Chapter 1 Chapter 1

In the gynecology ward of First Crest Hospital in Genecity, the doctor shouted anxiously as he looked at the weak, pregnant woman on the delivery bed, “Push, push!” However, Hesper Rivera had already exhausted her strength at this point and her small face was ghastly pale. Her lips that were chewed through did not have a tinge of color in them, and she was barely breathing. “This is bad! The patient is experiencing a difficult birth, and she is hemorrhaging!” The doctor’s expression changed drastically when he realized the urgency of the patient’s condition. He immediately ran out of the delivery room and said, “Family members of Ms. Hesper Rivera, where are the family members? The patient’s condition is critical!” However, the Duvals family members sitting at the waiting area were as calm as a cucumber. They did not appear to be anxious in the slightest, looking so unbothered that one would even wonder if they were related to Hesper in the delivery room. The people sitting here were precisely Hesper’s father-in-law, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law, Sophia Duval. Madam Duval said in a bitterly sarcastic tone, “Is she the first woman ever to give birth? To think she's so hypocritical that she's even able to fake a critical condition when she's giving birth! She probably can’t deliver the baby because she’s too lazy to ever do anything!” Sophia was disgruntled because she would rather spend her time elsewhere, so she gloated over Hesper’s misfortune by saying, “Yikes. I hope she doesn’t end up dead with the baby!” Upon saying that, Madam Duval glared at Sophia in displeasure. Damn you, girl. It’s fine that you’re cursing Hesper, but why are you cursing my precious little grandson as well! She had already commissioned someone to look into this matter and found out that Hesper was pregnant with a boy! The boy is going to be the successor of our family! Hesper can die, but my grandson will live! The doctor could not help finding them loathsome and felt sympathy for Hesper in his heart. However, he could not locate other family members, so he could only brace himself to speak to them once again. “The patient is in critical condition now. If we can only choose one, whose life should I prioritize?”“Save the baby.” A cold, male voice was heard. He spoke without the slightest hesitation, and his voice was so cold without any emotion like a winter’s wind. The doctor looked up to find a handsome man with a tall and muscular stature walking toward him with a graceful stance. He wore a suit and looked as if he just came out of a business meeting. He assumed an elegant yet arrogant air, and his powerful presence was so overbearing that it was suffocating. The doctor inhaled a deep breath to calm himself. He wanted to strive for the last gleam of hope for Hesper by saying, “Are you sure? In truth, both of you are still young and you can still have another child…” Before the doctor could finish his sentence, the man signed his name swiftly on the document. His exquisite penmanship was just as arrogant and unruly as him. The Duvals were not astonished at all as if the situation was well within their expectation. In fact, they even assumed a pleased expression. How can Hesper’s lowly life be comparable to the life of the Duvals’ heir? The doctor heaved a sigh in his heart and returned to the delivery room. He looked at the barely conscious Hesper with pity and encouraged her by saying, “You must not give up!” Tears streamed down Hesper’s shut eyes in her semi conscious state. She heard it. Rickard chose the baby. The last gleam of hope in Hesper’s heart toward Rickard vanished. She exerted the last ounce of energy she had to clutch the doctor’s hand tightly and said, “Please save me. I want to live!” I can’t die! I’m going to live! I want to get a divorce! Relying on her strong willpower to get through the extremely dangerous birth, she gave birth to a boy a few hours later. The baby’s loud cry echoed through the entire gynecology department. Both the mother and baby were safe. … In the gynecology ward, a basin full of cold water was splashed on Hesper’s body. She was instantly awakened by the bitter cold and opened her tired yet shocked eyes to find the lavishly-dressed Madam Duval towering before her bed. She pointed at Hesper and scolded, “Why are you still sleeping? You’re such a lazy *ss!” Her entire body drenched, Hesper trembled from the cold. She almost lost her life delivering the baby and lost her consciousness from exhaustion, yet she was criticized by Madam Duval for being lazy. She could not withstand the cold in her weakened state, yet Madam Duval instructed someone to splash cold water on her. That was just how great her mother-in-law was! It was her husband, Rickard Duval’s, great mother! She was so harsh, vile, and malicious. Madam Duval was very pleased by the sight of the disheveled Hesper. “Since you’re awake, have some soup, quickly! I had someone prepare a lactation-boosting soup especially for you so you can breastfeed my grandson when you’re done! Come and feed Mrs. Duval the soup!” Upon Madam Duval’s order, someone immediately served a bowl of oily-looking soup to Hesper. The surface of the soup was still boiling and steaming, a sign of it being freshly-prepared. Hesper would definitely be burned if she were to consume it right away. Hesper understood that Madam Duval was trying to punish her. She declined by saying, “I’ll have it myself!” However, Madam Duval, having come prepared, refused to accept Hesper’s rejection. “How can you do that yourself? Outsiders are going to criticize me for not being an understanding mother-in-law. It would be better for someone to feed you! Do it now!” As soon as her voice died away, a few bodyguards stepped forward and grabbed Hesper. She struggled with all her might, but she was exhausted from the birth earlier, so she was incapable of fighting back. She could only watch helplessly as another person approached her with the bowl of soup. “No, don’t…” Hesper shook her head, but the person clutched her lower jaw and forcefully opened her mouth before pouring in the boiling hot soup. “Gah!” Hesper let out an agonizing, heartbreaking scream. The lower half of her face and mouth were burned red, with bloody blisters popping up everywhere. When she spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, steam came out of her mouth. It hurt! It really hurt! Madam Duval clapped in delight. “How is the soup? It tastes pretty good, right?” Hesper, inhaling sharply from the pain, could not utter a word. Madam Duval let out a cold grunt, not finding what she had done to have gone too far. She wished that she could pour another hot bowl of soup on Hesper once again. Had this b*tch not slept with my son, she wouldn’t even deserve to be married into the Duvals, let alone bear a child for the family! She will have to suffer the hardships that are thrown at her! “Let’s go!” Madam Duval led the group of people to leave, feeling very pleased with herself. She did not even glance at Hesper, who was left to her own demise. Hesper endured the pain and got up from the bed shakily. She made her way to the washroom and washed her burned face with cold water over and over again. Her body trembled from the cold, and her belly ached. I hate her, I really hate her. I’m a human being too, so why am I being treated this way? Everyone was calling her shameless for resorting to anything to get herself married into the Duvals. They assumed that it was her who drugged Rickard back then, but she had no idea what happened that night and lost her chastity in confusion. Afterward, she became pregnant, and Rickard had no choice but to marry her because he was compelled by Mr. Duval Sr. Hesper had a crush on Rickard for ten years, but she had never expected that she would marry him in this manner. Before she got married, she knew that it would not be a happy marriage, but she did not expect to live in such torment either. She felt as if every moment spent with the Duvals was a torture. It should end by now. Hesper held her phone tightly and called Rickard. However, the call was not picked up after a long time. Just as she was preparing to abort the call, she heard a familiar, cold male voice. “Hesper.” Just by listening to his voice, Hesper could imagine his cold, impatient expression. She took a deep breath and said, “Rickard, I want a divorce.” The silence lasted for a moment before she heard Rickard’s blood-curdling sneer. “Who do you think you are, asking for a divorce, Hesper? If there is going to be a divorce, I’ll be the one who proposes it!”

