Penelope was about to speak up when Rebecca cut in tearfully, "I'm sorry, Mrs. Thornton! Whatever happened tonight might be my fault, but my child is innocent!"

She clutched her stomach as she rolled around on the floor while wailing at the top of her lungs. If anything, her cries became even more desperate.

"Someone, anyone! Please send me to the hospital! I think I'm bleeding between my legs!"

Jacob's expression changed drastically. He shot Penelope a withering glare before scooping Rebecca into his arms.

"Michael, go get the car! Hurry up!"

His actions caused the onlookers to break out into murmurs and gossip.

"Why is Mr. Thornton so worried about Rebecca's child? Could it be that he's the father? Now that I think about it, they were such an amazing couple back in the day. It was a shame to see them breaking up."

"There's no way Mr. Thornton could let go of his deep love for Rebecca. The only reason why he married Penelope is to repay her for her kindness. Has Penelope forgotten her roots as a bar escort just because she's been role-playing as a rich wife for some time? I can't believe she's resorted to such vile actions!"

"She's just a bar escort at the end of the day; just how ethical do you think she actually is? What if she was the one framing Rebecca on purpose just to break her and Mr. Thornton up back then? Damn, she really is an extremely manipulative and scheming woman!"

Penelope remained rooted to the spot. She could only hang her head while smiling bitterly as soon as she heard the onlookers' comments about her.

Since she came from a lowly and humble background, everyone thought it natural to pin the blame on her. That was why they didn't hesitate to look down on her and slander her however they liked.

While Jacob did marry her out of gratitude, the truth was that he despised her due to her background and thought of her as an embarrassment to be seen with in public.

After all, only women like Rebecca, who came from noble and rich backgrounds, were an equal match for him, a wealthy scion. On the other hand, a bar escort like Penelope was definitely not his first choice.

Penelope did all she could to conceal the fact that Jacob was sterile. She even went as far as to shoulder the blame of being sterile herself. What did she get in return for keeping such a secret?

Jacob would never pay extra attention to her, let alone love her.

Weighed down by disappointment, Penelope wanted to drive home, only to be stopped by Jacob's secretary, Blake Geller.

"Mrs. Thornton, Mr. Thornton has asked you to visit the hospital."

Penelope followed Blake to a VIP ward, where Jacob could be seen blowing on some broth so that he could feed Rebecca properly. His friends surrounded Rebecca's bed as they expressed their concern.

As soon as Jacob noticed Penelope, he put down the bowl right away. His expression was already thunderous.

"Penny, get over here and apologize to Rebecca!"

At that time, Penelope's stomachache had worsened to the point where she could barely stand up straight. She gazed at Jacob sorrowfully.

"If I were to tell you that I didn't beat her up, nor did I kick her in the stomach, would you believe me?"

Jacob couldn't help but frown at the sight of Penelope's sweat-drenched visage. But he soon swept the bowl of soup off the nightstand. His expression was still stormy.

"How dare you attempt to defend yourself even though the evidence is right here! The doctor told us that Rebecca wouldn't have been able to keep her child if she had arrived at the hospital ten minutes later!

"I can't believe you're such a wicked woman, Penelope! How could you plot murder against an unborn child? This just means you're bent on forcing Rebecca to take her own life!"

Penelope looked away, clearly disappointed.

They had known each other for eight years, yet Jacob was awfully sure that Penelope bore such a wicked heart. He didn't trust her at all.

What else could she say? She'd just end up humiliating herself at the end of the day.

"Mr. Thornton, I'm sure that your wife didn't mean to do those things to me. Please let her go."

Rebecca coughed a few times before looking down at her belly. Tears began brimming in her eyes once again.

"This is all my fault. I shouldn't have lingered around the hometown in which I had spent my childhood years. I shouldn't have sullied Mrs. Thornton's gaze by existing in front of her.

"Once I get discharged from the hospital, I'll fly abroad and give birth there. That way, peace and quiet will be restored to Mrs. Thornton's life once again."

