Chapter 5

Linda lay on the hospital bed. She was hooked up to an IV and had an oxygen mask over her face. When she heard movement, she asked weakly, "Is that Maeva? Is she here?"

"Grandma." Maeva hurried to the bedside and took her hand. "It's me. I came to see you."

The cloudiness in Linda's eyes slowly cleared. She looked at Maeva and smiled kindly. "I finally feel at ease with you here."

"Grandma, I'm always around. Anytime you want to see me, I'll come right away," Maeva replied. "You need to take good care of yourself and live a long, long life."

"I just want to live long enough to see you have a baby. I want to hold my great-grandchild in my arms. I can die happy after that," Linda said.

Maeva's lashes trembled lightly.

"It's been five years. You should really be showing some signs by now." Linda glanced over at David. "Don't you agree, you brat?"

David stayed silent.

"I'm talking to you, you—" She suddenly broke into a fit of violent coughing. Her face flushed red.

Maeva hurried to rub her back and help soothe her breathing. Should she really tell the truth under such circumstances?

If Linda found out she and David had already filed for divorce and were just waiting for things to be processed before going their separate ways, would it send her straight into the emergency room again?

As Maeva was thinking that, she suddenly felt warmth on her shoulder. A familiar, faint scent of mint wafted into her nose.

David reached over, wrapped an arm around her shoulder, and pulled her firmly into his arms. He said, "Mae and I have been trying for a baby lately. If things go to plan, there should be good news soon."

Linda looked like she'd just taken some miracle medicine. The deathly pallor on her face vanished, replaced at once with color and energy. "Really?"

"Really." David smiled faintly. He lowered his head, brushing his thin lips past Maeva's ear. "If you don't believe me, you can ask Mae."

Linda beamed, and her eyes crinkled. "I knew over ten years ago that you two were a perfect match. That's why I set the engagement so early. See? I have such good judgment."

Maeva smiled with her. "You're right, Grandma. Without you, we wouldn't have ended up married."

"This is perfect!" Linda laughed and nodded, looking satisfied. "Looks like forcing you two to consummate the marriage last time was the right call. It's easier to catch and develop feelings at night… even if my methods back then were a little underhanded. But hey, as long as they work!"

Because she was standing so close, Maeva clearly heard David let out a barely audible snort.

He had always believed that though Linda was the one who'd drugged them, the idea itself had come from Maeva. She really knew how to package herself, to wash her hands clean and act all innocent and pure.

Maeva used to exhaust herself trying to explain, but he'd never believed her. Now, she didn't want to explain anymore. He could think whatever he liked.

Linda suddenly remembered something else. "Oh, right. David, that woman… what was her name… Alaina, was it? Alaina Fulton. Is she back in Berdona?"

"…Seems like it," he answered.

This time, it was Maeva's turn to let out a bitter little snort.

Did he seriously say "Seems like it"? He'd personally gone to the airport to pick her up and had then stayed out all night. The two of them had probably been all wrapped up in each other's arms till morning.

She forced herself not to dwell on it and lowered her eyes.

Linda said sternly, "You'd better keep your distance from her. You're a married man now. Yes, she saved your life back then and did the Cavendish family a huge favor, but over all these years, we've helped her and her family a lot, too. That's more or less paid back what we owe.

"And don't you get any funny ideas. As long as I'm alive, that woman can forget about ever marrying into our family. You and Maeva need to live a good, solid life together. Don't let yourself get bewitched by Alaina's tricks."

David gave a soft grunt. "There's nothing between us."

Linda nodded, then went on nagging for a while longer. After taking her medicine, she lay back down and drifted off to sleep.

In the hallway outside the hospital room, Maeva and David stood facing each other. They were still legally husband and wife, yet in this moment, they felt like complete strangers.

"Grandma has a heart condition. She can't take any kind of shock," David said. "We can't let her know about the divorce for now."

"How long are you planning to hide this?" Maeva asked.

"That depends."

She blinked. "You can't keep it a secret forever. The truth is bound to come out."

He frowned impatiently. "Are you trying to teach me how to handle things?"

"Why do I have to keep giving in to you?" she shot back. "I have to cooperate with whatever you want without question? I'm not allowed to do anything that goes against your orders?"

He grew even more impatient. "Isn't that how things have always been between us?"

It had been 17 years from the moment they'd met to now. Maeva was 10 when she met David. Now, she was 27 and he was in his early 30s. Maeva had lived like that for 17 years, so why was she suddenly rebelling? Of course David felt thrown off by it.

Maeva let out a bitter laugh. "Yes, it's always been like that. But does that mean it's right? I'm a human being, David. A living person with blood, flesh, and a soul. I'm not your puppet."

"Then why didn't you say any of these things before?"

"Because I used to love you," she answered. "And I don't anymore."

She was going to take control of her life. She was no longer the Mrs. Cavendish who revolved around David. She was Maeva Pearson.

A strange, indescribable feeling quickly spread through David's chest. Maeva just said she didn't love him anymore. But so what? He didn't care about her love in the first place.

He forced down the unfamiliar feeling and said, "Whether you love me or not, you still have to listen to me."

"And if I refuse?"

He let out a careless chuckle and lifted his hand to tilt her chin up. "You're way out of your league if you're thinking of going against me."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I know exactly what you've been busy with lately," David said, arching a brow. "All it takes is one word from me, and no one in Berdona will dare do business with you. Do you believe that?"

She did. Of course she did. David was one of the most powerful men in Berdona, and everyone tried to cozy up to him. Who would offend him on a whim?

Truth was, Maeva had no intention of bringing up the divorce, even if it were just for Linda's sake. Still, she hated the way David acted so loftily and how he issued orders with that icy arrogance.

She'd listened to him for far too many years. She now wanted to resist and break free.

Maeva gritted her teeth. "If you blacklist me, I'll go make a scene at the Cavendish residence. I'll raise hell at Cavendish Group. I've got nothing to lose, while you've got a reputation to protect. Let's see who ends up more embarrassed in the end—you or me."

David's voice was low as he warned, "Don't go looking for trouble, Maeva."

She'd always been obedient, yet she'd suddenly turned into a rose with thorns. He wasn't used to it. He had never realized she could bare her teeth like this.

He deeply disliked this feeling of things slipping out of his control.

Maeva slapped his hand away hard and turned her head aside. And then, out of the corner of her eyes, something about David's appearance caught her attention.

She focused on him more carefully, realizing that his shirt and tie were completely mismatched. He wore a gray dress shirt, which should have been paired with a tie in a similar or darker shade. Instead, he had on a light blue tie. And over that, he'd put on a black blazer.

Maeva frowned. Who had put that outfit together for him? Was he that bad at dressing without her by his side?

All these years, she'd managed every detail of David's wardrobe, his meals, and his daily life. And now, she had only been away from him for a few days.