Chapter 4: Kneeling to the White Moon in Atonement

Lauren Reed pointed at the figure swaying on the road ahead.

Amy Conrad's lips curled into a wicked smile. "Isn't that the bitch? She was probably thrown out like trash by my brother. Mom, let's take her to apologize to Sister Yue!"

The screech of tires against the ground startled Valentina, and she instinctively moved closer to the roadside.

Lauren Reed opened the car door, her foot stirring up a gust of wind.

*Smack!*

Before Valentina could even see who it was, five red handprints appeared on her face. After falling into the water, Valentina hadn't eaten anything and was still running a fever. A single slap sent her sprawling to the ground.

"Valentina, you little slut! How dare you push my daughter-in-law into the water? Didn't you know she was carrying our Lu family's child?"

Valentina struggled to sit up, tears streaming down her face, feeling the burning pain on her cheek.

"Mom, I, Valentina, am the one who was officially married into your Lu family!"

"Pfft, do you really think you deserve it? You were just bought by our Lu family to bring good luck to my brother. During the wedding, my brother was still in a coma! Now that Sister Yue is awake, you should give up the position of the young mistress of the Lu family to her!"

Tears instantly blurred Valentina's vision. Indeed, her wedding with Hamiltion Carpenter was extremely simple, held in the old house with a small ceremony. At the wedding, it was Hamiltion Carpenter's nephew who performed the rituals for him. The marriage certificate was also arranged by the Lu family; she and Hamiltion Carpenter never went through the official registration process. Over the years, whenever anyone asked about Hamiltion Carpenter's marriage, the Lu family always gave vague answers, showing no intention of giving her a proper status.

"All these years, our Lu family has treated you well. You've been eating and drinking at our expense for two years, and in the end, you even caused the death of my brother and Sister Yue's child. Valentina, you truly are ungrateful!"

In the dark, with the wind howling, Amy Conrad didn't care about her reputation as a lady of high society. She viciously kicked Valentina twice. Valentina, already weak, felt her body go limp and fell onto the mountain path. Her delicate skin scraped against the rough surface, breaking the skin.

"Don't think pretending to be dead will help. You killed Bai Yue's child, so you need to kneel and apologize to her!"

After saying this coldly, Lauren Reed pulled Amy Conrad back to the car and instructed the driver to carry Valentina into the car and drive towards the hospital.

Valentina had always believed that loving someone meant accepting everything about them, including their family. So, no matter how harsh the Lu family was, she endured it. When her mother-in-law and sister-in-law wore expensive clothes, she washed them by hand. When they enjoyed shopping, she followed behind, carrying all their bags. When her mother-in-law craved various snacks, she traveled across the city to buy them, since the Lu family didn't provide her with a car, forcing her to take taxis or buses. Last winter, when the buns she brought back were cold, her mother-in-law made her kneel in the snow for an entire afternoon. When Hamiltion Carpenter came home from work and saw her kneeling in the courtyard, he asked with extreme annoyance, "Did you upset Mom again? Can't you be a bit smarter?"

This was how it always was. Instead of support from her husband, she faced more and more cruelty from the Lu family.

* * *

The air was filled with the smell of disinfectant, causing Valentina's heart to tighten. This smell was all too familiar. During the year and a half that Bai Yue was in a vegetative state, Valentina visited the hospital several times a month to research new treatment plans. So, those eccentric mother and daughter really brought her here to atone for her sins.

The door to the ward was slightly ajar, with a warm, yellow light spilling out. Bai Yue's delicate body lay softly against Hamiltion Carpenter, who stood by the bed, one arm around her back, the other gently stroking her long, smooth hair. The man's eyes were filled with tenderness and affection, a look Valentina had never seen before.

Valentina's heart ached, as if someone was repeatedly stabbing her with a knife, causing cold sweat to break out. Stumbling, she was pushed forward by Amy Conrad and stumbled into the room.

The moment the man saw her, his deep gaze turned icy. Valentina read the coldness and disgust in his eyes.

"Why did you bring her here?"