Jacob tucked Rebecca in. His expression was as cold as ever. "You're not the one at the wrong here, so why are you the one leaving?

"Penelope, get over here right now! Or are you planning to wait till I get my guys to drag your ass over here?"

As soon as his voice rang out, Michael moved to yank Penelope by the hair. She was half-dragged, half-shoved to the foot of Rebecca's bed.

Smugness radiated from Rebecca's eyes, though she pretended to show concern toward Penelope.

"Mr. Lanner, don't be rough with Ms. Hall. After all, she's the esteemed and prestigious Mrs. Thornton."

"Hmph! An old, sterile woman like her isn't fit to become Mrs. Thornton!"

One of Jacob's friends walked over and delivered a tight slap across Penelope's face. "How dare you bully Rebecca, you filthy bitch! I'll be sure to teach you a painful lesson today!"

Poor Penelope's ears rang heavily thanks to the slap. It took her a few seconds to recover from the buzzing and have her hearing restored.

She did her best to hold back her tears as she adapted a humble stance. "I'm sorry, Rebecca. This is all my fault."

Once she raised her head again, the sorrow in her eyes had faded away. This time, there was nothing but icy impassiveness in her gaze.

"Mr. Thornton, I've already apologized to Rebecca and gotten slapped as a form of punishment. Are you happy? May I leave now?"

When Jacob noticed the iciness in Penelope's gaze, he felt a jolt of pain blazing from his heart. He was about to say something when his friend stopped him.

"Jake, Penelope almost cost Rebecca her child this time. If you were to let her go with a slap on her wrist, you'd be spoiling her instead."

Everyone else quickly agreed with the first friend.

"Jake took pity on Penelope for not being able to bear any children and for being an unwanted cougar. That was the only reason why he decided to agree to the marriage. Not only did she not know her place, but she also had the guts to bully others! That woman has crossed a line this time!"

"Rebecca loves eating oranges the most. Why don't we make Penelope peel ten oranges for her as a form of punishment?"

"Jake, if you don't punish Penelope now, she might end up killing both Rebecca and her unborn child in the future!"

Hearing the grave consequences made Jacob shed what little pity he had for Penelope. A cold and ruthless expression soon replaced his previous look.

"Guards, bring me ten oranges!"

"Don't do it, Jacob!" Rebecca quickly reminded Jacob, though there was a hint of a smile in her eyes. "Have you forgotten that Ms. Hall is allergic to the smell of oranges? Her life will be in danger!"

Jacob looked shocked in return. He hesitated for a few seconds before issuing another order, "Forget about—"

"Ah! My belly hurts!" Rebecca bent over all of a sudden in pain.

She moaned, "I think I'm bleeding down there again!"

Even though Rebecca's wails sounded heartbreaking, the fact that she wasn't tearing up at all showed that it was all but a façade.

"Summon the doctor!"

Jacob quickly coaxed Rebecca anxiously. Then, he hollered, "Penelope, you're not allowed to leave this ward until you're done peeling all of the oranges!"

Penelope could only smile bitterly. She was smiling so hard that tears began trickling down her cheeks.

In the past, she was forced to guzzle down orange juice, courtesy of the bar's patrons, during one of her attempts to earn enough money to treat Jacob's schizophrenia. As a result, she was sent to the emergency room for treatment.

Back then, Jacob had stayed by her side at all times. After that ordeal, he even specifically made a note of her deadly allergy triggered by oranges in a notebook. He even told her that he would never let her suffer from her allergies ever again.

But today, Jacob was more than willing to torment Penelope with oranges just so he could avenge Rebecca. He really was a ruthless man.

Then again, he was just acting the part of a loving husband. It wasn't as if he truly cared about Penelope from the start.

How could she forget about that?

Jacob only loved Rebecca, be it when he was 18 or when he was 24.

The strong scent of oranges overwhelmed Penelope so much that she found it hard to breathe. Soon, she found herself to be on the verge of collapsing.

She did her best to suppress the intense dizziness as she peeled the rough skin off the oranges and dug out the fleshy fruit from within before plating it.

