I remember that every time I cooked for him, he would hug me from behind and whisper in my ear, "My baby, you've worked hard."

It seemed warm, but in the past five years, he had never even poured me a cup of hot water.

He was the youngest professor of cardiac surgery at the top medical school in Sydney.

He always said, "My hands are for surgery, so I must protect them at all times."

Even when he held my hand, he was very careful.

But now, he made an exception and cooked for Celia.

Bryan saw me, snorted and laughed and made an expression of "I knew it".

Celia greeted enthusiastically, "Claire, you're back! Do you want to eat together?"

I silently passed her and went straight to the bedroom.

"Stop!" Bryan stood up suddenly, his face terribly gloomy, "Celia is talking to you, please respond. Don't you even have the most basic manners?"

I turned around slowly and sneered, "How do you want me to respond? Thank her for rushing to give birth to a child for my fiancé, so that I can become a mother painlessly? Or rush up and slap her a few times, scolding her for being a cheap mistress and getting out of my house?"

"You!" Bryan was choked and his veins popped.

Celia suddenly covered her mouth and retched, tears coming.

Bryan asked in panic, "Celia, what happened? Are you feeling uncomfortable?"

"Bryan, I'm fine..."

She trembled and grabbed Bryan's sleeve, but cried to me.

"Claire, it's all my fault. I don't want to live in your house, but I really have nowhere to go. I will leave as soon as the baby is born and will never disturb you and Bryan again."

As she said this, she suddenly touched her belly and sobbed, "I'm sorry, baby. Mommy doesn't want to abandon you. But Mommy did something bad and must be punished. My baby… I'm sorry..."

As she said this, she retched violently again and collapsed in Bryan's arms.

Bryan looked at me with disgust, as if I had committed some heinous crime.

"Are you satisfied now?"

I sneered and turned away.

My attitude completely angered Bryan. He suddenly grabbed the glass on the table and threw it at me.

There was a sharp pain in the back of my head and with the sound of glass breaking, I fell heavily on the stairs.

The sharp pain made me sweat instantly and I couldn't stand up for a while.

"Why are you pretending? Get up quickly!" Bryan scolded impatiently behind me.

Celia came over hypocritically, "Claire, you should be okay, right? I saw the cup just lightly rubbed your shoulder..."

"Shut up!" I gritted my teeth to interrupt her and stood up with all my strength.

Seeing my bad attitude towards Celia, Bryan's eyes suddenly turned cold,

"Celia has no appetite. You go and cook her your best crucian carp and tofu soup. Remember not to put onions, she doesn't like it."

"No." I refused without hesitation.

"This is an order!" Bryan's face was terribly gloomy, "Claire, do you think you have a choice?"

I clenched my fists and looked him in the eyes, "I will never do it. Now what can you do?"

Bryan's eyes flashed with cold light and he strode forward and roughly grabbed my arm and pushed me into the kitchen.

The door was heavily closed.

"Don't even think about coming out until the soup is ready!"

"Bryan, you're crazy!"

I slammed the door hard, shouting "Let me out" at the top of my lungs, but all I got was dead silence.

My palms were swollen and burning from slamming and finally, I slid down to the ground powerlessly, leaning against the cold door.

Their conversation was clearly heard through the door.

Celia whispered softly, "Bryan, isn't this too much for Claire? If she doesn't want to do it, then don't do it. It doesn't matter if I don't drink the soup."

Bryan sighed, "Celia, she has been spoiled in the Harrington Family for so many years. I must change her eldest daughter's temper. Since she will marry into the Waldorf Family in the future, I must follow the rules of the Waldorf Family, otherwise how can she take care of our children well?"

"The Waldorf Family is a medical family and they have always been the most concerned about being kind to others, but she is too straightforward... My mother has never liked her very much."

Celia asked puzzled, "Bryan, then why don't you break up with her directly?"

It suddenly became quiet outside.

I held my breath and leaned against the door motionlessly.

Yes, since I was so unbearable in his eyes, why should he tolerate me and keep me?

The silence lasted for a long time and Celia urged cautiously, "Bryan?"

Bryan's calm voice pierced my heart like a knife, "The Harrington Family's background is one of the best in Sydney and it has helped my career a lot over the years..."

I covered my chest tightly and tears could no longer be controlled.

So that was it. For so many years, he had always been interested in the Harrington Family, not me.

In a trance, I remembered that year when my grandfather had a sudden heart attack and it was Bryan's bold surgical plan that saved his life. I fell in love with this young and promising doctor with superb medical skills at first sight.

I just gave him a banner to express my gratitude, but I didn't expect him to start pursuing me crazily.

He never took the initiative to ask for help from the Harrington Family and those secret operations were arranged by me without telling him. How ridiculous, I was always worried that he would refuse to accept it after knowing it.

