cooper, and the bodyguard remained in the room while Avery stood at the door in stunned silence. She was too afraid to enter.

The chilling aura that Elliot exuded upon regaining consciousness was terrifying.

He was sitting up with his back against the headboard. His eyes were as sharp as a hawk’s as they shot an icy glare at Avery.

“Who is she?” he said in a powerful, deep voice filled with contempt.

The doctor was so scared that he barely had the courage to take a breath.

Mrs. Cooper bowed her head and explained, “Master Elliot, she is the wife that Madam Rosalie arranged for you while you were sick. Her name is—”

Elliot’s thin lips parted slightly, and his voice was dull and indifferent as he spoke, “Get her out of here!”

When His Eyes Opened Chapter 5

When His Eyes Opened Chapter 5

Avery was so startled that she could not help but take a few steps back.

Elliot was like a savage beast that had awakened from a deep slumber. There was nothing scary about him when he was asleep. Now that he was awake, however, there was a menacing air of danger around him.

Mrs. Cooper walked out of the room and shut the door.

She saw Avery who looked like a deer caught in headlights and said gently, “Don’t be afraid, Madam. Master Elliot just woke up, so he might not be able to accept the news yet. Let’s get you to the guest room for tonight, and we’ll talk in the morning. Madam Rosalie loves you, so she might just be on your side.”

Avery’s mind was in a frenzy. She had thought about how Elliot might die any day, but she never thought about the possibility that he might regain consciousness.

“Mrs. Cooper, my things are still in the room…” Avery said as she glanced at the door of the master bedroom, hoping to enter and take all of her belongings.

Judging by the vicious glare that Elliot had aimed at her earlier, she had a strong feeling that he was not going to accept her as his wife.

She needed to be ready to leave the mansion at any time.

Mrs. Cooper let out a sigh and said, “Let’s leave it there for now if it’s nothing too important. I’ll get it for you tomorrow.”

“Okay,” Avery responded, then asked, “Are you afraid of him?”

“I’ve worked for him for a long time,” said Mrs. Cooper. “He may look scary, but he has not made things difficult for me.”

Avery grunted in response, then spoke no further.

She might be his wife, but strictly speaking, this was their first meeting. It was understandable that he might act hostile toward her.

Avery did not sleep well that night. Her mind was filled with a million chaotic thoughts.

Elliot’s recovery had completely disrupted the pace of her life.

……

At eight in the morning the next day, Mrs. Cooper retrieved all of Avery’s belongings from the master bedroom and sent them to the guest room she was in.

“It’s time for breakfast, Madam,” said Mrs. Cooper. “Master Elliot is already in the dining room. You should go there too! Talk to him and get to know each other a little.”

“I don’t think he wants to get to know me,” Avery grimaced.

“You still need to have breakfast. Come on, now! He didn’t even get mad when I told him that Madam Rosalie likes you! His attitude might be a little better today,” said Mrs. Cooper.

When Avery arrived at the dining room, her eyes fell on the wheelchair-bound Elliot.

He was able to move his arms thanks to routine muscle training.

He sat up straight despite being in a wheelchair. He would surely be tall and strapping if he stood up.

Filled with uneasiness, Avery sat herself down at the dining table as Mrs. Cooper set up a place for her.

Elliot did not say a word even as Avery picked up her fork.

She could not help but sneak a peek at him, which immediately garnered Elliot’s attention.

His eyes were like bottomless black holes that could swallow a person whole.

“Hey… I’m… I’m Avery Tate…” Avery stammered anxiously.

Elliot picked up his cup of coffee and leisurely sipped at it. His voice was dull and indifferent as he said, “I heard that you might be pregnant with my child.”

Avery’s heart tightened, and she immediately lost her appetite.

“Do you prefer a surgical or medical abortion?”

His tone was calm as he said those cruel words.

The color disappeared from Avery’s face, and her mind went blank.

Mrs. Cooper felt that the topic was too eerie, so she forwent etiquette and said, “Master Elliot, the child was Madam Rosalie’s idea. It had nothing to do with Madam Avery.”

“Don’t use my mother to pressure me,” Elliot snapped as he shot a glare at Mrs. Cooper, causing her to lower her head and shut her mouth.

“Elliot—” Avery began to speak but was cut off by Elliot.

“Who gave you permission to say my name?”

Avery was taken aback, then said, “What should I call you otherwise? Should I call you ‘Honey’?”

Elliot pursed his thin lips and rage seeped into his eyes.

Before he could lose his temper, Avery quickly tried to calm him down.

“I’m not pregnant. I got my period. Ask the cleaning lady, Mrs. Wilson if you don’t believe me. I asked her for a tampon this morning.”

Elliot remained silent. He picked up his cup of coffee and took a sip.

Avery felt her stomach ache and began to eat her breakfast without a second thought.

She finished her meal hurriedly, then got up to go get her bag from the room so she could get out of the house.

Being under the same roof as Elliot made her uncomfortable.

“Get your documents ready. We’ll be divorced soon,” Elliot said coldly.

Avery stopped in her tracks, but she was not surprised.

“Are we going right now?”

“In a couple of days,” Elliot replied.

Rosalie was so shocked the night before that she had to be admitted to the hospital for hypertension.

Elliot wanted to wait until his mother’s condition was stable before discussing the divorce.

“Okay, just let me know when,” Avery said before she rushed back to her room.

She reemerged with her bag about five minutes later.

