Chapter 2

Hesper could not help trembling from the cold just from listening to Rickard’s voice. She bit her lower lip and said, “Sure, you can propose it then.” Rickard’s deep, attractive voice was filled with a mocking tone, “Hesper, what trick do you have up your sleeve this time? Your playing hard to get trick is old.” Hesper knew that he would not believe her so she said anxiously, “I’m serious, Rickard. I don’t want anything…” Before she could finish her sentence, she heard a strange man’s voice come from the call. It was as if the person was reminding Rickard. “Mr. Duval, Ms. Wight is here.” Hesper’s hand unconsciously held the phone tighter. She felt her chest tighten for a moment. Before she could recover from her surprise, Rickard had already impatiently hung up the call, leaving only the busy signal beeping. Ms. Wight? Juniper is back. If Hesper was a pile of mud on the floor to Rickard, then Juniper was the pure moonlight in his heart. Had it not been for that accident, Hesper believed that Juniper would be Mrs. Duval by now. It was no wonder Rickard hated her so much. While Hesper was an orphan adopted by Mr. Duval Sr., Juniper was the heiress of the Wights with respectable status, a perfect match for Rickard. Hesper should have yielded the position of Mrs. Duval to her from the start. Hesper thought she had accepted it, but for some unknown reason, she felt her heart wrench in more pain. Rickard hung up Hesper’s call and took a cold glance at the secretary who spoke earlier. “Didn't I tell you not to disturb me when I’m on a call?” Terrified, the secretary hastily lowered his head apologetically. “I’m sorry, Mr. Duval. It was my fault for deciding without consulting you prior.” He was under the assumption that Rickard prioritized Juniper, so he lost his sense of propriety and informed Rickard in advance. He had not expected that his action would anger Rickard. “Don’t do it again.” Rickard retracted his sharp gaze and let the matter go since the secretary conducted himself well at work. “Where’s Juniper?” Feeling relieved, the secretary answered in a very respectful tone with a tinge of admiration. “Ms. Wight is waiting for you at the lounge.” Rickard glanced at his phone to find that Hesper had not called him again. He furrowed his eyebrows ever so slightly. “Let’s go.” Hesper wants a divorce? That's the biggest joke I’ve ever heard in my life! How can a woman like Hesper possibly be willing to get a divorce and shed the status of the young Mrs. Duval? Didn't she spare no effort in getting me to sleep with her so she could marry me and bear the family’s heir? She’s only playing a lowly trick to get my attention. Rickard sniggered. He would never fall for Hesper no matter what trick she played. All her efforts to torment him would only go to waste. … “What happened?” Dressed in a lab coat, Julian Zink frowned in pity as he looked at the scald on Hesper’s face and oral cavity. Hesper feigned a carefree manner, “Nothing. I accidentally burned myself while drinking hot soup.” Julian was her friend in the orphanage. While Hesper was adopted by Mr. Duval Sr., Julian was adopted by another family, but they kept in touch throughout the years. She did not wish to worry Julian, so she did not tell him the truth. Julian saw through her from the start, so he went straight to the point by asking, “Hesper, are the Duvals mistreating you?” Hesper denied it. “No, you’re overthinking it.” Julian clenched his teeth and said angrily, “Stop lying to me, Hesper. Rickard chose to save the baby on the day you were in labor!” He hated himself for not being in the hospital at the time. Otherwise, he would never allow something like that to happen! Hesper fell quiet upon hearing that. Julian did his best to be persuasive. “Don’t persist in the wrong cause anymore, Hesper. Rickard will never develop feelings for you.” “I know.” Hesper smiled, but it was a bitter smile. Her eyes lost their glint as well. “Ian, please help me get a dependable lawyer.” Upon hearing that, Julian immediately assured her, “Sure, leave this to me. I will help you no matter what sort of difficult situation you find yourself in.” Hesper felt warm and fuzzy in her heart and said gratefully, “Thank you, Ian.” Julian prescribed Hesper the best medicine to not only stop her pain but also enhance her recovery without leaving behind a trace of a hideous scar. In the next few days, Hesper was discharged from the hospital and returned home. When the Duvals were not at home, she seized the opportunity to check on her child, seeing the baby at last. The soft, cuddly bundle of joy with a fair complexion was adorable. She could already see the superiority of the baby’s facial features on his tiny face. He looked just like Rickard. Hesper cautiously picked up the baby as if she was holding a fragile treasure. She did not have the courage to exert too much strength. “Baby…” Perhaps due to their maternal bond, the baby was not repulsed by her but looked like he enjoyed being in her arms. He looked at her with his huge, curious eyes, and his little nose moved as if he was sniffing her scent. Hesper could not bear to put down the baby in her arms. She felt her heart wrench in pain at the thought of how she might not be able to see him again. “I’m sorry, baby,” Hesper said sadly. "There’s nothing that I can do. Your father would never let me take you with me…” As if sensing his mother’s sorrow, the child pouted and cried loudly. Hesper was thrown into confusion. She hastily coaxed the child to sleep with great effort before she reluctantly placed him in the cot. She looked at his tiny face for a long time in a daze before walking out of the nursery. As soon as she walked outside, she bumped into Sophia. She planned on ignoring Sophia, but Sophia blocked her path at the stairway. Sophia looked at her arrogantly like a proud peacock. “Hesper, don’t think that your position in our family is stable just because you gave birth to a son. You were only ever a birthing tool for our family, and now that you’ve had the child, you’re useless to us. Grandfather is definitely going to kick you out of the family!” Hesper, having listened to remarks of this sort countless times during her pregnancy, was tired of it. She glanced nonchalantly at Sophia and said, “Are you done?” Sophia loathed Hesper for behaving as if she was better than anybody else without showing any respect. She was about to lose her temper when she suddenly remembered something and said proudly, “I’m not done. Do you know what my elder brother has been up to for the past few days? The Wights’ heiress, Juniper, is back and they’re exchanging their love for each other now! You’re not even comparable to a strand of Juniper’s hair. While she’s the cloud in the sky you’re a pile of mud on the floor!” In the past, Hesper would have been deeply saddened by the remark, but she was utterly heartbroken from the day she heard Rickard say ‘save the baby’. Her heart had already shattered and become scarred, so she was unaffected by a hurtful remark such as this. Hesper, completely indifferent, found Sophia to be bothersome. She answered back sarcastically, “I don’t know if she’s a cloud in the sky, but I can confirm that you’re a clamorous toad!”