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

Hesper could not help trembling from the cold just from listening to Rickard’s voice. She bit her lower lip and said, “Sure, you can propose it then.” Rickard’s deep, attractive voice was filled with a mocking tone, “Hesper, what trick do you have up your sleeve this time? Your playing hard to get trick is old.” Hesper knew that he would not believe her so she said anxiously, “I’m serious, Rickard. I don’t want anything…” Before she could finish her sentence, she heard a strange man’s voice come from the call. It was as if the person was reminding Rickard. “Mr. Duval, Ms. Wight is here.” Hesper’s hand unconsciously held the phone tighter. She felt her chest tighten for a moment. Before she could recover from her surprise, Rickard had already impatiently hung up the call, leaving only the busy signal beeping. Ms. Wight? Juniper is back. If Hesper was a pile of mud on the floor to Rickard, then Juniper was the pure moonlight in his heart. Had it not been for that accident, Hesper believed that Juniper would be Mrs. Duval by now. It was no wonder Rickard hated her so much. While Hesper was an orphan adopted by Mr. Duval Sr., Juniper was the heiress of the Wights with respectable status, a perfect match for Rickard. Hesper should have yielded the position of Mrs. Duval to her from the start. Hesper thought she had accepted it, but for some unknown reason, she felt her heart wrench in more pain. Rickard hung up Hesper’s call and took a cold glance at the secretary who spoke earlier. “Didn't I tell you not to disturb me when I’m on a call?” Terrified, the secretary hastily lowered his head apologetically. “I’m sorry, Mr. Duval. It was my fault for deciding without consulting you prior.” He was under the assumption that Rickard prioritized Juniper, so he lost his sense of propriety and informed Rickard in advance. He had not expected that his action would anger Rickard. “Don’t do it again.” Rickard retracted his sharp gaze and let the matter go since the secretary conducted himself well at work. “Where’s Juniper?” Feeling relieved, the secretary answered in a very respectful tone with a tinge of admiration. “Ms. Wight is waiting for you at the lounge.” Rickard glanced at his phone to find that Hesper had not called him again. He furrowed his eyebrows ever so slightly. “Let’s go.” Hesper wants a divorce? That's the biggest joke I’ve ever heard in my life! How can a woman like Hesper possibly be willing to get a divorce and shed the status of the young Mrs. Duval? Didn't she spare no effort in getting me to sleep with her so she could marry me and bear the family’s heir? She’s only playing a lowly trick to get my attention. Rickard sniggered. He would never fall for Hesper no matter what trick she played. All her efforts to torment him would only go to waste. … “What happened?” Dressed in a lab coat, Julian Zink frowned in pity as he looked at the scald on Hesper’s face and oral cavity. Hesper feigned a carefree manner, “Nothing. I accidentally burned myself while drinking hot soup.” Julian was her friend in the orphanage. While Hesper was adopted by Mr. Duval Sr., Julian was adopted by another family, but they kept in touch throughout the years. She did not wish to worry Julian, so she did not tell him the truth. Julian saw through her from the start, so he went straight to the point by asking, “Hesper, are the Duvals mistreating you?” Hesper denied it. “No, you’re overthinking it.” Julian clenched his teeth and said angrily, “Stop lying to me, Hesper. Rickard chose to save the baby on the day you were in labor!” He hated himself for not being in the hospital at the time. Otherwise, he would never allow something like that to happen! Hesper fell quiet upon hearing that. Julian did his best to be persuasive. “Don’t persist in the wrong cause anymore, Hesper. Rickard will never develop feelings for you.”“I know.” Hesper smiled, but it was a bitter smile. Her eyes lost their glint as well. “Ian, please help me get a dependable lawyer.” Upon hearing that, Julian immediately assured her, “Sure, leave this to me. I will help you no matter what sort of difficult situation you find yourself in.” Hesper felt warm and fuzzy in her heart and said gratefully, “Thank you, Ian.” Julian prescribed Hesper the best medicine to not only stop her pain but also enhance her recovery without leaving behind a trace of a hideous scar. In the next few days, Hesper was discharged from the hospital and returned home. When the Duvals were not at home, she seized the opportunity to check on her child, seeing the baby at last. The soft, cuddly bundle of joy with a fair complexion was adorable. She could already see the superiority of the baby’s facial features on his tiny face. He looked just like Rickard. Hesper cautiously picked up the baby as if she was holding a fragile treasure. She did not have the courage to exert too much strength. “Baby…” Perhaps due to their maternal bond, the baby was not repulsed by her but looked like he enjoyed being in her arms. He looked at her with his huge, curious eyes, and his little nose moved as if he was sniffing her scent. Hesper could not bear to put down the baby in her arms. She felt her heart wrench in pain at the thought of how she might not be able to see him again. “I’m sorry, baby,” Hesper said sadly. "There’s nothing that I can do. Your father would never let me take you with me…” As if sensing his mother’s sorrow, the child pouted and cried loudly. Hesper was thrown into confusion. She hastily coaxed the child to sleep with great effort before she reluctantly placed him in the cot. She looked at his tiny face for a long time in a daze before walking out of the nursery. As soon as she walked outside, she bumped into Sophia. She planned on ignoring Sophia, but Sophia blocked her path at the stairway. Sophia looked at her arrogantly like a proud peacock. “Hesper, don’t think that your position in our family is stable just because you gave birth to a son. You were only ever a birthing tool for our family, and now that you’ve had the child, you’re useless to us. Grandfather is definitely going to kick you out of the family!” Hesper, having listened to remarks of this sort countless times during her pregnancy, was tired of it. She glanced nonchalantly at Sophia and said, “Are you done?” Sophia loathed Hesper for behaving as if she was better than anybody else without showing any respect. She was about to lose her temper when she suddenly remembered something and said proudly, “I’m not done. Do you know what my elder brother has been up to for the past few days? The Wights’ heiress, Juniper, is back and they’re exchanging their love for each other now! You’re not even comparable to a strand of Juniper’s hair. While she’s the cloud in the sky you’re a pile of mud on the floor!” In the past, Hesper would have been deeply saddened by the remark, but she was utterly heartbroken from the day she heard Rickard say ‘save the baby’. Her heart had already shattered and become scarred, so she was unaffected by a hurtful remark such as this. Hesper, completely indifferent, found Sophia to be bothersome. She answered back sarcastically, “I don’t know if she’s a cloud in the sky, but I can confirm that you’re a clamorous toad!”

Chapter 3 Chapter 3

Because of Rickard, Hesper tried all sorts of ways to please the Duvals in the past. She would always put up with them no matter how badly Madam Duval and Sophia insulted her. Sophia was used to seeing Hesper’s submissive mannerism, so she was caught off guard when Hesper called her a toad. She was incredulous. “How dare you scold me, Hesper!”“I can scold you if I want. Do I need to choose a day?” The utterly disappointed Hesper felt as if she was free from the heavy burden weighing down on her. She stopped holding back. Feeling as if her authority was challenged, Sophia was so furious that her face flushed scarlet. She pointed at Hesper and burst out in a torrent of abuses. “You b*tch, who the f*ck do you think you are…” Hesper slapped away Sophia’s pointing finger. Sophia, refusing to be treated that way, stretched out her hand and shoved Hesper ferociously. Hesper, caught off guard, lost her balance due to her weak physical condition. She missed a step on the stairs and rolled down the staircase before hitting her head on a step. Sophia was stunned for a moment, but then she recovered from her surprise and discovered that Hesper was injured and bleeding. She immediately clapped and cheered. “B*tch, this is what you get for going against me…” However, her voice halted to a stop when she saw a pair of dim eyes. Without her notice, Rickard stood over there and looked at her coldly. His dark eyes brimmed with thick darkness as if a storm was brewing. Sophia had always been afraid of her elder brother Rickard. Scared out of her wits by his terrifying appearance, she could not breath. “D…Dick…” In fact, for a brief moment, she even feared that he would choke her to death. Fortunately, Rickard did not do that but took a few steps forward and scooped the unconscious Hesper into his arms before blurting something extremely cold and harsh. “If anything bad happens to Hesper, you’ll have to explain yourself to grandfather.” Sophia trembled upon hearing the remark. Everyone knew how much Mr. Duval Sr. doted on Hesper. So much so that he loved her more than his own granddaughter, Sophia! Mr. Duval was receiving treatment overseas in the meantime, so he was unaware of the situation at home. If he were to find out that Sophia pushed Hesper down the stairs…the consequences would be too ghastly to comprehend. Sophia only felt lingering fear and called up the doctor in a haste. She could not refrain herself from thinking in her heart, “How great it would have been for Hesper to die during childbirth with her child so she wouldn’t be causing so much trouble! That woman is quite lucky!” The doctor quickly arrived and examined Hesper. Fortunately, she was not injured severely. Her body was only weakened from the childbirth and needed more nourishment. Sophia was relieved hearing the doctor’s explanation. She was planning on making a secret escape when her attention was suddenly drawn by a document placed on the bedside table. “Huh, what’s this?” She sneakily picked up the document and rifled through it. Then, she widened her eyes in surprise. “Divorce papers!” Rickard’s ferocious-looking pupils constricted ever so slightly. Sophia wondered if there was something wrong with her eyes. How else would she find these divorce papers in Hesper’s room? Moreover, Hesper’s name was already signed on the papers. Oh god, I must be hallucinating! Hesper actually wants to get a divorce? That’s impossible! Hesper loves Rickard so much, and she’s only managed to get herself hitched with a great deal of effort, so how could she bear to get a divorce? While Sophia was shocked, the divorce papers in her hand were pulled away by Rickard. “Rickard…” Sophia was about to say something when she realized that Rickard’s expression was even more unpleasant and terrifying than earlier. His entire body emitted a terrifying, foreboding presence. He looked just like a beast that was about to be enraged. “Get out of here,” said Rickard coldly. Sophia did not have the courage to speak anymore. She quickly scrambled out of the room as if her life depended on it. Rickard’s ghastly gaze landed on Hesper’s face, and he stared at her so intensely it was as if he could see through her. A moment later, he flipped through the divorce papers so he could see how much alimony the woman demanded, but he was surprised to find just a simple, straightforward statement. ‘The woman is willing to abandon the property and move out of the house. The child will be raised by the man, and the woman shall reserve visitation rights for the child.’ Rickard furrowed his eyebrows so tightly that he could even crush a fly to death. His eyes were brewing a dangerous storm. What sort of place does she think the Duvals’ residence is? You come as you want and leave as you like. You don’t even want to keep the child. Is it because you have something else? At the thought of the possibility, Rickard felt a gush of agitated anger surge into his chest. Waning to destroy everything before him, he tore up the divorce papers into shreds. The paper shreds scattered on the floor like snow. Even he had not noticed that the calmness and self-restraint that he had always been proud of crumbled in a barely discernible way. … Rickard left Hesper’s room and assumed his usual nonchalant expression. He exuded a coldness that would drive a person as far away from him as possible, so no one could get near him easily. He would agree to the divorce, but he could not accept that Hesper was cheating on him. It was a provocation toward his dignity as a man. Rickard called up his trusted subordinate cum secretary and ordered in a cold voice, “Run a check on the people that have interacted with Hesper recently at once, especially the men.” The secretary shivered upon hearing that. It can’t be. Does Hesper actually have the courage to cheat on Mr. Duval? Is she trying to get herself killed? But Hesper loves Mr. Duval so much and she doesn’t look like someone who would cheat on her partner… Rickard grew impatient after failing to receive a response for a long time. He vented his anger by saying, “Kai Stone, are you dead?” Kai’s entire body shook in fear when Rickard addressed him by his full name. Afraid that he would die for real if he still did not answer, he hastily said, “Yes, Mr. Duval. I’ll look into it immediately!” Rickard’s voice turned deep and cold when he said, “The faster, the better!” Kai said, “Yes, sir!” No one could go against the enraged Mr. Duval. Hesper regained consciousness the next day. Her head hurt so bad that she felt like her head would split. She rested for a while before she could open her eyes and thought about yesterday’s incident. She seemed to indistinctly remember a pair of warm yet familiar arms wrapped around her and the person’s scent was very similar to Rickard’s… But why would Rickard take the initiative to hug her? Other than the accident on that night, they had not been on intimate terms during their marriage. He would not even glance at her without feeling contempt as if his eyes would be dirtied by the sight of her, let alone hold her hand or hug her. They were married, yet they were less than strangers. That was why she figured that it was just an illusion. Hesper touched her forehead and found the thick bandage wrapped around her head. Not expecting Sophia to suddenly attack her, she had taken a beating. It was fortunate that she did not feel any discomfort anywhere else other than her head. Her body was weak now, so it would be best for her not to confront the Duvals. She decided that she would bear with it so she could leave the sad place soon. Hesper was planning on resting for a while more, but someone just would not let her have it her way. “Hesper, why are you feigning your fragility when Sophia only gently pushed you once!” Madam Duval’s bitterly sarcastic voice was heard even before she arrived. “You’re going to have to see if you’re capable of feigning your injury to gain pity before you do it too!”

