“You’re very brave. You actually dared to harm my woman behind my back.”
Carter’s words pierced through Ada’s heart.
Ada knew that Shirley must have told Carter the truth, thus, he was behaving this way toward Ada.
She shook her head rapidly, acting as if she had been wronged. “Carter, I have no idea what you’re talking about. When did I hurt anyone? Who’re you referring to? Is it Eveline?”
“Hah.” Carter laughed coldly. “There’s only one woman I care about, and she’s the one who is carrying my child.”
“ .” Ada had not expected Carter to bring up his relationship with Shirley this way. Ada’s heart sank once again.
She could not accept this; her heart was burning with jealousy.
However, Ada knew that she must control her emotions lest she put herself into a disadvantageous position, so she could only feign sadness, forcing tears out of her eyes.
“Really? Do you love Miss Brown? Why are you doing this to me? Carter, you know how I feel about you. All these years, I’ve loved you with all my heart. I was willing to marry you despite knowing that you’re using me for your purposes. All I ever wanted was to be your wife…”
“Stop acting. Did you think I’m unaware that you’re seeking the viscountess title? Your family’s only helping me so that you can gain a higher power and position. We married for mutual benefit. You don’t have to act innocent.”
Ada’s expression darkened as she listened to Carter’s extremely blunt words.
She used her peripheral vision to glance into the study room while putting on a look of disappointment on her face.
“Carter, I know you won’ t believe anything I say now, but the feelings I have for you are genuine.
I’m truly heartbroken. I’ll just get going. I’d rather not disturb you while you both catch up.”
She pretended to wipe away some tears before turning around to leave.
However, Shirley’s voice broke through the study room before Ada could even take a step.
“Are you going to leave just like that?”
Ada abruptly stopped in her tracks. She felt awfully uneasy, but she still turned around, feigning innocence and a wounded expression on her face.
She saw Shirley, who was seated in her wheelchair, approached the doorway slowly.
“Ms. Brown, you’ve won. I don’t want to stay and be humiliated.”
“ I’ve won?” Shirley was confused when she heard this.
Carter had intentionally kept his voice down during his conversation with Ada, especially when he had spoken those few sentences. He had not wanted Shirley to hear them.
As a result, Shirley was not aware of how important she was to Carter.
Now, she merely found Ada’s words amusing.
“Mrs. Gray, do I look like a winner to you? My legs are crippled, and my face is disfigured. I’ll be useless for the rest of my life. How am I a winner? Should I be honored that you did all of this personally?”
Sure enough, Shirley revealed it!
Ada flinched and immediately denied, “Ms. Brown, what do you mean? Are you trying to say that I’m responsible for your predicament? Why would… why would I do such a thing to you? Carter, don’t listen to her nonsense. I’ve never done such harmful things. Ms. Brown is falsely accusing me.”
As Ada’s voice fell, another voice followed.
“She’s not falsely accusing you. I saw everything that night.”
Ada turned around sharply and saw Cathy walking down the corridor with Camille.
This time, Ada was at a loss.
Slowly, Cathy approached Ada, pointing at the cut on Ada’s hand.
“That cut on your hand came from your struggle with Shirley when you used a knife to hurt Shirley back then. Not only did you hurt her, but you broke her legs as well. She lost the ability to walk because she got hit by a car while trying to escape.”
Cathy provided a clear account of the incident.
Shirley had been the one who had told Cathy these details after the incident.
Cathy had decided to believe Shirley after seeing the sincerity in her eyes.
Shirley had indeed changed.
Camille, hearing Cathy’s statement, and seeing the knife wound on Shirley’s face, was enraged
“What?! Ada, have you gone mad?! How could you possibly do such a thing?! ” Camille questioned reprovingly.
Camille was indeed upset when Shirley had left without a word back then. All those years, however, she had treated Shirley like her own daughter. In addition, Shirley was now pregnant. It was only natural for Camille to be on Shirley’s side.
Ada, realizing that everybody was watching her, was beginning to panic when her reinforcement promptly arrived.
