A Perfect Match

Grace suddenly recalled the one-week business trip Benjamin had two months ago. She tightened her grip on the phone, her knuckles gradually turning pale.

Had he cheated on her?

She was Benjamin's secretary and also his secret wife. But she had never heard any rumors of him having affairs with other women until now.

"Mr. Hawkins is so good to his girlfriend. I wonder who that lucky woman is! It seems like they are going to publicize their relationship soon."

"I googled the woman. Is this her?"

The nurse pushing the medical cart took the phone from the other nurse. "Yes, it's her!" she exclaimed.

"Isn't she the second daughter of the Quine family? With her looks and status, she's the perfect match for Benjamin!"

As they walked further away, chatting amongst themselves, their voices gradually faded into the distance.

"The Quine family ..." Grace thought.

After dealing with the hospital's discharge procedures, Grace got into the car the butler had sent for her.

Her mind was in turmoil for a long time.

Grace sat in the car with the window rolled halfway down. The dim light of her phone's screen illuminated her pale face.

She tried searching for the connection between the Quines and Hawkins families, but to no avail.

That was simply too strange for the two prominent families in Pamore.

When Grace returned to Hawkins Manor, the lights in the living room were still on.

Elizabeth was the only one there. She was waiting with her walking stick in hand. "Thank goodness that you're fine, Gracie! I was so worried that I almost got a heart attack!"

"Don't worry, Grandma." Grace forced a smile. She tried to think of an excuse to go upstairs. "I'm a little tired."

"Alright, go and rest. I've got someone to reach Benjamin. He'll be back soon!"

Grace was taken aback for a moment before the pain in her heart overwhelmed her again. Her face become paler.

It turned out that she was the only one Benjamin was hiding from.

Elizabeth thought that Grace was sad because Benjamin hadn't been spending time with her.

Little did she know that another woman's appearance had stabbed Grace's heart painfully. It made Grace's persistence and effort all this time seem ridiculous.

By the time Benjamin returned, it was already the dead of night the next day.

The bedroom was pitch black. He turned on the lights, showing his slightly displeased expression.

"You aren't asleep yet? Why didn't you switch on the lights?"

Grace had been lying in bed the whole day. She had barely eaten or drunk anything. The dishes sent by the butler had long turned cold on the bedside table.

"Where have you been for the past two days?" Grace's petite back was facing him, and her hoarse voice was tinged with weariness.

Benjamin had just taken off his suit when he heard her question. Stunned, he looked over in her direction and furrowed his brows.

In their three years of marriage, this was the first time she had asked about his whereabouts in such a manner.

"I needed to deal with something at the company branch in Misdeon," he replied in a cold voice as he loosened his tie irritably. Then, he walked over to the bathroom.

"Oh, really?" Grace chuckled. The sarcasm in her voice was clear. "I asked Larry about it. You didn't take any flights to Misdeon."

"What exactly do you want to say?" Benjamin suddenly stopped in his tracks as he reached the bathroom.

Although Grace didn't meet his eyes, she could sense the overbearing coldness emanating from him. She knew he was getting angry.

How Did You Become Mrs. Hawkins

"When did you get to know her?"

Under the dim lights, Benjamin finally saw Grace supporting herself with crutches. It wasn't until then that he realized she was much thinner than when they'd married three years ago.

She looked as if a gust of wind could easily blow her away.

"You followed me?" Benjamin's face fell at once.

"Do you think I have nothing better to do? I was at the same hospital and saw you with my own eyes." Though her voice was soft, she enunciated her words clearly.

Benjamin looked angry despite Grace was overwhelmed by sadness. How could he?

He still hadn't expressed any concern for her, even though she had been in a plane crash. What felt even worse was how evident the irritation and disdain in his voice were.

Clearly, their three years of marriage had been futile.

All this while, she had been attending to her demanding mother-in-law and taking care of her sister-in-law, who didn't like her.

In the family, she was treated like nothing but a servant, and in the company, she did her utmost to excel in her role as the secretary.

She had been giving her all to fulfill Elizabeth's wish for her to conceive Benjamin's children. She had hoped that he would finally see the good in her.

Even the slightest bit of affection from him would have been enough to make up for her tireless efforts over the past three years.

However, Benjamin had barely touched her throughout their marriage.

Although they shared the same room, they didn't sleep in the same bed.

Suppressing the pain all over her body, Grace looked into his frosty eyes and let out a laugh.

"Your mom said that I'm barren, and now you've gotten your mistress pregnant instead. Don't you care about my dignity at all?"

She lifted her chin and stretched out her right hand to touch him.

But he stopped her in a second.

"Yvonne isn't a mistress. I've known her for more than 20 years."

So they had known each other since they were kids. Grace could feel Benjamin's grip tightening on her.

"She had been abroad for five years, and I didn't have any contact with her during that time."

Grace was surprised to hear that. No wonder she hadn't been able to find any information about them.