Chapter 4 Chapter 4

Hesper sat on the bed weakly with a thick bandage wrapped around her head. She looked at the overbearing mother and daughter before she said halfheartedly, “Grandfather can tell if I’m faking it with a glance.” Madam Duval grunted coldly and said, “Stop using Mr. Duval Sr. to threaten me. He’s not in the country now, so no one’s going to back you up! Someone, come and pin her down!” When her voice died away, a few middle-aged women with tall, huge physiques showed up in the room. It made Hesper remember the horrible incident that took place in the hospital room the other day. She remembered the feeling of the boiling hot soup being poured down her throat, how it felt like hot lava. She did not wish to experience that again, so she struggled with all her might and shouted frantically, “What are you doing? Let go of me! I’m going to tell my grandfather about this!” Madam Duval cracked a bitterly sarcastic smile. “We’re going to give a post-delivery detox massage to you, of course. This is for your own good, so be appreciative. Not even Mr. Duval Sr. can pick a fault in this!” Hesper, knowing that Madam Duval could not possibly be so kind, felt an ominous presentiment in her heart. “Go away! Don’t touch me!” She knew that Madam Duval loathed her; Madam Duval would never be so kind. However, as a new mother who was recently injured and weak against so many of them, she was utterly incapable of resisting them. The few middle-aged women pinned her against the bed and immobilized her limbs before they reached out their strong hands and pushed her down on her soft abdomen ferociously. “Gah!” Hesper let out an agonizing scream and her face turned ghastly pale. Her body was drenched in cold sweat, and even her voice was shaking. “It hurts…” Madam Duval felt as if her anger was vented at the sight of Hesper in pain. She said with a pleased expression, “You should feel the pain. They are professional post-delivery detox masseuses, and they will most certainly be able to help you detox your body. You’ll thank me later.” Sophia gloated at Hesper’s misfortune and chuckled. “Hesper, this is a treatment that others don’t get even if they beg for it. Enjoy it!”“I don’t need…gah!” Hesper’s entire body trembled from the pain, but there was nothing she could do to break free from the women’s claws. She felt as if they would crush her internal organs soon. It was true that women would receive detox massages post delivery, but these women were instructed by Madam Duval to massage using a crude technique. The massage was not only useless for Hesper, it would even destroy her weak uterus. Madam Duval was extremely vicious with her motive. “Gah! Let go of me!” Rickard had just entered the house when he heard Hesper’s agonizing scream. He furrowed his eyebrows instantly and asked a servant, “What’s happening upstairs?” The servant answered submissively according to Madam Duval’s instruction earlier, “Mrs. Duval is receiving a post-delivery massage. Women go through this all the time. It’s supposed to help her recover quickly.”“Is that so?” Rickard did not inquire further but removed his jacket and took a seat. “Gah!” The agonizing scream coming from upstairs grew more and more intense as if the person was being cruelly tortured. It was gut wrenching to listen to. “It’s too noisy.” Rickard stood up abruptly, his handsome face filled with impatience. He raised his leg to go upstairs. The servant hastily stopped him. “Mr. Duval! You’re not allowed upstairs because this is a women’s matter…” She did not expect Rickard to shove her away, taking it upon himself to walk to Hesper’s room. He forced open the door and entered the room. Everyone was stunned, including Madam Duval and Hesper. They looked at Rickard in shock. Rickard found Hesper on the bed with a single glance. She was pinned to the bed by a few middle-aged women, her messy hair drenched in sweat and her small face ghastly pale. Her lips were drained of blood, and her body trembled uncontrollably from the intense pain. She looked like a little lamb awaiting slaughter. She was weak, pitiful, and helpless. For some reason, Rickard felt his heart wrench in pain. He glanced coldly at everyone in the room and said, “Are you done making noise?” Madam Duval immediately said, “Are we bothering you, Dick? Stuff the woman’s mouth, quick…” Rickard said with a cold voice, “That’s enough. Let go of her.” Noticing the situation, Madam Duval explained, “Dick, we’re not torturing her. This is for her own good. It’s a standard procedure for women who have just given birth. She’s just faking it…” Before she could finish her sentence, she was interrupted by Rickard. He said in an overbearing tone, “It would be best for all of you to know where to draw the line. She brought the eldest grandchild of the Duvals to the world.” Sophia did not have the courage to speak, but Madam Duval was unbothered. So what if she has given birth to a grandchild? Rickard is still young, and there are plenty of women willing to bear children for the Duvals. Had Mr. Duval Sr. not wanted the child in Hesper’s belly, she might not even have had the chance to bring it into this world. However, Madam Duval could not bring herself to speak her thoughts aloud because of Rickard’s stern expression. Not wishing to affect her relationship with her son because of Hesper, she left with Sophia and the few middle-aged women. Rickard made his way to the bed and looked at Hesper’s disheveled, tormented state before he said, “Does it hurt very much?” Hesper turned her face to the side weakly and refused to look at him. Her face was so pale that it was almost translucent like some sort of fragile yet precious porcelain. Rickard felt agitated in his heart for no apparent reason. He said with a cold, merciless expression, “You brought the pain on yourself.” Had she not played tricks to sleep with him, she would not have become pregnant. Hence, she brought all the pain of bringing a child to the world on herself. Hesper was under the assumption that her broken heart was already numb by now, yet Rickard showed her that there was no end to the hurt she felt in her heart. She risked her life to give birth to his child, only for him to say ‘you brought the pain on yourself’. Rickard was the only person in this world capable of hurting her severely with just a simple remark. Hesper held back her tears and said with a hoarse voice, “When are we getting a divorce?” Rickard’s expression abruptly turned gloomy. The woman is actually still thinking about the divorce despite the pain? Is she so eager to get a divorce? “I don’t like to be spoken to by someone who is lying down.” He looked down at Hesper from above coldly. “We’ll talk when you can sit upright.” Upon saying that, Rickard turned around and left the room without bothering to take another glance at Hesper. Hesper laid on the bed and felt every part of her body throbbing in pain, especially her abdomen. It felt as if she was hit by a hammer countless times, which showed how cruel those middle-aged women were earlier. She had no idea if there would be long term aftereffects. As Hesper shut her eyes, tears filled with hatred streamed down her face. She could hear Rickard speaking to someone outside indistinctly, and it did not sound very real. “Call the doctor over to treat her,” he said. “It will be very ominous for someone to die in the family when grandfather’s 70th birthday is almost here.” Ah. Hesper opened her eyes slowly. There was no anticipation and hope toward Rickard in her eyes anymore, only deathly stillness.

