Chapter 520
"What seems to be the matter? Have I become so repugnant that my mere presence annoys you?" Joseph inquired, his fingers delicately pinching Cassie's chin, his gaze ablaze with fury. "Open your eyes, Cassie."
Exhaustion weighed heavily on Cassie. She complied, her eyes fluttering open to reveal Joseph's familiar countenance. However, the absence of warmth in his eyes was a bitter pill to swallow. "Joseph, Laura is right. Why must you be so inconsistent? When you're kind, it feels as though you would give me the world. But when anger consumes you, I am treated as an adversary. I am weary."
"Do you think this is what I desire, Cassie? Can't you, as a woman, show me some obedience? You didn't hesitate to use our children as a threat." Joseph's voice was thick with resentment. "Do our children mean so little to you compared to Nina? You would even wield our child as a weapon against me."
A melancholic smile graced Cassie's lips. "Do you think I take pleasure in this? I am human. Yet, I feel like a bird trapped in a cage, stripped of freedom by you. Had I known that marriage to you would result in such a fate, I would have chosen not to bear your child."
Joseph's body quivered with suppressed emotion. After a moment of silence, he looked at Cassie and laughed bitterly. His crimson eyes were filled with disappointment. " Cassie, you are undeserving of motherhood."
Cassie's mind reeled at his words, and she cried out in protest, "If you believe I am unworthy, then let us divorce. You can find someone who is deserving of being a mother."
Joseph's fists clenched, his temples pulsating with tension. "Walter, escort her back to the mansion."
"I refuse to return to that place," Cassie retorted.
"You have no say in the matter," Joseph retorted, his icy gaze fixed on Cassie, his words crisp and clear.
Cassie opened her mouth to respond but was overcome with a sense of futility. Tears cascaded down her cheeks as she began to pound her fists against Joseph's back. "Why, Joseph? Why do you treat me so cruelly? What have I done to deserve this? I've lost everything - my dignity, my freedom..."
Even her two friends, one of whom had spent her entire life in prison and the other who was departing. The only man she had ever loved was causing her such pain.
"You're mad..." Joseph roared. But before he could finish, Cassie collapsed backward. Joseph swiftly caught her, but it was too late - Cassie had already lost consciousness.
"Get her to the hospital!" Joseph commanded.
After a series of tests at the hospital, the doctor spoke with a tone of resignation, "Joseph, I've warned you before, your wife's pregnancy is precarious. She mustn't be subjected to any more stress."
"How is she?" Joseph asked, his voice laced with anxiety.
"She has a disorder of vital energy and blood, likely due to recent emotional turmoil and hormonal changes. You should be more attentive to her needs and strive to keep her content. As her husband, you must stop provoking her," the doctor sighed. "I've seen many cases of depression during pregnancy. Pregnant women often feel insecure. Spend more time with her."
Joseph furrowed his brow. "She claimed she didn’t need my company."
The doctor offered a knowing smile. "How could that be? I'm a woman too, and I've given birth. Even when women claim they don't need their husbands, they still crave their presence during pregnancy and afterward. Women can be contradictory, often expressing the opposite of their true desires."
Joseph was taken aback. After the doctor departed, he wearily pulled up a chair and settled beside the hospital bed. When had he stopped paying such close attention to Cassie?
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