Chapter 2

"Then why do you spend every day with Jason?" Silas roared. "Why do you keep making excuses about working overtime? Why do you accompany him to the hospital? You promised me before that I would be the first person you'd spend time with when you came home from work!"

He finally let out all the anger he'd been bottling up over the past few days.

He continued, "What else could he be if not a homewrecker? You're arguing with me because of him now. Have you spent any time with me at all these past few days?"

Had Nadine even cared about his health? Did she know what had happened to his hand?

His unanswered questions cut deep, leaving both of them struggling to breathe.

"What else can you do besides play?" Nadine asked coldly.

Silas' eyes widened.

His entire body began to tremble uncontrollably, and something seemed to explode inside his head. He had never imagined that Nadine would say something like that to him.

It felt like a blatant humiliation.

"Didn't you want me to play your divorce game with you?" she asked. "Fine. I'll play along. This is the agreement, isn't it?"

She bent down, pulled a document out of the drawer, and signed her name without the slightest hesitation.

"Silas, all I ever asked was for you to be a little more obedient, but you've gone too far this time."

She flung the document onto the table before turning toward the group of housekeepers.

"I don't know who taught you these twisted ideas, but I'll make sure you understand just how wrong your behaviour is. All of you, get outside and kneel in the pouring rain!"

"Nadine, what are you doing?"

A flicker of panic crossed Silas' eyes.

The next instant, every housekeeper who had kept him company was forced to stay in the downpour. He tried to rush outside, only for the bodyguards to pin him firmly in place.

Nadine sat on the couch, her expression solemn.

"Silas, people don't get to do whatever they want without facing consequences. I won't punish you, but these people who play with you and spend every day teaching you should have known better. They failed to teach you properly, so they deserve to be punished."

But this had been her fault in the first place. Why was she blaming everyone else?

"Nadine!" Silas shouted, his eyes bloodshot. "Let them go! I was the one who filed the lawsuit. They had nothing to do with it!"

An indulgent smile tugged at her lips.

"Silas, how could I ever bear to punish you? I've already told you that they failed to teach you properly, which is why I'm punishing them. Just be a good boy and stop making a fuss."

Silas couldn't believe his ears. He'd only wanted justice for himself.

Why did Nadine always treat it as though he were throwing a tantrum?

Before he could confront her, a sudden scream rang out from outside.

Silas' heart clenched.

Back when his mental capacity had been reduced to that of a ten-year-old, he had found a young girl outside and brought her home.

Mia had never looked down on him for being intellectually impaired. Instead, she treated him as her own brother and played games with him.

Whenever anyone called him an idiot, she would step in front of him and shout, "Silas isn't an idiot! He's just a late bloomer!"

But now, she was lying in the rain, her entire body convulsing.

Silas twisted around and sank his teeth into the hands of the two bodyguards restraining him. As soon as he broke free, he rushed into the rain and gathered Mia's cold body into his arms. His hands trembled as he called for emergency help.

"Someone's suffering from a heart attack here!" he cried. "The address is…"

A sharp pang of pain shot through Nadine's chest when she saw Silas drenched from head to toe. But the moment she remembered how Jason had nearly taken his own life because of the lawsuit, her expression turned cold.

"Silas, we're at the Larson residence. Without my permission, no outsider is allowed in."

Silas fell silent, staring at her in disbelief.

"Is this what you want? To watch me die?"

"Of course not," Nadine said helplessly. "You're still young. You don't understand how cruel the world can be. Don't let a few words from someone else manipulate you into filing lawsuits. Silas, I'm trying to teach you a lesson."

Silas pondered her words, well aware she was still treating him like an idiot.

"Hello? Can you hear me?" The emergency operator's anxious voice came through the phone. "What's the address? If you can hear me, please respond."

Silas took a deep breath, gave the operator the address, and ended the call.

He held Nadine's gaze, and in the end, she relented.

Then she picked up a settlement agreement and walked toward him.

"Silas, I've called a doctor, just as you wanted. All you have to do is sign your name and promise not to pursue the lawsuit any further. Then I'll drop the matter against them and let the doctor treat Mia."

Silas clenched his jaw. He knew he couldn't afford to keep resisting. Mia's heart condition couldn't wait.

But why did it hurt so much?

"Silas, you've taken things too far this time, and you're being far too stubborn." Nadine sighed before turning to the bodyguards.

"Hold him down and make him sign the agreement."

"No, you can't…"

Silas shook his head, trying to move away from the bodyguards. Just then, Mia, who had briefly regained consciousness, summoned her remaining strength and shoved him away.

"Silas, run… Don't worry about me."