Chapter 3

After it was over, Craig got up and packed his things to head to his subsidiary company office. Before he left, he leaned down and said softly in my ear, "Wait for me. I'll come back and take responsibility for this."

I did not ask him how he would do that. When he found out that I was pregnant with his child, he would be sure to marry me. It had only been a couple of days, but I found it surprisingly hard to pass the time.

Many of the housekeepers had heard what I'd said to Jane that day. They thought I had seduced Ashton.

However, Ashton had held a meeting with them and told them that Jane was the only one who could be his future wife. He told them that they had to treat Jane as if she were him.

"Hey, do you know what's going on with Ms. Stone?"

"Didn't they say that she's with that security guard? How could she do that sort of thing during work hours instead of behaving herself, especially when she's a steward?"

"Exactly! And yet she's a so-called top student! I think she's even worse than the animals back home."

None of them had seen me going into Craig's room. Whenever they had time, they would congregate and gossip.

Ashton listened to all of it, looking grim. After that, he turned and left.

The housekeepers wanted to leave a good impression on their future mistress, so they began to disobey my instructions.

My food was sprinkled with mud and pebbles. It wasn't just hard to swallow. It was completely inedible. Even my blankets were often splashed with water. They were wet and could not be used at all.

"Ms. Stone, is your blanket wet again?"

Jane stood next to me with her arms crossed, smiling as she looked at me. "How terrible for them to make life so difficult for you."

I turned aside so that I wouldn't have to look at her fake smile. I continued to hang my blanket on a drying rack.

The speculation grew worse and worse. Some of them even started saying it right to my face. They said that I'd only gotten into university by sleeping with someone and that I had started working with the Byrds just to seduce them.

They even came knocking at night to see if I was sleeping on my own.

"She wasn't in last night. Do you think she snuck into that security guard's room?"

"I'm guessing that it's Sean Hatton. He was alone in his room last night!"

My gaze swept over them, but I did not want to get into a direct conflict for now. They had all listened to Jane and wanted me to be pushed over the edge so that I would leave.

When I was about to return to my room, I suddenly ran into Ashton, who had just come home. He pushed me against the wall with one hand while clamping his other hand around my neck.

"Are you really that desperate? Can't you stay away from men for one single moment?"

He looked expressionless, but there was a look of contempt in his eyes. I was filled with fear and tried to break out of his grip, but I had no strength.

"Do you believe that kind of thing? Doesn't that just show what kind of person you are?"

I looked into his eyes and enunciated each word clearly. There was a hint of anger in his eyes.

"Shameless! Is there anything that someone like you wouldn't do?"

He was still looking at my face, and our eyes met. Perhaps he was annoyed by my struggling, and he said again, "Blair, I will allow you to be my woman, but Jane is the only one who can be Mrs. Byrd."

My vision went black. The only thought I had was that I must have been blind to have ever had feelings for him.

"No way!"

He suddenly reached out and pinched my face. "What's the matter? Do you still want to sleep with other men? Don't go too far, Blair! I'm the only one you can be with! Otherwise…"

He had an iron grip on my chin, and my cheeks were hurting. He stared at me for a while before suddenly letting go and cupping my cheek with his hand.

There was an ambiguous look on his face. "All you have to do is behave and obey. I can't marry you, but you can name any other condition you want."

I frowned. "Ashton! I don't agree."

He suddenly lost his temper and smashed my head violently against the wall.

"Did you come here just to fool around with other people? If so, then get out right now! We don't need a steward who's as disgusting as you are!"

I grabbed the chance to turn and leave. Leaving the Byrd residence would be a good thing. I needed to take care of my baby during the pregnancy. I had just turned the corner when I saw Jane blocking my path.

"Why did you seduce my man, Blair?"

I was rendered speechless, but I decided to ignore her and leave.

"Ms. Stone! Don't be like this!" Jane suddenly shouted.

I turned and saw her open a window. She fell from the second floor of the villa.