Chapter 5

Esther looked at him in disbelief.

“Jasper, I told you it wasn’t me! Why can’t you just believe me for once? I’m carrying your baby! How can you do this to me?!”

He just turned and led Summer up the stairs, saying, “Exactly! As you’re carrying my baby, you should be setting a better example. You did it, so you should face the consequences.”

Esther shook her head vigorously and turned to walk away.

“No! You have no right to treat me like this!”

Very quickly, the Clarke family’s security guards rushed over. They seized her by both arms and forced her to stand at the front gate of the Clarke estate.

One of the guards, Jack Ward, warned her, “Ma’am, you’d better stay still. You wouldn’t want us to accidentally hurt the baby, now would you?”

She froze in place and dared not move another inch.

Everyone else in the house gradually left. As they passed her, they each cast contemptuous glances and made snide remarks at her.

She stood there for what felt like hours. The tears on her face had dried long ago.

Her cheek was swollen from the slap, and her lips were cracked and bleeding from thirst.

She looked absolutely wrecked.

Her belly ached terribly from time to time. She looked pleadingly at Jack, who was standing guard over her.

“Could you please just tell Jasper that something’s wrong? My stomach feels off. I need to go to the hospital.”

Jack glanced at her pregnant belly and called Jasper.

Soon, Jasper’s cold voice came through the phone.

“Esther, you have to pay for what you did. Don’t even think about using that baby to make me go easy on you.”

With that, he hung up immediately.

Jack looked at her and said coldly, “Just stay there and behave.”

She had no choice but to stay there. At the front gate, only she and the two bodyguards watching her remained.

The night wind was biting cold, cutting straight through her thin nightgown and leaving her trembling.

Her feet screamed with a deep, grinding ache. She could hardly endure it any longer.

Her vision faded gradually. Unable to hold on any longer, she fell forward.

When she woke up again, she had already been taken to the hospital.

Jasper was sitting by her hospital bed. His fingers were resting on her belly.

Her hand flew to her belly in a panic.

Then, she heard his voice. “The baby’s fine.”

She let out a breath of relief. Only then did the pain in her feet and cheek start to register.

Jasper reached out and gently touched her swollen, reddened cheek.

“I only said I’d marry Sunny to spite you. I’ve already told you that there’s nothing between us. We grew up together. She’s like a sister to me.

“So, why do you keep going after her? Why can’t you just let it go?”

Esther’s gaze was utterly desolate. She had given up on fighting with him over any of this.

She brushed his hand away, threw off the covers, and got out of bed as she said in a hoarse voice, “There are only twenty-two days left in the cooling-off period. Soon, all of this will be over.”

His expression turned extremely unpleasant. “Esther, are you still trying to threaten me with divorce at this point?

“With your background and your looks, I’m the best you’re ever going to get. That’s not even counting the fact that you’re carrying my child. Who’s going to want you after a divorce?

She limped toward the door and responded indifferently, “My life is none of your concern, Mr. Clarke.”

He said furiously, “Esther, this is your last chance! If you walk out that door today, I swear I’ll marry Summer. Don’t bother begging me to take you back because it’ll be useless!”

Esther did not stop. She walked right out the door, and she never looked back.