Chapter 5 Chapter 5

It was found out through the doctor’s examination that Hesper’s fragile uterus was indeed injured during the process. She would need to rest and recuperate, or it would possibly result in infertility in the future. She did not feel anything when she heard that. She waited until she could walk before she went looking for Rickard with the divorce papers. Rickard was sitting in the study room with a nonchalant expression as if he was expecting her. “Rickard.” Hesper made his way to the man slowly and placed the divorce papers in her hand gently. She said calmly, “These are the divorce papers. I don’t want anything from it. If you have no objection, please sign these.” Rickard looked down to Hesper’s fine penmanship and strangely found her handwriting to be an eyesore. “Who says that I have no objection?” Hesper pursed her lips. “You may voice your request.” Rickard did not even rifle through the divorce papers before he said in a cold, merciless tone, “Hesper, not only will you leave everything from the marriage, you won’t be allowed to see the child again from now on. You don’t deserve to.” Hesper’s expression changed and she said recalcitrantly, “Why? I’m the mother of the child.” Rickard’s tone was filled with mockery. “You abandoned the child as soon as he was born. You don’t deserve to be his mother.” Hesper’s body swayed unsteadily. She reached out to hold the table instinctively as if she was hit by a crushing blow. She really wasn’t a good mother. But she had no other choice. If she could, she would take the child with her and travel far away, never to return. However, an influential family like the Duvals would never allow their lineage to lead a wandering life in poverty. Moreover, the child would live a good life with the Duvals instead of a hard life of drifting from place to place. He would receive better education and be loved by Mr. Duval Sr. She was just an orphan who had nothing. The child would suffer and endure hardships if she were to take him with her. She lost count of time before she made a decision that hurt her more than ever. “I agree.” Rickard’s pupils constricted abruptly. The woman would actually give up on her child just to get a divorce! He had no idea that Hesper didn’t have any other choice. Rather than waiting until she was kicked out by the Duvals, she was taking it upon herself to leave and make way for Rickard’s lover. At the very least, she could still leave in an honorable manner. Rickard could not suppress his anger anymore. He smacked the table. “Very well, Hesper!” Hesper had no idea why he was so infuriated with her; there was a tinge of confusion in her eyes. Just as she was preparing to speak, the sound of her phone ringing interrupted their slightly tense ambience. She glanced at her phone. “It’s grandfather.” Rickard calmed down slightly. “Take it.” Hesper tapped the accept button and said in a caring tone. “This is Hesper, grandfather. How are you feeling?” Mr. Duval Sr.’s kind voice was heard saying, “I’m feeling much better. I was just missing you and my chubby great-grandchild. I wish that I could fly back now to see all of you.” Hesper comforted him by saying, “Don’t worry, grandfather. Just continue your treatment and you’ll see the child when you’re back.” Mr. Duval Sr. asked concerningly, “Is Dick treating you well? If not, you must tell me and I’ll punish him for you!”“He…treats me well.” Hesper was going against her conscience when she said that. She remembered the man’s ice cold remark of ‘save the baby’ outside the delivery room the other day. Rickard did treat her well, so well that he would send her to heaven. However, she could not bring herself to speak the truth to Mr. Duval Sr. because his body would not be able to take it. Mr. Duval Sr. was the only Duval who cared about her, so she could not hurt him. Mr. Duval Sr. refused to believe her and requested her to switch to video call so he could check on her and her child. Hesper looked at Rickard subconsciously and asked for his consent with her gaze. Rickard heard Mr. Duval Sr.’s conversation, so he furrowed his eyebrows and nodded to express his approval. Both of them temporarily stopped the conversation about divorce and went to the nursery together in order to please Mr. Duval Sr. Hesper turned on the camera and aimed it at the sound asleep baby in the cot so Mr. Duval Sr. could take a good look at him through the video call. “He looks exactly like Dick when he was a baby!” Mr. Duval Sr. was delighted and chatted incessantly. He wished that he could travel through the screen to hold the little chubster. Hesper felt slightly gratified in her heart to see how Mr. Duval Sr. doted on the child. The child would be loved by someone when she was not around. After he was done looking at the baby, Mr. Duval Sr. requested again, “I can hear that Dick is with you. Let me see both of you.”“Sure.” Hesper would never decline Mr. Duval Sr.’s request. She switched to the front camera and felt a hold on her waist. Rickard had actually stretched out his arm to wrap around her waist. Moreover, he whispered a warning in her ear. “It would be best for you to work with me so as to not affect grandfather’s condition.” Mr. Duval Sr.’s body could not take it if his mood was affected. Hesper understood that she could only maintain the intimate posture with Rickard. Her body felt slightly rigid, but her expression was still quite natural. It was fortunate that Mr. Duval Sr. did not notice that anything was off during the call. He said happily, “It seems that both of you have grown closer since the child was born. I can set my mind at peace seeing both of you act so loving.” Hesper felt extremely uneasy. It was very rare for her to share such an intimate moment with Rickard. He had always loathed her, held her in contempt and avoided her like the plague, as if she was some disgusting piece of trash. It must be tough for him to put on an act and pretend to be close with her now. “Hesper.” Rickard suddenly addressed in an unprecedented gentle tone. Hesper raised her head in a daze and watched as the man’s extremely handsome face enlarged before her eyes. Then, he planted a gentle, feather-like kiss on her fair-complexioned forehead. Hesper was completely dumbfounded. She did not expect Rickard to actually go to this extent. Mr. Duval Sr. was delighted. He looked at both of them with an affectionate gaze and said ‘very well’ a few times. Hesper had yet to recover from her surprise for a long time after the video call ended until she heard Rickard’s cold voice in her ears. “Are you all right?” Hesper looked at Rickard and opened her mouth. Rickard took it upon himself to speak first as if he could tell what was coming from her, “I won’t agree on getting a divorce until grandfather is cured. Before then, you’ll remain in the Duvals’ residence.” He continued to speak sternly as if he had found a reasonable excuse. “If grandfather’s condition deteriorates because his body couldn’t take it after finding out about our divorce, you’ll be the offender.” Hesper felt suffocated by the guilt and burden put on her. The more delighted Mr. Duval Sr. was now, the sadder and more disappointed he would be when he found out the truth. His drastic emotional changes would most certainly be detrimental to his health. She owed a great debt of gratitude to Mr. Duval Sr., who was the person she did not want to see hurt the most in this world. She could only relent. “I agree.” The moment her voice faded, Rickard’s tensed heart relaxed without his notice.

Chapter 6 Chapter 6

However, Rickard did not understand why he felt that way. He shifted his gaze and said nonchalantly, “Since you’ve agreed, do what you’re supposed to do and don’t be an eyesore here.” Hesper glanced at the child, reluctant to part with him. She wanted to stay there for a while more, but the child was tired. His soft face was swaying from left and right drowsily. Hesper could not bear to disturb the baby’s sleep, so she returned to her room indifferently. She did not manage to rest well during the first month post delivery and she was tormented by Madam Duval over and over again. Apart from the mental and emotional trauma, she was experiencing malnutrition as well. She managed to wait until it was dinner time yet Madam Duval sent someone to tell her, “Madam said that you need more rest due to your recent delivery, so you don’t need to join dinner downstairs!” Hesper did not speak and instead covered her empty belly with a blanket in silence. She hardly had a normal meal since the delivery, so she starved so much that she looked emaciated. However, she would be looking for trouble if she were to head to dinner when Madam Duval wanted to stir up trouble on purpose. In the dining room, Rickard looked at the empty spot at the table and furrowed his eyebrows. “Where’s Hesper? Why isn’t she coming to dinner?” The servant avoided his gaze while Madam Duval said unconcernedly next to him, “If she doesn’t want to come, that's fine too. She’s a grown woman. Could it be that she would rather starve herself?” As she spoke, she passed him the ribs and said, “Set your mind and eat. You’ve been traveling everywhere during this period of time, so you’ve lost weight.” As Rickard looked at the ribs before him, the image of Hesper’s emaciated figure came into his mind. She was so weak and skinny that one squeeze could shatter her. He pursed his lips and said in an indifferent tone, “She has just given birth, so she needs to replenish her nutrition. Otherwise, outsiders are going to claim that the Duvals are torturing their daughter-in-law.”“She isn't considered the Duvals’ daughter-in-law.” Noticing that Rickard was looking at her, she corrected herself unwillingly by saying, “I know, I know. I’ll order someone to prepare some food for her. The food served on this table is all heavily-processed, high in oil and flavor, so it’s not so suitable for her in her current condition, right?” Rickard did not know about that, but he knew that he would not allow Hesper to starve to death. He still had some matters to attend to, so he left the Duvals’ residence after dinner. Madam Duval threw her cutlery soon afterward and pulled a long face. “She’s a pain in the *ss. Why do we have to worry about her meal? Doesn’t she know how to deal with it herself when she’s able-bodied?”“Precisely.” Sophia did not have the courage to speak out of turn when Rickard was around, but she was furious. Now that Rickard was gone, she immediately revealed her sarcastic expression fearlessly. “She wasn’t that spoiled in the past, and it was very normal for her not to eat for days. Why can’t she do it now? Does she really think that she's superior and can abuse her power just because she gave birth to the eldest grandchild of the Duvals?”“Dream on, I won’t give her the chance to do so.” Madam Duval let out a grunt and glanced at the leftover food on the table that was so messy that not even a dog would eat it. “Come, put all the leftovers in a bowl and serve it to Hesper’s room so she can enjoy the feast!” Meanwhile, Hesper was already exhausted from starvation. She looked at the leftover stew in the bowl served before her in silence. If one were to describe it bluntly, even the Duvals’ dog ate better than her. Noticing Hesper’s lack of action, Sophia swung a kick at the bed rampantly. “Eat it, quick! Aren’t you starving? We made this especially for you.” She placed her hands on her waist, and her expression filled with pride and contempt. “Hesper, this is the only meal that's served to you. Are you sure that you don’t want to eat? If you don’t, you’re going to be malnourished. How are you going to feed your precious son then?” Hesper shifted her gaze. She could bear the hunger but how could she do this to her son. The child came from her, so she would protect him with her life. “I’ll eat!” She picked up a fork, but as soon as she got close, she furrowed her brows because she was choked by the pungent smell produced from the mixed food. The sight of the food, with a thick layer of oil from the spices covering it, was nauseating. Hesper tried her best to choose the less oily food, but she gagged as soon as she took a bite. Sophia scolded in a stern voice, “Shut your mouth. Just try to throw up if you dare! You won’t have anything else to eat if you throw up!” Hesper raised her head and glanced at her in rage. She knew that Sophia was right. She didn't understand why they would treat her like this. She had not committed any serious crime apart from marrying Rickard. Why would they hurt her and humiliate her? Just bear with it and you can extricate yourself when grandfather is cured. Hesper told herself in her heart and swallowed the food with tears streaming down her face. “Tsk tsk. You’re really eating, huh.” Sophia began to ridicule her again. “You don’t even care about your most basic self-respect and integrity anymore just so you can continue to stay in the Duvals’ residence? I’ve never encountered someone as shameless as you.” Hesper said coldly, “It’s your brother who wouldn’t agree on getting a divorce.”“Bah!” Sophia refused to believe Hesper’s remark. She was infuriated by the sight of Hesper’s calmness. “My brother wouldn’t agree on getting a divorce? Don’t forget that his lover is back. Frankly, my brother headed out in a rush after dinner for an appointment. Who do you think he is meeting?” Hesper felt her heart wrench in pain. She told herself that she would not mind, yet she could not refrain herself from feeling envy upon hearing Sophia’s remark. Sophia could see the agony in Hesper’s eyes. She said with a sneer, “How dare you claim that my brother wouldn’t agree on getting a divorce in your current state?” She took two steps forward and clutched Hesper’s fair, clean lower jaw with her hand, her eyes bursting with malicious hatred. “But don’t worry. I’m here, and I will make sure to facilitate their relationship so you can be demoted from your position of Mrs. Duval!” Upon saying that, she swung her hand with great force, which pushed Hesper to the side, before she left, feeling pleased with herself. Hesper maintained her body position for a long time without moving. She looked at the ceiling absentmindedly and thought about the past. She thought about how deeply in love Rickard and Juniper were in the past. She remembered how Rickard was constantly distracted and his temperament changed after Juniper left the country. She felt as if she could see Juniper smiling bleakly with her hands outstretched. “Did you really go and see her, Rickard?” Rickard and Juniper sat across from each other in a luxury condo located in Leneriv. After a long time, he said, “You called me here in a rush. What happened?” Tears welled up in Juniper’s eyes when she heard the estrangement in his voice. “Rickard, are you still angry at me? I knew that you resent me when I met you in the company the other day. However, I have my difficulties too!”“It's passed, and I’m not angry at you.”“I don’t believe that!” Juniper bit her lower lip tightly. She was so beautiful, the sight of her crying made one feel pity for her. “If you’re not angry at me, why won’t you come and see me when you know that I’m back? Don’t you know that I’ve been waiting for you all this time?”

