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"Mrs. Ford, Mr. Ford's back."
"Really?" Yasmin Starr was busy with her drafts. When she heard that her husband was back, her eyes lit up. She drew the curtains before her to see a shiny car driving along the path leading to the villa.
She saw a man in the car. His handsome face was visible from where she stood; his actions and carriage exuded a regal air.
It really was him!
Yasmin's heart started racing. Her face burned at the thought of the things they did whenever he came home. Every kiss they shared was searing and passionate. It made her shy yet nervous.
Just then, the door to her room swung open. Blake Ford walked in.
Yasmin smiled at him. "Mr. B!"
"Come here." He loosened his tie.
She walked over to him shyly. In the next second, he pulled her into his arms and gave her a hard kiss. She moaned before sinking into the kiss. Then, he carried her to the bed and had his way with her.
Blake looked like the celibate and gentle type, but he was no gentleman on bed. He wouldn't let Yasmin off the hook without making her cry.
Yasmin shut her eyes as she savored the experience. This time, Blake was wilder than he'd ever been. He was only satiated when she begged him to stop with tears streaming down her face.
He lifted the sheets and strode into the bathroom. Shortly after, there was the sound of running water.
Yasmin remained in bed, lying there without an ounce of strength in her body. She and Blake had been secretly married for two years now. At first, it hadn't been a marriage of love. Her father had forced Blake to wed her.
So, in the beginning, he didn't like her much. But she adored him. She'd done everything she could to chase after him and treat him well. Finally, he'd returned her feelings.
Yasmin's heart pounded as she recalled how wild and enthusiastic he'd been tonight. She couldn't help feeling sweet. Would their marriage get better from now on?
Once she bore him a child, they'd be a happy family of three.
Suddenly, the bathroom door swung open. Blake walked out with a towel wrapped around his waist. He had an amazing body, but his expression seemed somewhat menacing.
He hadn't even wiped the beads of water dripping from his hair as he asked brusquely, "Do you have a baby?"
Blake held up a test. It had been placed on the toilet bowl, where he'd taken it.
Yasmin sat up. She was a little scared of not being able to read him. "I don't know yet. I bought it this morning."
"Why did you buy it?"
"I've been feeling nauseous lately, and I haven't had much of an appetite. You told me to do a test if I had any symptoms." Yasmin's big eyes were filled with innocence.
Blake said, "Go do the test now."
"I'll wait until you're done showering." He was obviously not done yet.
"Do it. Now." His expression was frosty.
Yasmin didn't dare delay further. It just so happened that she needed to pee, so she did the test at the same time. A few minutes later, she walked out of the bathroom.
Blake was sitting on the touch. He looked up when he heard her come out. His eyes were like dark whirlpools as he looked at her. "How is it?"
"There's only one line, Mr. B." Yasmin was rather disappointed. She didn't have a baby.
It was impossible to tell whether Blake's eyes were filled with disappointment or relief. He said calmly, "Get me something to wear."
"Are you still going out so late at night?"
"Yeah." His voice was as cold as ever.
Yasmin didn't say anything else. She went to the walk-in wardrobe.
She was actually very disappointed. Deep down, she wanted to bear a child. The Ford family wanted her to have a child, as did Blake. But no matter what treatments and supplements she'd taken over the past two years, she'd still failed to conceive.
Besides, she was reluctant to let Blake go. Over the two years of their marriage, her love for Blake had only grown deeper. He was always too busy for her, though.
Sometimes, he would be away from home for up to half a month. Now that they'd finally been reunited, he was leaving again.
###6891225###
Chapter 2
Yasmin felt a little bitter. She grabbed some dark clothes from the wardrobe and returned to the room. There, she heard Blake talking to someone on the phone.
"Don't be scared. Have Alicia keep an eye on you. I'll be right there." His voice was a brand of tenderness that Yasmin had never heard before.
She stopped short. Suddenly, the sweetness she'd felt earlier dissipated. She asked tentatively, "Who was that, Mr. B?"
He glanced at her, his tall stature domineering. He said coldly, "No one."
"Was it a woman?"
"It's none of your business." He grabbed the clothes from her and put them on. Usually, he would have her put them on for him.
