Chapter 9 – Divorced! Now What to Do?

‘Love her deeply.’ These three words caused his brows to furrow tighter together. After a moment, he glared at her and spoke, word by word,

“I got engaged to Cynthal because it was my wife’s dying wish.”

“Was it a special request from your wife before she died?”

Bethan had her leg on one knee, expression calm as water, but the truth was that she was trembling inside!

All those years ago, they treated her so cruelly, yet even many years later, he still dared to say it was her dying wish! Steadying her hand that held her cup, she lowered her head and took a sip.

“Your wife is such a kind woman that, even on her deathbed, she’d still give her husband away to someone else.”

Brettley’s eyes turned ice-cold. He glared at her coldly.

“Remember your place. I don’t want to hear such words in the future.”

With that, he took out his phone and dialed a number. Not too long later, the door to the apartment was forcefully opened from the outside a Lucas walked in and placed a document on the coffee table.

“Ms. Bethan, this is your contract for labor. If you’re unhappy with anything, please tell us, and we’ll do our best to accommodate you.”

Bethan raised the contract and started reading.

“Being a servant is just my part-time position.”

She pointed to one of the terms in the contract and said lightly,

“But for the time being, I’d focus most of my time and effort on the Little Princess.”

She then pointed out some terms in detail and provided a solution.

Bethan and Lucas were thoroughly engaged in their conversation.

Brettley remained in his seat in the corner, gaze faint as he stared into the distance, unsure what he was thinking about.

His eyes drifted away faintly, not knowing what he was thinking. Half an hour later, the contract negotiations were completed. Bethan took up the pen and solemnly wrote down her name. With a stroke of her pen, it represented that her plan to sneak into Blue Bay Villa was successful. After signing the contract, Brettley stood up to leave when his cell phone rang.

“Sir,”

the butler sounded anxious, his voice drifting in from the other end of the phone,

“Ms. Cynthal Peterson is here! She dragged Miss Nellie out of her room, calling her a fake! Please come home quickly!”

“Look after Nellie, I’ll come home immediately.”

Brettley hung up the phone and stood up to leave.

“Wait, wait!”

Hearing him mention Nellie, Bethan hurriedly stood up.

“What happened to Nellie?”

His hand that held the door handle trembled slightly. He turned his head and studied Bethan’s face coldly.

Facing his suspicious eyes, Bethan sucked in a deep breath.

“I’m Nellie’s personal servant; caring for her is what I should do.”

The man opened the door and strode into the hallway.

“Let’s go.”

On the way to Blue Bay Villa, Bethan tried to ask him about Nellie’s situation. He glanced at her and threw the contract at her,

“You’re not her personal servant yet.”

Bethan pursed her lips, signed the contract, and handed it to him.

“Can you now tell me what happened to Nellie, Mr. Morrison?”

Brettley frowned slightly.

“Cynthal came to look for Nellie.”

Bethan felt like her heart fell into a deep chasm just by listening to him. Cynthal went to look for Nellie! Why?

Nellie was the smallest amongst her three children. Both of her brothers took away too much of her nutrients when she was in Bethan’s belly, and it resulted in her looking small and fragile when she was born. This was the first time she had left her mother in six years. Bethan kept wriggling about in her seat in anxiousness. With gritted teeth, she peered out of the window, anxiety written clearly across her face.

“Hi, can you drive faster?”

Beside her, Brettley’s gaze darkened as he looked at her.

“Ms. Bethan, you seem to care for her even more than me, even though I’m her father.”

Bethan stiffened.

She realized it only when he pointed out that her care for Nellie did indeed exceed the parameters of that of a nanny and her charge. She pursed her lips.

“I signed the contract. From now on, Nellie is my source of income, so it’s only natural I care about her.”

Brettley lifted his lips in a vague half-smile as he eyed her.

“That’s all?”

His ambiguous attitude made her uncomfortable. Lips forming a line, she nodded.

“Yes.”

He said nothing else on the matter. Very soon, the car stopped at Blue Bay Villa.

“Sir, finally you’re home!”

The moment the car slid to a stop, the butler rushed forward.

“How’s the situation inside?”

Brettley asked, frowning.

“They…”

Before he could finish his sentence, the door to the passenger seat was flung open as Bethan sped into the villa like a rocket. Somehow, it felt like the air in the living room was tinged with the stench of blood. When Bethan rushed in, Nellie was crouching in a corner on the sofa, her little head dropping, looking lifeless. Opposite her sat Cynthal with eyes widened in rage.

“Nellie!”

Every other thought flew out of the window as she strode forward and took the little girl into her arms.

“Are you okay?”

Bethan’s voice was trembling for no reason.

“Are you okay?”

Nellie reached out a little hand and held onto her arm silently.

“I’m ok.”

“Who are you?”

Cynthal, who was sitting opposite them, swept her eyes coldly over Bethan with sheer contempt.

“A new servant? You look like such a siren. Who are you trying to seduce?”

Bethan pursed her lips tightly together at her words, but she had no time nor the energy to argue with her, so she lowered her head and lifted Nellie’s chin.

“Let me take a look.”

“I’m fine.”

The little girl lowered her head stubbornly, not daring to let Bethan see it. A bad premonition surged into her heart as Bethan gritted her teeth and raised the girl’s face regardless.

As expected. There was a palm print on the little girl’s fair and tender cheeks; red and swollen. The palm print ran so deep that one could even see the creases imprinted onto Nellie’s face! Obviously, this was done by an adult, and with considerable strength at that. Bethan almost shed tears of distress.

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