Chapter 7 Chapter 7

Her remark would cause a misunderstanding easily. Rickard frowned and said, “I’m married.”“You were supposed to be mine! Mine!” Juniper’s tears streamed down more profusely as if she was triggered by him. He used to care for her sincerely in the past after all. The vigilance in Rickard’s eyes diminished a little, and he pulled out a tissue that he passed to her. “Don’t cry. Don't you like to look pretty? Your eyes will swell from crying.”“I’ve already lost you, so I don’t care about beauty anymore.” Juniper suddenly hugged him and leaned her face into his chest. Rickard’s entire body shook. He was about to push her away when she said, “I didn’t leave willingly all those years ago. I was diagnosed with a tumor, and the doctor told me that I could possibly be infertile. I don’t know how Hesper found out about my condition, but she told Mr. Duval Sr., who came to see me with her and forced me to leave you.”“What?” Rickard’s expression was filled with shock. He had always taken her act of leaving him to heart because he thought that she had fallen for someone else. Doesn’t that mean that I’ve misunderstood her all this time, and the problem came from my side? Juniper was extremely sad, her eyes reddening with tears like an innocent child. “I was afraid that my infertility would slow you down. Also, Hesper pressured me and claimed that she could bear children for you, so I decided to leave because I refused to be humiliated further.”“Are you telling the truth?” A storm began brewing in Rickard’s eyes as if it would destroy everything. Juniper was rather terrified by him in his current state. But she could not allow herself to cower, so she immediately raised her hand and pledged, “I swear that every word I said is true. If I’m lying, I won’t be able to have a child for the rest of my life!”“Nonsense!” Rickard immediately pulled down her hand. He felt extremely guilty in his heart; his eyes were bloodshot. “You’ve been wronged because of me while I’ve only just found out about it today. Don’t worry, I promise that if what you said is true, I won't let her off for doing this.” How dare you use grandfather to break up Juniper and me, how dare you, Hesper! … “Wake up, Mrs. Duval.” Hesper was awakened by a servant in the Duvals’ residence. She opened her eyes to find the kitchen helper, Wanda. Wanda served a bowl of chicken soup and said cautiously, “You can’t allow yourself to eat poorly when you’re recovering from a childbirth, Mrs. Duval. I made this for you in secret. No one saw me. Drink this while it’s still hot, quick.” Wanda was afraid that Hesper would be worried, so she lowered her voice and said, “Madam and Ms. Duval are out, and there’s no one else at home now. Eat something so you can gain some strength, quick!”“Thank you, Wanda.” Tears welled up in Hesper’s eyes; it had been a long time since she was treated with kindness. She took the chicken soup and began eating it in large gulps. Wanda felt sorry for her. “Madam and miss have gone too far. You could still eat and dress well when Mr. Duval Sr. was still at home previously. They're so inhumane to you these days. It’s a shame that I’m just a nobody here, and I can’t do much to help you, Mrs. Duval.”“Don’t say that. I’m already very grateful that you're willing to serve me a bowl of soup.” While the people of this family were very cold to her, Wanda was the only person who would treat her kindly. However, no one could know about Wanda’s kindness. Otherwise, Wanda would be in trouble along with her. “Thank you very much, Wanda. You should quickly go before anyone sees you.”“Noted, Mrs. Duval.” Wanda took back the empty bowl and said piteously, “Do take care of yourself. Everything is going to be better when Mr. Duval Sr. is back.”“I know.” Hesper forced a smile but her heart was filled with sorrow. Everything is not going to be better when grandfather is back, but it will come to an end. After she had the soup, she finally had the strength to move. She missed her child, so she washed up and went to the nursery. Hesper picked up the baby cautiously. It was tiny, soft, sweet-smelling and chubby. “I’m here to see you, my precious.” She could not refrain herself from rubbing her face against the baby. There was no telling if the baby could sense that she was his mother, but he moved his arms and legs in joy. He also babbled as if he was talking to her. “My sweet baby.” Hesper’s eyes were moist with tears as she looked at her sweet baby, but there was nothing she could do to stay with him. All of a sudden… “Hesper!” A raging roar was heard coming from behind her. Before she could respond, her arm was pulled strenuously by someone. “My baby!” She hastily protected the child in her arms, but she was pulled backward by such immense force that her black slammed into the changing table. “Ouch…” Hesper let out a muffled grunt and looked at the person before her. Rickard’s expression was filled with anger. He looked like he was dissecting her with his cold, sharp eyes. “Rickard, you should mind where you are if you want to throw a fit. Didn't you see me holding the baby in my arms? What if…”“Who do you think you are to talk about the child with me?” Rickard interrupted her in rage. He bore with it for a night, but he could bear it no more at that very moment. “Tell me, what did you and grandfather do to Juniper?”“What are you talking about?” Hesper was baffled, but then she saw Juniper walking into the room soon afterward. She was incredulous that Rickard had actually brought Juniper to the house so openly. Rickard clutched her arm tightly and forced her to look at him. “Why are you still pretending? Did you meet Juniper before she left the country?” He spoke so loudly that the baby began bawling loudly. “Oh, my sweet baby, don’t cry, don’t cry.” Hesper coaxed the baby in a flurry. She was infuriated by the sight of Rickard standing there like a guardian. “Get some medicine if you’re sick, Rickard. Don’t act like a mad man in the morning!” How dare this woman scold me? Rickard’s expression turned unpleasant. Meanwhile, Juniper glanced at Hesper and the baby ferociously and said in a pitiful tone, “Hesper, tell the truth. You came to see me on a few occasions before I left the country, didn’t you?”“I did come to see you, but that was because…” Hesper furrowed her eyebrows. She was interrupted by the crying Juniper just as she was about to explain herself. “It was because you came to see me that I decided to leave so that you could be with Rickard. Now that I’m back, please return Rickard to me. I’m begging you…” As she spoke, she pretended to initiate a bow. “You’re not the one who should be bowing!” Rickard shouted in anger and shifted his gaze to Hesper’s face. He looked at her as if he was looking at an enemy. “Bow down and explain yourself clearly, or else, don’t even think about seeing the child ever again!”“What? You’re asking me to bow down?” Hesper was incredulous and felt trapped by grief. She never thought that after loving him for so many years, she would be humiliated in the end. Rickard did not have the slightest ounce of respect for her.

