Chapter four

Agony coursed through her, and her hand instinctively reached for her throbbing head, searching for any hint of swelling. It was a searing pain, the kind that made her question whether she had really said, "I do."

Ken, on the other hand, displayed a cold indifference to her suffering. He didn't offer a hint of remorse, only a cynical laugh at her clumsiness. She was enraged by his calamitousness.

And then an unexpected surge of strength welled up within her. With a fiery determination, she rose up from the bed, lunging angrily at Ken. "You fool," she seethed, her eyes blazing. "Don't you ever dare to lay a hand on me again."

A mysterious sound coming from Benjamin's bed abruptly ended their argument. They both froze, their quarrel momentarily forgotten as they turned to gaze in his direction.

Benjamin had awoken, his eyes flickering in the dim light cast by a solitary bulb in the room. His sudden consciousness sent a shockwave through the atmosphere, and Ken, in a panicked frenzy, bolted out of the room. Jane found herself by Benjamin's bedside, her concern now clearly visible on her features.

Her eyes darted to a faint scratch on his head, a result of her tumultuous landing on the bed during their scuffle. She extended her hand, tentatively tracing the wound with a gentle touch. To her astonishment, a firm grip clamped down on her hand, the very hand she had placed on his wounded head.

"Who are you, and what are you doing in my room?" Benjamin's voice resonated with stern authority and a hint of anger. Jane was taken aback, not expecting him to awaken so abruptly or to speak on his first day of consciousness.

"I... I... I am your wife," she stammered, utterly bewildered by his grip on her hand.

Benjamin fixed a penetrating gaze upon her and, realising he still held her hand, released it abruptly. Shocked and speechless, she bolted from the room and fled downstairs.

Gasping for breath, she nearly stumbled on the stairs in her haste.

“I think the young master has finally woken up,” she screamed

The sitting room was suddenly filled with people who looked at Jane as though she were mentally retarded.

"I am serious; he’s wide awake.”

Mr. Leornard led the way, and everyone followed.

Benjamin was lying on the bed wide awake, and everyone was excited to see him except Ken, who fought to fake a smile.

“I thought you would never wake up,” Mrs. Leonard added, stroking his beards playfully.

The parents chatted happily with their son, and the sight was heartwarming.

Suddenly, he caught sight of Jane and returned his gaze to his parents, who stared back at each other before bursting into a loud laughter.

“Son, that’s your wife. I picked her myself.”

She stood stiff, feeling totally uneasy under his cold scrutiny. He didn’t bother to say anything but lingered his gaze on her until her discomfort became more visible.

The family doctor had arrived to examine him. “I am truly shocked at his sudden recovery. He’s totally fine and would be better if he embarked on rehabilitation treatment. I can suggest a good specialist for it.”

“Sure, I will really appreciate that, doctor.”

It was indeed a blissful day for the Fosters

Their newlywed bride had just arrived, and the young master, who has been asleep for years now, has suddenly awoken.

Ken seemed to be a stranger and had tried to slip away from the ongoing celebration.

“Mom, dad, I wish I could stay longer, but I have something very important to attend to.”

Mr. Leornard raised a brow; he was not expecting Ken to leave the house at such an auspicious moment.

"After all these years, your brother has only recently awakened, and you now wish to depart the house?"

Ken Stammered “Li……like I said, I have a very important meeting at the office.”

“You’re the boss there. Why don’t you call your personal assistant to reschedule the meeting? She can do that.”

“I know, dad,but we’re expecting some foreign partners from Japan, and I just got a text of their arrival.”

He moves closer to the bed and smiles sheepishly at his brother. “It’s good to have you back, bro.”

Benjamin’s sharp gaze swept over everyone for the second time before finally resting on her.

“Who is she and why is she here?”

Mr. Leornard motions for Jane to come closer, grabbing her hands softly into his. He smiles happily at her. “We really have her to thank for your recovery, and I believe you both deserve to have a good chat.”

Everyone was led out, leaving Jane and Benjamin in the room.

Afraid that the awkward silence would elongate, Jane decides to break it

“I am…”

Suddenly, a stern voice came from the bed

“You do not have any business in here, so get out!”

Jane immediately retreated. Even though he was still sprawled on the bed, his voice alone was enough to enact a grievous fear in anyone.

She runs down the stairs with speed and almost bumps into Mrs. Joan.

“Madam, what’s with the race? Did the young master ask you to leave?”

She knew about the young master’s bad temper. She had been working with the Forsters long enough to know that their first son has a terrible temper and is constantly avoided.

Jane nods timidly; her hands are now folded around her bosom like a protective shield.

“It’s okay. I should have warned you about this part of him. Its just that we weren’t expecting him to wake up soon.”

That night, she found solace in Mrs. Joan’s room. It was her best night and the most peaceful since she arrived at the Foster’s family mansion.

The sun's rays that entered the room through the glass window the following morning woke her up.

She sits up and sees one of the maids standing beside her with an angry look.

When she was done, she picked up her food and headed to Mrs. Joan’s room, but suddenly Mr. Leornard waved at her.

“Why are you taking your food upstairs? Are you not supposed to join us at the table? By the way, Ben woke up yesterday after so many years of being in a coma because of you, and we are really grateful to you. I am hoping that you both will give me a healthy grandson soon.

Jane almost let out choking laughter. She didn’t expect him to be blunt with his words.

As for Benjamin, he rolled his eyes and answered the father with a stern look

"Dad, you cannot expect me to accept a woman you wed for wholly unknown to you. For all I know, she could be from one of those gold-digging homes.”

His father rebuked him immediately and assured him of her worthy behaviour.

“Moreover, you’re only married to her, not her family.”

After breakfast, Mr. Leornard sneaked out from the table, leaving Jane with the dreadful Benjamin.

As if to unleash his terror, he points at her and asks, “What are you still doing?”

Jane quickly apologizes and stands up to leave, but he stops her.

“I heard that you’re only after my money and name, but I have some bad news for you; you will have neither of them.”