"If you feel sorry, then you should eat more, so I can feel at ease," Vernon said.
'ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ N ovelBi(n)',
Chloe held her breath after Vernon said that. She just couldn't believe what she had heard just now.
Vernon was still busy cutting the pancake into small pieces and stabbing it with his fork, so he didn't realize that Chloe was staring at him intently for a while.
"Okay, here's another one," Vernon said as he continued spoon-feeding Chloe.
Chloe didn't open her mouth, but she kept staring at Vernon until the latter lifted his gaze a little, "What? Why are you staring at me like that? Do I look too handsome to you?"
Chloe was caught off guard by Vernon again, "Ah— no, I—I was just surprised by your words…."
"By my words?"
"Mhm, when you said that you want me to eat more, so you'll feel at ease…."
Vernon frowned, "I see nothing wrong with my statement."
"But… that's not normal…" Chloe murmured. "Y—You're a man. Aren't you um… grossed out when you see a woman eating too much?"
"Huh?" Vernon got even more confused with her question. "What kind of stupid question is that? Don't you see that you're just skin and bone right now?"
"That—" Chloe lowered her head ashamedly. She didn't know what was good for her.
When she was fat, Vincent laughed at her by calling her fat bitch or whale.
'ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ No(v) e lBin ᴏɴʟʏ.',
But when she was skinny, Vincent laughed at her, calling her a bony bitch, or ugly skeleton.
Vernon noticed how Chloe looked sad when he mentioned the condition of her body.
He didn't want Chloe to misunderstand his intention, so he gently pinched Chloe's chin and lifted her head slightly until they were at the same eye level.
Ba-dump!
Chloe's heartbeat accelerated instantly when her eyes met with Vernon's deep hawk-like eyes.
That deep gaze was the same gaze Vernon showed when they shared a long and hot kiss together last night, and it made her uncomfortably warm all over.
She wanted to retreat, but Vernon pinched her chin even harder.
"V—Vernon, you're too close…." Chloe murmured. She saw her daughter from the corner of her eyes, staring at them without blinking. "M—Mackie is looking at us…."
"Tch, I'm not going to do anything," Vernon clicked his tongue, "Stop struggling and listen to me first."
Vernon had wanted to say this for a while but never found the right time.
'This will be the right time. I need her to know something.'
"Chloe, I don't want you to be too skinny, nor do I want you to be fat," Vernon said truthfully. "I want you to be healthy, and I will be your support for that."
"You're literally nothing but skin and bone right now, that's why I'm going to feed you until you get into your healthy weight," Vernon said. "I will also hire a dietician for you later."
"Chloe, I will do everything as long as you're healthy."
Chloe finally stopped struggling after she heard Vernon's comment about her body.
She knew that Vernon was very harsh with his words, but what he said made sense, especially about her current condition.
She knew she was dangerously thin, and her habit of throwing up after eating anything was because she had gone through many extreme diet methods for the past four years.
All her attempts to look beautiful and presentable in front of Vincent. After all, which woman wouldn't want to show a nice body in front of her husband?
'Too bad, I was never enough…' Chloe thought.
? Vernon noticed how Chloe's mind started to fly off even though they were staring at each other at such close distance, to the point that they could feel each other's breath.
'ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ Novel(B) in.ᴄᴏᴍ ᴛᴏ ᴇxᴘᴇʀɪᴇɴᴄᴇ ꜰᴀsᴛᴇʀ ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ sᴘᴇᴇᴅ.',
'He must've been thinking about that bastard again,' Vernon thought.
Of course, he was jealous. They were so close, yet Chloe kept thinking about that bastard who abused her mercilessly.
"I'm the one in front of you, Chloe. Think about me!" Vernon raised his voice, so Chloe could snap out of her daze and stop thinking about Vincent.
"Ah—Vernon…"
"Yes, think only about me when you're living in my house," Vernon insisted.
"S—Sorry…" Chloe realized that Vernon had caught her thinking about Vincent again.
"Sorry is not enough," Vernon said. "You need to obey my order."
…
Chloe went silent, waiting for the order. She thought Vernon simply wanted to order her to do something, just like he ordered her like a maid.
"I only have one order for you, and that is… I want you to try to be healthy," Vernon said. "Eat well, and never skip your meal everyday. I will be watching you every single time, making sure you eat together with me and Mackie."
Vernon turned his head toward Mackie and asked, "Don't you think so too?"
Mackie, who had been attentively watching and listening to Mommy and Uncle's conversation, nodded happily.
"Yes! Mackie wants Mommy to eat a lot! I feel lonely when I have to eat alone while Mommy is just watching. I want Mommy to be strong like Mackie too!"
Vernon grinned with pride when they finally had something to agree on together, which was about Chloe's wellbeing. i
"We're going to watch your Mommy together. Tell Uncle if she's trying to skip dinner while I'm out for work, okay?" Vernon instructed her little niece.
Mackie saluted like a small policewoman, "Yes, Sir! Mackie will report to you if Mommy is skipping meals again!"
Vernon was satisfied with Mackie's answer. He stopped pinching Chloe's chin and said, "See? Even your daughter is on my side right now."
"Un! Mackie is so happy to see you eat, Mommy! You've never done so at home!" Mackie said.
Chloe's eyes shifted between Vernon and Mackie simultaneously.
She thought that Vernon and Mackie were like cat and mouse that would never be able to work together. But they agreed upon something, and that was regarding her health.
'I know that being too thin is not healthy, but I can't help myself...'