“You think too plainly sometimes, Jane. On occasion, it pays to be flexible. The Seniors are helping you out and you want to break things off? What will the two of them think?”Jane pondered her words for a while, trying and failing to come up with a better solution. She felt a stab of resentment at whoever had started the rumor to begin with.“I wonder which troublemaker started spreading those rumors about me…”Ivy too, thought that those rumors were sickening. Worst of all, they tarnished Jane’s good name.“I’ll help you look into it, if I can’t find out then I’ll ask Brock for help. He’s sure to have greater connections and resources than us both”Jane nodded but inwardly, she still wished she could uncover the truth herself. If Brock helped her, then she would owe him yet another favor and she disliked bothering him unless she had to. The situation was still fresh in her mind when she returned to the mansion, leaving her in a bad mood.Ethan saw her staring idly at her food and as
The next morning, Ethan came downstairs and was greeted with the sight of his little wife with an apron tied around her waist, her lips moving as she mumbled to herself.“You’re up, dear”, she said when she saw him, “Breakfast is ready”.She helped him push his wheelchair to the dining table. Ethan studied her, her smile was radiant enough to rival the sun streaming in from the windows. “If I could have a good morning kiss…”, he said, “… it would certainly improve my appetite”.Jane eyed her husband. What was with him, this man in his thirties, always pestering her for kisses?Begrudgingly, she gave him a peck on the lips. “Will this do?”“If you’re going to put it that way, no”.Jane pouted and fell silent. When he caught sight of her expression, Ethan’s mouth flattened into a thin line, he began eating without another word.After they were done with breakfast, Ethan was quiet for a while before speaking up.“Jane, it’s the weekend tomorrow so we have to make a trip to the family hom
“Bruce is one of our staff, you’ve already inspected him. But I am the Young Mistress of the Harrington family. Laying a hand on me without my permission is akin to violating me!”The guards regarded her with undisguised contempt. The Young Master couldn’t even walk without help, who did his wife think she was?Even if they forced themselves on her, what could one man — and a cripple — do to stop them?“Please cooperate with us, Young Mistress!”The guard’s tone invited no argument. Without waiting for a reply, he stretched out a hand to search her body.Ethan gave a brief cough.Immediately, Bruce brandished a dagger and stabbed the guard who had dared to touch Jane.It had all happened in a flash.Jane’s eyes widened, she grabbed Ethan’s wheelchair and retreated back a few steps. Meanwhile the other three guards were left reeling, in shock that Bruce would be so bold as to resort to violence in the Harrington household.They reached for their weapons, ready to retaliate before a man’
Fury flared in Jane at the old man’s ungracious reprimand. What about how his younger son treated others? There was no way Toby would have been oblivious to the incident with the guards when they first arrived.Accustomed to his father’s attitude towards him, Ethan coughed and replied, “With the state I’m in, it makes no matter if my brain is rotted or not, there’s nothing redeeming about my physical condition anymore, but I still occasionally take it upon myself to help others cleanse their brains”.Toby shielded his face with his hands.“Dad, I was just having some fun with that woman and he tried to scald me to death!” His voice was hoarse, “He showed absolutely no regard for you, his father!”Their father eyed Toby, his face and neck were flushed from the attack. He couldn’t even defend himself, only whine and complain. How shameful!The elderly man took a seat and fixed Jane with his gaze.“What’s your name?”Jane lifted a brow at his unconcealed disdain, “Are you talking to me?”
The blood drained from Jane’s face, had she not been craning her neck to look up at him, her tears would have fallen from her eyes. She bit down hard on her lips, willing the last of her strength not to flee from her.Ethan stroked her head, “Jane, if you run into any trouble in the future, you must tell me at once. Don’t wait for me to find out from other people. Is that clear?”“I…”, Jane’s words evaporated from her. Did he want her to tell him about how she had been harassed and humiliated in school? Was that it? But Brock Davenport and Darren Leister have only been trying to help her and besides… The situation was complicated enough.There wouldn’t be any point in telling him and hindering his recovery. But then she thought of how Toby had used this matter against her and her husband, and her protests bled from her.Her eyes dropped, “I’m sorry”, she murmured.“What are you sorry for? For keeping the truth from me or for dating that man behind my back?”The words were soft but they
James Harrington could have choked on his fury, he shot a glare at Toby.“We can’t let this woman be a stain on our family’s reputation”, he declared, “If you won’t divorce her, force her to drop out of school and stay at home so she won’t go around spreading her legs!”Anxiety made Jane’s brows crease. No… she couldn’t drop out of school. She turned to her husband, silently begging him, Don’t say yes, please, please. A voice inside her whispered that from now on, her life would be inextricably bound to the Harringtons.Toby — predictably — just couldn’t leave well enough alone.“Why go through so much trouble, brother? You’re crippled ; your lower body is practically useless. You can’t satisfy her, you know that. Even if you lock her up at home, it doesn’t mean she can’t find ways to cozy up to men, like your chauffeur, your guards”.“Hell that aide of yours who’s always lapping at your heels! I’m not saying they’d take her up on it but isn’t the thought a disgusting one? She’ll make
Him, and the possessions of the Harrington family, was what his father meant. Ethan diyeven look back.His son had just walked out without hesitation.Blinded by rage, James Harrington hurled a teacup to the floor. It shattered at Toby’s feet and he leapt back, startled.He hadn’t expected that Ethan would cut ties with his family over Jane. How could a cripple like him survive without the aid of the Harringtons? It was as good as courting death. But this surprise — if you could call it that — was a welcome one.The butler was frightened too but he dared not comment on what he had just witnessed.“Calm down, Master”, he said in a mollifying tone, “it’s not worth it to ruin your health. He was probably trying to test that woman, to see if she would still stay with him even if he wasn’t the Young Master of the Harrington family.“He’s changed”, James Harrington was appalled that his son would defy him so blatantly, “He’s never dared to disrespect me like this before…”The butler remained
Heat rushed to Jane’s face and she opened her mouth to stop him from taking things any further.“What are you both talking about?”“Nothing”, Bruce shook his head, “I asked the Young Mistress what she wanted to eat today, I was just about to head off”.Jane reinforced his words with a nod, “What do you want to eat, dear?”“It didn’t matter”, Ethan said coldly.How did she expect him to have an appetite, with the fury boiling inside him? His little wife was really something — dating Brock Davenport behind his back, and now exchanging whispers with his side in secret.“I’ll make you a few different dishes then”, she said appeasingly.“I’ll give you a list of groceries, Bruce”. The side obliged.Ethan stifled an icy laugh. Making alliances now, are we? He wheeled himself into the house without saying a word.Only after he had gone did Bruce relax.“If you don’t… persuade him like I told you, Young Mistress, it won’t bode well for either of us in the future”.He had served Ethan for many y