“Abigail Bernstein!” Diarmuid bellowed, breathing each syllable louder than the next as his cheeks flushed crimson and turned dark, the veins in his neck bulging as if something could pop just then. Seizing her neck, he snarled, “I’ll strangle you to death right now!” “I know you will,” Abigail replied with equal resolve and determination. “But I’m not afraid. I hate you!”
“Just because I slipped up and caused your miscarriage?” he asked, and continued because she answered, “I would’ve made you get an abortion even if I didn’t-I’d never let you give birth to a bastard just to mess with me!
Everything’s just fine now, since I don’t have to do it myself. Guess even someone up there is refusing to let you have that bastard, that’s why the mistake happened in the first place!” Her repetitive use of ‘bastard’ stung Abigail in the heart, leaving her utterly hysterical. “I hate you! I wish you were dead!”
Hate and fury blazed within her eyes.
On the other hand, Diarmuid’s hands flinched over her neck.
She wanted him dead because she had lost her bastard? He slowly released her, but growled, “You’re being delusional if you want to divorce me, Abigail Bernstein. I told you that the more you suffer when you’re with me, the more eager I would be to make you stay!
Abigail’s fingers balled into a fist and eased. She did so repeatedly, until she gradually calmed down. “Whitney is already pregnant with your child, Diarmuid Althoff. Are you so obsessed with grudges that you are refusing to make her your wife and start a family for your child’s sake? How does keeping me around benefit you at all?” “She had a miscarriage too,” Diarmuid simply said. “Because of that accident. Now, tell me — who was driving your SUV?”
Abigail’s eyes widened. Whitney had a miscarriage too? Was that why Diarmuid was so furious that he personally punished the driver instead of waiting? She never felt a thing for her stepbrother, because that boy and his mother were the reason her parents’ marriage was such a mess.
“Ricky Bernstein – Lionel Bernstein’s bastard.”
If Diarmuid wanted revenge, he could have as much of it as he wanted.
“He’ll pay dearly for that.” Diarmuid promised as he sat beside her bed. “You suffered a miscarriage too, so just stay with me.”
Abigail thought about the remaining twin in her belly, and knew that she would simply lose if she tried anything drastic,
As such, she decided to compromise for appearance’s sake. “Fine.”
Her plan was to let Diarmuid distract himself with other matters-once he let his guard down, she would finally have the chance to run away.
With that, they stopped saying a word. The ward was eerily silent, and the softest of breaths could be heard. It was Diarmuid who first broke the silence after a long while. “Let me take a look at you.” Abigail said nothing to that.
Staring at her, Diarmuid asked, “Why aren’t you saying a word?” However, it was not as if she did not want to talk-she had no idea what she should say. Diarmuid hence reached out to lift her blanket, leaving her eyes widening. “What are you doing?” “Checking your condition,” Diarmuid replied.
Abigail was repulsed, and refused. “No.”
Diarmuid’s eyes turned red like a wrathful beast, a visage that would stir fear in any heart.” No? Then who is allowed to see-your beloved? You’d better pray I never find out who he is, Abigail Bernstein, or I’ll cut his balls off. That way, you won’t ever get to make me a cuck again!”
Abigail stared at him warily, but said, “Diarmuid, do you actually realize?”
“Realize what?”
“You’re being very weird. Did you not realize it yourself?”
After all, she really did not understand Diarmuid’s inexplicable behavior, let alone why he insisted on keeping her with him.
“Is it possible that you’re not disgusted with me just then?” Diarmuid’s visage shisted between various expressions right then.
He had more or less realized that he was actually attracted to Abigail, but could not overcome the mental obstacle that she was unclean.
That was why he was not willing-even afraid-to admit it.
Had he, Diarmuid Althoff, fallen in love with a woman with loose morals?! What a laugh!
“Of course you disgust me! Did you think I’m trying to ogle your body by checking on your injuries as an excuse? Could you not give yourself too much credit? I’d never fall for a woman with a messy private life and was pregnant with someone else’s child!”
Suddenly, he threw himself on top of her, prompting her to throw up her hands in panic to stop him. “I’m still hurting. Don’t get too close.”
Be that as it may, from up close, Diarmuid saw a sign of bruising near her collarbone just beneath her collar.
Creasing his brow, he reached out to pull her blouse, but Abigail promptly grabbed her hand. “Don’t touch me.”
“I won’t if you stay put. I’m just taking one look,” he countered. “Try to play hard to get, and I’ll resort to violence.”
That left Abigail speechless.
Playing hard to get? That was the last thing she wanted to hear from him!
This man was really impossible!
“Like I said, just don’t move.” Diarmuid’s tone turned mild ever so slightly then. He reached out to pull off her blouse, and found the bruises over her body.
There was a momentary flash of heartache in his eyes, and he asked ever so quietly,” Does it hurt?”
Did it hurt? For Abigail, it was only natural that it hurt. However, any physical injury would never compare to the heartache she felt from losing one of her children.
She lowered her eyes and did not respond then.
At the same time, Diarmuid was grasping her arm to stop her from moving at all… and suddenly leaned in to kiss her lips.
“Umph! Did you lose your mind?!” she snapped.
Diarmuid simply grinned in return, an evil look showing across his face right then. “You must answer when I ask you a question. That is basic manners, and I would have to instruct you if you don’t know that. Just now was a punishment, and if you insist on being stubborn or using silence as a way of resistance, my punishment will only get worse.”
Pausing for a moment, he then added, “I’m a man of my word.”
On the other hand, Abigail was already hurt, and since she also had to protect her child, she did not dare to fight back-even if she felt utter disgust toward Diarmuid just then, she did not dare to say a word.
One of her twins was gone, and it all started with Whitney performing an amniocentesis after drugging her, laying the groundwork to potential miscarriage. Diarmuid’s misidentification of the driver who had caused his accident, which led to her being clobbered, simply sealed the deal.
Both of them were now her enemies who had killed her child.
As such, there was no way she would want intimacy with the likes of Diarmuid-not when her own child was killed just hours ago!
Meanwhile, Diarmuid was still staring at her as she said, “Isn’t your lover going to visit you after all that’s happened? Why could you possibly see a man who can’t even protect his own lover?”
Abigail pursed her pale-white lips. “I love him, and that’s enough for me.” Diarmuid was left speechless, his desire for her abruptly vaporizing, replaced by white-hot fury.
Even so, he did not fly into rage right then.
After all, she looked so frail and miserable that even harsh words were enough to maim her.
“Well, you’re staying with me no matter how much you love him. Hell, do you know how happy I am in the knowledge that nothing would come of your affection for him?” he said, rising to his feet as he slipped his hands into his pockets. As he stood before her with his towering frame, his expression was distinctly gleeful with the satisfaction of tormenting her. “There’s no chance of you running away with him, Abigail.”
Abigail held his gaze. “What good would it do you to keep me around?” “I’m happy that you’re unhappy,” he simply replied. “Isn’t that enough?” Abigail’s lips were twitching and just stopped short of calling him nuts! “I’m going now,” Diarmuid said and turned to leave-in reality, he wanted to offer some words of concern, but his pride forbade it, leading to such a cool response.
Stepping outside the ward, he saw that Zachary had not left yet, since he was worried that things would get hostile in the room.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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