Chapter 5
Shocked to the core, Adeline saw Hugo leaning down, pressing his lips to Steffie’s chest as he kissed her again and again.
Each passing moment felt like it was dragging on forever, and each
second seemed to slice through her heart.
Then, Steffie let out a quiet moan and slid her fingers into Hugo’s hair, whispering, “Ah… I want it on this side too…”
Hugo looked slightly puzzled. “But that side isn’t clogged, is it?”
Steffie didn’t answer. She just wrapped her arms around his neck and pushed his head closer.
Hugo paused, then bent down again without saying a word.
Couldn’t take it anymore, Adeline turned around and ran outside. She thought of their first night together. Hugo had held her gently and whispered in a raspy voice, “Aline, you’re my first woman and my last.”
Now, those same lips were pressed against another woman.
She doubled over, her chest aching like it was being torn open.
“Hugo, you’ve never kept a single promise. Why did you have to come into my life and mess it up?”
Adeline hugged her knees and sat in the rain, not moving until her legs lost all feeling.
She wandered back only when the lights in the house finally went dark.
Later that night, a terrible fever hit her suddenly and fiercely.
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In a daze, she faintly heard Hugo’s soft voice coming from the room next door. “Be good, sweetheart. I’m going to tell you a story…”
Yes, he was talking to the baby in Steffie’s womb. Just like what he had once told Adeline-“When we have a child, I’ll tell them stories every single day…”
Adeline didn’t know how much time had passed before she heard someone calling her name.
“Aline? Aline?”
Adeline slowly opened her eyes and saw Hugo sitting next to the bed, holding a glass of water and medicine.
“Why is your fever so high…” he murmured, placing his hand on her
rehead with the same gentle touch as before.
But the moment he leaned closer, the memory of what Adeline had witnessed in the living room rushed back into her mind. Her whole body trembled, and she closed her eyes tightly, refusing to face him.
Hugo said after a moment, “Aline, I have water and medicine here. Steffie’s expecting a baby now, and there’s still a child at home who needs care. It’s best if you stay in the room for a while so that they don’t catch your illness. I’ll lock the door, and the servants will bring you food.”
He didn’t wait for her to reply. Instead, he left quickly, once again going back to care for Steffie and their child.
As the door locked with a soft click, Adeline suddenly burst into laughter. Her chuckles grew louder, echoing in the quiet room until they turned into painful sobs.
It was all just too absurd.
She used to be someone Hugo had cherished deeply, but now, she was
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Chapter 5
treated like something harmful that needed to be kept away.
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Perhaps it was Steffie’s orders, but nobody gave Adeline anything to eat or drink for the next few days.
Burning with fever, she lay on the bed half–conscious while sounds of laughter echoed from outside. She curled herself into a ball, biting the blanket hard to stop herself from crying out loud.
After suffering from a fever for three long days, her temperature finally went back to normal. That was also the day they finally let her out.
Coincidentally, it was the same day as Steffie’s daughter’s first birthday
party.
The banquet hall was grand, packed with visitors dressed for the occasion. Edwin and Marcella proudly held their granddaughter with smiles on their face. Presents were stacked up high around them.
“Hugo, this is for Steffie,” Marcella said with a smile, passing him a fancy box with a huge diamond ring inside. “She’s done so much for our family by giving us such a sweet little girl.
Hugo accepted the ring and gently slid it onto Steffie’s finger. “Thank you for everything,” he said softly. Steffie rested her head against his chest with a shy smile, and the three of them looked like the perfect family.
Adeline stood alone in a corner, silently watching them pose for pictures and listening to everyone praising them non–stop. Her fingernails pressed hard into her hands, but she couldn’t feel anything at all.
“Ms. Jardin, want to take a picture with us?” Steffie suddenly approached, smiling sweetly.
Adeline shook her head slightly. “That’s not necessary.”
“Oh, don’t be shy,” Steffie replied cheerfully, grabbing Adeline’s hand and
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pulling her toward the camera without waiting for a response.
Leaning closer, she whispered with a smirk, “Do you see how much Hugo loves me now? He stays with me every night, reads stories to our child, and helps me fall asleep…”
Adeline closed her eyes, feeling worn out and uninterested in arguing.
Click!
Just as the photo was being taken, the backdrop behind them suddenly came crashing down.
“Watch out!” Hugo dashed over and quickly pulled Adeline out of the
way.
The large photo backdrop brushed past Adeline’s clothes and crashed to the floor, landing on top of Steffie. A bright red pool quickly spread beneath her.
“Steffie!”
Hugo dropped Adeline’s hand and ran over, panicked and out of control.
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