Chapter 95
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 95
What little color remained in her cheeks drained away completely. Even without looking in a mirror, she knew how wretched she must look. Cornered as she was, she couldn't muster a shred of composure.
Get a grip. Vanessa bit down hard on the inside of her cheek. The sharp sting of pain barely brought her back to her senses. Pulling her hands away from her lower abdomen, she clenched them tightly in her lap. She suppressed a trembling breath and spoke slowly.
"...I was only suspecting it. It's not certain yet."
"You don't deny having a relationship with my fiancé, I see."
Hailey Morton's expression and tone were incredibly gentle, as if she were speaking to a child—though her words were anything but. There was something in her voice that resembled a zealous believer, one convinced she could reform a sinner and guide them back to the righteous path.
Hailey snapped shut the folding fan she had been idly fluttering. With its tip, she forced Vanessa's chin upward. Her gaze was sickeningly persistent as she scrutinized every inch of Vanessa's face. The moment their eyes met again, Hailey smiled.
"To be honest, I couldn't quite make up my mind before I met you."
Unable to keep still, Vanessa began picking at a hangnail. A sharp sting followed as a bead of blood welled up and trickled down her finger.
"So pretty, like a flower, yet in such a pitiful state. This has been very informative. Now I know exactly what I must do..."
"I was waiting for the right time," Vanessa cut in desperately.
Hailey blinked in surprise, her eyes widening. "What do you mean by that?"
"It won't be much longer. In the first place, our relationship didn't begin with any... deep feelings on either side."
"Are you saying you don't love him?"
Vanessa's gray eyes darkened before slowly regaining a cold, pale light.
"I didn't know he had a lover."
"..."
"I only needed a scandal to ruin my own marriage prospects. That is all our relationship is. How could I dare to bear his child and plan a future with him under such circumstances?"
"Lady Vanessa." The voice addressing her was almost a sigh. "You're so tense, you make me feel like a villain."
"..."
"I only wish for you to disappear from my life completely. Come next spring, I will be the Duchess. I want the young duke I bear to be born into a perfect family, surrounded by blessings."
"..."
"Without a single blemish. And without any rivals."
A perfect family. Blessings. Blemishes. Every word was a dagger piercing her heart, yet she dared not show even a flicker of pain.
"Besides, now that I know how calculating you can be, how could I possibly take you at your word and rest easy?"
"Lady Hailey, I..."
"Show me your good faith. Start by ending things cleanly. There is no need to rush. In fact, I recommend taking your time to wind things down slowly. Theodore must never suspect that I had any hand in your change of heart."
"..."
"Though, of course, you shouldn't take too long. It wouldn't do for an unmarried woman's belly to start showing."
Hailey's cold eyes swept down to Vanessa's flat abdomen. In that instant, Vanessa realized that Miss Morton had absolutely no intention of believing her. She was already convinced of the pregnancy.
"Fortunately, I have many loyal people at my disposal. I even know a few maids who have access to the food and drink you consume."
"..."
"Don't look at me like that. All I mean is, if you really are pregnant and wish to deliver the child safely, you must behave accordingly. It would be even better if you could make Theodore lose that abnormal interest he has in you."
Hailey paused for a moment before continuing.
"Rosalyn mentioned that you were the top scholarship student for all three of your years at St. Louis."
Rosalyn. At the mention of that name, the indifferent facade Vanessa had fought so hard to maintain finally shattered. Watching Vanessa's lips tremble, Hailey offered a sweet smile.
"You're a clever woman, so I trust you understand exactly what I mean."
"..."
"If I may offer a piece of advice, you should choose your timing wisely. If you plan to raise the child here in Ingram, you will also need to find a man willing to claim he was the one who bedded you. If you ever need money, feel free to contact me. I am more than willing to sponsor you that much to secure my perfect marriage."
"..."
"And, naturally, I expect today's conversation to remain a secret. Let's say... you were feeling unwell, so I kindly lent you my carriage for a moment."
"Oh." As if suddenly remembering something, Hailey let out a soft exclamation. She picked up the handbag resting beside her and rummaged through it.
"And if your morning sickness gets severe, try sucking on a candy instead of collapsing in public. I had some left over from gifts I bought for my pregnant friends... Ah, here it is."
A paper bag wafting a sour, fruity scent was thrust into Vanessa's hand. The moment she took it in a daze, the carriage door was politely opened for her. Hailey smiled brightly and waved.
"Do take care on your way back."
Vanessa had no idea how she managed to step down from the carriage. A sudden wave of dizziness turned her vision pitch-black. She forced herself to walk. One step, then another. She couldn't even feel the pain in her left foot anymore. She just had to go somewhere—anywhere she could escape the eyes of others and catch her breath, if only for a moment.
There was a desperate, blind urgency in her stride as she practically ran toward the hotel, her only thought to put as much distance between herself and that carriage as possible.
The bag of candy in her hand felt repulsive, as if it were a deadly poison meant to harm the child in her womb. The feeling was all the more sickening after having just received a direct, horrifying threat about her food and drink.
Like a cornered animal, she scrambled into the elevator. The moment the doors slid shut, leaving her alone with the attendant, the strength holding her upright vanished. Vanessa flung the paper bag she had been clutching onto the floor. Her spine shuddered violently as a wave of dry heaves overtook her.
"Excuse me, miss... Are you all right?"
"I'm... I'm fine. Just... give me a moment..." she barely managed to squeeze out.
Sensing her distress, the attendant hesitated, leaving the controls alone to give her time to recover. Vanessa leaned her back against the wall, slowly drawing in ragged breaths.
This was the path she had chosen from the very beginning. She had embarked on it to gain her freedom, swearing to bear whatever consequences came her way. This horrific reality was the price of her arrogance. Vanessa slowly closed her eyes.
Her memories of River Ross still shone with a brilliant luster. The voice that had called her name with endless tenderness; the gentle touch of his fingers tracing the bridge of her nose and her cheeks; the raindrops falling upon his beautiful face; his wet eyelashes and burning lips; those countless, endless nights...
One by one, those vibrant, colorful memories withered and fell away like dying blossoms. Wrapping her arms around her trembling frame, she curled into herself like a child and buried her face in her knees.
"I'm just... so tired."
The raw truth of her whispered confession left a bitter ache in her chest.
*
"After that, she requested a visit to the hospital, so I had a maid, a driver, and a footman accompany her. To ensure there were no mishaps, I also sent three more servants in a trailing carriage..."
"And?"
The voice was dry, almost conversational. Theodore's face, masked in unreadable emotion, remained utterly cold.
"You took it upon yourself to do something I never requested, let alone ordered?"
The Duke tossed the newspaper he had taken from the maid onto his desk. A look of profound dismay settled over Norman's stiff features.
"I believe you have overstepped your bounds."
"...I only thought she would be devastated to learn of your engagement through the newspapers, Your Grace. I will not deny that I acted on my own judgment and resorted to a petty trick. It was merely my foolish opinion that, given her delicate health... it would be best to minimize the shock to her system as much as possible..."
"Norman."
The Duke stared at the old butler with quiet, piercing eyes.
"I know you to be a man who has always conducted himself with utmost propriety, never meddling in the family's affairs."
"..."
"So why is it that, in this matter alone, you have crossed the line?"
"..."
"Am I being overly sensitive?"
"No, Your Grace..."
"Then give me your reason. If it is reasonable, I will accept it."