Half a month passed just like that. When he woke up that day, Darrel’s eyes looked red. He did not dare to look directly into my eyes.

“Giselle, I have made an appointment with the best doctor abroad. I can definitely let your legs regain consciousness!”

When I did the rehabilitation test yesterday, I deliberately aggravated my paralysis. As expected, the doctor's examination report today was very unsatisfactory.

“There are no other effects, Mr. Darrel. It's just that if you two want to have children in the short term, it might not be too recommended.”

I said in my heart, “Temporarily unable to have children?” I then laughed coldly inwardly.  I was afraid it was just an excuse that Darrel told the doctor.

Women with amputated limbs were able to pass on their children. But I was declared infertile when my legs were still able to touch the ground. It was really interesting.

In that case, I took the initiative to fulfill him.

“Darrel, I know you have always wanted a child, maybe my legs won't get better. Why don't we adopt one?”

My heart was practically dripping blood when I said this. Darrel didn't pay attention at that moment. He just showed surprise after hearing it and then hugged me tightly.

“Believe me, this is just a temporary solution. When I fulfill my parents' wish, I will take you abroad and start our new life for our family of three.”

I couldn’t believe he thought of everything. Even the place where we would settle down in the future, but the only thing that Darrel wasn't well thought out about was that I knew about Edmund's existence in advance.

Moreover, Darrel was very fast. It was really urgent to make his illegitimate son recognize his ancestors. Within a few days, he brought the child over.

“You are the child's mother, you deserve to be the first to see him don't you?”

Darrel's face hung with caution. He looked afraid that I would refuse.

I looked at the boy who stood outside the hospital room. He dressed smartly and bubbling with nobility at a glance. His hatred reached the extreme.

I asked in my heart, “Why is it that his illegitimate child can bite the golden spoon and grow up carefree? While my poor child suffocated to death without even seeing this world!”

But there was still a smile on the corner of his lips. “You are Edmund, aren't you? Come here.”

It wasn't until I saw the peace sign hanging around his neck that I realized what it meant to have all the thoughts in the world!

The exact same peace sign, Darrel personally handed it over to my hands on the day I was pregnant with a full nine months.  He said it was an ancestral heirloom. I then realized that Edmund's part was obviously older and more valuable than mine.

I swallowed my aggression. “Hey, little boy. Who usually takes care of you? Is she here?”

I also wanted to see who this woman named Karina Reverie is.  I didn't expect that as soon as the words finished, the crisp sound of shoe heels rang in the ward. Darrel's expression changed drastically.

“Darrel, the child is still young. I didn't feel at ease, so I came up. You won't blame me, right?”

I was silent for a while. I then realized it was actually her.

In these years, every time Darrel got drunk, he asked me to pick him up. At that moment I could see her figure. She had long been pervasive in our lives. I gritted my teeth hard, not wanting to show my timidity.

“Hello, Mrs. Giselle. I'm Edmund's mother. I am also the doctor in this hospital, Karina Reverie.”

She said that she and my husband were college classmates. Edmund was the one who had an accident.

On the other hand, Darrel said that Karina was just an adoptive mother. But I knew that it was just one lie after another. The scumbag and the slut had no courage to admit it even if they cheat.

Karina said, “I'm sorry to make you laugh, Edmund just likes to make these little things.”

Her bracelet suddenly loosened and I stared at it in a daze. My eyes shifted to Darrel's empty wrist. I had seen it before. Darrel had brought that rough bracelet back home more than once.

Karina was declaring her sovereignty with me. I could no longer be generous and silently endured the suffocating atmosphere.

“I'm tired, Darrel. You guys can go without me.”

Darrel had no doubts. When Karina left, her smug smile lingered and rolled into my mind. It didn’t dissipate even after a few minutes had passed.

I tightly covered my heart and forced myself not to cry. That night, Karina came to the VIP floor again on her night shift.

“Edmund said that he likes Mrs. Giselle a lot. This is the bracelet you gave to your wife, right? Sorry for today. I forgot to take it off.”

Darrel rubbed his eyebrows. “I usually don't wear it very often, she probably didn't notice it. You'd better not appear in front of her in the future. I'm afraid she will be suspicious.”

Karina replied, “That's good, I was afraid she would misunderstand.”

Karina stared at Darrel closely for a while. She then changed the subject.

“Have you told your wife about going to the ancestral hall to recognize her ancestors? She has inconvenient legs here. Does she need me to come forward.”

Darrel immediately interrupted Karina's words by saying, “No need.”

He refused without hesitation. “You only need to take good care of Edmund, Karina.”