Unexpectedly, she saw a familiar silhouette in the living room.

It was Cole.

He looked like a scared dog with its tail tucked between its legs as he stood respectfully by Elliot’s wheelchair.

“Uncle Elliot, my parents are visiting Grandma at the hospital, so Dad had me come see you,” Cole said as he placed a box of supplements on the coffee table.

Elliot shot a look at the bodyguard next to him.

The man understood his employer’s signal. He picked up the goods from the table and tossed them out.

“Uncle Elliot!” Cole cried in a panic. “These are the best supplements and vitamins, but I can get you something else if you don’t like them… Please don’t be mad!”

As Cole finished his sentence, another bodyguard kicked the back of his knees and sent him kneeling on the ground.

Avery was so petrified that she held back her breath.

She did not know what was going on, but Elliot was treating his own nephew with such violence.

“My dear nephew, you must be disappointed that I’m awake now,” Elliot said as he held a cigarette between his fingers.

The bodyguard pulled out a lighter and lit it for him.

Avery was dumbfounded!

He had just woken up the night before, but he was already drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes the next morning. Did he think he was invincible?

Cole’s knees were in intense pain. He began to sob and said, “Of course, I’m happy that you’re awake… I always hoped that you would—”

“Are you contradicting me?” Elliot said as he raised his thick brows. His tone might seem nonchalant, but every single word was filled with murderous intent. “Aren’t you going to admit to bribing my lawyer?”

He deliberately flicked the ash of his cigarette onto Cole’s face. He then snapped coldly, “Leave! If you p*ss me off again, I’ll feed you to the dogs!”

Cole was a panic-stricken mess as he stumbled out of the house.

Avery’s heart could not settle down after witnessing the scene.

She was scared.

She was terrified of Elliot.

Even a man as despicable as Cole looked like a buffoon next to him.

Avery did not dare get on Elliot’s bad side, and she did not want to attract his attention either.

She clutched her bag and hurried out of the house.

She was going to the hospital for a checkup that day.

Her period had arrived late, and it was an unusually small amount of blood.

It was the first time this had happened to her.

Avery arrived at the hospital and explained the situation to the doctor who then arranged an ultrasound for her.

She received the results of her ultrasound about an hour later.

The scan showed no signs of bleeding in her womb.

It also showed that there was a gestational sac inside of her… She was pregnant!

When His Eyes Opened Chapter 6

When His Eyes Opened Chapter 6

Measures had to be taken to save the baby because of the bleeding.

The news hit Avery like a ton of bricks. She was in a panicked frenzy.

“Doctor, what if I don’t want to keep the baby?”

She was about to be divorced from Elliot, so now was not the time for her to be pregnant with his child.

The doctor looked thoughtfully at Avery, then said, “Why don’t you want it? Do you have any idea how many people can’t have babies even if they wanted to?”

Avery lowered her gaze as she fell silent.

“Why didn’t your husband come with you?” asked the doctor. “Even if you don’t want the baby, you should discuss it with him first.”

Avery’s brows furrowed.

Seeing her reaction, the doctor picked up her medical records. The doctor looked at Avery and said, “You’re only 21? You’re not married, then?”

“I… I might as well not be!” Avery said. They were about to get a divorce anyway.

“Surgical abortion isn’t a simple procedure. Even if you want to go through with it, I can’t fit you in today. Go home and really think about it. Whatever your relationship with your boyfriend is, the child is innocent.”

The doctor passed Avery’s medical records to her, then said, “Now that you’re showing signs of bleeding, if we don’t do something about it, it’s hard to say if we’ll be able to keep the baby anyway.”

Avery’s heart dropped. “What do we have to do to save it?” she asked.

“Didn’t you want an abortion? Have you changed your mind?” said the doctor. “You’re a pretty girl, so your child is bound to be a beautiful baby. If you want to keep the baby, I’ll prescribe some medication for you. You’ll need bedrest for a week, then come for a follow-up after that.”

……

The blazing sun made it difficult for Avery to keep her eyes open as she walked out of the hospital. Her back was drenched in a cold sweat, and her legs felt heavy.

She felt lost. She did not know where to go, nor did she know who to talk to.

The only thing she was certain about was that Elliot could not find out about this.

Otherwise, he would make his bodyguards drag her to the operating table.

She had not made up her mind about keeping the baby. Her mind was a mess, and she wanted to make a decision after she calmed down.

She hailed a cab and made her way to her Uncle Ron’s house.

Since her parents’ divorce, Avery’s mother, Laura Jensen, had moved into her brother’s home.

Ron Jensen’s family was not as wealthy as the Tates, but they were still considered well-off.

“Avery! Did you come alone?” said Ron’s wife, Miranda Jensen. Her expression instantly turned cold when she noticed Avery had arrived empty-handed.

“I heard that you brought a whole bunch of high-end gifts the last time you visited your father’s home. I suppose etiquette isn’t important when it’s not your own home that you’re visiting.”

Miranda had planned to properly entertain Avery when she had arrived, but seeing her guest show up empty-handed made her turn frosty.

Avery was taken aback. “I’m so sorry, Aunt Miranda. I didn’t mean to. I’ll make sure to prepare something the next time I come over,” said Avery.

“Forget it! From the looks of it, you’ve pretty much been kicked out of the Foster house,” Miranda said mockingly. “I heard that Elliot Foster is awake. If he cared about you at all, you wouldn’t be running over here crying for your mommy, would you?”

