At the last moment of getting the marriage certificate, Joseph's adoptive sister-in-law came to him with the abortion surgery consent form for him to sign. Without saying a word, he hugged her and went back to our bridal suite.

Two hours later, he finally called me.

“Serena Berneux, on my brother's birthday, my sister-in-law and I were both drunk and we lost control of the moment.”

“The child must be kept. After all, he is also the bloodline of the Duckett Family.”

“You have to go and tell Mom and Dad that you're pregnant. Then let your sister-in-law come to the house to take care of you. The child will be treated as if you gave birth. We must hide it from everyone.”

I didn't respond at all. He sighed.

“Serena, two years ago, my brother in order to save me in the car accident became a vegetative person. This is what we owe our sister-in-law.”

“Let’s postpone the marriage in advance. I don't want to make my sister-in-law feel uncomfortable living at home”

I hung up the phone with red eyes. The eldest granddaughter of the famous and rich family in Montpelier City didn’t have to be with him.

At this time, someone just happened to open the door. “Serena, I helped you calculate a fortune. Today is not suitable to receive a marriage certificate. It is a very unlucky day for you.”

I stepped forward. “Then how to solve it?”

——

Lawrence Humphrey looked away with a guilty conscience. “The only way…to break it is to marry me.”

I nodded. “Alright.”

He stiffened violently. “Is it that simple? Then what do I count as chasing after you for the past ten years?”

I laughed lightly. “You have done a good deed.”

After getting the marriage certificate, Lawrence was in a hurry to go back to prepare for the wedding. He did not forget to pretend to calculate fate with his fingers.

“Three days later, it is appropriate to marry you, Serena. If you back out, God cannot save you to take you back.”

I shook my head. How did my always honest close friend start fighting and grabbing, even with threats?

Walking out of the door of the City Hall, Joseph's Bentley was already parked at the bottom of the steps. The car door slammed open. And he yanked me into the car.

“Why did you hang up on me? Huh?”

I looked out the window and remained silent. He tugged his tie loose in annoyance.

“Serena, I've already explained that the baby was an accident. I don't want this to happen! Can't you understand me a little?”

I didn't turn around. But my tone was calm and said, “I can understand you, Joseph. But I don't accept it.”

His face froze instantly. “Then what do you want me to do? I'm not going out and finding random women, Serena. I'm a hot-blooded man and I have desires too!”

“You keep saying you love me, yet you refuse to forgive even one careless mistake? Serena, since when did you become so selfish like this?”

I clenched my fists hard and suppressed the ups and downs of my heart. “Joseph, let's break up. I'll let you be with Martha Salle.”

He was stunned. And then he pulled out a self-deprecating smile.

“After five years of relationship, are you so careless?”

My heart was stuffy now. I wanted to open the car window for some fresh air.

Instead, he pressed it on roughly and sneered, “I accepted your pursuit back then because I saw you as generous and could protect the backyard of the Duckett Family. But now I see that it's just a small-minded chicken!”

“Think what you want, break up if you want to. But don't expect me to get down on my knees and beg you! I, Joseph Duckett, don't lack women at all!”

Suddenly, his cell phone rang so loudly. It was Martha's exclusive ringtone.

“From now on, I will let go of the unshakeable hand, even though in reality my obsession with you is still obsessive.”

I closed my eyes for a while. I leaned my body helplessly on the back of the chair.

In the past two years, Martha often called Joseph late at night, crying and saying to him that she was afraid. She was afraid of the empty house, afraid that her adopted brother Kenneth Duckett would die. She was even more afraid of Joseph getting married and stopped caring about her again.

Joseph always immediately ran over to calm her down. I tried to stop him from going, but he scolded me harshly.

“She is my sister-in-law, Serena. We are family! What kind of nasty things are in your head? Doesn't it feel disgusting?”

He didn't know that every time he went, Martha would send a video to report.

“Serena, I took the initiative to report it because I don't want you to misunderstand. Women don’t make things difficult for other women, right?”

What was the result now? In the video, she was happily leaning in Joseph's arms. And he was gently humming a song to lull her to sleep.

That kind of tenderness has never been with me. Even when I had a high fever of forty degrees, he would only tell me to drink more hot water. He said that I was too pampered and raised by the Berneux Family to be too delicate. So I should exercise more to exercise my body.

But every time he went outdoors to climb mountains, he would only take Martha with him. Because Martha was a professional. It was only fun to explore with her, unlike me who would only hold him back.

My heart trembled. And I subconsciously looked at him.

After answering the phone, his whole person became soft. The corner of his lips was stained with a smile.

 “Martha.”

Martha, however, was very depressed. Her soft voice answered, “I've thought about it for a long time. I will keep the child, but I will never live in your house. No matter how bad I am, I know what it means to be shameless.”

“I can't go back to the Duckett Family, Joseph. I plan to go to the Jasna Gora Monastery for meditation. When the child is born, I will become a hermit.”

Joseph stormed out, “Don't even think about it! Martha, you dare to step into the monastery and live there!”

Joseph suddenly realized his loss of composure and suppressed his anger. “Martha, if you become a hermit, what if my brother wakes up? You won't wait for him?”

“Our child…”

“Can you bear to let our child be born without a mother?”

Martha’s voice choked. “It's been two years, Kenneth won't wake up, Joseph. About this child, you'll tell him that Serena Berneux is his mother. However, that's what you were going to do anyway.”

Joseph glanced at me coldly. “The Berneux Family is always engaged in feudal superstitions. I changed my mind and don't want her to teach the child bad things.”

