I remembered that every time I cooked for her, she 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, she had never even poured a cup of hot water for me.

She was the youngest professor of cardiac surgery in the top medical school in Hanta.

She always said, “My hands are for surgery, so I must protect them at all times.”

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

But now, she made an exception and cooked for Russ.

Edie saw me, snorted and laughed and made an expression of “I knew it”.

Russ greeted me enthusiastically, “Lionel, you’re back! Do you want to eat together?”

I silently passed him and went straight to the bedroom.

“Stop!” Edie stood up suddenly, her face terribly gloomy. “Russ is talking to you, why don’t you respond? Don’t you even have the most basic manners?”

I turned around slowly and sneered, “How do you want me to respond? Thank him for making my fiancée pregnant and letting me become a father? Or rush up and punch him a few times, calling him a cheap mistress and get out of my house?”

“You!” Edie was choked and couldn’t speak.

“Ugh…” She suddenly covered her mouth and retched, tears coming.

Russ asked in panic, “Edie, what happened? Are you uncomfortable?”

“I’m fine…”

Russ trembled and hugged Edie, but his eyes were red at me.

“Lionel, it’s all my fault. I don’t want to live in your house, but I really can’t let go of Edie and the baby. I’ll leave as soon as the baby is born and I won’t bother you and Edie again.”

As he said this, he suddenly stroked Edie’s belly and choked. “I’m sorry, baby. Dad doesn’t want to abandon you, but Dad did something bad, so he must accept the punishment... I’m sorry…”

Edie retched violently and collapsed in Russ’s arms.

She looked at me with hatred, as if I had committed some heinous crime.

“Are you satisfied now?”

I curled my lips and turned away.

My attitude completely angered Edie.

She 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!” Edie scolded impatiently behind me.

Russ came over hypocritically. “Lionel, you should be okay, right? I saw the cup just lightly rubbed your shoulder…”

“Shut up!” I gritted my teeth to interrupt him and stood up with all my strength.

Seeing my bad attitude toward Russ, Edie’s eyes suddenly turned cold.

“Russ has no appetite. You go and cook him your best crucian carp and tofu soup. Remember not to put onions. He doesn’t like it.”

“No,” I refused without hesitation.

“This is an order!” Edie’s face was terribly gloomy. “Lionel, do you think you have a choice?”

I clenched my fists and looked straight into her eyes. “I just don’t do it. What can you do?”

Edie’s eyes flashed with cold light. She strode forward and roughly grabbed my arm and pushed me into the kitchen fiercely.

The door was shut heavily.

“Don’t think about coming out until the soup is ready!”

“Edie, you’re crazy!”

I slapped the door hard, shouting “Let me out” at the top of my lungs, but there was only a dead silence.

My palms were swollen and hot. Finally, I slid down to the ground and leaned against the cold door.

Their conversation was clearly heard through the door.

Russ whispered, “Edie, isn’t this too much for Lionel? If he doesn’t want to do it, then don’t do it. It doesn’t matter if I don’t drink the soup.”

Edie sighed. “Russ, he has been spoiled in the Hoffman family for so many years. I must change his temper. Since you want to marry me in the future, you must follow the rules of the Meyer family; otherwise, how can you raise our children well?”

She continued, “The Meyer family is a medical family and they have always been the most concerned about being kind to others, but he is too straightforward... My mother has never liked him very much.”

Russ asked in confusion, “Edie, why don’t you break up with him directly?”

It suddenly became quiet outside.

I held my breath and leaned against the door motionlessly.

Yes, since I was so unbearable in her eyes, why should she tolerate me?

The silence lasted for a long time and Russ urged cautiously, “Edie?”

Edie’s calm voice pierced my heart like a knife. “The background of the Hoffman Family is one of the best in Asobert 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, she had always been interested in the Hoffman family, not me.

In a trance, I remembered that year when my grandfather had a sudden heart attack; it was Edie’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 her a banner to express my gratitude, but I didn’t expect her to start pursuing me crazily.

She never took the initiative to ask for help from the Hoffman family and those secret operations were arranged by me without telling her. How ridiculous, I was still worried that she would refuse to accept it after knowing it.