Chapter 8 Chapter 8

“If you want me to bow down, dream on.” Hesper stood straight but her body trembled ever so slightly, not only out of anger but also fear. Rickard sneered and said, “You’re still stubborn and refuse to admit your mistake?” He snatched the child and passed him to Juniper before he pushed down Hesper’s back to force her to bow down. The emaciated Hesper bowed down instantly. The sight of her bowing over was painful to the eyes. In fact, Rickard could even see the wisp of agony on her expression. Knowing that he did not exert much strength, he wondered why she could not even withstand that. She’s only faking it again! Hesper did not care about herself; when her baby was taken from her, she shouted hysterically and stretched out her arms. “My baby! Give me back my baby!” Juniper wanted to see Hesper suffer so how could she possibly hand back the child to Hesper. She pretended to be startled by Hesper and hid behind Rickard in a haste. The child bawled even louder, and his little face flushed scarlet. Hesper could not stop herself from throwing herself onto Juniper in an attempt to take back her child. Rickard shielded Juniper at once. “Are you done? How can you be a mother when you’re acting like this? Tell the truth quickly, or I won’t let you off.”“Yes, I met her. Will this do?” Hesper shouted in despair. She could not see any gleam of hope anymore after witnessing Rickard’s actions today. She glared at them ferociously while bowing down. “I was reckless and unscrupulous in my efforts so I could marry you and destroy your wonderful relationship. Are you pleased?”“Hesper!” The veins on Rickard’s forehead pulsed constantly, and he was on the brink of losing his temper. Hesper was fearless and she sniggered. “What? Wasn’t this the response you sought when you brought her home so openly? I'll fulfill your wish then so that the both of you don't have to sneak around in the future!”“What do you mean by sneaking around? You’re talking nonsense.” Juniper looked as if she was about to cry. Hesper sneered. “Would you dare tell me that both of you were not together yesterday night?”“We…”“Juniper, you don’t have to tell her,” Rickard said coldly. “Since you’re so impertinent, you'll continue bowing here until you admit your mistake! Let’s go.” Rickard left with Juniper and the child without the slightest hesitation. He was so distant as if the the person bowing was completely unrelated to him. Juniper smiled at Hesper in a provocative yet proud manner before she left. Hesper did not care about Juniper’s provocation, but she cared about the child in Juniper’s arms. Her arms that hung at her sides turned into fists that became tighter and tighter. She heard the sound of Madam Duval and Sophia arrive at home and heard their laughter from gloating in her misfortune after learning that she was punished to bow down. “You should punish her like this so she won’t think that she can disrespect all of us or think that her status has risen just because of her child.” Rickard was so agitated that he grunted at them impatiently. Sophia said to Juniper, “Juni, it's been such a long time since we last met. Now that you’re back, would you like to stay for lunch today?”“Right, right, right. I remember you used to enjoy the fish prepared by our chef here. I'll get her to cook for you today.” Madam Duval immediately gave orders to the servants. Her enthusiasm toward Juniper was the complete opposite of how she treated her daughter-in-law, Hesper. Juniper smiled shyly. “Thank you very much for your invitation, Madam Duval. It’s a good opportunity for me to chat with Soph.” Everyone was having a good time chatting. They paid attention to Hesper or wondered if her back was aching from bowing down due to her recent delivery. Hesper kept her head lowered and did not utter a word in the nursery, but she became even more determined to leave this place. The only thing that she was glad for was that Madam Duval and Sophia, who did not seem to be bothered by the crying baby, ordered a servant to send the child back after a while, so she got to see the child for a while longer. Even if it was while she was bowing. Lunch was ready. The Duvals had always enjoyed lavish feasts and more food was prepared on purpose to welcome Juniper that day. Madam Duval, Sophia, and Juniper occasionally talked about something interesting before bursting out into laughter. Yet, Rickard’s mind gradually drifted to the nursery for some unknown reason. It's been so long. This should be about enough time for the woman to bow, right? At that thought, he ordered the servant to prepare a meal portion and got up. “Where are you going, Rickard?” Juniper spoke at once, having been monitoring him secretly all this time. Coming from her, who had a bright smile on her face, it sounded more like a casual inquiry. Rickard stopped for a moment and said, “I’m going to check on the baby.” Juniper was having a hard time forcing a smile. If he's going to check on the baby, why is he bringing a meal tray with him? It’s obvious that he’s bringing food to Hesper. However, she could not express her unwillingness because she had just gained back Rickard’s trust. She would need time to repair their relationship slowly. Hence, she gently reminded him, “Go, quick. Check up on Hesper while you’re at it. Don’t keep her bowing.”“Sure.” Rickard left, thinking that only Juniper would be kind enough to think about others. Madam Duval and Sophia complimented Juniper for being a beauty with a good heart because of how caring she was toward even someone like Hesper. Juniper smiled but did not speak. She clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her flesh. How is that caring? I’m going to take back what’s mine bit by bit! Upstairs, Hesper was still bowing when the baby suddenly cried. A servant told her that the baby was probably hungry, so Hesper picked up the child and breastfed him. Meanwhile, Rickard came into the room just as she put down the baby after feeding him. Hence, in his perception, it appeared as if Hesper had not followed his order at all. However… Glancing at her swollen ankles from prolonged bowing, he decided that he would not lower himself to her level. With an indifferent expression, he ordered the servant to serve the meal to her. “Do you know your mistake? If you know, you may eat.”“That’s none of your business.” How would Hesper still have the appetite to eat after being humiliated like that. She swung her hand and pushed away the meal, scattering it on the floor. In fact, some of the food had even splashed onto Rickard’s pants. The anger in his chest was ignited once again. “Hesper! Don’t push your luck!” Hesper was fearless when she met his aggressive gaze. “You just want to stand up for your beloved woman, right? Why are you still acting like a hypocrite? Who are you trying to show off to?”“You’re impossible!” Rickard felt as if his kindness was in vain. He had already ignored the fact that she got up without his permission, yet she still had the audacity to fool around? “I must be punishing you too lightly. Continue to bow down until the next morning!” The people in the dining room heard the quarrel and assumed expressions that showed that they were intrigued. “What a fool. He gave her a way out, yet she didn’t appreciate it.” Sophia expressed her contempt. Juniper was delighted in her heart. She wanted them to quarrel; it would be wonderful if they could quarrel more. That way, she would have a chance at regaining Rickard’s love. “Madam Duval, Soph,” Juniper suddenly said, “I have something that I'd like your help with…” Upon hearing her remark, both of them smiled to express their approval. “Don’t worry, we’ll make sure to help rekindle your relationship.”

Chapter 9 Chapter 9

The door of the nursery shut with a loud bang, and the deafening noise startled the baby. Hesper pursed her lips tightly and held the baby in her arms tighter. It did not take long before Madam Duval’s caring voice was heard coming from downstairs. “Rickard, it’s getting late. I’m concerned about Juniper going home by herself; it's not safe. You should send her home.” Rickard glanced outside and figured that it really was unsafe now that it was dark. “Let’s go then.” After both of them got into the car, Juniper asked casually, “Rickard, is Hesper…still bowing down?” Rickard remembered that Hesper was not bowing down when he went upstairs earlier, so he figured that she would not follow his order to bow down for the rest of the night. He said with a tinge of anger in his voice, “I can’t be bothered to know. If she wants to bring trouble upon herself, no one can save her.”“Don’t be angry anymore…” Juniper heaved a sigh of pity, but in her heart, she was overjoyed. Meanwhile, Hesper was planning to return to her room when Madam Duval and Sophia suddenly barged into the room. “What do we have here? I knew that you’d act one way to Rickard’s face and another behind his back! My brother ordered you to bow down until tomorrow morning, so said you can stand up?”“I’m not a criminal, so who are you to treat me this way?” Hesper was about to stand upright when someone kicked at her back ferociously. A thud was heard, and she bent over from the pain once again. Sophia sneered with her arms crossed. “You’re asking us when you’re the one living in our house and spending our money? If you have the courage to get up, I’m going to make my brother hand the child to Juni so that she can raise him. They're going to be mother and son sooner or later anyway, so just think of it as letting them bond with each other.”“Don’t you dare!” Hesper was furious, her face flushing scarlet. I’m not dead, yet the Duvals are already so keen to look for a stepmother for my child! How can such nonsense exist in this world! “Try and see if I dare!” Sophia was completely unbothered by her remark. She said with a mocking smile, “Who do you think you are? Do you think that I’m scared of you?” Madam Duval ridiculed Hesper from the side as well. “Hesper, it was your husband who ordered you to bow down. We’re only asking you to do as he said. If you insist on defying his order, I can only tell this incident to Mr. Duval Sr. so he can decide which side is right.” Hesper’s entire body shivered. Madam Duval would not do it so kindly. She was only using this tactic to trigger Mr. Duval Sr. so he would be so infuriated that his health would deteriorate. If anything bad were to happen to Mr. Duval Sr., Hesper would not be able to make peace with herself. “Don’t startle grandfather, I’ll bow!” Hesper shut her eyes in pain and did nothing as Madam Duval and her daughter taunted her as they liked from next to her. Every word they said was akin to a knife that stabbed into her severely hurt heart and lashed onto her unhealed wounds over and over again. She felt so sad and furious that she wanted to die. This was all brought on to her by none other than her husband, whom she loved for so many years. It was Rickard! If she could do it again, if only she could do it again… But there was no redo in this world! Rickard returned by midnight. He glanced in the direction of the nursery and found that it was pitch black. He figured that the woman had already returned to her room to rest. He headed to the study room as he thought to himself, but he halted to a stop when he walked past Hesper’s bedroom. The door was not shut tightly. Hesper had never been so careless to leave her door that way. He furrowed his eyebrows and felt an ominous presentiment in his heart. “Hesper?” he called out coldly, but no one answered him. He opened the door to find that the bedroom was pitch black and empty. Is it possible that she's still bowing down? Rickard glanced at the time and realized that it had already been six hours since their quarrel earlier. Could it be that she’s still so stubborn that she won’t yield? As he was thinking, his attention was drawn to a glow coming from the side of the bed. Rickard picked up Hesper's phone and took a glance to discover that there were more than 10 missed calls on it, all from Julian. “Hesper, are you all right? Did something bad happen to you?” Rickard glared at the unread text message ferociously, and his presence turned frantic instantly. A loud bang was heard, and the phone was thrown so hard that it cracked. The highly-agitated Rickard left slamming the door in rage. Hesper was jolted awake by loud noise in the midst of a quiet night. She tried to open her eyes with great effort but could not. It felt as if her eyelids weighed a few thousand tonnes, and her body was freezing. “It’s freezing, it hurts…” She muttered subconsciously like a distressed avalanche victim that no one could save and left to perish in the snow. At last, she lost count of the time before the door of the nursery opened up slowly. It was a concerned Wanda, who seized the opportunity while it was early in the morning to check on Hesper, only to find her collapsed on the floor, her body curled into a ball. “Mrs. Duval, what’s going on with you?” Wanda ran to Hesper in a haste. “It… It hurts.” Hesper’s face was ghastly pale and her entire body was drenched in cold sweat. Wanda stretched out her hand to feel Hesper’s forehead and pulled back her arm immediately from the burning heat. “Someone, come! Mrs. Duval has a fever. Send her to the hospital, quick!” The servants in the villa were alarmed. They came to stand around her in succession. Rickard heard Wanda’s calling as soon as he returned from his morning run downstairs. He furrowed his eyebrows, pushed away the crowd, and walked into the nursery. Madam Duval and Sophia were awakened by the noise as well. They scolded with stern expressions. “What’s with the clamor? Why were we awakened so early?” Wanda held Hesper and spoke with a shaky voice, “Madam and Ms. Duval, Mrs. Duval is burning with fever.”“Is that really serious?” Madam Duval rolled her eyes. “There are so many women in the world, yet Hesper is the only spoiled one. She’s always sick and in pain every other day. Who knows if she’s faking it!” Hesper was barely conscious from the fever; she could not utter a word. The more Wanda looked at Hesper, the more anxious she became. Meanwhile, Rickard arrived and took a glance at the crowd around him before he queried with a cold voice, “What happened?”“Mr. Duval, it’s Mrs. Duval. She's come down with a high fever after bowing here all night while in her weakened state.” Wanda hastily narrated the situation, which triggered Mrs. Duval and Sophie's anger at once. “Don’t listen to her, Rickard. I think she’s faking her illness to go against you because she was displeased with your punishment yesterday!” Rickard kept quiet and did not speak. He had yet to forgo yesterday’s incident. However, he could tell that Hesper did not look so good. “How do you feel? Can you speak?” Rickard approached her and attempted to feel her forehead, but Hesper shoved him away. “I'm not dying. You don’t need to bother yourself with me.” The man pulled a long face. This woman is nothing but cruel to me, and there’s no telling whether she's actually flirting with another man behind my back to earn his sympathy. “Since you’re fine, get up. Why are you lying on the floor?” Hesper propped herself up without uttering a word, but before she could stand steadily, her knees buckled and she began to fall again.