Avery’s cheeks flushed as she was chastised.

Seeing her daughter getting bullied, Laura immediately said, “Even if my daughter was kicked out of the Foster family, you should not mock her for it.”

“I was just speaking the truth! Do you really need to be so touchy, Laura?” Miranda snapped. “Don’t forget whose house you’re living in. Go ahead and move out if you have what it takes!”

Laura was livid, but she knew she could not win against Miranda.

Avery’s heart twisted in her chest as she watched the scene before her.

She knew that Uncle Ron’s home was not as ideal for her mother as living at the Tate house, but she figured it probably was not too bad.

She had no idea that things were so unpleasant between Laura and Miranda.

“Maybe you should move out and rent a place somewhere, Mom? I have some money on me…” Avery insisted earnestly.

Laura nodded, then said, “Okay, I’ll go pack my things now.”

Avery and Laura emerged from Ron’s house in under half an hour and got into a cab.

“Don’t worry about me, Avery,” Laura said with a bitter smile. “I managed to save up some money over the years. I only stayed there because your grandmother was sick and wanted me to take care of her. If it weren’t for her, I would have moved out a long time ago.”

Avery lowered her gaze, then said after a moment’s pondering, “Aunt Miranda wasn’t wrong, you know? I’ll be getting a divorce from Elliot in a couple of days.”

Laura was stunned, then she immediately began to console her daughter.

“It’s okay. You haven’t graduated yet. Now, you can properly prepare for graduation after the divorce.”

“Yeah,” Avery responded as she rested her head against Laura’s shoulder. “I won’t go back to the Tate house after the divorce. Let’s live together, Mom!”

She had no plans to tell her mother about her pregnancy.

Laura would be worried sick if she found out.

When Avery returned to the Foster mansion that night, the large living room was engulfed in pin drop silence.

Mrs. Cooper suddenly appeared out of nowhere and scared Avery into a cold sweat.

“Have you had dinner, Madam? I left some food for you. I also got you some tampons.”

“Thanks, Mrs. Cooper. I already ate. Why is the house so quiet? Is he not home?” Avery asked before walking into her room.

“Master Elliot hasn’t returned. The doctor told him to rest at home but he wouldn’t listen,” Mrs. Cooper sighed. “He’s always had a mind of his own. No one can order him around.”

Avery nodded slightly.

She had a deep impression of Elliot despite the few encounters they had shared.

He was rebellious, ruthless, and insufferably arrogant.

The small iota of sympathy that she felt for him when he was sick had vanished completely after he regained consciousness.

Avery tossed and turned in bed that night.

She thought of the child growing inside of her. Not only did she not feel calmer than she felt at the hospital earlier, but she was feeling even more restless.

The next morning arrived in the blink of an eye.

Avery did not want to bump into Elliot, so she did not leave her room for a while.

Mrs. Cooper knocked on her door at 9.30 a.m. and said, “Master Elliot has just left, Madam. You can come have breakfast now.”

Avery did not expect Mrs. Cooper to know exactly what she was thinking, and her cheeks turned red.

She received a phone call after breakfast.

It was a classmate from college who was offering her a job translating manuscripts.

“I know you’re busy with your graduation thesis right now, but this manuscript should be a piece of cake for you. The pay is really good, but they need it done before noon today.”

Avery was short on money, so she agreed after only a moment’s contemplation.

She finished translating the manuscript by 11.30 a.m. and was about to send the file to her classmate after checking it twice and making sure there were no mistakes.

Suddenly, her laptop screen began to flicker.

Avery stared in horror as the screen turned blue, then black… Her laptop completely crashed!

It was a good thing she had saved the file on a USB drive.

She sighed in relief before she pulled the USB drive out of the laptop.

She needed to find another computer to send the file on the USB drive to her classmate.

“Mrs. Cooper, there’s something wrong with my laptop, but I’m in a hurry. Is there another computer in the house? I just need to send a file.”

“There is, but it’s Master Elliot’s.”

Avery felt her heart freeze.

As if she would dare use Elliot’s computer.

“It’s just one file. That shouldn’t take long, right?” When Mrs. Cooper saw how anxious Avery looked, she said, “Master Elliot might be scary, but he’s not all bad. Since you’re in a rush, I doubt he’ll blame you.”

Avery took a look at the time.

It was already 11.50 a.m., and she had to have the file sent out before noon.

Elliot’s study was located on the second floor of the mansion.

The whole time that he had been bed-ridden, apart from the cleaning ladies, no one else entered his study.

Avery was terrified of getting caught by Elliot, but at the same time, she really wanted to get that easy money.

She needed the cash.

If she decided to get an abortion, she needed to save up enough for the surgery.

The child was not hers alone. It also belonged to Elliot.

Borrowing his computer could be counted as her contribution to the medical fees.

Avery entered the study, walked straight to the desk, and turned on the computer.

Just as she was wondering what to do if the computer was password protected, the screen lit up in a flash.

When His Eyes Opened Chapter 7

When His Eyes Opened Chapter 7

The computer was not password protected, and it started up in no time.

It was so quick that Avery’s heart skipped a couple of beats.

She took a deep breath, plugged in the USB drive, then logged into her email.

Once she was logged in, she quickly sent the file to her classmate.

It was strange how smoothly everything went.

She managed to successfully send off the file before noon.

Avery did not dare linger another moment in the study. While she was about to shut down the computer, her hand trembled and she accidentally opened up a file.

