Chapter 28N
Justin’s face was ashen, his eyes bloodshot like they could bleed. “Grandma, I’m your grandson, too. Why do you only care about my brother? Am I not in your heart at all?“N
The old lady let out a cold snort and slowly sat down. She stared at him, her voice sharp and deliberate.N
“How have I not cared about you? You lived with me for five years. You know exactly how I treated you. If you had even a shred of responsibility in you, if you’d had just one child with her in those five years, I would’ve let you be together without saying a word.“N
She paused and then her voice turned ice–cold. “But what did you do instead? You put birth control in her soup!“N
“How desperate were you for her to never have a child? Afraid that if she did, you’d be tied to her forever, is that it?“N
Justin swayed as if someone had drained all the strength from his body.N
He stood motionless, his lips trembling, seemingly completely unprepared for the old lady’s knowledge.
What shocked him even more was …N
I just sat there, not speaking, not crying, not even blaming him, watching him quietly N
At that moment, it was like something finally clicked for him.N
“You… you knew all along that I was drugging you?“N
I nodded calmly, “Unfortunately for you, I overheard you telling the servant to put something in my food,“N Justin looked like he was being strangled, a look of panic and disbelief gradually flooding his eyes.N
He looked at me, his gaze tinged with a hint of brokenness. “Then why, why didn’t you ever ask me?“N
lowered my eyes and gave a soft chuckle, my voice as light as the breeze. “Why would I ask you? Ask you why you were afraid of me
having a child? I’m not that pathetic.”
“You said it yourself, your children could only be borne by Lilian.“N
His lips trembled, unable to form a single word.N
“Justin,” Jackson’s voice turned cold. “From today onwards, Chessie is my wife, not someone you can bully as you please.“N
He firmly grasped my hand as he spoke, our fingers interlacing, warm and steady.N
“She’s carrying my child and I won’t let anyone hurt her again.“N
I looked up at him and my heart slammed against my chest.N
Justin stood there, stunned stiff, staring at our joined hands like he couldn’t believe what he saw.
“I, when did I ever hurt her?” He forced the words out, his voice dry and rough. “I would never hurt her.“N
Alas, his body was already giving out. He staggered backwards, only catching himself when he hit the doorframe.
He looked at me. His eyes were full of everything except the certainty he once had.N
That night, the entire Sutherland Family went to stay in a hotel. Darkness fell. The city lights slowly faded into the night and the occasional car passed outside, its tires humming softly against the street.
Justin stood behind me, his voice low and strained, like it was being squeezed from his chest. “Chessie, can we talk?“N
I paused mid–step but didn’t turn around. “What is there left to talk about?“M
He stepped forward. The sound of his shoes echoed through the empty hallway. “Just five minutes. That’s all I ask.”
I slowly turned, my gaze steady as it met his.”
He had lost a lot of weight, his jawline sharper and there were faint dark circles under his eyes. Those once cold and arrogant eyes now. held a hint of cautious pleading.”
“Go ahead.” I crossed my arms, my tone distant. “Your time starts now.”
He swallowed hard. His voice was hoarse. “This past month, I’ve been going to the cemetery. Every day.“M
“Oh?” I raised an eyebrow. “Bringing flowers to my empty grave? How touching.”
“It’s not about being touching,” he smiled bitterly. “It’s penance.”
The night wind swept in from the far end of the hallway, rustling his hair. “I’ve said a lot to that gravestone, but the one thing I keep saying is the biggest regret of my life was asking for the family punishment just so I could divorce you.”M
10:01 AM
