Chapter 739
Chapter 738:
Eva found herself speechless. Her excuses, her carefully woven delusions, crumbled into dust at her feet. She had believed Milton remained too young to comprehend the adult world’s cruel machinations, that her kindness could wash away the stains of history. She never suspected that…
Beneath his surface compliance, his revulsion for her had been growing stronger for two full decades, creating an impenetrable wall she could never scale.
Twenty years. She had failed to kindle warmth in Arthur’s frozen heart and failed to earn his son’s affection. Every effort had been completely meaningless. She wobbled unsteadily, her spirit thoroughly crushed. Yet then, one final ember of resistance sparked within her. She raised her head and met Arthur’s gaze.
“Reject it however you choose,” she hissed with renewed venom, “but to the entire world beyond these walls, I remain your wife. Even if you locate her, she can never legitimately steal that title from me p>
Arthur’s expression remained perfectly unchanged. “Should you perish,” he stated with chilling casualness, as though discussing tomorrow’s weather, “nothing would prevent her from claiming what belongs to her p>
Eva’s eyes widened with absolute terror. “What… What meaning lies behind those words?” she stammered helplessly. “You still haven’t answered me. Why? Why did you allow me to remain by your side all these years p>
Arthur fixed Eva with a hard stare. “Since you’re so desperate to know, I’ll give you the answer,” he said, his tone cold. “I only let you hang around before I found Milton’s mother because I wanted to see you suffer. Tell me, have you ever found even a moment of happiness in this family all these years p>
Shutting her eyes, Eva sank into despair. No, happiness had never been hers. On the outside, she held the title of Arthur’s wife, but only she knew how cold and isolated her life had become within these walls.
Her husband kept his distance. She never had a child of her own, and each day passed in quiet misery. Every morning brought a sliver of hope, but every night she returned to her empty bed, falling asleep with nothing but sorrow. The days blurred together, sapping her strength a little more each time. Now, Arthur’s words crushed every last dream she held onto.
𝒍𝒂tｅ𝒔t 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒊𝒏
“If Milton’s mother is out there, I’ll track her down and make sure everyone sees your disgrace. But if she’s already gone, I’ll make you suffer for her pain until your last breath,” Arthur said, smooth as ever, though his words cut deep. “The moment you went behind my back and schemed with my father against Milton’s mother, you sealed your fate. Prepare yourself—there’s no escape now p>
Eva stared ahead, her thoughts muddled and distant. This was the man she’d loved for most of her life. She had stuck by him, changed herself, and endured so much, only to end up hated by him. If only she hadn’t fallen for Arthur all those years ago. If she’d chosen a man who truly loved her, maybe life would have been full of warmth and meaning.
Neither Arthur nor Milton cared about her thoughts. They hated her guts.
“Get out,” Arthur said, his voice cold and final.
Before Eva had marched up to the third floor, she had hoped her tears might sway Arthur, maybe even make him soften toward her. But now, the idea seemed ridiculous. No matter how much she cried, even if she bled for him, it would never change how he felt. Arthur hated her for destroying any hope he had with Milton’s mother. He resented her for inciting Paul to take drastic actions against Milton’s mother. His hatred toward her was so deep that he wanted her gone, ideally in a miserable way.
Eva bitterly realized there was no point in staying in the study or dragging out the conversation. Of course, leaving the Campbell family was out of the question. Arthur would never set her free. He intended to keep her close just to watch her suffer. If Milton’s mother were gone, he would make her pay dearly. Her life had turned into nothing but a bad joke.