Chapter 3

Eleanor walked out of the pantry and immediately put on a facade of gentleness as she pushed open the door to Reuben's office.

He was leaning back in his leather chair and turned toward the floor-to-ceiling windows. He stared out at the rush of traffic with a tired expression.

Eleanor stepped forward to massage his shoulders. He instinctively pressed a hand over hers on his shoulder, his voice carrying a barely noticeable softness. "You're back."

"Reuben, I want to move into Regent Heights and live with you. Our baby needs their dad around."

"Not yet. I'm still not divorced. It'll be bad for the company if this gets out."

"So how long am I supposed to wait?"

"It won't be long, just until after Grandpa's birthday banquet."

That sentence worked like a tranquilizer on Eleanor's anxious heart.

When she got back to her own desk, she checked Astrid's social media. The latest post was from six months ago—a photo of her and Reuben on their wedding anniversary. The caption read, "A five-year vow, through every passing year."

She let out a cold laugh before opening WhatsApp and sending Astrid an intimate photo of herself and Reuben. "When my baby is born, you'll still get kicked out of the Judd family! I can't wait to see how long you can keep your act up!"

In the hospital room, Astrid let out a mirthless scoff. She took a screenshot and saved it. A short while later, an unfamiliar number popped up on her phone.

"Astrid Jenner, you'd better come back right now, or I'll throw all your crap out!" Sylvia's shrill voice pierced through the speaker.

"My crap?" Astrid sneered. "If you're eyeing my limited-edition bags and jewelry, you don't need to go in circles just to say so. You and your mistress-turned-wife mother are the same. You're greedy and shameless."

"How dare you insult my mom?" Sylvia shrieked. "What right do you have to talk about her like that, you barren piece of trash?"

"At least I'm upfront about who I am. I'm not like Christine, who stole someone else's husband to climb her way up." Astrid's tone turned icy. "And whether I can have kids or not is none of your business. Harass me again, and I won't hesitate to air all of the Judd family's dirty laundry."

She ended the call and blocked this number as well.

Sylvia stomped her foot, shaking with rage. "Fine, then. Astrid Jenner, just you wait! Don't think hiding means I can't get to you!"

Half an hour later, Astrid received a call from a convalescent center. Her mother's caregiver, June Smith, sounded anxious. "Ms. Jenner, please come quickly! Your mother fainted!"

Astrid's heart clenched hard. She immediately rushed out and grabbed a cab to the convalescent center. Her mother, Helen Lane, was still being resuscitated. June stood helplessly outside the door.

Out in the ER's hallway, Sylvia was still cursing at the unconscious Helen. "That old hag won't die so easily. What's everyone so scared of?"

Astrid had been wondering how Helen could suddenly collapse like that, but she understood the moment she saw Sylvia. She walked straight up and landed a loud slap across Sylvia's face. "You'd better pray my mom is okay, Sylvia, or I'll kill you!"

Sylvia clutched her cheek and screamed, "How dare you hit me, Astrid? I'll tell my brother, and he'll throw you out of the house for good!"

"Go ahead!" Astrid's gaze was ice-cold. "Go right now. If you don't, then you're my slave."

"Fine! You'll regret this!" Trembling with anger and fear, Sylvia pulled out her phone and called Christine. She wailed, "Mom, Astrid hit me! She even called you a homewrecker…"

Astrid didn't hear the rest of whatever Sylvia bawled about. The ER doors swung open, and a nurse wheeled an unconscious Helen out.

Astrid helped to push her into her room and carefully tucked the blanket around her. Then, she turned to June. "I'm counting on you to watch over my mom, June. Keep an eye on her 24/7. If anything happens, call me immediately."

"Leave it to me, Ms. Jenner."

Once everything was arranged, Astrid walked toward the door and saw that Sylvia was still hanging around outside. Her voice went arctic. "Get lost."

"Why should I? This isn't your private hospital. I'll stand right here and watch your mom take her last breath—"

Astrid grabbed a fistful of Sylvia's hair and smacked her again. "Say one more word, and I'll kill you."

"You're insane!" Sylvia shrieked and struggled. Just then, Reuben shoved the door open from outside and strode in.

He grabbed Astrid's arm so tightly that it felt like he was going to crush it. "Enough, Astrid!"

She winced from the pain. Just as she was about to speak, Sylvia wrenched free and viciously slapped Astrid across the face. Blood immediately trickled down the corner of her mouth.

"Did you just hit me?" Astrid's eyes went red, like a cornered animal pushed too far. She lunged forward, ready to strike back.

But Reuben held her shoulders down in a brutal grip and shoved her backward. She stumbled and slammed into the bed rail, the pain forcing a sharp hiss from between her teeth.

"Reuben Judd!" Tears burned in her eyes, but she gritted her teeth and refused to let them fall. "Are you just going to stand there and watch your sister hit me?"

"You started it." His face was as cold as ice. "You're even now. Stop making a scene here and embarrassing us all."

"Even?" Astrid laughed, the sound breaking as tears finally spilled over. "This is what you call protecting me, Reuben? She came here to aggravate my mom. She pushed my mom so hard that she passed out! I nearly lost her!"

"You still deserved it!" Sylvia yelled, peeking her head out from behind Reuben. "That's what you get for clinging to my brother like a leech! You're pathetic, Astrid! Being dumped is exactly what you deserve!"

"Sylvia Judd…" Astrid lunged at her, ready to rip that filthy mouth apart, but Reuben stepped in front of her, blocking her path with a frosty expression.

"Shut up!" He turned to glare at Sylvia. "This has nothing to do with you. Go home!"

"Reuben!" Sylvia pouted in protest. "The Jenner family is already ruined. Why are you still keeping her around?"

Reuben's eyes turned into icicles in an instant. Sylvia shrank back in fright, then scurried off without another word.

It was just him and Astrid left in the room. The air was so heavy that it was suffocating.

"Where have you been these last few days?" Reuben finally let go of Astrid, his familiar tone of command back in place. "You're an adult. Stop with the dramatic runaway act."

Astrid rubbed her aching arm, feeling her heart sink past rock bottom. She wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and said coolly, "It's none of your business."

"Come home with me." He frowned. "As for what happened here and at the hospital, I can pretend none of it ever took place."

"Pretend none of it took place?" She let out a bitter laugh, like she'd just heard the world's biggest joke. "Your shamelessness knows no bounds if you can say something like that. You cheated on me and knocked your mistress up, but you want me to act like everything's fine? Listen up—I'm the one who doesn't want you now!"

An ugly look crept onto Reuben's face. He took a step forward and closed in on her, his voice low with threat. "If you don't leave with me today, don't even think about setting foot in the Judd family ever again."

"That's exactly what I want." Astrid stood with her back straight and met his eyes head-on. "I've been done with you and your family for a long time."

With that, she turned and walked away without a backward glance.

Reuben's fingers curled into a tight fist as he watched her resolute back, his face growing stormy.

Lance, who'd been waiting outside the whole time, slipped in cautiously and said in a low voice, "Mr. Judd, your grandfather's birthday banquet is in a few days. If Mrs. Judd doesn't come back by then…"

Reuben let out a cold snort, a confident glint in his eyes. His tone carried an unshakable certainty as he said, "She'll be back. She's loved me to the core for the past ten years. This is just a tantrum she's throwing. She'll definitely come home on the day of the banquet!"