I laughed coldly and directly snatched the cell phone. “Martha, I'm not interested in being a stepmother for your child. And I've seen enough of your drama. Let's get it out of the way today. I’m out of this disgusting love triangle, I quit!”

Panicked sobbing sounds came from the other end of the phone and Martha hurriedly hung up the phone. In the next second, Joseph violently grabbed my hair and pressed my face hard against the car window.

His voice was gloomy and said, “Serena, are you fucking crazy?”

My face was squeezed out of shape. My lips were pressed against the cold glass. I couldn't make a sound and could only struggle desperately.

The driver glanced in the rearview mirror and hesitantly spoke, “Mr. Duckett, Mrs. Duckett is just angry for a moment with you…”

“It's not your turn to interrupt!” 

Joseph interrupted sternly, “She has been spoiled for so many years that she has forgotten even the basic manners.”

As he spoke, he increased his force again. “Serena, when we get home later, you’ll apologize properly to your sister-in-law!”

The glass pressed painfully against my cheekbone. Then it was getting harder and harder for me to breathe.

The traffic light coincided with a red light and the passengers on the bus next to me raised their cell phones. Perhaps in a few minutes, my ugliest and most humble appearance would be on the social news of all major platforms. 

The Berneux Family's century-old reputation and grandfather's lifetime pride would be ruined because of me. My whole body trembled and nodded with difficulty.

Joseph finally released his grip. Looking at the red marks that flared up on my face, he reached out to touch it.

“You really are still too delicate, Serena.”

I subconsciously avoided him. My entire body curled up in the corner of the car door.

He suddenly let out a sarcastic smile at me. “Are you pretending to be a victim again?”

Then he absently hooked up the corner of his mouth again and said in a coaxing tone, “Alright. I was wrong just now. I'm letting Miss Berneux feel wronged. Is that enough?”

I bit my lower lip tightly and didn't let go until I tasted blood. “As long as you're happy.”

He kicked the front seat violently and cursed under his breath, “Psycho! I'm going to kill you!”

Just after we arrived at the door of this house, Joseph dragged me towards the villa. At the entrance, Martha was dragging her suitcase and was about to leave.

Her originally long and smooth hair was cut unevenly. She wiped her tears as she walked.

Joseph took a big step forward and hugged her. His fingers lightly trembled as he touched the tips of her hair. The heartache in the bottom of his eyes was about to overflow.

“Martha, please, don't cry anymore. I've already taught Serena a lesson. She just doesn't speak without thinking. Please, don't take it to heart.”

Martha suddenly broke away from his embrace and fiercely knelt down in front of me and kowtowed heavily. “Serena, please persuade Joseph to allow me to abort my child and let me leave the house.”

“I'm sorry to his brother, I'm sorry to you, I'm sorry to everyone, this child is just a curse…”

Joseph panicked and hugged her. But she fumed and pounded her belly.

“We are mother and son who deserve to die! When Kenneth wakes up in the future, don't tell him about this. I want to be a pure woman in his mind, okay?”

I was so angry that I laughed at her. This bitter drama was sad and tragic for whoever likes to watch, except me. I rolled my eyes and turned around.

“Serena! Admit your mistake now!”

Joseph knelt on the ground with his arm around Martha, who was crying like a kid. He looked at me coldly. It was as if I was the one who was the worst offender.

I snorted lightly, “I'm sorry, it's all my fault, okay?”

Martha was stunned. She then cried even louder. Joseph's face was gloomy as he dragged me into the bathroom. He picked up the razor on the sink and reached for the top of my head.

“Martha was so angry with you that she cut the hair she had kept for ten years, Serena. Since you are unrepentant, you should pay the same price!”

My heart trembled. He was going to shave my hair?

I desperately struggled but my hands were pressed against the wall with his hands clipped back. The razor also buzzed above my head.

“Joseph, you're crazy! Let go of me!”

But he spoke coldly, “You forced me to do it, Serena.”

As I watched strands of hair fall to the ground, my tears continued to pour out of my eyes. I begged for mercy in a trembling voice, “Joseph, please, I apologize to her. I will apologize properly.”

Joseph suddenly stopped. He then threw me away like throwing dirty things.

“What are you crying for? It's just a few hairs, it's not like they can't grow back!”

Looking at my own comical appearance in the makeup mirror. With messy hair and red and swollen eyes, I looked like a clown. I couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Martha falsely sympathized and came over. “Serena, it's fine, I'll introduce you to a good hairstylist. You can consider it a new hairstyle.”

I directly smiled at her. My voice said loudly, “Martha, I was wrong! It was my dirty mind that misunderstood you guys! You and Joseph are innocent. I apologize to you!”

When I looked up, I saw Joseph nervously observing Martha’s expression. It wasn't until he confirmed that she wasn't crying anymore that he breathed a sigh of relief.

Joseph picked up his cell phone and operated it a few times. His voice said flatly to me, “I transferred a million dollars to you. Go get your hair fixed tomorrow.”

I looked at the notification of the arrival of the account and silently held the phone tightly. “Yeah, alright.”

Five years of our relationship couldn’t be exchanged for a word of concern from him. And a casual word from Martha could make him throw away millions.

My obedience made his face easy. He even commented on it, “Just cut a shoulder-length short hair on the line. Don't follow your sister-in-law’s hairstyle. You have to stay black long and straight. One more thing, you don't have that kind of temperament.”

Martha covered her mouth and laughed lightly, “Joseph, how could my sister-in-law deliberately imitate me? It's just that our aesthetics are similar, right?”

My whole body froze after hearing her words.