Nigel gave Ruthie a quick glance, then turned to me and said, "I was the one who asked her to put it on. She went to clean the master bedroom and accidentally got her clothes wet, yet she kept cleaning while soaked. I couldn't stand it, so I let her wear your robe."

Ruthie tugged at the robe, pulling the collar open even wider. With a smile, she showed off the marks on her body and said, "Yes, Mr. Heath was kind enough to give me this to wear.

"Mrs. Heath, your clothes are really of great quality, though it's a bit too big for me. But then again, I am slimmer than you."

"Take it off and get lost," I said through gritted teeth. "You don't need to come to work tomorrow."

Ruthie put on a panicked expression and turned to Nigel. "Mr. Heath, did I do something wrong?"

Nigel frowned. "Jenna, it's just a minor issue. Why do you have to scare her like this?"

"Scare her?" I stared at Nigel. "Do you not understand what I'm saying? I'm firing her so that she'll never show her face in front of me again."

Right in front of me, Ruthie nestled herself into Nigel's arms. Tears welled up in her eyes as she pleaded, "Mr. Heath, please help me."

Nigel wrapped his arms around her and said to me, "Jenna, she's just a poor woman. Why cut off her livelihood?"

"So you're refusing to fire her?"

Suppressing his impatience, Nigel replied, "She's still useful to us. Jenna, you can't have children anymore. But we can't be without kids, and the company needs a successor.

"Ruthie is young, beautiful, and smart. If she bears my child, we'll surely have an excellent heir. Once the child is born, I'll send her away. Okay?"

I stared at Nigel in disbelief. How could he say something so utterly vile? He had harmed my family and my health, and now he sought my approval to father a child with the housekeeper—just to inherit my family's company?

It was probably my gaze that made him realize something, because he released Ruthie and came to my side.

"Jenna, please don't overthink it. I'm only asking Ruthie to have a child for us. I won't develop any feelings for her. Before she gets pregnant, she'll still be our housekeeper and continue taking care of you like before."

I glared at him fiercely. He was determined to keep Ruthie.

After he finished speaking, he ignored my resistance and scooped me up in his arms. Then, he carried me upstairs and placed me on the very bed where he and Ruthie had just done the deed.

"Your injury isn't too serious, so you'll be able to get out of bed and walk after a week. But it'll take a few months to fully recover. I'll arrange for you to take some time off, so you won't need to go to work for the next few months.

"Oh, I have a networking event tonight, so rest up. If you need anything, just ask Ruthie. For the sake of your health, don't involve yourself in company matters for now."

Nigel's tone brooked no argument.

With that, he took my phone and left, shutting the door behind him.

From beginning to end, Nigel never gave me a chance to put up an argument. I regretted trusting him so much before. Now, both my assets and company shares were entirely in his hands.

Some time after Nigel left, Ruthie entered the room carrying dinner. She smiled at me, still wearing my robe.

"Mrs. Heath, dinner's ready. You should eat something."

She grabbed my hand and forced the bowl and spoon into my grip.

I immediately flung them to the floor. "Get out!"

Ruthie glanced at the shattered bowl and let out a cold laugh. She then stomped heavily on the food scattered across the floor. After that, she scooped up the trampled food with her hand and brought it to my mouth.

"Mrs. Heath, you need fuel to keep going. So how can you refuse to eat?"

Ruthie suddenly yanked my hair with her left hand. As I cried out in pain, she took the opportunity to shove the trampled-on food into my mouth.

I tried to spit it out, but she clamped my mouth shut, forcing me to swallow.

She almost suffocated me. To breathe, I had no choice but to gulp the food down.

"Is it delicious, Mrs. Heath?" Ruthie smiled. "From now on, you are only allowed to kneel on the ground and eat this rotten garbage."

I shoved my fingers down my throat, trying to make myself vomit. The acid surged.

I was in so much agony that tears and snot began to stream down my face.

I had failed my parents. By marrying Nigel, I had given him the chance to seize the company they built.

Now, I had nothing and lived with no dignity at all.

No, no! This was all Nigel's fault.

How dare he claim my dad killed his dad, Paul Heath?

The circumstances of Paul's death had always been clear. Dad and Paul had gone abroad for business, but Paul was tragically killed by robbers.

As for Dad, he was lucky enough to escape. After returning home, he went on to found a company.

Dad provided all the money for Nigel's education, from elementary school through university. After Nigel graduated, Dad had him join the company as his personal secretary.

Dad had always treated Nigel and his family well. So how could he slander Dad like this and destroy my entire family?

