Chapter 9

The woman standing in front of Maria was Richard's aunt, Catelyn.

If Richard's friend Trent was the sort who smiled and called her Mrs. Shaw in the open but didn't think anything of her in private, then Catelyn was blunt and consistent. The woman was openly hostile from day one.

Since Maria married Richard, she had never seen a kind look from Catelyn.

Catelyn had called Maria a homewrecker in private more than once, saying Maria was someone who slept her way up, got pregnant, and forced Richard to take responsibility. Maria was upset, but no matter how Maria tried to explain, she never won Catelyn's respect.

Catelyn was Richard's only living relative, so Maria had to tolerate her.

At the time, Maria couldn't understand why Catelyn spoke so harshly to her.

Now, she did. All along, Catelyn had been telling the truth.

The woman who was actually Richard's legal wife and had a marriage certificate with him was Eleanor. Maria was indeed an outsider occupying someone else's place—except she had been kept in the dark by Richard for seven whole years.

"I see you run the moment you spot me. Why are you running?" Catelyn scowled, arms crossed.

Maria lowered her eyes, too tired to start a conflict with this woman. "No, I just didn't see you there."

Catelyn scoffed. "Yeah, sure! Drop the act! Look at you. You look terrible. Bad mood lately?"

Maria was surprised to hear even a hint of concern, but the next second, Catelyn sneered,

"Of course, Richard's real wife is back. You're panicking since you're losing ground, aren't you?"

Maria choked slightly. She looked up at Catelyn, unable to stop herself from asking, "If you knew, why didn't you ever tell me?"

Catelyn paused, then laughed. "If Richard wasn't afraid you'd leave if you found out, that his kid's mother would also leave on top of the one he loved gone, do you think I'd help him hide it all these years? I'd have told you straight out that you're just a homewrecker!"

Her voice was so loud that people passing by couldn't help but look over.

Maria clenched her fists, fighting to stay calm. "I'm not a homewrecker! If I'd known they were married, I never would've been with Richard."

"You stole someone's husband and took the position of Mrs. Shaw for seven years, but now you want to act all righteous? Aren't you ashamed at all?" Catelyn barked; she just wouldn't let up, her words getting nastier by the second.

Maria didn't want to argue. She turned to leave, but Catelyn pulled her back by her arm.

"If you know what's good for you, step aside! Don't cling to Richard. If it isn't because he wants to give his son a family, do you think he'd marry you in the first place?"

Maria's face went even paler. The words were nails driven into her heart. She shook off Catelyn's grip, steadying herself. "Don't worry, I'll leave. I'll disappear for good."

Catelyn rolled her eyes with a scoff. "You say that now, but you're full of lies. If you really are asked to leave, you'll use every trick in the book not to. But just you wait—Richard will reveal everything soon and make you leave!"

Maria took a deep breath. Everyone thought she couldn't let go of Richard, that she would do anything to stay.

But she knew herself best. She had always been someone who could let go of things completely.

If, when she got pregnant, Richard had told her about his marriage, she would have left. Whether she kept the baby or raised it alone, she would never have forced him to take responsibility.

She could love someone who didn't love her back, but she could never raise a child with another woman's husband.

Maria looked at Catelyn. "Fine, as you wish. I'll leave."

Catelyn was surprised by the resolve in Maria's eyes, but soon sneered again. "This morning, Richard called and asked me to introduce him to a famous wedding dress designer. Do you know what that means?"

Maria's heart skipped a beat.

"It means Richard isn't just dumping you, he's going to welcome Eleanor back openly with a grand wedding. If you stick around, you'll only embarrass yourself in the end!"

Catelyn looked at Maria, arms crossed, eyes full of glee.

Maria almost bit her lip to keep from crying.

When she got pregnant, Richard had insisted on marrying her, but their wedding was rushed—just a banquet at some hotel. Her wedding dress wasn't custom-made; it was just a simple dress bought off the rack.

All this while, she had dreamed of wearing a real wedding gown. It had become a small regret of hers.

She had never told Richard about it, but now, he was planning a lavish wedding for Eleanor, with a dress from a top designer while keeping her on a leash.

It was obvious who really mattered to him after that comparison.

No. She had never earned a place in his heart.

Maria found it laughable. She was about to speak when a familiar, deep voice came from behind.

"Aunt Catelyn. What are you two doing together?" Richard walked over quickly, first checking Maria's face.

The manager for the mall had told him a few minutes ago that Maria was here. He dropped everything and rushed over, afraid she was upset by last night or had other plans she wouldn't share with him.

Seeing Catelyn there, he grew even more nervous. Catelyn and Maria never got along. There was always conflict whenever they met.

He pulled Maria behind him, separating them. "What are you talking about? Nothing harsh, I hope?"

Catelyn's eyes darted, a little guilty. Afraid Maria would complain first, she quickly said, "What can I possibly say? I just ran into her and we had a chat, that's all."

"Is that so?" Richard asked, looking to Maria for confirmation.

Maria just stared at the ground, refusing to meet his eyes. She didn't want to talk to him.

Last night, Richard must have gone home to rest after going to the hotel for her, and never saw the letter she left in his study.

She was just waiting for him to find that letter, so everything could finally end. In the world of adults, there was no need to spell out things that couldn't be shown in the light.

Maria tried to leave, but Richard caught up and blocked her way. "Wait. You left last night without a word. I think we need to talk."

"I don't want to," Maria said coldly.

Richard stepped in front of her again, but before he could say more, his phone rang. He glanced down.

Maria instinctively peeked at the screen and saw a name in bold.

"Wedding Dress Designer Linda."