“Nora, don’t push your luck!”
These words had barely left my mouth when another voice interrupted.
Declan stormed through the door, looking furious and ready to confront me.
“You chased away the aunt who was taking care of Adeline; fine, I’ll just hire another. You want to make a big deal out of hitting Adeline, I won’t say anything because I’m here to protect her from harm. But now, you’re even disregarding my mother. What kind of daughter–in–law are you?”
Inside, I felt nothing. This scene had replayed countless times over my ten–year marriage: I just send off the old witch, and her son bursts through the door, cursing.
Declan saw my indifference and, in a rage, grabbed my neck and yelled, spraying spit all over my face, “You fell down the stairs and startled Adeline, shouldn’t you apologize?”
“Did we ask you to work yourself to the bone, to say three simple words: I’m sorry?”
“At most, we asked you to bring a bowl of egg custard. And you can’t even do that???”
Oh, so that’s what this is about!
I coughed, my face flushed red, and Declan seemed to realize something and let go of his grip, deflating like a balloon.
We had argued before, but this was the first time he’d gotten physical.
I wiped my face with my sleeve, looked up at my husband of ten years, and said each word clearly, “I! Do! Not! Want! To!”
“You did it on purpose!” Declan blurted out.
He looked at me, “You intentionally drove away the aunt, fell down the stairs, upset my mom, and now you want to make my mom, me, Adeline, and her unborn child miserable.”
I smiled bitterly. Living over thirty years, marrying into their family opened my eyes to a whole new world. Many suffer from delusions, but among those with persecution delusions, aside from Genevieve, Declan is quite a rising star.
“Nora, Adeline is such an obedient and sensible girl, yet you can’t leave her alone. We’ve been married for ten years! Ten years! Have you forgotten what my mom taught you?”
He’s still trying to persuade me!
I opened my mouth, then closed it, and the breath I was holding finally escaped. I realized that explaining was unnecessary.
“Yes, mutual respect can’t compete with a childhood sweetheart.”
Especially when she’s the old flame.
I huffed, turned my attention to my wildflowers, and said no more.
He seemed to understand, taking my words as jealousy bubbling to the surface, and did not respond, “The lady is ill, very ill, and not fit to go
1:05 PM
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The system told me, just three more days, and when the contract expires, I can return to the real world and enjoy myself.
After this, no matter how Declan or Genevieve talks about me, thinks of me, treats me, or tortures me, it has nothing to do with me.
Except… my father…
I still can’t let go…
Ten years ago, I married Declan. To make sure I wouldn’t be mistreated, my father gave me a dowry of five billion, a car, a house, fearing that I would be bullied or looked down upon by Declan’s family.
In the end, he even assigned me a bodyguard who had been with him for years.
Every few days, he wanted to know if I was doing well, and every two weeks, he sent someone to bring me back to my family home for a few days.
Even the traditional Chinese doctor he found to fulfill my wish of getting pregnant was personally selected after he visited all the major hospitals and clinics in New York City.
Later, my father saw how painful IVF was for me. Fearing that Declan’s family would scold me for being unworthy, he even started visiting orphanages, hoping I would adopt a few children instead of suffering unnecessarily.
But I refused.
Because I knew with Genevieve’s personality, she would never accept a non–biological child as an elite successor for Declan’s family.
And my husband Declan, being a mama’s boy, would definitely comply with his high and mighty mother’s wishes without question.
I was completely alone, outnumbered and outmatched.
It’s quite laughable.
I took the bowl of thick herbal medicine Beatrix handed me, and the strong smell made me cough.
It tasted as awful as ever.