…

Amidst the whirlwind of complex and painful emotions, I finally managed to vomit the contents of my stomach.

The stench of half-digested food filled the room.

Ruthie covered her nose and shot me a disgusted look. She then turned and left without another word.

My legs still hurt too much for me to walk. But still, I bent over and wiped the floor with a handkerchief. Then, I tossed it aside.

Two hours later, Nigel returned. As he reached for the master bedroom doorknob, Ruthie stopped him.

"Mr. Heath, Mrs. Heath is asleep and said she doesn't want to be disturbed."

Then, she reached up and looped her arms around Nigel's neck. "Why don't you sleep in my room instead?"

Nigel looked at Ruthie and smiled knowingly. Then, he picked her up and carried her into her room.

Ruthie's room was right next to the master bedroom. She deliberately moaned loudly so I could hear.

I sat on the edge of the bed, trembling as I listened to the noises from next door.

A metallic, salty taste rose in my throat. I picked up a glass to drink some water, but my hands were shaking so badly that I dropped it.

The sound of shattering glass reached the next room. Moments later, Nigel pushed the door open. He frowned when he saw the state of the room.

"Jenna, why are you still throwing a tantrum? Ruthie told me you refused to eat the food she made and even broke the dishes. The room's a mess, yet you won't let her clean it up."

I chuckled coldly. "Then have her come clean it up now."

He paused, then said, "She's not free at the moment."

"What do you mean she's not free? She's the housekeeper. Isn't this her job?"

As soon as I finished speaking, Ruthie walked in.

She had changed into an even more revealing nightgown that accentuated her figure. Her hair was tied up with a silk ribbon, making her look both innocent and seductive. Her fair skin was marked with scattered red traces, evident of the rough caresses she had just received.

I could tell at a glance that the nightgown and silk ribbon were mine as well. She was doing this deliberately, making it clear that she didn't take me seriously at all.

Ruthie put on a pitiful act. "Mr. Heath, Mrs. Heath is right. I should be the one cleaning the room."

She then slowly crouched down. But before she could fully squat, she let out a dramatic yelp.

"What's wrong?" Nigel asked.

She shot him a coquettish glare. "It hurts. You were too rough with me in bed just now."

After saying that, she looked at me tauntingly.

I felt a sharp pain tug at my heart.

"Keep cleaning," I said coldly.

Ruthie crouched down to pick up the glass shards with her hand. But the moment she touched a piece, she deliberately cut her finger to make it bleed.

"Enough, stop cleaning." Nigel bent down and scooped Ruthie up.

I stared daggers at Nigel.

Sensing my gaze, he turned to me and said, "Jenna, stop pressuring her."

I burst into a fit of bitter laughter. Pressuring her? In this situation, who was really pressuring whom?

After carrying Ruthie back to her room, he returned and said to me, "Ruthie still needs to bear a kid for us so that we'll have an heir for the company. You can't keep throwing tantrums and torturing her like this."

"Nigel, do you remember what you said to me at our wedding?" I asked with red-rimmed eyes.

He had promised to treat me well for the rest of his life, and after we got married, he did just that. But I knew better now. He was nothing but a liar and a scumbag.

I had fallen in love with him without knowing his true colors. Even now, after knowing the truth, I couldn't help but feel heartbroken at all the things he had done.

"I told you that I'd send her away after she has the baby," Nigel said indifferently. "I wouldn't have to do this if you could get pregnant yourself."

"My dad was the one who founded the company," I said through gritted teeth. "On what basis does the child you had with her have a right to inherit it?"

Nigel suddenly exploded with fury. "As long as the child is mine, they have every right to inherit it! Jenna, your dad owes me this!

"If it hadn't been for my dad buying yours some time back when they were abroad, how could your dad have escaped? But once he was free, he left my dad for dead!"

He stepped toward me and grabbed me by the throat. "Do you have any idea how hopeless I felt when my mom and I had to fly overseas to recover my dad's body?

"Did you know that my dad was still holding onto the note your dad gave him, even in death? The note said your dad would find someone to save him, but what happened in the end?"

I coughed sharply a few times.

Nigel snapped out of it and released me. He then patted my back and pulled me into his arms. "Jenna, you can make up for everything. If you transfer the company's last patent to me, I'll let the past go and take care of you for the rest of your life."

I looked at him. "Dream on."

Nigel's expression darkened. He straightened up and walked out of the room. Then, he locked the door behind him.

"I'll let you out when you agree to my terms," Nigel said.