One orange… Two oranges…

Penelope was already seeing double at that time. Blood was starting to seep out of her nails from digging into the oranges too hard. Still, Jacob showed no signs of stopping her.

Having given up on all hope, Penelope allowed the suffocation to take over her senses as she continued peeling the oranges.

Three oranges… Five oranges…

Penelope's breathing gradually became intense and rapid. Rebecca's worried voice rang out at that moment.

"Jacob, Ms. Hall looks really sick right now. Hurry up and tell her to go home. If this goes on, I'm worried that she might collapse."

"Rebecca, you're too kind-hearted. That old hag is clearly pretending to be ill!" Jacob's friend retorted. "Penelope, self-torture is not going to work on Jacob! Hurry up and peel the oranges!"

But Jacob's frown deepened even more when he noticed how blue Penelope's face had gone. He finally said, "That's enough. You can leave now. This will be your first and last offence."

Penelope relaxed visibly. She fled from the VIP ward right away.

In the corridor, she clutched her chest while gasping for breath. Suddenly, her legs gave out from under her, causing her to collapse to the floor.

The moment she was about to lose consciousness, she heard a familiar voice ringing out next to her ear.

"Becky, the oranges are very sweet. You should eat more; they'll help you recover faster."

Meanwhile, Rebecca gazed at Penelope, who was already lying on the floor and was staring at her with glassy eyes. She giggled softly in return.

"The oranges that Ms. Hall has peeled for me are extremely sweet. Jacob, you should have some too."

Poor Penelope could only breathe with great difficulty. She felt as though she was a dying fish that flopped incessantly on the surface.

There was a high chance that she might die soon.

No!

Penelope was about to leave Jacob and start a new chapter in her life! There was no way she'd die a pathetic death like this!

She mustered all of her strength to pull out her phone from her pocket in hopes of calling Peter. Unfortunately, her fingers lacked the strength to do so.

Gradually, Penelope's arm slid down limply as her world descended into darkness.

The first thing that Samantha Knott did after being reborn was rush to the airport.

The airport was packed with people. Panting heavily, she pushed her way through the crowd before finally spotting three familiar silhouettes near the departure gate.

Harry Wright was dressed in a tailored suit. He was particularly eye-catching among the throng of people thanks to his cold and regal demeanor. Joseph Wright, who was five years old, was also dressed in a small suit, looking like a miniature version of his father.

Meanwhile, Lydia Yeager was wearing a white dress as she stood elegantly by their side. The picture the three of them made gave off the impression that they were a family.

"Harry Wright!" Samantha yelled, her voice echoing around the airport.

The three of them turned to look at her in unison.

"Samantha?" Harry frowned slightly. "What are you doing here?"

Samantha's gaze fell on Lydia. "Who is she? What are the three of you planning to do?"

Lydia quickly stepped forward. Her explanation came out in a rush. "Don't misunderstand, Ms. Knott. Harry and I are just friends. We're just going on a family trip. Harry's parents will be joining us as well."

Harry's brows knitted together as he pulled Lydia to him and shielded her behind his back. He glared icily at Samantha, asking, "How did you find out about this? Did you come here to cause trouble?"

Joseph shoved Samantha aside, shouting, "Don't get in the way of our family trip, Mommy! You don't know anything, so you only deserve to stay at home!"

Samantha felt cold all over. "Since this is a family trip, why don't I deserve to come along? I am your mother and your father's wife. Why does she deserve to join the trip when I don't?"

The people around them were giving them strange looks, causing Lydia's eyes to redden in an instant.

Harry and Joseph could feel their hearts breaking upon realizing how troubled she looked. They glared at Samantha. "Why are you causing such a ruckus? Don't you have any shame?"

"You're so shabby, which is why we didn't want to bring you along." Joseph looked at her with disdain in his eyes. "Ms. Yeager is gentler and prettier than you. She's better than you in every way. I'm devastated that I have a mother like you!"