Darrel took a breath for a while. He then looked sharply at the woman who was in front of him now.

“Giselle Siegfried is the lady of the Roderick Family because she is my wife, Karina. For this kind of occasion, it's only right that she should be there.”

Suddenly, the doctor came over to tell my husband that I had fallen out of my wheelchair. Darrel immediately ran back to the hospital room. His body was sweating because of nervousness.

He asked me, “Giselle, are you okay?”

Before he came in, I viciously twisted my wrist cruelly. My tears streamed down my face from the pain.

It hadn't been a fall at all just now. I had recovered and was walking independently when the doctor suddenly came in to measure my temperature. 

In that desperate situation, I could only pretend to have fallen. Darrel hugged me so tightly when he heard the doctor portray the scene. The heartache in his eyes was practically overflowing.

Darrel said, “Giselle, why are you so stupid? Whether you can stand up or not in the future, I will love you.”

I hugged him back. If it wasn't for Karina and Edmund, maybe I would really be the happiest woman in the whole world. But his love was too worthless.

In order to reassure Karina, he told me the next day that he wanted Edmund to enter the ancestral hall and join the family tree.

Darrel looked at me closely. “Even though he's an adopted son, it's the only thing we can do to shut people's mouths.”

I actually realized that sooner or later, this day would come. The day Edmund officially returned to the Roderick Family was the day I left.

Against Darrel's expectant gaze, I nodded without saying a word. I also took care of the clothes that Edmund would wear that day.

Darrel was very gratified and straight said Edmund would definitely respect me. But I did not need his filial piety and respect at all. I just wanted my own child.

My inner roar and collapse were all drowned under my calm appearance. Unfortunately, nobody could hear the slightest.

After returning to the Roderick Family's old mansion, Karina moved in with Edmund to live in as a matter of course. She was more impressive than me. Karina looked more like Darrel’s wife. 

The Roderick Family's two oldest loved this eldest grandson so much that Karina also followed the rise of the boat. I think they already knew about Edmund's existence a long time ago. Only I was like a clown and foolishly deceived by the illusion for so many years.

On the day Edmund recognized his ancestors, I was pushed into the ancestral hall by the maids. On the other hand, Karina was waiting in the main hall early. She took the maid's place and pushed the wheelchair while provoking.

“Mrs. Giselle, you actually guessed that Edmund was the child of Darrel and me a long time ago, didn't you? It's really hard for you to endure the humiliation of the position of Darrel’s wife. But unfortunately, this position no matter how glorious this position is, it won't be yours anytime soon.”

I smiled faintly at Karina at this moment. “Are you very proud? It's just an illegitimate child who can't be seen in the light. Even if it's on the family tree, so what?”

Karina looked at me with extreme pity. “After Edmund recognizes his ancestor, he will be trained as an heir in time. But not to mention that you're a waste now, even if you give birth to a child, your child will no longer be able to compare to Edmund. Oh, by the way, I heard that your child is also a male fetus, right?”

I just glared at her. But Karina laughed arrogantly.

“It's a story of choosing one of two, but Darrel is still resolutely standing on my side. Don't you understand?”

In my heart, I just said, “Say whatever you want., Karina. You can ridicule me in any way. But why mention my poor child?”

I didn't want to target anyone. I just wanted to spend today and leave peacefully. But I knew it was not allowed. I stood up with my crutches and threw a slap in Karina's face.

“Edmund is a member of the Roderick Family, so who are you?”

As the words fell, Edmund immediately ran in and hugged Karina's waist.

“Mom, why did you hit my mom? Bad woman!”

The two elders of the Roderick Family followed closely behind. Their faces instantly turned pale when they saw Karina covering her face and shedding tears.

“Giselle, what are you doing? Who gave you permission to make a move in the ancestral hall?”

Darrel's mom, Felicia Larkspur, sneered coldly at me, “A hen that can't lay eggs is worse than a dog. Hurry up and get lost. Don't be an eyesore here, Giselle!”

She pushed me away. Putting on a full show, I fell straight onto the low table covered with incense and candles. The scalding burns made me almost speechless in pain.

Darrel just stood straight not far away with disappointment written in his eyes. “Giselle, today is Edmund's good day, stop messing around, okay?”

He then ordered, “Go and touch up Mrs. Karina's makeup right now.”

Darrel then stared sharply at everyone in the room. “From now on in the Roderick Family, seeing Mrs. Karina is like seeing me. So, no one is allowed to be rude!”

I was still silent. I knew in front of me that he actually was backing up his mistress, Karina.