The kitchen door was pushed open. Edie was obviously startled when she saw me and then frowned. “You cry like this for making soup? Get out, it’s annoying to watch!”

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

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

The bed sheet was changed to the black silk 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.

Edie’s voice came from behind. “The guest room is too small. It’s inconvenient for Russ to take care of me. He needs to live in the master bedroom now.”

Russ added timidly, “Lionel, you shouldn’t mind, right? Don’t worry, I’ll…”

“Oh.” I interrupted him directly, “Where are my things?”

Edie looked away. “I asked the servants to move them 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 high-end suit was thrown on the ground casually and my watch accessories were scattered in the dirty corners, like garbage that no one wanted.

I took a deep breath and looked at Russ, 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 his face and then he changed to an innocent expression. “Lionel, what are you talking about? These were all cleaned up by Edie’s servants. I didn’t do anything.”

I sneered and pointed to the shoe prints on the high-end suit on the ground. “Did the servants do this too?”

“So what if it’s me?”

He suddenly lowered his voice, a vicious light flashed in his eyes, but he pretended to be afraid and retreated.

“Lionel, please let me go!”

After saying that, he suddenly screamed and pretended to fall backwards.

Edie rushed in and supported him.

Russ immediately hugged Edie and sobbed, “Edie, I didn’t do anything. Why did Lionel push me... Fortunately, you came, otherwise I would…”

“I didn’t push him!” My throat tightened and I explained subconsciously.

Edie’s eyes were full of anger and she grabbed my hair and slammed my head against the wall.

“Do you think I will believe it? Russ is so kind that he would frame you? When did you become so vicious!”

Her hand strength was amazing and my eyes went black. I struggled desperately to squeeze out a few words.

“I really... didn’t…”

“Enough! I don’t want to hear your quibbling!” She laughed in anger and pushed me to the ground fiercely. “Go back to the Hoffman Family and be your eldest master! When you know you are wrong, come to see me again!”

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

At eleven o’clock in the evening, she actually wanted to drive me away?

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

But now, she raised her chin high, not even giving me a glance.

My nose suddenly felt sour.

How many times had she gotten angry with me today for Russ?

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

And today should have been the day we got our marriage certificate.

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

***

As soon as I got back to the Hoffman Family’s house, my phone vibrated.

It was a video sent by Russ.

I knew I shouldn’t click it, but my fingers pressed the play button uncontrollably.

In the picture, Edie was lying in Russ’s arms and Russ gently kissed her earlobe.

She closed her eyes, her face full of enjoyment and tenderness, but her voice was a little regretful.

“Russ, if I had met you earlier, I would not be with Lionel. You are so talented in medicine, pure and motivated. And what about him? He relies on the background of the Hoffman Family to do whatever he wants and does nothing all day long. The Meyer Family has been practicing medicine for generations. If I really marry him, my reputation will be ruined sooner or later.”

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

Relying on the family’s relationship in the medical field, Russ easily became her personal disciple and was recognized as her friend.

This was what she called “talented”.

And I gave up the family resources, started from the grassroots and climbed step by step to the position of Hoffman Group’s investment director.

In her eyes, it became “not doing my job”.

It turned out that in her heart, I had never been good for anything.

How could she really like me?

I put down my phone and my tears soaked the pillow.

I tossed and turned all night.

Just after dawn, Naomi called.

“Hubby, did you sleep well?”

Her voice was filled with undisguised joy.

“I just landed in Qille. I was so excited that I couldn’t sleep for more than ten hours on the plane. I can’t believe I’m really marrying you.”

Her tone suddenly softened. “Hubby, I’ve started to miss you. Do you miss me?”

Hubby?

This title made me sober instantly.

Then I remembered that I had obtained a marriage certificate with Naomi in a fit of anger yesterday.

“Hubby? Why don’t you say anything? Do you... regret it?”

Her voice was filled with a thousand points of grievance.

“No,” I answered softly.

I grew up with Naomi. Although I was not sure if she really loved me, at least I knew her inside and out.

The Shepard Family was well-matched and was indeed a suitable marriage partner.