Chapter 7

Penelope was about to speak up when Rebecca cut in tearfully, "I'm sorry, Mrs. Thornton! Whatever happened tonight might be my fault, but my child is innocent!" She clutched her stomach as she rolled around on the floor while wailing at the top of her lungs. If anything, her cries became even more desperate. "Someone, anyone! Please send me to the hospital! I think I'm bleeding between my legs!" Jacob's expression changed drastically. He shot Penelope a withering glare before scooping Rebecca into his arms. "Michael, go get the car! Hurry up!" His actions caused the onlookers to break out into murmurs and gossip. "Why is Mr. Thornton so worried about Rebecca's child? Could it be that he's the father? Now that I think about it, they were such an amazing couple back in the day. It was a shame to see them breaking up." "There's no way Mr. Thornton could let go of his deep love for Rebecca. The only reason why he married Penelope is to repay her for her kindness. Has Penelope forgotten her roots as a bar escort just because she's been role-playing as a rich wife for some time? I can't believe she's resorted to such vile actions!" "She's just a bar escort at the end of the day; just how ethical do you think she actually is? What if she was the one framing Rebecca on purpose just to break her and Mr. Thornton up back then? Damn, she really is an extremely manipulative and scheming woman!" Penelope remained rooted to the spot. She could only hang her head while smiling bitterly as soon as she heard the onlookers' comments about her. Since she came from a lowly and humble background, everyone thought it natural to pin the blame on her. That was why they didn't hesitate to look down on her and slander her however they liked. While Jacob did marry her out of gratitude, the truth was that he despised her due to her background and thought of her as an embarrassment to be seen with in public. After all, only women like Rebecca, who came from noble and rich backgrounds, were an equal match for him, a wealthy scion. On the other hand, a bar escort like Penelope was definitely not his first choice. Penelope did all she could to conceal the fact that Jacob was sterile. She even went as far as to shoulder the blame of being sterile herself. What did she get in return for keeping such a secret? Jacob would never pay extra attention to her, let alone love her. Weighed down by disappointment, Penelope wanted to drive home, only to be stopped by Jacob's secretary, Blake Geller. "Mrs. Thornton, Mr. Thornton has asked you to visit the hospital." Penelope followed Blake to a VIP ward, where Jacob could be seen blowing on some broth so that he could feed Rebecca properly. His friends surrounded Rebecca's bed as they expressed their concern. As soon as Jacob noticed Penelope, he put down the bowl right away. His expression was already thunderous. "Penny, get over here and apologize to Rebecca!" At that time, Penelope's stomachache had worsened to the point where she could barely stand up straight. She gazed at Jacob sorrowfully. "If I were to tell you that I didn't beat her up, nor did I kick her in the stomach, would you believe me?" Jacob couldn't help but frown at the sight of Penelope's sweat-drenched visage. But he soon swept the bowl of soup off the nightstand. His expression was still stormy. "How dare you attempt to defend yourself even though the evidence is right here! The doctor told us that Rebecca wouldn't have been able to keep her child if she had arrived at the hospital ten minutes later! "I can't believe you're such a wicked woman, Penelope! How could you plot murder against an unborn child? This just means you're bent on forcing Rebecca to take her own life!" Penelope looked away, clearly disappointed. They had known each other for eight years, yet Jacob was awfully sure that Penelope bore such a wicked heart. He didn't trust her at all. What else could she say? She'd just end up humiliating herself at the end of the day. "Mr. Thornton, I'm sure that your wife didn't mean to do those things to me. Please let her go." Rebecca coughed a few times before looking down at her belly. Tears began brimming in her eyes once again. "This is all my fault. I shouldn't have lingered around the hometown in which I had spent my childhood years. I shouldn't have sullied Mrs. Thornton's gaze by existing in front of her. "Once I get discharged from the hospital, I'll fly abroad and give birth there. That way, peace and quiet will be restored to Mrs. Thornton's life once again." Jacob tucked Rebecca in. His expression was as cold as ever. "You're not the one at the wrong here, so why are you the one leaving? "Penelope, get over here right now! Or are you planning to wait till I get my guys to drag your ass over here?" As soon as his voice rang out, Michael moved to yank Penelope by the hair. She was half-dragged, half-shoved to the foot of Rebecca's bed. Smugness radiated from Rebecca's eyes, though she pretended to show concern toward Penelope. "Mr. Lanner, don't be rough with Ms. Hall. After all, she's the esteemed and prestigious Mrs. Thornton." "Hmph! An old, sterile woman like her isn't fit to become Mrs. Thornton!" One of Jacob's friends walked over and delivered a tight slap across Penelope's face. "How dare you bully Rebecca, you filthy bitch! I'll be sure to teach you a painful lesson today!" Poor Penelope's ears rang heavily thanks to the slap. It took her a few seconds to recover from the buzzing and have her hearing restored. She did her best to hold back her tears as she adapted a humble stance. "I'm sorry, Rebecca. This is all my fault." Once she raised her head again, the sorrow in her eyes had faded away. This time, there was nothing but icy impassiveness in her gaze. "Mr. Thornton, I've already apologized to Rebecca and gotten slapped as a form of punishment. Are you happy? May I leave now?"