The file suddenly popped up on the screen, and she stared curiously at the contents with wide eyes.

……

Avery emerged from the study five minutes later.

Mrs. Cooper let out a sigh of relief and said, “See? Didn’t I tell you that Master Elliot wouldn’t be back anytime soon?”

Avery was a mess of emotions. It felt like she had discovered Elliot’s dark secret.

She should not have used his computer in the first place.

“Are there surveillance cameras in the study, Mrs. Cooper?” Avery asked.

“There’s one outside the study,” replied Mrs. Cooper.

Avery’s face turned pale.

“Then he’s sure to find out that I was in his study.”

“Just tell him about it yourself when he gets back later. You took less than ten minutes. I don’t think he’ll be mad,” consoled Mrs. Cooper.

Avery’s phone beeped, and she pulled it out to see a notification for a wire transfer.

Her classmate banked in three hundred and twenty dollars to her account.

She did not expect the pay to be that high. It only took her two hours, and she already made three hundred and twenty dollars!

The money instantly calmed the anxiety in her heart.

She did not want to use Elliot’s computer, and she did not mean to see what she saw on it.

She should explain everything to him when he gets home and pray that he will not be angry.

She already agreed to the divorce, anyway. Once that was over, their paths would never cross again.

Whatever secrets he had would have nothing to do with her.

Avery returned to her room after lunch and shut the door.

She sat in front of her vanity, glanced down at her flat belly, and whispered softly, “I don’t want to get rid of you either, little one, but your life will be much more difficult than mine is right now if I keep you…”

Perhaps it was due to the drowsiness that came with the pregnancy, but before long she had fallen asleep at the table.

Frantic footsteps outside the room jolted Avery up from her sleep that afternoon.

Before she could pull herself together, the room door burst open.

“Madam,” Mrs. Cooper said with a fearful expression on her face, “Did you touch something on Master Elliot’s computer?”

Avery’s heart was in her mouth.

“Is… Is he home? Did he find out?”

Mrs. Cooper was a nervous wreck as she said, “Didn’t you say you were just sending a file? Master Elliot said you touched something else. He’s throwing a fit in the study right now! I really don’t know how I can get you out of this, Madam!”

Avery was so anxious that her heart thumped violently in her chest.

There was only one thought on her mind at that moment: She was dead!

At this rate, she might not even need the divorce because Elliot was probably going to kill her.

Avery’s eyes welled up with tears.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Cooper. I didn’t mean to mess with his stuff. My hands were shaking when I tried to shut it down, and I accidentally opened it up. I swear, I only took one look then shut it down…”

Mrs. Cooper believed her, but there was nothing she could do.

“He blew up at me just now. I might not even be able to keep this job for much longer.”

Avery’s heart was racing. She was willing to accept her punishment, but she could not drag Mrs. Cooper down with her.

She walked out of the room and decided to explain herself to Elliot.

At that moment, the elevator doors opened on the first floor, and a bodyguard pushed Elliot’s wheelchair out.

The mansion only had three floors, but they had an elevator installed.

Avery cautiously watched the wheelchair-bound Elliot. His expression was dark and terrifying, and there was a raging fire in his eyes.

She had guessed that he would be mad about what happened, but she had not expected him to be this furious.

“I’m sorry, Elliot,” Avery said through the lump in her throat. “My laptop stopped working this morning, so I used your computer without permission. This had nothing to do with Mrs. Cooper. She tried to stop me, but I didn’t listen to her.”

She put all of the blame on herself.

The bodyguard stopped pushing Elliot’s chair when they reached the living room, and Avery raised her gaze to look at him.

Elliot’s eyes were slightly reddened. It looked like she really ticked him off.

Avery’s voice was nasally when she spoke again, “I’m sorry.”

“You saw everything, didn’t you,” Elliot said in a low and deep voice that chilled her to the bone.

His hands were clasped together, seemingly relaxed, but his knuckles had turned white.

If he were not stuck to the wheelchair at that moment, he might just break her neck.

This stupidly reckless woman!

Did she really think she was the mistress of the house?

How dare she enter his study and touch his things?

D*mn her!

Avery nodded before violently shaking her head and saying, “I barely remember any of it now. I only took one look then shut it down! I honestly didn’t mean to breach your privacy. I was just so nervous at the time. I don’t know how I somehow opened the file—”

“Shut up!” Elliot scowled. Hearing her excuses disgusted him even more.

“Go to your room! Don’t take one step out of there until the divorce!”

Avery swallowed back the explanations she was about to give.

She turned and quickly returned to her room.

She could clearly feel the loathing that Elliot felt for her.

Once Avery’s door was shut, Elliot’s adam’s apple rolled in his throat.

“No meals for her,” he said to Mrs. Cooper.

Was he putting her on house arrest and starving her to death while he was at it?

Mrs. Cooper felt bad for Avery but did not dare disobey.

At the Foster house, Elliot’s word was the law of the land.

……

Two days later, Rosalie’s blood pressure was stable, and she was allowed to be discharged from the hospital.

She immediately made her way to Elliot’s mansion.

“How’s your health, Elliot? What did the doctor say? When will you be able to stand up again?” Rosalie chirped in high spirits as she smiled gently at her son.

“The doctor said I’m recovering quite well,” Elliot replied. “There’s something I’d like to discuss with you, Mother.”

The smile on Rosalie’s face died a bit as she said, “Is this about your marriage? I was the one who arranged it. Avery is a lovely girl, and I like her quite a lot… That’s right, where is she? You didn’t chase her out, did you?”