Would every man start to be repelled by their wives once they fell in love with someone else?
Yasmin's stomach started convulsing. It looked like she had a stomach problem. She felt horrible.
Blake got dressed and turned to leave. Yasmin was on high alert—a woman's sixth sense was powerful. She ran to the door and said, "I'm feeling a little sick, Mr. B. Could you stay the night?"
Blake turned to look at her. He was unbelievably handsome, but there was something about him that just made him seem heartless. "Have Mary call the family doctor if you're not feeling well. Also, I won't be back for some time."
With that, he headed downstairs. His figure went further and further away under the warm lights. Yasmin suddenly felt dazed. Why did it feel like she'd never truly held a spot in his heart?
A wave of nausea washed over her. She ran to the bathroom and vomited her dinner. This was followed by a sharp pain in her stomach.
She was as pale as a sheet as she struggled to crawl to the bed. She'd just laid down when another bolt of pain shot through her.
Yasmin ran to the bathroom again. This time, there was only bile. She she had food poisoning!
She grabbed her phone weakly to call Mary Gould. "My stomach hurts, Mary. Take me to the hospital."
Mary ran upstairs. When she saw Yasmin sprawled on the carpet, drenched in sweat, she hurriedly called the driver. They took Yasmin to the hospital.
When they arrived, Mary helped her inside the clinic. The doctor gave her a painkiller before instructing her to do an ultrasound. They needed to determine whether it was acute cholecystitis or gastritis.
Yasmin's stomach stopped hurting once the painkiller was administered. It lifted her spirits somewhat.
Mary helped her to the ultrasound room. But there, they met someone unexpected—Blake.
"Mrs. Ford, look! It's Mr. Ford!" Mary looked happy.
Yasmin looked in the direction she pointed. She saw Blake standing not too far away. A wave of delight washed over her. She was about to call out to him when she saw another woman.
The woman came out of the room with a hand supporting her back. She held a report. "The doctor said the baby's fine, Blake."
His cold face immediately became tender. "That's good to know. Remember to watch what you eat in the future. Now that you're to be a mother, you have to be careful about the food you consume."
"Okay. I'll watch out from now on." The woman smiled gently.
Yasmin was rooted to the spot with astonishment. Her gaze went from delight to disbelief. She stared at them. The woman wore a light-colored, demure dress, and she was beautiful. Her long hair was glossy, and her eyes were right. She exuded a cool yet bewitching air.
###6891226###
Chapter 3
Yasmin suddenly recalled something a friend of Blake's had once said. He'd told her, "There's a woman who lives in Blake's heart. They met in Merania, and he's pined after her for years. You and her look pretty similar, actually."
At the time, Yasmin had been indignant. She felt that the woman was no match for her since she was already a thing of the past.
Now, her dream had been shattered. As she watched how tender Blake was toward the woman, she felt like a sharp blade had been driven right into her heart. It hurt so much that all her organs felt like they were cramping.
Blake shielded the woman from the crowd as they turned to leave. Suddenly, he caught sight of Yasmin standing not too far away. Mary was with her. He frowned.
The woman asked gently, "Do you know her, Blake?"
"Yeah. She's my wife, Yasmin Starr," he said plainly. "Why don't you head to the car first, Giselle? I'll be right behind you."
"Okay." Giselle O'Shea nodded obediently. Before she left, she turned to look at Yasmin. Their gazes met in mid-air.
Giselle appraised her and smiled faintly. Yasmin's heart constricted as bitterness seeped through it.
Blake walked over to her. He was tall enough to block out the light above her head. "What are you doing here?"
Mary was about to answer when Yasmin asked, "Who is she?"
Why was Blake at the hospital with her for a prenatal check? Did she have his child? She stopped her thoughts there, not daring to think any further.
"Don't ask about things that have nothing to do with you." Blake avoided her question.
Yasmin's eyes turned red. "Can't I even ask a question when you've had an affair?"
"An affair? Do you even have the right to say that?" Blake's gaze was menacing. "Have you forgotten how we got married? Also, I made it clear to you when we married that I would never love you."