Ada’s mother had rushed over as soon as she received her call. Now, she raced up the stairs and stood in front of Ada, shielding her.
Ada’s mother was emboldened by the knowledge that she was of some value.
“So, this is how you treat my daughter in my absence. You bully her together as a group!” Ada’s mother glared at Shirley.
“Who do you think you are, Shirley? You were just a stinky beggar that the Gray family took in years ago. How dare you seduce my son-in-law? I’ll have to teach you a lesson or you’ll assume you can get away with anything!”
Following her furious rebuke, Ada’s mother gave Shirley a tight slap directly across the face.
The slap resounded loud and clear.
Further, she had deliberately hit the side of Shirley’s injured face.
The scene had unfolded too suddenly. Camille and Cathy had not expected it, while Ada’s mother was satisfied with her “feat,” and Ada was secretly delighted.
However, Ada could only enjoy the moment briefly before she similarly received a hard slap across her right cheek.
“Ouch!” Ada shouted in pain as Carter slapped Ada so hard that she could barely stand up. She also tasted the blood trickling from the corners of her mouth.
Ada and her mother froze, eyes widened. They had not expected Carter to make such a move.
He had actually slapped Ada! Shirley too had not anticipated that.
The burning pain on her cheek seemed to have immediately subsided. Was Carter trying to protect her?
“How dare you slap my daughter, Carter?!” Ada’s mother demanded anxiously.
Carter appeared impassive, but his gaze was icy. “I hit your daughter because you slapped my woman. It’s only fair.”
“ .. Wh… what? Did you just call this stinky beggar your woman?” Ada’s mother could not believe her ears.
Shirley too was astonished. She stared at the man who had a cold expression on his face. She briefly wondered if she was dreaming.
He seemed so real in this dream as if he could truly belong to her.
Camille was also surprised by Carter’s heartfelt words.
“Would you believe that I could send your entire family to beg on the streets of St. Piaf if you call her a stinky beggar one more time?” Carter warned in a chilling tone.
He glared at Ada as her face paled.
“You’d better watch out. Whatever you did to her, I’ll do to you as well.”
“ ….” Ada trembled in fear. When Ada thought about all the things she had done to Shirley, and when Ada took another look at Shirley’s current condition, Ada dared not imagine that one day, she too would look like Shirley.
“Carter, don’t threaten my daughter! ” Ada’s mother commanded. She then spoke in a similarly threatening tone. “Don’t forget. If you wish to inherit St Piaf’s right of succession, you’ll have to depend on our family. If you mistreat Ada, you can bid goodbye to that right.”
Carter did not react to the warning from Ada’s mother; he continued to fix his gaze on Ada, whose eyes squinted and shoulders narrowed.
“If you think I’m joking, you certainly could give it a try.”
“….” Although Ada had not dared to look directly at Carter, she knew he was speaking to her.
As for Carter, he turned around as soon as he finished speaking and pushed Shirley’s wheelchair forward.
Shirley, momentarily stunned, took a while to react. “Carter, where are you taking me?”
“Didn’t you want the ingredients for the anti-toxoid test reagent? I’ll give it to you.” Carter’s cold voice returned. She could no longer sense the warmth he had shown her a minute ago.
Cathy had intended to follow them, but after some thought, she decided against it.
“Ada, don’t be upset or frightened. You’re the daughter-in-law of the Gray family now. You’re also the honorable Viscountess. Shirley is merely seeking death if she truly dares to challenge your position,” Ada’s mother assured her, then lifted her eyes to meet Camille.
“Am I right, Camille?”
“…” Camille had always disliked Ada’s mother for her arrogant attitude. Over the past few days, Camille had shown Ada’s mother some respect for the sake of the marriage. However, Ada’s mother was now taking advantage of Camille, so Camille had no intention of backing down.
“It’s best not to offend Carter. There are other ways for him to obtain the right of succession. You’re merely a stepping stone, at best. Don’t confuse your position with your value. Otherwise, your family won’t come to a good end.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.