“I didn’t,” Elliot said, then signaled Mrs. Cooper.

Mrs. Cooper instantly headed in the direction of Avery’s room.

It had been two days since she had had anything to eat or drink. Mrs. Cooper wondered how she was doing.

When His Eyes Opened Chapter 8

When His Eyes Opened Chapter 8

Rosalie stood looking into the room from the open door.

Avery was curled up in a ball with her arms around her knees as she leaned against the wall.

Her hair was down, and it was a mess.

She looked up in a daze when she heard the commotion at the door.

“Avery! What happened to you?” Rosalie exclaimed. When she saw Avery’s face, which was white as a sheet of paper, her blood pressure instantly shot up.

“How did you become like this? Was it… Was it Elliot? Is he abusing you?”

At this point, there was a slight tremble in Rosalie’s voice.

Avery had lost a lot of weight.

Her face was void of any color, and there were faint cracks on her dry lips.

Her chest rose and fell unsteadily. She wanted to speak, but she could not find her voice.

Mrs. Cooper walked over with a glass of warm milk and passed it to Avery.

“Have a glass of milk first, Madam. Don’t be afraid. Now that Madam Rosalie is here, you can eat.”

Rosalie’s brows furrowed furiously as she said, “What’s that? Elliot isn’t letting Avery eat? How did she get so skinny? Is he trying to starve her to death?”

The incident shocked Rosalie to the core.

She stormed over to the living room and stood before her son.

“Elliot, Avery is the wife that I arranged for you. What would you have me think if you tormented her this way?”

“She should be punished for her mistakes. If it weren’t for your sake, do you think I would have allowed her to stay until now?” Elliot said in a cold, nonchalant voice.

The way he saw it, starving her for two days was a lot more merciful than breaking her arm.

She touched something she was not supposed to. She crossed his line. How could he easily forgive her?

“Mistake? What did Avery do?” asked Rosalie.

In her eyes, Avery was a sensible, well-behaved, and observant girl. She would never be stupid enough to deliberately anger Elliot.

Elliot pursed his lips and did not answer his mother.

“I know… I know why you never wanted to get married and have children,” said Rosalie. “Elliot, it’s because I know too well exactly what you’re thinking that I can’t allow you to do this. Avery is a good girl. It’s fine if you don’t love her. You just have to stay together, even if you’re only husband and wife in name!”

At this point, Rosalie’s eyes welled up with tears of agony.

She became even more worked up the more she spoke, and her eyes turned bloodshot.

Elliot was about to retaliate when he noticed his mother’s condition. He signaled to his bodyguard to hold on to her.

“As long as I’m sure, you can’t chase Avery out! Divorce isn’t out of the question… You just have to find a girl you like. I will not allow you to spend the rest of your life alone!” Rosalie said as the bodyguard helped her to the couch. Her head was spinning even more.

She could feel herself running out of breath as she said those last words.

Thirty seconds later, Rosalie’s head tilted and she fell back onto the couch.

The old Mrs. Foster, who justhad just been discharged that morning, was then rushed back to the hospital.

Elliot did not expect his mother to be so stubborn. He also did not expect her to be so furious.

He had thought that the matter with Avery could be settled quickly, but it seemed that there were some obstacles.

He did not only hate Avery, but he also refused all women.

It was impossible that he would find another woman for the sake of divorcing Avery.

……

In the guest bedroom, Avery sipped on the glass of milk as her condition improved slightly.

She heard everything that was happening outside the room.

Elliot did not say much, but he still managed to provoke his mother to the point of fainting.

Mrs. Cooper brought Avery a bowl of oatmeal. She then picked up a brush and began combing through Avery’s disheveled hair.

“Did you hear that, Madam? As long as Madam Rosalie is around, Master Elliot won’t kick you out,” consoled Mrs. Cooper.

Avery had starved for two days. She was tired and out of energy, but there was one thing she was certain about.

“I want a divorce,” she said in a husky voice, but each of her words was clear. “Whether he wants to or not, I will absolutely divorce him.”

She did not want to linger in this hell for another second!

She never wanted to see that devil, Elliot Foster, ever again!

“Don’t be upset, Madam,” Mrs. Cooper said awkwardly. “Have some oatmeal. I’ll go and take a look at what’s going on.”

When Mrs. Cooper arrived at the door, she saw the bodyguard pushing Elliot over in his wheelchair and immediately said, “Madam’s condition isn’t stable right now, Master Elliot.”

Elliot’s expression was no different than usual, but his eyes were as cold as ice.

When Mrs. Cooper moved aside, the bodyguard pushed Elliot to the room’s entrance.

Avery’s head shot up suddenly, and her eyes met his.

It was as if there was the crackling of sparks in the air.

“Let’s get a divorce, Elliot!” Avery said as she put down the bowl of oatmeal.

She picked up her luggage and walked over to him.

She had packed her things two nights ago and was prepared to leave the place at any moment.

“Go marry someone you actually like!” she said in a much tougher tone.

Elliot’s eyes narrowed as he said, “You hate me that much. Do you not think you were wrong?”

“I was wrong. I shouldn’t have used your computer,” Avery said as she tried to control her breathing. “I’ve already gotten my punishment, so we should be even. Do you have the divorce papers with you? If not, I can go get them made right now…”

Seeing the way she could not wait to distance herself from him, Elliot drawled, “Did I say that your punishment was over?”