The blood drained from Yasmin's face. She clenched her fists tightly, barely able to calm down. "So I'm nothing but a disgusting buddy to you?"
"Something like that."
Yasmin smiled self-deprecatingly. "I see. You were mad at my dad for tricking you, so you thought you wouldn't waste the opportunity and just get me, huh?"
"Stop talking." Blake's gaze was laser-sharp.
So, she couldn't even talk now? Yasmin's heart sank to the depths of hell. She refused to listen and continued, "Now that the woman you love is back, what are you going to do to me?"
He pursed his lips. His silence disappointed her.
Yasmin's stomach started hurting again; even the painkiller wasn't doing anything to stop it. As the pain intensified, she finally passed out.
…
It was already daytime when Yasmin woke up. She opened her eyes with a frown to see Blake leaving the room. She had an IV drip.
"Mr. B!" she called. She almost fell out of the bed.
Mary caught her. "Be careful, Mrs. Ford."
"Where has Mr. B gone?"
"That woman called him, so he went to see her."
Yasmin jolted.
"Don't let this upset you too much, Mrs. Ford. Your health should be your priority," Mary said, looking sad. "After doing the ultrasound, you were diagnosed with acute gastritis arising from food poisoning. You've already gone through three IV drips, so you're really weak now."
Yasmin couldn't suppress the bitterness in her heart. She had acute gastritis, but Blake had abandoned her after one phone call from Giselle. It looked like she was no match for Giselle at all.
"Have something to eat, Mrs. Ford." Mary brought her a bowl of oatmeal.
Yasmin shook her head. "Set it aside for now, Mary. I don't want to eat anything yet."
Just then, her phone, which had been placed on the bedside table, rang. She answered it wanly. "Hello?"
###6891227###
Chapter 4
"Yaz, did you know about your precious Mr. B cheating on you?" The phone call was from Yasmin's best friend, Eunice Salle. "I saw it all over the news first thing in the morning! He's gotten together with a pianist named Giselle O'Shea, and it looks like she's even carrying a baby.
"The paparazzi caught them at the hospital together. Hurry and go check it out!"
Yasmin's heart constricted. She checked the news. There were tweets everywhere on Twitter talking about the photos of Blake accompanying Giselle to the hospital last night.
Blake was the CEO of Windmere Group and had countless assets under his name. He was the most eligible bachelor in the city. This was why his private life had always been under intense scrutiny.
Now that he'd gotten caught accompanying a woman to the hospital, it immediately became a trending topic. The netizens had even managed to dig out Giselle's personal information.
She was a renowned pianist in Merania. She and Blake were childhood sweethearts. They had a strong bond. After growing up, she'd gone abroad to study while Blake had waited for her for ten years.
Now that Giselle was back, they could finally be together.
Everyone on the Internet was going crazy over their relationship. They were all lamenting the glory of their love. In just one morning, Giselle's Twitter account had gained three million followers.
The one thing Yasmin noticed was that Giselle had been in Merania. It matched up with what Blake's friend had told her before. So, she was Blake's true love.
Yasmin smiled mockingly.
"Did you see it, Yaz? I can't believe this nonsense is all over the Internet. I can't take it—I have to go teach these people a lesson!" Eunice gritted her teeth.
Yasmin stopped her. "Don't do anything. I already know about it."
"Wait, you do?"
"Yeah."
Eunice's voice shot up an octave. "What is wrong with you? Aren't you going to do anything about him getting involved with another woman? Shouldn't you be teaching that woman a lesson?"
Yasmin sighed. "Didn't you see what those people are saying? She's Mr. B's true love. He's waited for her for a decade."
"I couldn't care less whether she's his true love or a call girl he hired. She's in the wrong for getting involved with him despite knowing he's married!"
"Forget it." Yasmin sounded tired. "My marriage to Mr. B has always been a one-sided thing. I'm tired now."
Besides, her manners and upbringing wouldn't permit her to get physical with Giselle. In fact, if she were to cause a fuss, the whole city would know what a terrible marriage she had. She and Blake had indeed been married, so she didn't want things to turn ugly.
After a moment of silence, Eunice said, "What are you going to do, then? Are you going to keep this up or get a divorce?"
