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Over the next few days, Evelyn received provocative photos from Charlotte almost daily.
In the photos, Sebastian was tenderly coaxing their daughter, his eyes gentle, while Charlotte leaned on his shoulder, smiling sweetly. Her fingers trembled as she scrolled through them.
There were photos of him staying by Charlotte’s bedside late at night, feeding her soup, and cuddling their child, his eyes full of affection. Each picture felt like a knife twisting in her heart.
But as the pain wore on, she realized she couldn’t feel it anymore.
Perhaps her heart died the moment she was locked in that cold storage room.
She was about to block Charlotte when her phone vibrated again.
It was a picture of her jade bracelet being played with by Charlotte.
[Want your mother’s heirloom? Come and get it.]
Evelyn stood up abruptly, her vision blurring, but she ignored it, grabbing her coat and rushing out.
In the VIP ward, Charlotte was softly humming to the baby:“Daddy loves baby the most, right? Daddy will come see us every day…”
She looked
up
and saw Evelyn, her smile deepening:“You came. You know, while I’ve been hospitalized, Sebastian hasn’t even gone to the company. He’s been here taking care of me and our daughter.”
Evelyn’s nails dug deep into her palm, unwilling to listen: “The bracelet?”
Charlotte slowly picked up the jade bracelet from the bedside table, shaking it:“This?”
She curled her lips, smiling cruelly:“Let’s make a deal. You kowtow three times, and I’ll give it back to you.”
Evelyn trembled, “Don’t push me too far.”
“So what if I do?!” Charlotte sneered.“Evelyn Grant! You’re nothing but a lowly fishmonger, while I’m the daughter of Monroe Corp, Sebastian’s designated fiancée! What are you, worthy of standing beside me? Letting you kowtow is me being kind!”
She pretended to let go:“I’ll count to three. If you don’t, I’ll smash
“One, two-”
it.”
Evelyn bit her lip, her eyes red, her knees hitting the ground hard.
Three resounding knocks, blurring her vision.
Charlotte burst into laughter:“You look pathetic kowtowing.”
She stood, looking down at Evelyn:“But I won’t give it to you.”
Then, she raised her hand-
‘Crash!”
The jade bracelet smashed on the floor, shattering into pieces.
Evelyn trembled, about to pick it up, when the door was suddenly flung open!
Sebastian, Charles, and Eleanor stood at the doorway, their faces grim.
“What are you doing?!” Charles demanded.
Charlotte’s face changed instantly. She cried and threw herself into Sebastian’s arms:“Sebastian! I don’t know what happened. She suddenly barged in and tried to pinch and beat the baby…”
She pulled open the baby’s clothes, revealing several bruises!
Evelyn was incredulous:“I didn’t!”
She shook her head frantically, but she saw Charles striding over.
“Slap!”
The slap sent her vision black, her ears ringing, blood seeping from her lips.
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“Poisonous woman!” Charles‘ voice seemed to come from afar.“You even dared to hurt such a small child!”
Eleanor spoke coldly: The last punishment was too lenient. Someone, take her out and give her twenty lashes!” Evelyn trembled, instinctively looking at Sebastian.
He was still standing there, his long fingers clenched white, his knuckles turning blue.
He looked at her, his eyes full of struggle, pain…then, slowly calming down.
He slowly averted his gaze.
Evelyn stared blankly at his averted gaze, her heart feeling ripped apart.
But the next second, her lips slowly curved into a smile.
She laughed at herself for being foolish, for truly believing he would take her away.
She laughed at her own stupidity, thinking those vows could outweigh blood ties.
She laughed at her own naivety, still expecting him to choose her at the last minute!
Evelyn was dragged to the hospital’s open–air corridor. Guards held her shoulders, forcing her to kneel.
Evelyn
When the first lash fell, she felt her vision blackening, vaguely recalling-
The day she learned the Wolfe Family was vehemently opposed to them, she tearfully broke up with him. That night, it poured, and he stood under her apartment building all night, getting a 104°F fever, nearly developing pneumonia. When she visited, he was delirious, still clutching her hand,
saying, “Evie, remember, even if the whole world opposes us, I only want you.”
The second lash landed, she bit her lip, the metallic taste spreading in her mouth.
She remembered him flying back from abroad overnight because she’d texted “Miss you” in the middle of the night.
Third lash, fourth lash…
Each lash felt like it was striking her heart, hurting more than her back.
On the fifteenth lash, she could almost hear his worried voice:“What happened? You got hurt again? Let me see…”
By the nineteenth lash, Evelyn was semi–conscious, her ears buzzing.
She vaguely heard someone calling her name, but she couldn’t tell if it was real or a hallucination.
The last lash fell, and she finally couldn’t hold on any longer, her vision blackening, and she fainted.
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