Chapter 55 Forsaking Mother for Child
"In fact, this child is... is the daughter of Thomas Hawthorne and me!"
Thomas Hawthorne.
At the mention of that name, a chill flickered behind Robert's spectacled eyes.
Ophelia blurted out, “Thomas Hawthorne and I were high school sweethearts, you know that. The summer after our SATs, Thomas and I went too far and I ended up pregnant. When my mom found out, she forced me to get an abortion. But when we got to the clinic, I freaked out and ran away. My mom eventually caved in to my pleading and kept the whole thing under wraps. That summer, under the guise of a trip abroad with her, I secretly gave birth to the child... The only condition my mother had was that I break up with Thomas Hawthorne. You know the rest.”
As she spoke, Ophelia covertly gauged Robert’s expression.
His face grew darker by the minute.
Was he buying it?
Juniper, my dear best friend, the lengths I'm going for you!
Gritting her teeth, Ophelia continued the charade, “Don’t ask my mom; she'd never admit it, given the scandal. If you can't handle this and want a divorce…”
Robert let out a derisive snort, “Spinning all these tales, is divorce what you’re actually after?”
Silence fell over her.
She swore it wasn’t!
He approached, his long legs closing the distance, a foreboding presence enveloping him, “You want a divorce over Thomas Hawthorne?”
Ophelia hadn’t anticipated angering Robert like this!
“I don’t want a divorce. We’ve always led separate lives, haven’t we? What's there to be mad about? You shouldn’t care about me having a child out of wedlock, right? Don’t worry! I won’t ask for your help in raising my daughter; I can manage on my own!”
Pulling Jennifer along, Ophelia started backing away.
But she had underestimated a husband’s territorial instinct within a marriage.
“I don’t mind us living separate lives, but that doesn't mean I, Robert, will tolerate my wife having an illegitimate child. Have I been too lenient? Allowed you to think that no matter how outrageous your actions, I wouldn’t bat an eye?”
Away from the courtroom, where his demeanor was always irreverent, except when he stood before the judges bench, Robert exuded seriousness and decorum.
Yet, the aggressive and forceful stance he took today was new to Ophelia.
She was used to being proud and haughty around Robert.
Feeling at a loss like she did today was a first…
“I’m sorry.”
But clearly, Robert wasn’t in a forgiving mood.
His voice was icy as he asked, “What do you plan to do with the child?”
“I... I don't know.”
Robert's expression was dark and terrifying. "The union of the Perez and Brown families through marriage is just a ploy for investment. We've been married for two years. I married you, and we are husband and wife. Even without love, I've always shown you respect in public. But have you ever shown me any, Ophelia?"
Ophelia was struck with a pang of guilt and she even thought about speaking up in her defense.
But the next moment he added, "I never cared about your past. I was okay with buying a house with history for a good location, I accepted that. But this bastard, I will not acknowledge."
A house with history ? Was he referring to her time with Thomas Hawthorne?
Ophelia's vibrant face turned pale in an instant.
With a slight smirk, she said, "I never asked you to acknowledge. Don't worry, I can take care of my own child."
"You think by taking care of the child yourself, this will all be over?"
"What do you want, then?"
Robert uttered slowly and deliberately, "Let's get a divorce, Ophelia."
Ophelia stood there, her figure swaying slightly.
Her throat felt as if it was stuffed with cotton, and after a long while she managed to speak, "Are you serious?"
Over the past two years, Robert had been indulgent with her.
Whatever she did, he never interfered.
But this time, she had clearly pushed him too far.
"You should have seen this coming the moment you married me with this secret . We could live our own lives, I respected you, just don't go too far. But you, this is way out of line!"
With that, Robert stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
Ophelia stood frozen, stunned for a long time. This was the first time Robert had argued with her so seriously.
But it would probably be the last.
That's how he was; either not serious at all, or, once he decided something and uttered the word "divorce," it was not just talk.
Jennifer tugged on Ophelia's sleeve, "Godmother, should we tell Robert the truth ?"
Pride was as much a part of Ophelia as it was of him.
Initially, she just wanted to help Juniper keep Jennifer's identity a secret, so she told a little lie on the fly.
She thought Robert wouldn't care.
But she never anticipated that Robert would make such a fuss, even wanting a divorce.
Out of breath, Juniper arrived on the scene.
"What on earth happened? Is Mr. Robert gone?"
Upon seeing Juniper, Jennifer ran and crashed into her arms, "Mom, Godmother and Robert had a fight. Robert wants to divorce Godmother!"
Juniper was taken aback, "What's the matter, Ophelia?"
Ophelia, her back to them, raised her hand to wipe away the moisture at the corner of her eye.
She collected herself, turned around, and said indifferently, "Let him go. Who's afraid of a divorce? It's not like we had any emotional bond."
After learning the whole story, Juniper was riddled with guilt.
"I'll go talk to Mr. Robert, explain that Jennifer isn't your child, he misunderstood and that's why he wants to divorce."
Ophelia stopped her, "No need, let's just go through with the divorce. I never planned on actually making it work with him. It was a business marriage to begin with. If he's the one asking for a divorce, my parents can't do anything about it. If I were to ask for it, I'd never be free. In a way, using Jennifer as a reason for divorcing is actually a good thing."
Juniper looked at her, concern etched on her face, “Are you sure you’re being honest with yourself? Do you really not have any feelings for Mr. Robert?”
"None! What feelings could I possibly have for him? Have you forgotten that I'm in love with Thomas Hawthorne?"
"Ophelia, don’t make a decision in the heat of the moment you’ll regret later. If Mr. Robert comes clean to your parents about why you're divorcing, the truth will come out anyway. Do you think they'd stand for that?"
“If Robert wanted a divorce, he wouldn’t notify my parents. You were right about one thing, Juniper. Robert and Magnus are cut from the same cloth; once they make a decision, they don't let others interfere. I always said Robert was unreliable, but now it seems you understand him better than I do. Honestly, it's the first time I've seen him genuinely angry. I used to think Robert had no limits, that he didn't care what I did.”
With a resigned smile, Juniper said, “You always call me naive, but maybe you're the naive one. Do you really think a man like Mr. Robert would tolerate his wife having a child with another man, a child who's six or seven years old?”
"He doesn’t love me; our marriage was a business arrangement. What’s there not to accept?"
"But that's like a slap in his face, practically announcing to everyone that you cheated. How could he not be angry? Besides, if he's really set on divorcing, the Browns would definitely cut off their investment in the Perez family. Ophelia, this isn't trivial. Can you handle the consequences of a divorce?"
Divorce didn't scare Ophelia at all.
They could simply part ways.
But the thought of the Perez family still needing the Browns' financial support gave her a headache.
She slumped, a frown on her face, "Does this mean I have to go and make amends with him?"
Juniper knew she couldn't swallow her pride. "I'll go explain to Mr. Robert."
"Better not. What if he spills everything to Magnus ..."
"In my week here in S City, I've come to realize a lot. Jennifer is Magnus's daughter, and no matter how much I try to hide it, he'll find out eventually. I can't deny them the opportunity to know each other . What’s meant to happen, will happen. Besides, I can't be responsible for your marriage falling apart because of this, can I? That would make me the guilty one."
Ophelia always felt there was something off about Juniper, although she could never pinpoint exactly what it was.
"Have you considered that Magnus has far-reaching influence in Imperial Capital? He could take Jennifer's custody away from you at any time. And as for a mother being separated from her child, that's hardly unheard of in their circles, is it?"
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