"A divorce is all I want now." Yasmin looked at the needle on the back of her hand. She was sick, yet he was accompanying Giselle. Her heart was now dead. "Since he doesn't care about me, I won't force things anymore."
"I'll always support you, Yaz. You're so pretty. There are plenty of men who'd love to be with you. You don't have to be so hung up on a scumbag!"
"Thanks for comforting me." She was grateful to have Eunice by her side when she was at her worst.
After hanging up, Yasmin rested for a while. When she was finally done with her IV drip, she felt better. Her stomach didn't hurt anymore, but she was still rather weak.
Mary and the driver took her home. She fell asleep again.
Blake returned that night. As he took his coat off, he asked Mary, "Where is she?"
"Upstairs. She's sleeping." Mary added, "Mrs. Ford was quite sad to see that you weren't around when she woke up this morning, Mr. Ford."
Blake fell silent. After a pause, he went upstairs. He easily pushed the room door open.
Yasmin was curled up on the bay window like a cat. Her long hair fell from the seat to the floor. It made her seem that much more skinny and petite.
Why was she sleeping there when she was sick?
###6891228###
Chapter 5
Blake frowned and approached Yasmin. Her eyes were shut. There was a sort of childlike quality to her face as she slept, but it didn't take away from her beauty. Her naturally pink and moist lips were puckered slightly. They were as tempting as water to a parched man in the desert.
Blake's anger dissipated at this sight. He bent down to lift her into his arms. At the warmth, Yasmin subconsciously buried her head against his neck. She wanted more of it.
Blake looked down at her. His gaze was too deep for others to tell what he was thinking. Then, he placed her on the bed. He was about to leave when he heard her mumble, "You're nothing, Mr. B …"
Blake paused. He rested a hand on her face and caressed it. She was deeply asleep but subconsciously sucked on his finger.
His breathing hitched. "Yasmin?"
Was she awake?
She didn't respond. Instead, she turned on her side and held his hand to her cheek. She looked wholly dependent on him.
Blake lowered his head and kissed her.
Yasmin felt like her tongue was numb from being kissed. As she woke up blearily, the first thing she saw was a handsome face that had been zoomed in.
Before she could say anything, Blake kissed her again. He slipped a hand underneath her dress. His gaze was fiery enough to set her ablaze.
Yasmin's expression turned icy. She bit his tongue hard. "What the h...!"
With that, a bolt of pain shot through Blake. He released her.
She rolled away from him, wrapping the sheets around herself as she glared at him.
"What?" He gave her an icy look.
"That's my line. Did you come here to see me after your date with your mistress? Don't you find yourself dirty?" Yasmin looked furious.
Blake's gaze turned frosty. "She's not a mistress. Don't spout nonsense."
"How is she not a mistress when she already has your child?"
Blake didn't answer her. Instead, he said, "Don't you dare hurt her."
Yasmin sneered. "How could I possibly hurt her? Do I look like a monster to you? Or do you think I'm powerful enough to go against you?"
"Just don't bother her."
Yasmin trembled. She didn't expect him to be so protective of her. She fell silent, looking frosty.
"How's your stomach?" Blake sat by the bed and broke the silence.
"What does it have to do with you?" Yasmin was mad at the mention of this. She'd been languishing in the hospital room while he'd been with another woman. No wife on this earth would be able to accept something like that.
She was so mad that tears filled her eyes and blurred her vision. She said bluntly, "Let's get divorced, Blake."
"What did you call me?" Blake shot her an icy look. She'd always addressed him as "Mr. B".
Blake was eight years older than Yasmin and exuded a natural dominance. In the past, she would be scared of him if he were to so much as glance at her, let alone give her such an icy look.
But now, Yasmin didn't care anymore. She met his gaze head-on. "I called you by your name. From now on, I will only ever call you that. Also, I said, let's get divorced."
The thought of a divorce had been reverberating in her mind since she'd woken up that morning to see him leave the hospital room. If he couldn't even be bothered to be by her side when she was hospitalized, what was the point of keeping him? He would only exasperate her.
