After My Pregnant Leap, He Wants Me Back

"Mrs. Thornwell, your pregnancy symptoms are severe. Perhaps you should let Mr. Thornwell accompany you to the hospital." Thunder rumbled outside, and lightning briefly illuminated Aria's pale face, making her look even more fragile. "Never mind. Don't bother Lucas. He has no time for me." Vivian sighed and advised, "You always hesitate to trouble the master, but the child in your belly is his, too. No matter how busy he is, he shouldn't ignore this." Vivian was the newly hired housekeeper at Thornwell Mansion, responsible for Mrs. Thornwell's daily needs, but she rarely saw Mr. Thornwell in person. Tonight he was home, but he'd buried himself in the study, oblivious to everything else. Vivian gathered her courage and walked toward the study. She was stopped by a tall man suddenly pushing the door open, wearing a black coat draped over his shoulders. He looked rushed and preoccupied, as if about to leave. Vivian quickly stopped him. "Sir, Mrs. Thornwell's condition is very poor. Should we call a doctor...?" Lucas shot her a cold glance, as sharp as a blade. "No need. Just tell her to drink more hot water and rest early. Lena has the flu and a fever. I need to check on her." "Oh, Miss Marlowe is sick too? What unfortunate timing." Vivian instinctively took a step back. Even though she had just arrived, she knew that Lena, the daughter of the Marlowe family, was Mr. Thornwell's childhood friend who had once saved his life. He cherished her like a treasure. "But Mrs. Thornwell... she—" "Aria endured hardships before entering the Welfare Institute. She's been tough as nails since childhood. How could she suddenly fall ill?" Lucas's eyes flashed with impatience. "Did she hear that Lena was sick and purposely pretend to be ill to keep me from taking care of Lena? How malicious." Aria, who had been hiding in the corner and overheard everything, couldn't hold back any longer. She rushed out, about to explain, but a wave of nausea hit her. She bent over and vomited onto the floor. Vivian gasped in shock. Lucas, however, frowned and covered his nose with his sleeve. "Aria, I don't care if you want to die, but you're carrying the great-grandchild that my grandmother has been longing for. If anything happens to the child, I'll make you pay with your life." Aria gasped for breath, finally steadying herself. She managed a bitter smile. "This is my child, too. How could I disregard the child's safety just to keep you here? You're reading too much into this. "Besides, even if I were really dying, you wouldn't leave her for me, would you?" His lips curled in mockery. "It's best you know your place. Don't forget what you did to me and the child three years ago. I haven't forgotten. If you dare harm this child again, don't say I didn't warn you." He looked at the woman lying on the ground, his face twisted in disgust and hatred, with not a shred of pity. He snorted coldly and stormed off. Aria collapsed weakly, staring blankly at his retreating figure. She had lost that child in an accidental miscarriage. By the time she reached the hospital, it was already too late. How could she harm her own child? But he wouldn't listen to her explanation. The child had been gone for three years, and he had tormented her for three years. If it weren't for this marriage, she never could have imagined that the gentle boy who once huddled, trembling, in the flower bed would hide such a cold, indifferent face. Ever since that absurd beginning three years ago, everything between them had been a mistake. It was time to end this fake, transactional marriage. Large tears rolled down her face as Aria curled into a ball, sobbing. Vivian, feeling sympathetic, wanted to step forward again but was grabbed by a hand from the darkness. "If you want to keep working at Thornwell Mansion for long, mind your own business." In the dim light, the butler's expression was stern and imposing. "The current Mrs. Thornwell comes from a lowly background and has a poor character. She used despicable means to trick Mr. Thornwell into this marriage. In fact, Mr. Thornwell has always been fond of Miss Marlowe. Their beautiful romance was forcibly torn apart by this wicked woman, so of course, he detests her." Vivian could hardly believe it. "That can't be right. I serve Mrs. Thornwell every day, and she doesn't seem like that kind of person..." "She's deceived many people with this disguise, even fooling the old madam. I know Mr. Thornwell best. He's definitely not a cold-hearted person. But after Mrs. Thornwell's miscarriage, I personally heard him say, 'A child conceived through drugging, its bloodline is all filth. It's better off dead.'" The butler sneered. "In short, Miss Marlowe is the true future mistress of this house. As for the one living in the attic, once the child is born, she'll be of no further use. If you know what's good for you, you probably don't want to offend the future madam so soon after arriving, right?" Vivian recoiled as if scalded, her face turning apologetic as she looked away. Aria smiled bitterly and returned to the cold, damp