Avery was stunned. It was as if she just took a blow to the head.

“Since it’s so agonizing for you to stay by my side, you’ll continue to be Mrs. Foster!”

Elliot’s tone showed that the matter was not up for discussion. It was an order.

“We will get divorced, just not right now,” he added before his bodyguard pushed him away.

Avery watched his back as she gritted her teeth in distaste.

Who was he to tell her whether to go through with the divorce or not?

Did he think that just because he would not, she would not find a way?

Avery was hit by a sudden dizziness. Her ankles went weak, and it felt like all the energy was sucked out of her.

She immediately went to lie down on the bed.

Once she was lying down, she slowly began to calm down.

It was not like Elliot said he would not divorce her. His mother was not well, so he was just holding back for now.

If that were the case, she just needed to be patient and wait.

Avery recovered a week later.

She went to the hospital for a checkup after breakfast.

She had a strong feeling that she had lost the baby.

Elliot had starved her for two days. She did not have a bite to eat and only had tap water to drink when she was thirsty.

Under those circumstances, she could only try to survive. The child in her womb was sure to have starved to death by then.

When she arrived at the hospital, the doctor ordered an ultrasound scan for Avery.

She was dejected during the ultrasound examination.

“Doctor, is my child gone?”

“What makes you say that?” the doctor asked.

“I didn’t eat anything for two days… The baby’s condition was already not great…”

“Oh, not eating for two days is fine. Some pregnant mothers have such awful vomiting spells that they don’t really eat for a whole month,” responded the doctor.

Avery’s heart tightened.

“So, my baby…”

“Congratulations! There are two gestational sacs in your womb. You’re having twins.”

When His Eyes Opened Chapter 9

When His Eyes Opened Chapter 9

There was no sign of two gestational sacs during the last checkup.

Avery could not believe that there were two babies inside of her a short week later.

She held the ultrasound scan in her hands as she sat in a quiet daze on one of the benches in the hospital corridor.

The doctor told her that the probability of being pregnant with twins was extremely low.

If she had an abortion now, she might never be able to have twins again.

Avery chuckled bitterly. All of this was the work of the Fosters’ private doctors.

When they had implanted the fertilized eggs into her, they had not mentioned that she was going to have twins.

Perhaps in their eyes, she was nothing but a birthing tool for the Fosters from the beginning.

When she began to bleed the week before, she thought that her period had arrived. When the Fosters’ doctors found out, they thought that the procedure had failed. When Elliot said that he would divorce her after he had woken up, the doctors had never seen her again.

The decision to give birth or not was now solely on her shoulders.

Avery’s phone rang in her bag. She had been in the hospital for over an hour.

She pulled out her phone, stood up, and walked toward the hospital’s exit.

“Avery, your father’s dying! Come home right away!”

Her mother’s hoarse voice came from the other side of the line.

Avery was stunned.

Dad was dying? How could this be?

She knew that her father had been hospitalized after his company got in trouble. He could not even attend her wedding.

She did not know that his condition was this serious. Avery’s mind was a mess.

She did not have a good relationship with her father. She could never forgive him for having an affair.

However, her heart stung painfully upon suddenly hearing the news of his serious illness.

……

The living room of the Tate house was a chaotic mess when Avery arrived.

Laura took her straight to the master bedroom.

Jack Tate was lying on the bed. His breathing was shallow and his eyes were barely open. When he saw Avery, he raised his arm in her direction.

“Dad, why didn’t you go to the hospital if you’re this sick?” Avery said as she held her father’s cold hand. Tears welled up in her eyes.

“That’s easy for you to say! Where would we get the money to take your father to the hospital?” Wanda snapped frostily.

Avery’s head shot up as she said, “Didn’t you get a large sum of money from the Fosters? Why didn’t you use that to help Dad?”

Wanda pouted and said, “We used that money to pay off the debts! Do you know how much money your father’s company owes? Don’t look at me like I ate your money up, Avery! Besides, your father’s illness can’t be cured! He’s better off dead!”

After saying such cruel words, Wanda heartlessly stormed out of the room.

Avery did not leave with her.

At the end of the day, Jack was still her father. He had always loved her, and she did not want to lose her father.

“Don’t be mad at her, Dad. It’s not that she didn’t want to get you treated, but the family really doesn’t have much money,” Avery sniffled as she stood crying by the bed. “Dad, I really hope you get through this…”

Jack turned a deaf ear to Avery’s words.

Instead, he looked at her with eyes filled with tears. His lips trembled and his voice was low as he said, “Avery… My darling girl… I’ve failed you… I’ve failed your mother… I’ll make it up to both of you in the next life…”

The large hand holding hers suddenly let go.

A shrill cry tore through the house.

Avery’s heart throbbed in pain.

Overnight, her world underwent an earth-shattering change.

She was married and pregnant, and her father was gone.

She had thought that she was just still just a child herself, but life swept her up and pushed her into a lonely, hopeless corner.

The day of the funeral was a gloomy and rainy one.

Not many people attended the funeral, not since the fall of the Tates.

After the service, Wanda went to a hotel with the guests.

The crowd scattered like a flock of wild birds.

Before long, Avery and Laura were the only ones left at the cemetery.

Their moods were as dark as the gray skies.

“Do you hate Dad, Mom?” Avery asked as she stared at her father’s gravestone through teary eyes.