Chapter 10 Chapter 10

“Mrs. Duval!” Wanda screamed out in surprise. In the next moment, Hesper was caught by a pair of huge, male hands. Everyone was stunned; not even Rickard realized what had happened. How could he possibly initiate such an intimate interaction with her? He was convinced that he did it instinctively. He caught her out of instinct, and that was all. Sophia could not bear to watch anymore. “Dick, don’t mind her. The more you mind, the more she'll feign her agony. She did it so she could get your attention.”“Shut up!” Rickard shouted coldly. Having gotten close to Hesper, he had only just discovered the abnormality of her body temperature. “She's having a fever. Call the family doctor.” Sophia did not have the courage to continue to speak out of turn. However, this time, Hesper was the one to reject Rickard. “No, I don’t want the family doctor. Send me to the hospital.” Rickard’s eyebrows furrowed tighter, and he said impatiently, “You need treatment to lower your fever immediately. It’s faster with the family doctor.”“No, I want to go to the hospital,” Hesper insisted. She did not have the courage to stay with the Duvals when she was sick because Madam Duval and Sophia might be seized with crazy ideas to put her in harm’s way. In the hospital, at least she could ensure her own safety. Rickard misunderstood her. Remembering Julian’s numerous missed calls, his eyes filled with murderous intent. He nodded coldly and said, “Fine, I'll fulfill your wish.” Hesper could sense the strangeness in his tone, but she could not ponder further on it due to the discomfort in her body. She was sent to the hospital by the bodyguards. Before they departed, Rickard gave the assistant an order coldly. “Monitor her closely. If Hesper meets up with some brute, inform me at once.”“Uh…” The assistant was incredulous. Does Mr. Duval suspect Mrs. Duval of having an affair? How could that be? The assistant trembled deep inside after meeting the man’s stern gaze. He behaved himself and shut his mouth at once. “Come, let’s go to the company first.” The assistant hesitated for a moment before he asked cautiously, “Mr. Duval, Mrs. Duval is sick. Are we not going to visit her in the hospital?” Rickard glanced at the assistant nonchalantly. “She’s just a woman. Compared to our collaboration with Haven Group, which one do you think is more important?” The assistant came to understand the situation but still heaved a sigh in his heart. It was precisely this kind of reasoning that had led the relationship between Mr. Duval and Mrs. Duval to grow so distant. In the Duvals’ residence, the rest of the people returned to their posts after Hesper was sent to the hospital. Wanda was about to leave when Madam Duval called out to her. “Stand there. Have I given you permission to leave?” Wanda’s body trembled, and she turned around to look at Mrs. Duval in fear. Mrs. Duval grabbed a vase next to her and hit Wanda’s body with it ferociously. “Wanda, you’re very capable. Do you know who you’re working for? Do you know who pays your wages? How dare you live off us but secretly help an outsider!”“Madam, I didn’t…” Wanda was almost in tears from fear. She bowed down at once. “You didn’t? What were you doing at the nursery then? Had you not made a fuss, perhaps she would have died and no one would know! How dare you say you didn’t do it!” Wanda was aware of Madam Duval’s cruelness, but she did not expect it to be to this extent. She was scared out of her wits. “I’m sure that you’d understand the situation, madam. I prepared some supplemental food and came to check on the young sir to see if he was awake. I didn’t expect to find Mrs. Duval unconscious, so I called out in panick.”“Hmph. Knock it off,” Madam Duval said with a bitterly sarcastic tone. “I don’t care if you really are a fool, or if you’re just feigning your foolishness. I’m going to put it out there today that the Duvals' residence is no place for the kind hearted! If you dare to protect her again, don’t blame me for being hard on you!” Wanda’s body froze, but then she nodded obsequiously and said, “Yes, mam… I understand.” In the hospital, Julian was extremely worried about Hesper’s condition after failing to get in touch with her. He was slightly distracted on his shift until he heard a conversation between two nurses. “Yikes, this Rivera woman is quite pitiful for having such a high fever after her recent delivery. There’s no telling if her mother-in-law is helping to care for her.”“I heard that she’s the young Mrs. Duval of the Duval family and her mother-in-law is not fond of her, so Madam Duval makes life difficult for her. My colleague told me about her burn injury. Her mouth and lips were badly burned the day she had her baby. Isn’t this an obvious sign of abuse within an influential family?”“Oh god, that’s really terrifying. I don’t want to think about marrying a man from an influential family anymore…” The two young nurses’ discussion faded as they walked away. Julian’s expression changed drastically. He knew that something bad must have happened to her when he failed to get in touch with her yesterday. Damn you, Duvals! There is no telling what they did to her! “Hesper!” At last, Julian found Hesper and saw the infusion tube on her hand, her ghastly pale face completely drained of blood. She did not look like a woman who had just given birth recently but a terminal illness patient who would die soon. Julian’s eyes reddened with tears. He stood by the bed at a loss of what to do. “What brings you here, Ian?” Hesper hastily tried to sit upright when seeing Julian, but she did not have the strength to do so because of malnourishment. Julian hastily stretched out his hands to help her get up and propped a pillow behind her caringly. Witnessing the scene, the bodyguard posted at the door immediately called up Rickard’s assistant. In the room, Julian said softly, “I came to check on you after I found out that you’re sick. How do you feel? How did you get yourself sick again?” Hesper cracked a faint, bitter smile. However, she could not bring herself to speak ill of the family, so she said nonchalantly, “I’m fine. It will pass soon.”“You’re always trying to be brave.” Julian looked at her with pity. “I called you many times yesterday night because I wanted to check with you on the lawyer’s matter. You didn’t pick up even once, so I should have known that something bad had happened to you. It’s all my fault for being useless. I'm not capable of getting you away from the Duvals.”“You called me, Ian?” Hesper had not heard her phone ring at all the night before since she left it in her room. She did not wish to get Julian in trouble either, so she could only force a smile and say, “It’s fine. You’re already being so kind to me, Ian. Perhaps this is just a difficult period for me in my life.”“No, you shouldn’t be treated like this.” Julian could not refrain himself from advising her, “Leave him, Hesper. The Duvals are akin to hell for you. Only by leaving them can you restart your life.” Hesper wanted to restart her life too, but… Meanwhile, a loud bang was heard when the door was kicked open by someone. Rickard walked into the room, his face green with rage. His entire person exuded an evil, foreboding presence. He looked coldly at the two people chatting harmoniously by the bed. “Where did you say you were taking my wife earlier?” Julian and Hesper’s expressions changed drastically when they heard the word ‘wife’. Julian expressed his anger. “Mr. Duval, if you really regarded Hesper as your wife, why would you let her get injured and hospitalized again and again!”“Heh…” Rickard chuckled in a dangerous manner and pushed his tongue against his cheek. It was a sign that he was about to lose his temper.