attic, enduring the excruciating pain. In the middle of the night, perhaps having caught a chill, her body felt like it was being roasted on a fire, aching and swollen with pain. Aria called out hoarsely all night, but no one came to even bring her a glass of water. People in the Thornwell family had always looked down on her, and now even Vivian was unwilling to help. She struggled to get up, stumbled out of the room, when her foot slipped and she fell down the stairs. "Ah—" A tearing pain ripped through her abdomen, and warm fluid gushed from her lower body. Aria was terrified. Someone, someone please save her. Her phone activated emergency mode. She only had two emergency contacts: one was Lucas, the other was her best friend, Cassidy. The phone rang quickly. It was Cassidy calling. Aria's limbs were stiff, and she had no strength to press the answer button. The phone rang a few times, then went silent. Not long after, Lucas replied with a message. Lucas: How long are you going to keep up this act? Is it amusing to you? Aria looked at the two lines on the lit-up screen, her heart turning to ice. She had no choice but to dial her best friend Cassidy's number. She passed out in a daze, and when she regained consciousness, she found herself lying in a hospital room. Cassidy stood at the bedside in a white coat, glaring at her angrily. "If I hadn't arrived in time, the baby wouldn't have been saved. I'm your attending physician, if anything happens to the Thornwell family's great-grandchild, I'd be in serious trouble!" Aria smiled weakly. "Who would dare give you, the young miss of the Monroe family, a hard time..." "Where's Lucas? Where has he disappeared to this time? He can't escape responsibility if something happens to the child!" Cassidy fumed, picking up her phone to show her over a dozen missed calls. "I even had to swallow my pride to ask Chris for his number, and from last night until now, Lucas only answered once! As soon as he heard it was me, he hung up immediately! What's that supposed to mean?" Aria smiled self-mockingly. Cassidy used to be the girlfriend of Lucas's good friend Chris, and often ran into her at elite social events. Later, Cassidy broke up with Chris, but it didn't affect their friendship. Cassidy had a clear understanding of Aria's marital situation. At first, she was also prejudiced against her because of the drugging incident, but after interacting with her, she gradually felt there was more to the story. But Aria never confided in her. She just assumed that Aria deeply loved Lucas and resorted to such extreme measures to marry him. The method was a bit extreme, but the feelings were genuine, and her courage to love and pursue was admirable. "You two haven't shared a room for three years since then, and now you're pregnant again. I thought Lucas had finally come around and was willing to accept you..." Aria turned her head away, explaining with some embarrassment. "One night before the New Year, he stumbled into my room drunk. I didn't expect it would result in this." "What? Did he force himself on you?" Cassidy couldn't believe it, trembling all over. "That son of a b***h, even if you're married, how could he, how could he..." Aria didn't answer, silently picking up her phone. There were several unread messages, all from Lucas. But not a single one was about her health. Lucas: Aria, stop being so dramatic, will you? It's not like this is your first pregnancy. You weren't this uncomfortable last time. Think you are a delicate little princess? What are you pretending to be? Lucas: Bringing Cassidy over in the middle of the night to act with you, aren't you bored? Cassidy must be out of her mind too, helping you deceive people. No wonder Chris broke up with her, she's a complete nutcase. Lucas: I don't have time to play with you. Lena is very ill, I need to take her to the hospital. Aria's gaze lingered on the last message, her heartbeat skipping as if in a spasm. Cassidy guessed some of it, and a torrent of curses followed. "That bastard, it must be that s**t Lena stirring up trouble behind the scenes! She's chasing after that skinny, bony look herself, ruined her body with excessive dieting so she can't have children and marry into the Thornwell family, so she's jealous of you and acting as a mistress to interfere in your marriage! Just wait, I'll find a way to sort her out..." "Don't go, Cassidy," Aria struggled to sit up, gripping her arm tightly. "The Marlowe family is a crime family, both of Lena's brothers are involved in that business. You won't come out on top." "But I just can't swallow this anger!" Cassidy's eyes were red with fury. "Aria, my heart aches for you. You're a good person, you shouldn't have to live such a hard life." "I brought this on myself," Aria hung her head, murmuring softly. "Actually, whether he loves me or not has nothing to do with Lena." A vein throbbed in Cassidy's forehead. "Then he..." "That night, he choked me and, with red eyes, demanded why I abandoned him. It was then that I realized he had never loved me or Lena all these years. He loved someone else all along."