Laura lowered her gaze and said in a dull voice, “I do. Even if he’s dead, I will never forgive him.”

Avery did not understand.

“Then, why are you crying?” she asked.

“Because I loved him,” Laura sighed. “Relationships are complicated, Avery. It isn’t just a matter of love or hate. It could also be a love-hate relationship.”

That night, Avery dragged her worn out body back to Elliot’s mansion.

From the day of Jack’s death to the end of the funeral, the process had taken three days.

She did not return to the mansion at all during the three days.

Nobody from the Foster family contacted her either.

She did not tell anyone in the Foster house about her father’s passing.

The relationship with Elliot was colder than ice and frostier than snow.

When Avery stepped into the courtyard, she noticed the mansion’s lights were lit, and the living room was filled with guests.

Everyone was dressed to the nines and chatting away merrily with wine glasses in their hands.

Avery paused in her tracks.

“Madam!” Mrs. Cooper noticed her and rushed over.

Perhaps it was because Avery’s cold and pitiful expression stood in stark contrast to the liveliness of the living room, but the smile on Mrs. Cooper’s face tensed as she hesitated.

“It’s raining outside. Come on in!” Mrs. Cooper said as she held Avery’s arm and pulled her into the living room.

Avery was dressed in a black trench coat with her slender, fair calves peeping out from underneath the hem. On her feet were a pair of black, low-heeled leather shoes.

Her aura was chilly, which was different from her usual demeanor.

Mrs. Cooper brought her a pair of pink, plush house slippers.

Avery changed into the slippers and inadvertently glanced at the living room.

Elliot’s guests were evaluating her with meaningful eyes as if she was an animal in a zoo’s enclosure.

Their eyes were bold and disrespectful.

Avery used the same gaze to look at Elliot, who was sitting at the center of the couch.

He was holding a lit cigarette between his fingers, and he was surrounded by smoke. Behind the veil of smoke, his stone-cold face looked almost like a dream.

The reason she looked at him was because of the woman sitting next to him.

The woman had a beautiful head of long, black hair. She was dressed in a body-hugging white dress with a face of exquisite makeup. She looked gorgeous without being vulgar.

The upper half of her body was stuck closely to Elliot as she held a cigarette between her fingers.

It was obvious that this woman’s relationship with Elliot was anything but ordinary.

A few seconds after Avery’s gaze fell on the woman, her brows furrowed slightly.

“You’re Avery Tate, right?” the woman said as she got up from the couch and provocatively walked over to Avery. “I heard that you were the wife that Madam Rosalie picked for Elliot. She has pretty good taste. You’re quite pretty, just a little small… Oh, I didn’t mean your age. I was talking about your body…”

Avery pursed her lips and said, “You’re beautiful, and you have curves. Everything about you is better than me… So, when is Elliot marrying you?”

Her nonchalant tone drove the woman into a furious rage.

“How dare you talk to me like that? Do you know how long I’ve been by Elliot’s side? Even if you’re his wife, if I were to slap you in the face right now, he wouldn’t even bat an eye!”

Just as the woman finished speaking, she raised her arm.

The sound of glass smashing filled the air.

Avery had picked up an expensive bottle of wine and smashed it against the coffee table!

Bright red liquid splashed and trickled down the edge of the table, dripping onto the carpet underneath.

Avery’s eyes were bloodshot as she clenched her fingers tightly around the bottle, pointing the jagged edge at the arrogant woman.

“You want to hit me? Come on! If you dare touch me, I’ll kill you!” she yelled as she approached the woman with the broken bottle.

Everyone in the room was dumbfounded.

It was said that the eldest daughter of the Tate family was a low-profile introvert, but it turned out… She was insane!

Elliot’s hawk-like eyes narrowed as smoke escaped his thin lips.

His fiery gaze was fixed on Avery’s pained but ruthless little face.

When His Eyes Opened Chapter 10

When His Eyes Opened Chapter 10

The living room instantly fell so silent that one could hear the sound of a beating heart.

Avery stormed back to her room and violently slammed the door shut.

The loud bang rumbled through the entire mansion.

This woman dared slam a door in Elliot Foster’s house. She must not fear death.

Everyone turned their gaze to evaluate Elliot’s reaction. He looked calm and composed as if he was not angry at all.

Normally, if anyone were to make a sound louder than 60 decibels in front of him, he would definitely frown.

The sound of Avery’s slamming door was at least 90 decibels, so why was he not upset?

More importantly, the bottle of wine that Avery had smashed was over thirty thousand dollars. They had not even had the chance to drink it yet.

She broke it without even batting an eyelid.

“D*mn, I heard that Miss Tate’s father passed away a few days ago. Seeing as she showed up in black, she must have just returned from the funeral!”

Someone had mustered up the courage to break the silence.

The woman in the white dress was a senior manager at Sterling Group’s PR department, Chelsea Tierney.

It was her birthday, so she had invited a few of Elliot’s friends to the house to also celebrate his recovery.

Her earlier altercation with Avery was a huge blow to her pride.

Chelsea noticed Elliot’s unbothered expression, but she knew him well enough to know that he could blow up at any moment.

She returned to his side and apologized cautiously, “I’m sorry, Elliot. I didn’t know her father had passed away.”

Elliot snuffed out his cigarette in the ashtray. He smoothly picked up his wine glass with his long, slender fingers and downed its contents in one swift gulp.

He placed the empty glass back on the table, then said in a low, sensual voice, “Happy birthday.”