Chapter 11 Chapter 11

Rickard stepped forward abruptly and grabbed Julian by his collar. “Hesper is a member of the Duvals, and she will be with the Duvals even if she dies. Trying to get her to start her life again? Dream on!” As he was speaking, he swung a punch at Julian’s face ferociously. Hesper watched the scene incredulously. “Rickard! Have you lost your mind? Why are you beating him?” Rickard grew even more furious after noticing how she defended Julian. “Why? Does it hurt you to watch?” As he was speaking, he threw a few more punches. Julian was a practicing doctor, so he was no match for Rickard. His face bruised and swelled up from the beating quickly. “Stop it! Stop it, quick!” Hesper’s eyes reddened with anger. Julian was the family that she did not have much of in the world, but he was beaten up ferociously by Rickard now. “Rickard, if you hit him one more time, you can forget about working on grandfather’s matter together!” Hesper stretched her arms and defended Julian in anger. Upon hearing her remark, the furious man gradually stopped. Rickard narrowed his eyes in a dangerous manner. “What did you say?” Hesper did not wish to threaten Rickard with Mr. Duval Sr., but there was nothing else she could do to stop him from hitting Julian. She could only brace herself to say, “Rickard, you can come at me if you hate me, don’t implicate others! I’m only staying with the Duvals for the sake of grandfather’s health. I’m not staying so your family can treat me inhumanely!”“Good, very well. You’ve learned to talk back.” Rickard’s eyes were bloodshot from anger, and the veins on the back of his hands throbbed. He kicked over a rack next to him. “Hesper, how dare you threaten me for this man!”“Who do you think you are, and how dare you!” Rickard stretched out his arms in an attempt to grab her out of rage. However, as soon as Rickard moved, Julian used his body to shield Hesper and wrapped his arms around her. Rickard’s anger soared to its max when witnessing the scene. In fact, he felt like he wanted to tear up the people before him so he could let them experience the consequences of going against him. “What’s going on?” Juniper’s voice was heard coming from the door. Rickard turned around and glanced at her. “Why are you here?” Juniper was startled by the sight of the anger in his bloodshot eyes, but she feigned her calmness with great effort and said, “I went to meet Sophia at the Duvals’ residence and heard that Hesper was hospitalized, so I came to visit her with some healthy snacks.” As she was speaking, she raised the box in her hands to show him. The snacks in the box were all of superior quality food; she brought it to showcase her gentleness and thoughtfulness. Rickard sneered. “That’s very kind of you, but it’s a shame that she doesn’t deserve it.”“Huh, what do you mean?” Juniper appeared to be dumbfounded, but in reality, she heard the loud quarrel from outside. Rickard did not wish to continue fussing over the matter anymore, so he turned around nonchalantly and said, “Nothing. Let’s go.” Juniper followed after him obediently and willingly. Julian loosened his grip over Hesper and noticed that there was a blood backflow in the infusion tube on her arm. Her blood filled the whole tube, turning it bright red. “Lie down, Hesper!” Hesper was in pain as well, but she held back from talking about it earlier. When everything was settled down, she said to Julian with fatigue, “I’m sorry that I got you beaten up for no reason earlier, Ian.”“I’m fine. This trivial injury is nothing for a man. You, on the other hand… Is this how Rickard treats you at home too?” Hesper turned her face to the side and did not answer. How would he treat me like this at home? At home, Rickard ignores me as if I don’t exist. He disregards my concern and favor, and doesn't even look me in the eyes. “B*st*rd!” Julian was furious. “Who was the woman earlier? Was she his mistress?”“No, she's Juniper Wight…” Hesper told him about the situation briefly before she said in all apparent seriousness in the end, “I know that you care about me, Ian, but I’m scared of Rickard bearing grudges against you, so it would be best if you could stay away from me.”“What's that supposed to mean? You’re my sister! How could I possibly not care about you?” Julian patted her shoulder and said sincerely, “Listen to my advice, Hesper. Your place is not with the Duval family or with Rickard. Will you leave him?”“I know. Just hold on. We'll get a divorce once grandfather has recovered.” Julian, rendered speechless, heaved a sigh. It did not take long before Rickard’s assistant came rushing over suddenly. “Mrs. Duval, is my boss here?” Hesper nodded after noticing how anxious he looked. “He was, but he left.”“Left?” The assistant looked as if he feared for his life. They were supposed to have a discussion with the Haven Group that day, but when Rickard received information from the hospital, he came over without the slightest hesitation. The discussion was about to begin, but the assistant was unable to locate Rickard. The assistant was troubled, but before he left, he seemed to remember something and pulled out a new phone from his bag. “Mrs. Duval, this the phone my boss ordered me to get for you. Your sim card is inside. Frankly, Mr. Duval…cares about you.” Hesper did not appreciate Rickard’s concern. If he really cared about me, why would he humiliate me? If this is how he shows his care, I would rather not have it! Meanwhile, Juniper was also provoking Rickard casually by saying, “Who was that man protecting Hesper in the hospital earlier, Rickard? Why haven’t I seen him before?”“Don’t mention them to me anymore. They disgust me.” Rickard waved his hand impatiently and picked up the glass before him to down the alcoholic. Juniper’s eyes glistened. “It’s boring to drink alone, so I’ll drink with you.” Soon, an exchange of glasses quickly happened, and Rickard drank more and more out of anger. He began to gradually grow tipsy. Juniper seized the opportunity to take an intimate selfie with Rickard and sent it to Hesper right away. “Don’t worry. Rickard is with me tonight. I’ll take good care of him.” The interpretation of what her care meant was up to Hesper. Hesper stared at the photo for three full seconds before finally sneering. So, he was kind enough got me a new phone just so he could show off their loving relationship. Thank you for the trouble you’ve taken and your consideration! “Thank you for taking the trouble. Although, I’m afraid there’s nothing impressive about Rickard’s performance when he’s drunk. You might not be able to fully enjoy yourself.” Hesper turned off the phone right after sending the provocative message. All I have to do is disgust her, right? Anyone can do that. Not having expected Hesper to actually reply to her text message, Juniper turned green with rage. She could not suppress her jealousy at the thought of how they had once been so intimate that they had a child together. Let's wait and see, Hesper!

Chapter 12 Chapter 12

Hesper’s fever broke the next day. She was not severely ill to begin with; she just caught a cold after bowing down for a night in her malnourished state. It was fortunate that she was sent to the hospital in time and received an intravenous infusion, which allowed her body to gradually recover its functions. It was quite amusing, really. She risked her life to give birth to the Duvals' eldest grandchild, yet she could only replenish her nutrition in the hospital. No one would believe her if she were to tell them what happened. Hesper consumed her chicken soup in small sips when someone kicked open the door of her room all of a sudden. The elegantly-dressed Madam Duval walked into the room with two other women. “Yikes, look at you having the appetite to eat chicken soup. It seems that you’re not all that seriously ill.” Hesper coldly glanced at her. She did not have a favorable impression toward the Duvals after experiencing the recent ordeals. She replied in a mocking tone, “I’m sorry for disappointing you by not dying from the illness.”“Stop your smart-mouthing!” Madam Duval looked like she was about to lose her temper when she suddenly caught herself and cracked a ghastly smile. “Judging from how stubborn you are, it seems you still haven’t learned your lesson. Then I'll fulfill your wish to endure more hardships!”“Come!” She waved her hand with a sneer. “Since Mrs. Duval is hospitalized, she can’t feed breastmilk to the baby, who is at home. Go ahead and help her!”“What are you doing!” Before Hesper could respond to the situation, the two women were already surrounding her with a ghastly grin on their faces. They grabbed her hospital gown and tugged at it to remove it. “What are we doing? You should know how to pump breast milk by now. There’s no need for us to explain anymore, right?” The button of Hesper's hospital gown was forcefully removed, revealing a large area of her fair skin. One of the women stretched out her hands and squeezed Hesper’s breasts ferociously. Hesper's eyes widened in shock. She thought that Madam Duval’s previous tricks were obscene enough, but Madam Duval was able to stoop even lower! “Go away! Don’t you dare touch me!” Hesper struggled with all her might, but she could not move because of the two women's strength. They squeezed her breasts strenuously with their large, coarse hands… “Gah! It hurts!” Hesper’s forehead instantly drenched in cold sweat. Her breasts were weak and sensitive since the delivery, so she felt as if her blood vessels were about to burst when abused by them in this manner. Her eyes reddened with tears, and hateful, humiliating thoughts filled her head. In the end, Hesper could not bear it anymore and pulled out a fork that she hid under the pillow before stabbing the person next to her visciously. “Gah!” A bitter, agonizing roar rang in the room. The woman grabbed her arm and said with an agonizing expression, “Madam, blood… I’m bleeding…” The other woman was so startled that she loosened her grip upon noticing the situation, leaving Hesper slumped down on the bed weakly. Her hair was messy and she was in a disheveled state. Only her eyes were filled with sarcasm and hatred. Madam Duval was startled by Hesper’s gaze, but she feigned calmness by saying, “You were prepared, Hesper. Very well. Did you prepare the fork so you could stab me? Aren’t you afraid that Rickard will leave you when he finds out about this?”“Make him leave then!” Hesper’s patience had run out despite her good temperament. She glared at Madam Duval as if she was looking at a dead man. “You are more than welcome to convince him!”“You you you…” Madam Duval was at a loss for words to refute, not having expected that Hesper would make a remark like this in view of how much she loved Rickard. Meanwhile, the sound of a man’s leather shoes walking on the ground was heard coming from outside. Rickard’s eyebrows tightly furrowed when he saw the scene before his eyes. “What the heck is going on this time?”“You’re here, my son!” Madam Duval looked at Rickard as if he was her savior. She immediately told him about the incident earlier with exaggerated embellishments. “I was only worried that she would suffer from clogged milk ducts, so I kindly hired two experienced masseuses to help her. Not only was she unappreciative, but she injured the masseuse. Look at that poor, bleeding woman. I have no idea how I’m supposed to deal with Hesper anymore!”“Is that so?” Rickard looked toward Hesper suspiciously. She smirked in a mocking manner. “Would you believe me if I told you that's not what happened?”“Indeed.” Rickard’s eyes were gloomy. There were only the three of them in the room now. Who else would do something like this if not Hesper? Noticing that Rickard was on her side, Madam Duval grew fearless. “Son, don’t let Hesper off so easily in view of how sinister she is. Otherwise, there’s no telling who she’ll attack next time.”“I understand. Take the woman and get her wound dressed first.” Rickard spoke in a cold tone. Green veins could be seen bulging on his forehead. “Son…” Madam Duval wanted to instigate further but was startled by his icy cold gaze. She hastily shut her mouth and left with the two women. As soon as the door was shut, Rickard revealed his true self. “So, you think you’re capable now and have become lawless?” He took a step forward with each word he said. He rolled up his sleeves, revealing his muscular, fair-complexion arms. Hesper could feel the incoming danger, but she forced herself to calm down and braced his cold gaze. At the very moment he got close to her, she said coldly, “Rickard, if you dare lay a hand on me, I’ll make you regret it.” The usually arrogant, aloof Rickard would never be bothered by a lowly threat like this. However, seeing the determination in her eyes, he stopped for no apparent reason. His gaze was as deep as the sea. “What are you doing? Are you threatening me?”“No.” Hesper inhaled a deep breath and enunciated her words clearly with a determined tone when she said, “I’m negotiating a deal with you.” Under the man’s slightly puzzled gaze, she narrated a statement that she composed, “Although I proposed a divorce, I agreed to stay and put on an act with you out of consideration for grandfather’s health. However, I can’t put up with you and your family’s doings anymore. Let's have a one-off conversation today, and if you can’t accept my condition, I’m sorry but I'll have to forfeit what I agreed to do.”“Heh.” Rickard chuckled in anger. Who does she think she is to say something like that? Was it not her who plotted so that she could marry me in the past? Now that she got her wish fulfilled to become Mrs. Duval, why is she still acting like she’s been treated wrongly? I'd like to see what trick this woman still has up her sleeve! “Firstly, we'll live out our lives separately from now on. I won’t regard you as my husband, and you don’t need to regard me as your wife to others. I won’t get in the way of you dating Juniper, and you’re not allowed to meddle with my personal affairs either. We'll only need to play the roles of husband and wife in grandfather’s presence.”“Secondly, I’m only living in the Duvals’ residence temporarily. When grandfather is back, I'll leave. So, I’m officially informing you now that if anyone in your family continues to make things difficult for me, I'll return what's done to me ten fold. It would be best for us to mind our own business.” Rickard’s expression grew more unpleasant with every remark she made. In the end, he was almost clenching his teeth in rage when he said, “When did you have this thought out? What could you do if I don’t agree to your conditions?”