CEO Ex-Husband, Don't Bother Me-Chapter 33: To My Liking

"Julian, I’m not a big fan of this style..."

"If you’re going to be my woman, your taste in clothes will follow my style. Grow your hair out for me. Also..."

He leaned in, whispering in her ear in a voice only they could hear,

"...change the style and color of your underwear, too! I don’t like anything so conservative!"

Naomi Shaw froze in his arms, but in the end, she still took the dress and went into the fitting room.

Naomi Shaw dawdled in the fitting room for a long time before finally emerging in the dress. The brand was world-renowned and the style was very fashionable. Its form-fitting, cinched-waist design made her waist look slender enough to be encircled by a single hand.

But she had a pure and delicate face, eyes that shimmered like placid water, and a clean, innocent air about her. The provocative style simply didn’t suit her in anyone’s eyes—including Julian Donovan’s.

But he remembered what he had just said to her, so he turned, paid at the front counter, and dragged her out. Naomi Shaw felt helpless. ’Don’t they say a woman dresses up for the one she loves? If he likes seeing it, then I’ll just wear it,’ she thought.

When they arrived at the hospital, Ian Shaw was also surprised to see her dressed like that. She could only offer a faint smile and explain,

"Oh, Dad, I just wanted to change up my style a bit. I can’t stay childish forever, right?"

"If a man truly loves you, he’ll be willing to spoil you and let you be childish forever!"

Ian Shaw said this calmly to Naomi Shaw, then shot a subtle glance at Julian Donovan standing beside her. Ian Shaw was a perceptive man; how could he not know who his daughter was changing for? He just didn’t know that Naomi was being forced. He assumed she was changing for Julian willingly.

The implication was a warning to his daughter: don’t change yourself for a man who doesn’t love you. Losing yourself in love is the most terrifying and tragic thing of all.

Of course, Naomi Shaw understood the meaning behind Ian Shaw’s words. The smile on her face froze for a moment before she quickly changed the subject.

"Dad, how are you feeling?"

Ian Shaw reached out and ruffled her soft hair.

"The surgery was a success. I just need to stay here for half a month to recover, then I can go home. Don’t you worry, just go back and focus on your studies!"

Naomi Shaw nodded obediently. Ian Shaw then discussed a few other matters with Julian Donovan before urging them to leave.

Julian Donovan walked out first. When Naomi Shaw found him in the courtyard, he handed her a pill and a bottle of mineral water.

"Take this."

"What is this?"

Naomi Shaw was completely baffled. He stated flatly,

"Birth control!"

The color drained from Naomi Shaw’s face in an instant. The thought had never even crossed her mind before. Pregnancy, having children... she was only eighteen. All of it felt so distant. She stared blankly at the pill in his hand, unable to accept it.

Seeing her reaction, Julian Donovan assumed she was refusing to take it. He pulled his hand back and reminded her coldly,

"It’s fine if you don’t want to. That is, if you’d rather go under the knife at the hospital after an ’accident’!"

"I’ll take it!"

He had barely finished speaking when she, pale-faced, snatched the pill and water from his hand and swallowed them. Satisfied, he bent down and gave her trembling lips a light peck.

"That’s a good girl. From now on, learn to track your cycle and take contraceptive measures yourself. I don’t like using condoms, and I don’t like being held back when I’m in the mood."

With that, he let her go and strode away. She staggered, rooted to the spot. His final words about going under the knife had terrified her. She knew he would never want their child, and she didn’t want to go through that procedure. So from now on, she would remember to take the pill afterward.

Life can be so ironic sometimes. A single turn can alter a lifetime.

After leaving the hospital, Naomi Shaw followed Julian Donovan back to the hotel to pack. She had assumed she would be returning alone, so she was surprised to see him emerge with a suitcase as well. "Julian, are you coming back too?" she asked, astonished.

"Mhm," he grunted, pulling his luggage ahead of him. Ian Shaw’s surgery had been successful, and Mrs. Sommers was arriving soon. With Ian Shaw absent, there would surely be a lot to handle. Thinking of Juliet Jennings’s attitude the day before, he had no desire to linger either.

Walking behind him, Naomi Shaw felt a small flicker of secret joy. This meant he wouldn’t be staying here and getting entangled with Juliet Jennings.

Down in the lobby, Julian Donovan checked out at the front desk while she waited for him on a sofa in the lounge area. Out of boredom, she casually picked up a newspaper. Just like that, the small joy she’d felt moments ago turned to ice.

The paper reported that Juliet Jennings, Wendy Lowe, and their group had left Wincastle early this morning. They had only been in town for the awards ceremony, where Juliet Jennings had won the Best Newcomer award. She was pictured holding the trophy, a distant, proud smile on her face as she faced the camera.

’He’s coming back to Thailos with me because Juliet Jennings has already left. There’s no point in him staying here anymore, is there?’ She looked down at the dress she was wearing, deliberately marked with the symbol of the woman he loved. Her eyes dimmed as she put the newspaper back on the rack.

The two of them went to the airport together. While they were waiting for their flight, Julian Donovan left for a moment. He returned with a bag, which he tossed to her with a simple command, "Go change into this."

Naomi Shaw was confused. She took the bag and looked inside to find a refreshing, floral-print sundress—a style that was truly her own. She lowered her eyes and went to the restroom with the dress without a word. A bitter thought formed in her mind: ’This other dress must have looked so wrong on me, so far from what he wanted, that even he couldn’t stand to look at it anymore.’

The moment Naomi Shaw returned to the waiting area, Julian Donovan snatched the dress she had just changed out of and threw it into a nearby trash can. Before she could even react, he pulled her up and started heading toward the gate to board.

She tugged on his arm, refusing to move.

"Hey, hey, Julian, that dress..."

’How could he just throw it away without a second thought? It was the first thing he ever gave me, after all.’

Julian Donovan ignored her, tugging her along with a bit more force.

Upon arriving in Thailos, Julian Donovan had to return to the Shaw Residence to handle some matters, so Naomi Shaw went with him. She was exhausted from his activities last night and this morning, on top of the long flight. She told a maid not to call her for dinner and went upstairs to catch up on sleep.

She slept until the middle of the night. Waking up famished, she decided to go down to the kitchen to find something to eat. The moment she opened her door, she saw a figure walking toward her from the other end of the second-floor hallway, which gave her a fright.

As the person drew closer, she realized it was Julian Donovan. She glanced down at her attire and spun around, about to flee back into her bedroom. She had assumed no one would be out this late, and since all the maids were women, she had stepped out wearing only a thin nightgown.

A hot, large hand seized her arm. The next second, he had pulled her into his embrace, pinning them both against the wall. His voice curled in her ear,

"Have you forgotten what I said? Whenever I want you, wherever I want you. Anytime, anyplace."

Pinned against the wall, Naomi Shaw struggled uneasily.

"Julian, don’t do this. What if one of the maids comes out and sees us?"

Julian Donovan chuckled softly. His large hand covered her softness, his fingers kneading her hardened peak through the thin fabric.

"What’s there to be afraid of? Who’s going to be out this late? Besides, by dressing like this, weren’t you just waiting here to seduce me?"

"I wasn’t! I just woke up hungry and wanted to get something to eat downstairs... Mmm... Ah..."

Naomi Shaw frantically shook her head, trying to explain, but her body, already aroused by his touch, betrayed her with an instinctive moan.