I was silent for a long time, then I walked
towards him.
The man smiled, a possessive look in his
eyes.
“Good girl.”
After comforting Jane, I sent her away.
I hid the things she left for me and the
servants locked me in my room.
My activities were limited to this lifeless
room.
The confinement was boring and monotonous
until an unexpected visitor.
“What? My father said I can’t go in? He’s not
even home!”
“Open the door! Or you’re fired!”
Grace’s voice was annoying.
“Let her in.”
“See? She said let me in!”
Grace’s voice was full of triumph. “Open the
door!”
The servants unlocked the door. Grace, with a
smirk, appeared.
“Oh, I heard my father brought you back?”
“Hah, do you think the Thompson house is a
place where you can come and go as you
please?”
“It’s good my father is kind and let the other
woman go. If it were me, I would have
tortured her!”
“A beggar pretending to be my mother, I’ll
scar her face!”
Hearing her insults towards Jane, I looked at
her coldly.
I didn’t understand why Grace and Jane were
such opposites.
“Shut up.”
I said calmly, “Don’t talk about Jane like
that.”
“Jane?”
Grace was surprised, then furious.
“You call her Jane?!”
“Why? Why is that bitch so close to you?!”
She rushed to me, trying to grab my shoulder.
But I slapped her.
“Get away from me!”
Grace’s face turned pale, she incredulously
covered her cheek.
Seeing my disgust, her eyes turned red.
“You hit me?”
“You hit me for that bitch?!”
I glanced at her coldly, and turned away.
Grace broke down, crying and screaming.
“Eleanor, how could you do this to me?”
“It’s your fault for getting pregnant and trying
to replace me. It’s your fault for abandoning
me!”
“It’s all your fault, you can only love me!”
Seeing my indifference, her cries grew louder,
attracting servants.
L
They looked at Grace, then at me.
“Mrs. Thompson, why don’t you comfort Miss
Grace?”
“These past few days, Miss Grace has been
outside, wanting to see you but afraid to
come in.”
“She’s always been with you, she’s only doing
this because she doesn’t want you to go…”
Noticing Grace’s furtive glances, I said
sarcastically.
دو
“Why should I comfort her? We have nothing
to do with each other.”
Grace stopped crying, her face turning pale.
The atmosphere froze. Finally, she looked at
me tearfully, and ran out.
After the door locked, calm returned.
I sat in the darkness, contemplating my next
move.
After a while, the door opened again.
In the darkness, I saw Mr. Thompson.
く
He walked in, his tall nose silhouetted against
the light.
Half his face was lit, the other half in shadow.
I met his sinister gaze and spoke first. “Mr. Thompson, what do you want?”
Mr. Thompson smiled slightly. “Don’t you
know what I want?”
He leaned closer, his breath on my neck.
“I want you to stay.”
I frowned, trying to pull back, but he pulled
me into his arms.
“Trying to run? Dream on!”
He sneered, biting my collarbone.
A clear wound appeared.
I struggled. “Mr. Thompson, what are you
doing?!”
He just licked his lips, savoring the taste.
I laughed sarcastically.
“Mr. Thompson, are you a dog?”
“You’re so shameless, keeping me even
though you don’t want Jane, who has the
face you love. Did you fall in love with me?”
Mr. Thompson’s eyes flickered, deepening.
“What if I did?”
I was stunned, looking into his eyes, seeing
tenderness I’d never seen before.
“Eleanor, I’ve fallen for you.”
His tone softened, he stroked a strand of hair
near my cheek.
“So, I’ll never let you leave.”
“At the gate, if you had left, I would have
killed you.
وو
“Then made your body into a specimen,
displayed in the hall.
وو
He looked at me lovingly, yet spoke chilling
words.
“Luckily, you stayed.‘
“I let Jane go, but…..”
99
99
A glint of malice appeared in his eyes.
“It doesn’t mean she’s out of my grasp.”
وو
“If you try to escape again, I’ll kill her, and
everyone at the orphanage.”
My breath hitched. He seemed pleased by my
reaction, smiling.
“So, Eleanor, stay with me and Grace.”
“We’ll have a wedding soon. You’ll be the
legitimate Mrs. Thompson.”
Hearing his threat, I was silent.
He thought I agreed, smiling, gripping my
hand.
Time flew. Perhaps he was impatient, the
wedding came quickly.
I wore a wedding dress and married him.
It was a wedding without guests.
I asked why, and he smiled.
“Why would I let others see Eleanor’s
beauty?”
“As for your friends who wanted to come,
they’re outside the estate.”
“Tell them not to try to save you, or I will deal
く
with them.
The malice in his eyes flashed. It wasn’t just a
threat.
Thinking of my friends at the orphanage, I
gripped the vial in my hand.
At the wedding feast, I poured two cups of
wine for our toast.
He smiled at my initiative.
“Eleanor, you’re so much better now. Grace
said you’ve been kinder to her.”
“I should have used this method sooner.”
He happily took the cup and drank.
But the next second, his face changed.
He spat out black blood.
He clutched his chest, his eyes filled with
suspicion.
“Eleanor, you poisoned me?!”
I calmly wiped the blood from my clothes.
دو
“Mr. Thompson, I’ve made up my mind. Since
you won’t let me leave, I’ll kill you.‘
وو
<
“You chose this.”
Mr. Thompson gritted his teeth, his face pale.
“Eleanor, we weren’t officially married, but
we’ve been together for years, are you really
so heartless?”
I scoffed, taking off my wedding dress.
“Mr. Thompson, when have I ever loved you?”
Under his disgruntled and helpless gaze, I
walked out.
Behind me, Grace called out hesitantly. “Mother! Where are you going?”
I didn’t look back.
“I’m not your mother, I’ve never been your
mother.”
“Grace, I hope we never see each other
again.
وو
There was no answer.
After a long time, I heard her whimpers.
At the estate gates, I saw Jane and my
friends.
friends.
“Eleanor!”
I ran towards them, smiling.