Every word was like a knife that pierced itself deep into Samantha's heart.

In her past life, Samantha was simply a spinning top that never got tired in the Wright family's eyes. She would crawl out of bed before dawn to prepare Harry's suit and tie for him. She would also look through Joseph's homework even if it was already late at night.

If Harry's parents, Heath Wright and Madeline Green, were unwell, she would personally serve them drinks and medicine and keep vigil by their bedside.

She had looked after them for 50 years. Her hair had even turned white from the stress. But in the end, in their eyes, she was just a caretaker that they could order around as they pleased. In fact, she was taking up unnecessary space just by existing.

Noticing how the situation was quickly spiraling out of control, Lydia hastily purchased an additional flight ticket. "Ms. Knott, why don't you come along with us? I'm sorry. We're the ones who neglected your feelings."

The moment she apologized, Harry and Joseph became even more convinced that Samantha had shown up to cause trouble.

Harry and Joseph orbited around Lydia for the entire flight, causing the flight attendant to mistake the three of them for a family.

Samantha sat in the last row, looking at the sea of clouds beyond the window. She recalled what Harry had told her before she took her last breath in her past life.

"I'm unwilling to trap her in the kitchen. I want her to be my princess."

How laughable. Samantha worked herself to the bone and became a worn-out housewife for the Wrights, while Lydia would be a princess for the rest of her life.

When they arrived at their destination, Heath's and Madeline's expressions darkened upon seeing Samantha. "Why are you here?" they asked.

Samantha ended up being totally ignored during the three-day vacation. The Wrights were always hanging around Lydia, praising her elegance and intelligence, telling her how kind and caring she was.

Meanwhile, Samantha was like the air around them. She stood in a corner and watched them enjoy themselves. When they were taking a group photo, she tried joining them, afraid of experiencing the awkwardness of being left out.

However, Joseph shoved the camera into her hands and said, "You don't fit in with us, Mommy. Take the photo for us instead."

Numb, Samantha raised the camera and looked into the lens. Harry had one arm wrapped around Lydia's shoulders while Joseph pressed himself close into her side. Heath and Madeline were wearing affectionate smiles.

The scene she saw through the lens was identical to the photo that had angered her to death in her past life. Her hands were shaking so badly that she nearly dropped the camera when she clicked the shutter. She gnawed on her bottom lip, refusing to let the tears in her eyes spill down her cheeks.

When it was time to descend the mountain, Samantha realized that all three cars were already packed with no space left for her.

"Find your own way home."

Harry didn't spare a single glance back at her before getting into the car.

Samantha walked along the winding mountain path by herself. The blazing sun shining relentlessly down on her made her dizzy. Her legs were swollen, and she could barely move them. In the end, she had to drag her exhausted body onto the last plane of the night that flew her back home.

They didn't show her any concern, and they didn't feel even a shred of guilt. When they spoke to her, it was only to order her around.

"Iron my clothes," Harry said as he tossed his blazer in front of her.

"Tidy up my toys," Joseph said as he kicked the toys that were scattered all over the floor in her direction.

At that moment, the fury that Samantha had been harboring in her heart for two lifetimes exploded.

"Harry Wright, I want a divorce!"

Her voice wasn't too loud, but her words were like a clap of thunder, shocking everyone in the living room.

Both Harry and Joseph were momentarily stunned. Disbelief was written all over their identical and handsome faces.

"Do you understand what you're saying?" Harry asked, his voice glacial.

"Yes." Samantha raised her head and stared directly into his eyes. "I want a divorce," she repeated, making sure to emphasize every word.

They scoffed, assuming she was just playing hard-to-get as they asked their lawyer to drop by.

"I bet you're regretting it now." Joseph looked at her with disdain. His young face was filled with a coldness that did not match his age. "There's still time for you to regret your decision. Hurry and apologize to us. Daddy and I will pretend that we didn't hear anything."

Samantha simply smirked as she grabbed the pen. She didn't hesitate for even a second when she penned her signature on the divorce agreement.

She didn't want them anymore in this life!