Chapter 3
Phoebe felt terribly sick to her stomach.
She hadn't eaten anything all day, except for the contraceptive pill Theodore had forced her to take. The stomach acid she vomited burned her throat like razor blades, and tears rolled down her cheeks uncontrollably.
Phoebe squatted by the trash can, and suddenly a wave of sadness swept over her heart.
How did her life become so miserable?
Theodore was already in a foul mood, and seeing her squatting there crying made him even more irritable.
He stepped forward, grabbed Phoebe's wrist, and yanked her up from the ground. "You went behind my back to meet with your old lover, and now you're feeling wronged?"
Phoebe was already trembling with discomfort, but Theodore's words pushed her over the edge, completely shattering her.
"Theodore, I hate you. Can you just disappear from my sight?" Phoebe cried, her nose red. In that moment, she was so worked up that she didn't give a damn about being scared of Theodore anymore.
Theodore, initially softened by Phoebe's tears, was now incensed by her words, his anger reaching a boiling point and exploding.
"Hate me? Then who do you like, Edward?" Theodore said in a low and cold voice.
Before Phoebe could respond, Theodore let out a cold laugh. The next second, he forcefully pulled her into the corner, gripping her wrist so tightly it felt like he would crush it. "Damn it. Phoebe. I'm the one who's your husband, understand?"
Phoebe had never witnessed Theodore in such a state of rage.
The intensity in Theodore's gaze gave the impression that he would kill her. As he forcefully pulled her into a hidden corner, a wave of fear coursed through her.
What was Theodore going to do?
"What are you doing? Help!" As soon as she shouted, Theodore impatiently covered her mouth, leaving Phoebe powerless to resist. She felt like a helpless lamb being dragged by a merciless hunter into the slaughterhouse.
Her black dress was violently torn apart by Theodore. Phoebe's body was instantly exposed to the air, the cold night wind chilling her to the bone.
The sight of Phoebe's beautiful body made Theodore's eyes turn red, his dark gaze making his face look terrifying.
Theodore hated being betrayed the most. Even though he didn't love Phoebe, she was still his wife. He couldn't tolerate Phoebe mess with Edward.
"Phoebe, I am your husband!"
Phoebe's stomach burned with pain, and her soul was tormented by the forceful intimacy of Theodore's advances. She bit her lip hard, not daring to make a sound, afraid of alerting the guests in the banquet hall, desperately trying to maintain her last shred of dignity.
Without preamble or solace, Theodore unleashed his fury. He forcibly parted Phoebe's legs and violently thrust himself upon her.
Phoebe shuddered in pain and tried to struggle, but Theodore grabbed her by the neck.
Theodore said coldly, " If you move a muscle, I won't hesitate to call your lover to witness everything."
Phoebe didn't dare move at all. She lay stiffly on the ground, her skin turning red from the friction against the floor.
Phoebe's passive resistance prompted Theodore to hasten his actions. With a swift conclusion, he withdrew and released onto Phoebe's abdomen.
Phoebe scrambled to her feet and huddled in a corner like a discarded doll.
Her clothes were shredded and tossed on the ground by Theodore.
She was wrapped in a smoky gray suit jacket.
Theodore had already left. He always showed his "consideration" at the most inappropriate times, but this "consideration" only made Phoebe feel incredibly wronged and pained.
After a long while, Phoebe finally managed to stand up, her body exhausted and sore. She tried to smooth out the wrinkles in her clothes and weakly walked out of the dark corner. Then she saw Evelyn walking down the hallway.
Panicking, she tried to hide, but it was already too late.
"Phoebe, I've been looking for you. Why are you hiding here?" Evelyn's eyes lit up when she saw Phoebe, and she quickly walked over.
At this moment, Phoebe had just gone through a terrible sex. Her hair was a mess, tears streaked her face, and hickeys adorned her neck, impossible to conceal. The only covering she had was Theodore's suit jacket.
Evelyn immediately realized what had just happened.
Instead of worrying about Phoebe's situation, she smiled happily. "Theodore really loves you, Phoebe. You should seize the opportunity."
"Mom!" Phoebe, exhausted both physically and mentally, interrupted her.
Evelyn was infatuated with the Reynolds family's power and wealth. She didn't expect comfort from Evelyn, but Evelyn didn't even care as much as Edward did.
Evelyn didn't notice Phoebe's distress and instead complained, "If your marital life is fine, why haven't you gotten pregnant again in the three years since you got married?"
Phoebe couldn't help but roll her eyes.
"If you had kept the baby you conceived right after you got married, it would be three years old by now." The more Evelyn thought about it, the angrier she got. She slapped Phoebe hard on the back. "How could you not even keep a baby?"
Phoebe was already feeling unwell, and the rough sex left her almost drained. She barely managed to steady herself after that slap, but the bitterness and grievance in her heart could no longer be contained.
Phoebe couldn't help but cry. No one cared about her feelings; everyone was focused on the baby.
"Everyone only cares about the baby. If you love kids so much, why don't you have one yourself?" Phoebe shouted at Evelyn, as if venting her frustration.
Evelyn immediately frowned. "If you hadn't gotten pregnant back then, do you think they would have allowed you to marry Theodore? And then you lost the baby at six months. It's already lucky enough that Theodore didn't divorce you."
Phoebe was trembling with anger. It was bad enough that Taylor thought this way, but even Evelyn did too. It wasn't like she wanted to sleep with Theodore back then; the baby was an accident.
Phoebe took a deep breath and laughed bitterly. "Yes, I should cherish him, be Theodore's perfect little wife, pop out five kids, and become real Mrs. Reynolds."
Evelyn finally noticed Phoebe was in a bad mood. She looked puzzled. "Phoebe, did you have a fight with Theodore?"
"How could I dare to fight with him?" Phoebe sneered internally. If she didn't comply with Theodore, he would use violence. She had no choice but to obey.
Evelyn sighed in relief and brought up the baby again.
"Phoebe, that's fine. Look at how cute Benjamin is. You and Theodore are both so good-looking; your baby would be beautiful, too."
Phoebe didn't want to talk with Evelyn at all. She turned and walked toward the hotel entrance.
"Phoebe, are you listening to me? If you want to become the legitimate Mrs. Reynolds and gain Taylor's approval, you need to have a baby for him."
Evelyn followed closely behind, nagging incessantly. But before they had taken a few steps, she bumped into Phoebe's back.
Phoebe was on the verge of being driven mad. Taylor pressured her to have a baby, and Evelyn did too. Why didn't they ask Theodore if he even wanted a baby?
Phoebe suddenly turned around, her eyes red as she stared at Evelyn. "Stop pushing me. I can't have a baby anymore, not in this lifetime. Do you understand?"
Evelyn was taken aback by Phoebe's intense look. She was about to speak when she noticed Theodore nearby.
She quickly approached him. "Theodore, Phoebe is just talking nonsense. Don't take it to heart."
Theodore's face darkened. Ignoring Evelyn, he walked step by step toward Phoebe. His tall frame blocked the light, casting Phoebe's small figure back into the shadows.
"What did you just say? Say it again!"
