Chapter 11
The woman who should have been lying in bed was sitting on the floor by the refrigerator, an arm wrapped around a pot while the other was raised as she fed herself.
Her cheeks were puffed as though she had just eaten a huge spoonful of hot oatmeal. Her face was filled with shock and disbelief. The panic and helplessness in her eyes particularly resembled a startled little animal who was caught stealing.
Maria was indeed flustered. She hadn’t heard Frank’s footsteps at all.
With some hot oatmeal still unswallowed in her mouth, she attempted to open her mouth to explain. She hastily chewed a few times and swallowed before she spoke. “I’m sorry for eating your hot oatmeal. If you’re hungry, I can make some for you
now.”
Frank despised Maria the most when she pretended to be innocent despite her malicious nature. He found it a pity that she wasn’t an actor. “Maria, you don’t need to pretend to be so innocent. This was originally for you.”
Frank’s undisguised disdain in his black eyes made Maria’s heart tremble, and her heart throbbed with a dull ache.
‘Pretending? Of course, Frank thinks everything about me is an act. Only Nina is genuine in his eyes. Only Nina’s emotions are real, she thought.
Maria lowered her head. The pot in her arms felt a bit heavier. Her stomach, which had just been extremely hungry, now seemed full in an instant. She had lost her appetite.
“Thank you for saving me some oatmeal.” Her voice resonated in the quiet room. Even though it was somewhat hoarse due to illness, it remained clear and melodious.
Someone had once suggested that she should participate in singing auditions and that she might become a famous singer. However, Maria aspired to be a fashion designer.
Maria’s pitiful appearance irritated Frank inexplicably. His tone became much colder. “You don’t have to try to please me this way. I won’t forget what you’ve done.”
He approached Maria, looking down at her from above. His cold and ruthless words continued. “I married you for a reason, and you should be well aware of it. Do you think marrying me will give you the privileges of Mrs. Johnston? Maria, doesn’t your conscience hurt? Because of you, Nina is still lying in bed in a coma, yet you use this kind of gaze to seduce her man!”
Maria’s already pale face became even more bloodless.
She knew that Frank was blaming her for pushing Nina down the stairs and drugging him, leading to their intimate
encounter.
However, she didn’t do any of those things.
She didn’t push Nina. It was an accident. Nina fell down the stairs while wearing high heels, and her mother accused Maria of being responsible.
She didn’t drug Frank. She was drugged as well, and at that time, she had no choice but to have sex with him.
As for how Frank’s grandfather found out, she had no idea.
The only thing she voluntarily did was marry Frank, who not only did not love her but also hated her. Yet, she also had her reasons for doing so.
“You can rest assured that when Nina wakes up, I will divorce you.” Her voice was very soft, brushing across his heart like the caress of a feather.
Frank’s heart sank. He felt inexplicably annoyed. He stated expressionlessly, “Remember what you said!”
He turned abruptly and walked away, ready to go upstairs.
Just then, the silence in the kitchen was broken by the crash of a broken pot, a muffled cry, and the heavy thud of a woman falling to the ground.
