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!”