The kitchen door was pushed open. Bryan was obviously startled when he saw me and then frowned,

"You cry like this for making soup? Get out, it's annoying to watch!"

I stood up despite the dizziness and staggered towards the bedroom.

The moment I pushed the door open, a chill instantly climbed up my spine.

The bed sheet was changed to the pink lace style that I hated the most. The photo of me on the bedside table was replaced with a photo of a strange baby. In the closet, there was not a single piece of my clothes left.

Bryan's voice came from behind, "The guest room is too small. It's inconvenient for Celia to stay in the master bedroom now."

Celia added timidly, "Claire, you shouldn't mind, right? Don't worry, I'll..."

"Oh." I interrupted her directly, "Where are my things?"

Bryan looked away and said, "I asked the servants to move to the utility room. The nearest guest room will be converted into a baby room. You can choose a guest room to live in."

I was silent for a while and nodded, "Okay."

In the utility room, my haute couture dress was thrown on the ground casually and my jewelry was scattered in the dirty corners, like garbage that no one wanted.

I took a deep breath and looked at Celia who followed me in with sarcasm, "Are you so impatient? You can't even wait for me to leave?"

A trace of embarrassment flashed across her face and then she changed to an innocent expression,

"Claire, what are you talking about? Bryan asked the servants to clean up these things. I didn't do anything."

I sneered and pointed to the shoe prints on the dress, "Did the servants do this too?"

"So what if it was me?"

She suddenly lowered her voice, a vicious light flashed in her eyes, but she pretended to be afraid and retreated.

"Claire, please let me go!"

After saying that, she suddenly screamed and pretended to fall backwards. Bryan rushed in in time to catch her.

Celia immediately covered her lower abdomen and sobbed. "Bryan, I didn't do anything. Why did Claire push me... Fortunately, you came, otherwise the baby...

"I didn't push her!" My throat tightened and I explained subconsciously.

Bryan's eyes were filled with anger and he grabbed my neck and pushed me against the wall.

"Do you think I would believe it? Celia would use the child to frame you? When did you become so vicious!" he said, holding back his anger.

His grip was so strong that I almost suffocated and struggled to squeeze out a few words. "I really... didn't..."

"Enough! I don't want to hear your excuses!" he shouted in front of my face.

He laughed in anger and threw me to the ground.

"Go back to the Harrington Family and be your eldest daughter! When you know you are wrong, come see me again! "

I staggered to my feet and looked at him in disbelief.

It was eleven o'clock in the evening and he was going to chase me away?

I remembered that in the past, even if I just went out for a walk late at night, he would insist on accompanying me.

And now, he raised his chin high and didn't even give me a glance.

My nose suddenly felt sour.

How many times had he gotten angry with me today for Celia?

No matter what I said or did, it was always wrong in his eyes.

And today was supposed to be the day we got married.

I closed my eyes. I didn't even take my clothes and fled from this suffocating place without looking back.

***

As soon as I returned to the Harrington Family, my phone vibrated.

It was a video sent by Celia. I knew I shouldn't click it, but my fingers pressed the play button uncontrollably.

In the picture, Bryan was gently hugging Celia, closing his eyes and kissing her forehead, his face full of enjoyment and tenderness.

His voice was a little regretful, "Celia, if I had met you earlier, I wouldn't be with Claire. You are so talented in medicine and so motivated. And what about her? Relying on the background of the Harrington Family, she does whatever she wants and does not work properly all day long. "

Celia little voice came, "The Waldorf Family has been practicing medicine for generations. If you really marry her, your reputation will be ruined sooner or later."

Every word was like a poisoned needle, piercing my most vulnerable part.

Celia relied on her family's connections in the medical field and easily became his personal disciple and was recognized as his god sister.

This was what he called "talented".

And I gave up my family's resources, started from the grassroots and climbed up step by step to the position of The Harrington's investment director.

In his eyes, I became "not working properly". It turned out that in his heart, I had never been good for anything.

How could he really like me?

I put down my phone and soaked my pillow with tears. I tossed and turned all night.

Just as the sky was getting light, Austin called.

"Wife, did you sleep well?"

I stunned. But there was unconcealed joy in his voice.

"I just landed in Milan. I was so excited that I couldn't sleep for more than ten hours on the plane. I can't believe you really married me. "

His tone suddenly softened, "Wife, I've started to miss you, do you miss me?"

Wife? This title made me sober instantly.

I just remembered that I had obtained the marriage certificate with Austin yesterday in a fit of anger.

"Wife? Why don't you say anything? Do you... regret it?"

His voice was full of grievance.

"No." I answered softly.

I grew up with Austin since childhood. Although I was not sure if he really loved me, at least I knew him inside and out.