After calming Joanne White down, Sean Sutton left the bedroom and walked into the living room. He saw Margaret Adler sitting on the sofa, staring blankly into space, her expression numb. It was impossible to tell what she was thinking.
When she saw Sean Sutton approaching, Margaret Adler suppressed the bitterness in her heart and said coldly, "What, are you done in there?"
Sean Sutton’s brow furrowed. He replied, displeased, "Margaret, do you really have to talk like that? Joanne had a scare with the pregnancy. I was just comforting her. Is all this necessary?"
Margaret Adler scoffed and sneered, "Is that right? Just a little ’comforting’... that took you straight into the bedroom."
Sean Sutton didn’t argue. He just said in a grave tone, "Margaret Adler, are you blaming for cheating? Don’t forget, you’re the one who brought her into this house!"
His words were like a knife, twisting viciously in Margaret Adler’s heart. She felt a sharp pang of pain.
’That’s right. She was the one who brought Joanne White here...’
’She had let the wolf into her own ho. She had brought this all on herself!’
The mont she recalled how she had so happily brought Joanne White to the Sutton estate, hoping she would bear a child for the family, Margaret Adler wanted to laugh. ’I must be the biggest joke in the world!’ she thought.
Well, now Joanne White was indeed pregnant. She could indeed bear a child for the Sutton family and continue their line. The only problem was, the child she was carrying belonged to her husband, Sean Sutton!
At this thought, Margaret Adler suddenly covered her face and began to laugh quietly.
As she laughed, tears began to stream down her face uncontrollably...
’The Advent Sect, Mr. Caelus... they’re all just a bunch of liars!’ she thought.
’I’m never believing in that nonsense ever again!’
’The marriage she had painstakingly built for over twenty years... ruined by a bunch of frauds.’
Watching Margaret Adler laugh and cry like this, Sean Sutton felt his disgust grow. He thought she was becoming just as unhinged as Ethan Sutton.
He thought for a mont before saying gravely, "That’s enough. Mr. Caelus said Joanne could solve our family’s dilemma, and she has. The Suttons will have an heir now. So just stop making a scene!"
Margaret Adler said nothing in response to Sean Sutton’s words.
She just covered her face and wept quietly.
The living room fell silent, the only sound being Margaret Adler’s choked, intermittent sobs.
Listening to Margaret’s crying, Sean Sutton’s mind drifted back to the sight of Joanne White leaning against his chest just monts before.
A faint blush had crept onto Joanne’s pale face. She had looked up at him with shimring eyes and told him that she was so happy in his arms that she couldn’t cry even if she wanted to.
Recalling the sight of Joanne, a smile uncontrollably touched Sean Sutton’s lips.
Whatever little guilt he had begun to feel toward Margaret vanished. He now only saw her as soone who cried and caused scenes too often. For a woman her age, she wasn’t nearly as mature as a young woman like Joanne.
’If a marriage deteriorates to nothing but tears and drama, what’s the point of it anymore?’
Just as Sean Sutton’s patience began to wear thin, Margaret Adler’s emotions slowly stabilized.
Still covering her face, she spoke softly. "Fine. I promise you, I won’t make things difficult for Joanne White. But you have to promise that you’ll send her away after the baby is born."
’Things have already co to this,’ Margaret thought. ’There’s no use in fighting anymore.’
’Fortunately, she and Sean still had a long life ahead of them. As long as Joanne left, Sean would eventually forget her. And she would find a way to slowly remove the thorn that had been driven between them.’
But to her surprise, Sean Sutton fell silent for a mont. Then he said gravely, "...I don’t plan on sending Joanne away. And I’m not putting the child under Ethan’s na."
Margaret’s head snapped up. She stared at Sean Sutton, her face a mask of disbelief. "...What did you just say?!"
Sean Sutton sighed. "I’ll be blunt with you," he said. "The state Ethan is in right now... he can’t be a father to Joanne’s child. He would be a stain on that child’s life! I’m going to legally register Joanne’s baby as my own. It will be my third child."
Hearing this, Margaret felt as if her entire world was collapsing.
She stared at Sean Sutton in utter shock, muttering, "You... you promised ... How can you go back on your word...?"
Sean Sutton completely ignored her, continuing as if she hadn’t spoken. "I’ve already made up my mind. I’ll have Joanne deliver the baby safely and stay by my side. I expect you to accept her presence."
Margaret shot to her feet, glaring at Sean Sutton, her eyes filled with bitterness and resentnt. "Sean Sutton! How could you do this! How could you do this to ?"
Margaret didn’t understand why Sean had suddenly gone back on his promise. If he really did what he said he would, what place would be left for her and her son in this family?!
And what would that make of their marriage?!
With that thought, she spun around and stord toward the bedroom. "It’s all because of that bitch, Joanne White!" she yelled as she went. "She’s a curse! I’m kicking her out right now!"
Seeing this, Sean Sutton leaped to his feet. In his panic, he lunged forward, grabbed Margaret Adler, and violently threw her to the floor. "Margaret Adler!" he roared. "Don’t you dare hurt Joanne!"
Jerked by Sean’s forceful pull, Margaret’s back slamd onto the hard floor. Even through her thick down jacket, she felt a sharp pain shoot up her spine.
Margaret gasped in pain. She looked up at Sean Sutton, her face a picture of shock, and said in a trembling voice, "Sean Sutton... You actually... you laid a hand on ..."
Seeing her on the floor, Sean felt not an ounce of pity. He just found her intensely irritating, nothing like the gentle and understanding Joanne.
On one hand, an aging, ill-tempered wife whose looks were fading.
On the other, a young, beautiful, gentle, and understanding mistress.
On one hand, a son who was now sterile and just languished at ho like a useless lump.
On the other, a perfectly healthy child with a future full of infinite possibilities.
Any man would know which one to choose.
Sean Sutton looked down at Margaret, his face expressionless. "Margaret," he said coldly, "since you can’t accept Joanne, let’s just get a divorce."
Margaret’s eyes widened. She was so shocked her gaze went vacant. "You... you want to divorce ?... We’ve been married for over twenty years, and now you want to divorce for so woman who ca out of nowhere?!"
’Margaret had always treated her marriage like a job, one she had painstakingly managed for over two decades. And now Sean was asking for a divorce over so howrecker of unknown origin?’
’What did her twenty-plus years of dedication even count for?!’
Sean wearily pinched the bridge of his nose. He looked at his wife on the floor and said in a low, heavy voice, "Margaret, I need you to understand that Joanne is very important to . If you hurt her, you’re hurting ."
Margaret didn’t answer.
She just lay there, head tilted back, staring blankly at the man before her. Her eyes flickered with shock and confusion, as if she couldn’t believe this was the sa husband who had once sworn eternal love and promised her forever. The Sean Sutton before her now felt like a complete stranger...
...
Listening to the commotion coming from the living room, a small smile played on Joanne White’s lips.
’Sean taking the initiative to ask for a divorce was good news. Destroying his marriage to Margaret was the first step of her plan. Once that was done, the rest would go much more smoothly.’
She turned, unplugged her phone from a power strip connected to a small generator, and sent a ssage to lody Sumrs:
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