Chapter 157 Diana, I Will Take Responsibility for You
"Diana, it's amazing you're awake. You have no idea how much Hayden was grinning when he found out you were pregnant. He was as happy as if he'd hit the jackpot," Clara whispered in my ear, her voice back to its usual warm and kind tone, like all the past tension between us had vanished.
"Mom, let's not get into this now. Diana just woke up; she needs some peace and quiet," Edward said, his voice firm.
"Alright, you always care the most about Diana," Clara said with a gentle smile.
"Mom, I want to be alone with Diana for a bit," Edward said.
"Okay, you two should have some time together," Clara said as she quietly left the room, closing the door softly behind her.
At that moment, it wasn't just Clara I didn't want to see, but also Edward. I closed my eyes, trying to shut it all out, but his voice kept breaking through.
"Diana, you really scared me these past few days, especially when I found out you were pregnant. Seeing you so weak, I was terrified you might never wake up. Thank God you made it. Now we're really going to have our own child. Are you happy?" Edward's voice trembled slightly as he held my hand tightly, and I could feel the warmth of his palm.
Happy? I smiled bitterly to myself. Sure, I was happy to have a child, a new life, a miracle. But I wasn't happy to have a child with Edward. I swallowed, feeling like sand was scraping my throat.
I still didn't have the strength to speak. I could only think silently. Even if I could speak, I wouldn't tell Edward my true feelings. After being with him for so many years, I had seen him at his best and worst. I knew his limits and exactly what to say and what not to say. In this failed marriage, I had learned to bury my emotions deep.
Seeing that I still didn't open my eyes, Edward continued, "Diana, now that we have a child, it's a whole new responsibility for me. I will take care of you and the baby. This is the Howard family's descendant. As long as you give birth to the child smoothly, I can give you anything you want—luxurious jewelry, romantic trips, anything. We can be a happy family of three, like those families filled with laughter every day."
As he spoke, he gently stroked my hair, his movements tender and cautious. I slowly opened my eyes, staring straight at him, making him instinctively avoid my gaze.
He knew what I was thinking. After a moment of silence, Edward said, "As long as you have the baby, I promise no one will vie for our child's affection. I will send Aria and her child back to Veridian, and they will live there, never to return."
Hearing this, I couldn't help but gasp. I never thought Edward could be so ruthless. Aria loved him deeply and was carrying his child, yet he could say such heartless words without flinching.
At that moment, I could almost feel Aria's sorrow. Whether she truly loved Edward and hoped to build a family with him, or had ulterior motives, she was destined to lose in this cruel game. To Edward, interests always came first, and feelings were just worthless, trampled underfoot.
A deep sense of disgust for Edward surged in my heart. I didn't want to say another word to him, so I coldly looked away. Edward waited for a response, but when none came, his patience quickly ran out.
"Diana, my arrangement is the best way to protect your interests. I hope you can see the bigger picture and understand the situation," he said with a hint of menace, his eyes warning me that if I didn't comply, there would be worse consequences.
After speaking, Edward walked out without looking back. As I watched his indifferent back, my eyes grew dry and painful, and my heart filled with bitterness. I wanted to cry, but no tears came. Shortly after Edward left, Clara walked in.
"Diana, I know you're suffering, but you really shouldn't blame Edward for this. Think about it, if he hadn't come back, who knows how long you would have been locked up in that place," she said.
She didn't continue, but I understood her meaning. She was implying that if Edward hadn't come home, I might have died there quietly, and no one would have known. But who caused all this? It was Anne!
I knew they were saying these things to appease me. Actually, if I wanted to sue Anne for illegal detention, it wasn't entirely impossible. But for Clara's sake, I ultimately swallowed this hatred.
"Clara, I'm not thinking about that. I'm just a bit tired," I said weakly.
Sensing my attitude soften, Clara also spoke in a gentler tone, "He knows you've been wronged, being pregnant and locked up in such a place. It must have been hard for you. But why didn't you tell us about such a big thing as being pregnant? Last time at the Howard Mansion, Hayden and I noticed something was off with you, but we didn't expect you were really pregnant."
I shook my head in pain, tears streaming down my face like broken beads, soaking the pillow. "Clara, I was hospitalized after a car accident before, and I really didn't know I was pregnant," I said, thinking that this reason should be enough to placate Clara.
Clara was silent for a moment, frowning slightly, a hint of guilt flashing in her eyes. "It's my fault for not telling you about the symptoms of pregnancy earlier. This is your first pregnancy, so it's normal not to know the symptoms."
I pretended to be aggrieved and nodded. Finally, Clara sighed, "Poor Diana, just got pregnant and suffered so much. The doctor said you went at least three days without food or water. I don't know how you managed those three days."
How did I manage those three days? I didn't know either. Maybe it was the child in my womb that gave me the strength to hold on until rescue came. I didn't even know how long I had been trapped. Clara continued, "What do you want to eat? Tell me, and I'll make it for you."
I shook my head slowly. Being stuck here for days, I had been starving at times, but now, I couldn't even think about eating. My appetite was completely gone, and swallowing anything felt impossible.
Clara noticed the awkward silence and quietly slipped out of the room. Once she was gone, I thought about calling Lila to figure out how to deal with this mess. But when I looked around the hospital room, my phone was nowhere to be found.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