Chelsea’s ears turned red as she responded, “Thank you.”

“Also, Avery Tate isn’t someone you can touch,” Elliot said as he adjusted the collar of his shirt. His voice carried a hint of warning. “Even if she were just a pet in the Foster household, I’m the only one who can push her around.”

Chelsea panicked.

“But you’re about to divorce her, so she would be even less than a pet by then!”

Elliot’s gaze instantly turned ice cold.

“Even if it were something I no longer wanted, I still won’t watch as someone puts her down.”

At that moment, Mrs. Cooper walked in to clean up the shattered wine bottle and take away the dirtied carpet.

Someone filled up Elliot’s wine glass.

“Don’t be mad, Elliot. Chelsea didn’t mean to do that. She won’t actually lay her hand on Miss Tate,” the man sitting on the other side of Elliot said as he tried to lighten the mood.

“That’s right! Chelsea, hurry up and take three shots as punishment! You may be the birthday girl, but you did go a little too far!”

Chelsea picked up her glass and prepared to take three shots.

Elliot glanced to the side at his bodyguard who immediately walked over and helped him up.

“You guys go ahead!” Elliot said before he returned to his room.

Chelsea watched Elliot’s back as he left the room with reddened eyes. She gulped down three shots. She stomped in her stilletos.

“D*mn! Both the stars of the night left. Do we keep drinking?”

“Of course! It would be good for Chelsea to give up, too. Otherwise, she’ll keep thinking she’ll become Mrs. Foster one day!”

“I doubt what happened tonight would make her give up! Elliot is still planning to divorce Miss Tate, anyway.”

“Speaking of Avery Tate, she’s quite beautiful, but she has a bad temper. How does Elliot put up with it?”

……

In the guest room, Avery held her knees in her arms as tears quietly streamed down her face.

The dam that had held her tears for the past three days had been completely destroyed.

Her father’s final apology before his death constantly echoed in her head.

All of the hatred that she had felt for him had vanished without a trace.

She sobbed until she fell into a deep slumber.

When she woke up the next morning, her eyes were swollen and aching.

Avery changed into a clean nightgown and walked out of the room.

She had not eaten well the past few days, and she was so hungry that her stomach ached.

When she arrived at the entrance of the dining room, she saw Elliot’s back and stopped.

Mrs. Cooper saw her and immediately greeted her, “Breakfast is ready, Madam! Come over and have some!”

In the past, Avery avoided Elliot like the plague. She was scared of offending him and suffering the consequences.

Now, the thought of him delaying the divorce gave her a boost of courage.

She chose the seat furthest from him and sat down. Mrs. Cooper placed her breakfast in front of her, and she was about to eat when Elliot spoke.

“That bottle of wine last night costs thirty thousand dollars.”

His voice was indifferent.

Avery’s hand tightened around her fork as her mind went blank.

Thirty thousand dollars for a bottle of wine?

What kind of wine was that expensive?

Was he expecting her to pay for it?

Did he think she looked like she could afford it?

She felt a pang of pain in her stomach. Her back was drenched in a cold sweat, and she had lost her appetite.

Elliot glanced at Avery’s tired and pale face and said, “This is a warning. If you break something in my house again, you’ll pay for it to the penny!”

Avery’s stomach stopped hurting upon hearing this, and her appetite returned.

Many women suffer side effects during the early stages of pregnancy, ranging from vomiting to being bed-ridden.

Apart from the occasional bout of nausea, Avery had yet to throw up.

However, when she saw the pieces of meat on her plate, she suddenly felt uneasy and picked them out.

“Is it not good, Madam?” Mrs. Cooper said anxiously when she saw Avery’s behavior.

Avery shook her head and said, “I’ve been feeling like having vegetarian meals recently.”

“Alright, I’ll keep that in mind,” responded Mrs. Cooper quickly.

After breakfast, Avery returned to her room and changed her clothes.

Jack’s lawyer had made an appointment to see her today. He did not say what it was about, but she had an inkling.

Once she was changed, she grabbed her purse and walked out of the room.

Coincidentally, Elliot was also about to head out.

He had a bodyguard to escort him and a chauffeur to drive him.

Avery glanced at the time. She had agreed to meet the lawyer at 10 a.m., and it was already close to nine in the morning.

She took long strides as she walked out. It was about a ten minute walk from the mansion to where she could hail a cab.

The rain the day before caused the temperature to drop by a few degrees

Perhaps it was the cold wind, but Avery felt a surge of nausea after walking a short while.

A silver luxury sedan drove out of the estate and was about to speed up when the driver noticed Avery.

“It looks like Madam Avery,” said the driver as he slowed down the car.

The driver had seen Avery walk out of the house, so he remembered what she was wearing.

Elliot had his eyes shut but suddenly opened them up upon hearing the driver’s words.

“It looks like Madam’s throwing up, Mr. Foster,” said the driver who had a better view from the driver’s seat.

Avery was silently celebrating her light pregnancy symptoms at breakfast, but she was now uncontrollably puking her guts out.

She held onto the trash can and planned to head home to wash up once she was done throwing up.

She was faced with Elliot’s car when she turned around.

The luxury sedan sparkled under the bright sun.

The driver had stopped the car next to her and rolled down the back seat window.

Avery saw Elliot’s deep, cold eyes staring at her.

Her cheeks flushed a crimson red.

Could he suspect something?

She frowned, then walked to the back seat window and said, “I think I ate too much at breakfast.”