Remembering that the woman was pregnant, she looked up at Benjamin. "So you've gotten back with her now?"

Benjamin's Adam's apple bobbed slightly. He thought of explaining but stopped on second thought.

His gaze darkened. "Have you forgotten how you ended up as Mrs. Hawkins?"

Well, even if he hadn't brought it up, Grace would never forget it.

Hawkins Group had a lot of branches, and many people coveted the position as its heir. Hence, Elizabeth had wanted to find a woman from Pamore for Benjamin. She had wanted him to get married and have a future heir to ensure stability for the company.

As Elizabeth's life savior, Grace had volunteered herself for that role.

She had come to Benjamin on her own and made it clear that she wouldn't interfere with his life.

Not only that, but she had also agreed to hide their marriage and shut down her thriving boutique store. She had agreed to become his secretary at Hawkins Group and help handle its affairs.

Now, Benjamin was telling her that she had overstepped her boundaries.

Grace chuckled. "Well, I didn't forget. But humans are greedy, aren't they?"

Her face was as white as a sheet. If she hadn't had a smile on her face, she would have looked like a ghost who had escaped hell.

As he looked at her now, Benjamin felt like she had changed. But he couldn't tell how..

All of a sudden, Grace effortlessly withdrew her hand from his grip.

A pleasant fragrance gradually permeated the spacious room, getting stronger by the second. The windows were closed, and the temperature was rising.

Benjamin spared a glance at the thermostat and saw that it was 30 degrees Celsius.

His expression darkened, especially when Grace moved her hands to his clothes.

He couldn't seem to push her away.

As his breathing turned ragged, he asked angrily, "What did you do?"

I Am No Longer Mrs. Hawkins

Grace took off his shirt and peppered kisses down his abdomen. Her longing for him was so intense that even her ears had turned red.

"Didn't you ask me how I became Mrs. Hawkins? Well, I nearly forgot about my main responsibility—conceiving your child."

Continuing with her actions, she said, "Right now, I'm just fulfilling my duties."

"How dare you!" Benjamin was infuriated. His muscles tensed with his rage.

"I've sprayed some aphrodisiac in the air. Bear with it. It'll end soon.

"I just ... I just want a child too."

She was getting more bold, a far cry from how gentle and obedient she had been in front of him before.

Benjamin's breathing grew heavy in response to her shameless provocation.

He did his best to suppress the effects of the aphrodisiac and fiercely grabbed her hand. "You're so disgusting, Grace!"

The burning desire in Grace's gaze dissipated at once.

"Is it so disgusting for you to make love to me?" She looked up at him with her watery eyes.

"Yes!" Benjamin replied without hesitation as he stared at her intently.

Then, he pushed her away aggressively and picked up the clothes on the floor. He hastily put them on, not even bothering to button up his shirt.

As the door slammed shut with a loud bang, the room fell into silence.

It was only then that Grace slumped to the floor, feeling dejected. She dug her nails into her palms, her eyes filled with self-deprecation.

It was time for her to give up on him.

…

The next day, Grace limped down the stairs while dragging her luggage.

The housekeepers had already set up the table with dishes. Elizabeth wasn't around since she was usually occupied with morning prayers at this time.

"Hey, Grace, are you going traveling after having just escaped death?" asked Benjamin's sister, Celia Hawkins. She was a sophomore at Pamore University.

She had always disliked Grace. "Well, even if you want to go, you'll have to do my hair and take me to school first."

Grace was pretty skilled at styling hair. Celia was often praised by her friends after having her hair done by Grace.

However, instead of giving a damn about her, Grace headed for the first floor straight away. She coincidentally bumped into her mother-in-law, Susan Ford. The latter was dressed rather elegantly.

Michael Hawkins was Benjamin and Celia's father. Susan was his second wife and Benjamin and Celia's biological mother.

Susan had always disapproved of Grace's background and her family. She was always rude when she spoke to Grace.

"Where are you going with that luggage? Put it down quickly and help Patty clean up one of the rooms. Someone will be moving in soon."

Grace's eyelid twitched. She had a vague idea of what was coming. Then, she heard Celia ask curiously, "Who is it?"

"Who else? Of course it's Yvonne!"

"What? Yvonne is back?"

"Yes! And she is pregnant with your brother's child! The environment here is good, so she'll be staying here for a while instead of returning to Quine Residence."

As Susan spoke, she looked over in Grace's direction. In her eyes, Yvonne was her ideal daughter-in-law.

If it hadn't been for that matter, Benjamin would have been married to Yvonne.

"Why are you still standing there? Get moving!" Susan said.

If the past, Grace would have obeyed her. But after hearing what Susan had just said, Grace no longer had any desire to try to please her.

Despite the fact that her heart stung like hell, she forced herself to maintain a calm facade.

"From now on, I have nothing to do with Benjamin anymore. Get someone else to do the work."