"What did you say?" Blake thought he'd heard her wrong. He narrowed his eyes at her. "Say that again if you dare."
"I regret everything now, Blake. I don't want to be with you anymore," Yasmin enunciated, her voice steady and clear. "Let's get divorced." She'd be much better off kicking a heartless man like him to the curb as soon as possible. He was the one who said he'd never love her, anyway.
Blake sneered. His gaze was harsh. "What's this trick you're trying to pull this time?"
He even thought she was just playing the fool by demanding a divorce. It showed that when a man didn't love a woman, he would think she was just playing games, even if she were to throw herself off a building.
###6891229###
Chapter 6
Yasmin was dead at heart, and her eyes were dull. "I'm not throwing a tantrum, Blake. I'm being serious. I've been stuck in a loveless marriage for two years, and I've had enough."
Over more than 700 days, she'd gone from hopeful to despondent. She was tired of living like this.
"Have you forgotten that your father was the one who sent you to my bed?" Blake's eyes darkened. "He went to such lengths to force me to marry you, yet you're now demanding a divorce. Do you even hear yourself?
"Go ahead and throw whatever tantrum you want, but don't take things too far. Men hate it when women are too fussy, you know."
Indeed, Yasmin's father, Stuart Starr, had sent her to Blake's bed. At the time, something had gone wrong with Stuart's company. He foresaw himself ending up behind bars and had been afraid of his enemies going after Yasmin.
So, he'd orchestrated for Yasmin to end up in bed with Blake. Then, he'd informed the paparazzi and the Ford family about this, forcing Blake to marry Yasmin.
Stuart had some of Windmere Group's trade secrets. He'd threatened to release them if Blake didn't protect Yasmin. And that was how Stuart had tricked Blake into marrying Yasmin.
Blake had harbored a grudge against him and Yasmin for it. On their wedding night, he'd warned Yasmin, "Your father gave you to me, so you have to atone for his sins. Obey every word I say. Don't ever go against me."
That year, Yasmin was 20 years old and a sophomore in college. She'd been terrified, and she'd nodded with red eyes. "I understand, Mr. B."
"Don't call me that!" Blake snarled.
"I'm sorry. I'll be careful from now on."
Yasmin's eyes were filled with sorrow as she recalled their past. She didn't hate Stuart. She knew he'd forced Blake to marry her because he wanted to protect her.
It had been two years since then. Stuart was still in prison but would be released in a few years once he'd served his full sentence.
"I know you're still harboring a grudge against me and my father for forcing you into this marriage. Now, I'm setting you free," she said. She despised him for cheating on her but was still grateful that he'd kept her safe for two years.
Blake looked at her icily. Then, he sneered. "That stupid studio of yours isn't making a single cent. Can you really feed yourself if we get divorced?"
Yasmin and Eunice had set up their own studio. It was still early days and had yet to bring in profits.
"No entrepreneur makes money when they first started. It takes time. I know I'm not earning anything yet, but I'll work hard. I've graduated and grown up, Blake. I don't need your protection anymore," Yasmin said.
Blake knitted his brows tightly. "So that's what it is. You want a divorce because you don't need me for anything anymore. Do you really think reality's that sweet, Yasmin? Your family forced me to marry you when they needed me. Now that you don't need me anymore, you're demanding a divorce."
"I'll admit that my father made a mistake, but haven't I been atoning for his sins for the past two years? I've obeyed you at every turn. I've never gone against you. Besides, don't you want to be free? Your mistress had a baby. Don't you want to give her and your child what they deserve?"
"My matters have nothing to do with you," Blake said coldly.
Yasmin fell silent. Indeed, he'd never allowed her to ask about his matters. She turned to leave the room.
An ugly look crept onto Blake's face as he dragged her back and pinned her to the bed. He circled her with his arms and looked down at her sharply.
Yasmin was caught off guard. "What are you doing?"
"You're always talking about how much you love me, right? Look at how you have to announce it every day." There was a hint of anger in his face. "Are you really willing to watch me ride into the sunset with another woman? Doesn't it upset you?"
Yasmin lowered her eyes. She said softly, "Not anymore."
It did upset her, but she didn't want to love him anymore.
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