Chapter 53
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Colton slammed the table, warning those left, “Samuel isn’t firmly established yet. The Lawson residence is unhappy with us right now. If any of you cause trouble for me again, Lily will be your fate.”
Yolanda’s back stiffened when Colton asked, “How are things between Yolanda and Charles? It’s time to have a
child.”
She lowered her lashes, still lost in thoughts about Lily’s situation and unable to snap out of it.
The bloodstains on the floor had been cleaned thoroughly, as if nothing had happened.
The consequence for a woman from the Grant residence cheating is this: letting her husband humiliate her at will, with no one in the family intervening.
Her complexion turned pale. “It’s the same as always. Charles has his own plans for the child.”
Jonathan Andrade nodded and sighed. “I have the highest expectations for you. Your parents raised you well, so I’m not worried about you.”
Yolanda followed behind Linda Grant. As they stepped outside to get into the car, Linda smoothed back the hair at her temples.
“If Lily contacts you, don’t respond. There’s solid evidence of her affair. Dominic is petty and will make a big fuss for a long time.”
This was a disgrace for the Grant residence. From now on, women from the Grant family might lose their standing.
Yolanda lowered her eyelashes, looking obedient. “Mom, I understand.”
Linda still didn’t feel reassured and reminded her again, “Play up to Charles and act sweet in front of him. You’ve known each other for years, and he has feelings for you. The Grants and the Sinclair manor are tightly linked in business and can’t be separated for now.”
“Okay”
“About tonight, don’t say a word about it in front of your brother.”
Yolanda nodded slightly, though she couldn’t truly figure out her brother Charles Grant.
Maybe even if Charles knew, he wouldn’t do anything.
When she got back to the car, her mind was a mess, still echoing with the sound of Lily bowing and the screams she made when dragged out by her hair.
The way that man treated her was like he was handling livestock.
Feeling a wave of disgust, she opened the group chats she was in and saw videos of Lily being humiliated one after another by homeless men.
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Chapter 53
Everyone in the group was just there for the spectacle, repeating the same line over and over.
“This is what happens when a Grant woman cheats.”
Like a cursed chant, it etched itself into her mind.
She swallowed hard, and at that moment, her phone rang again.
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[Yolanda, I beg you to save me. Please, for all the kindness I’ve shown you over the years. I’m losing my mind, I’m really losing my mind!]
Yolanda knew this was sent by Aunt Lily.
She wanted to ignore it, but she knew that if she didn’t help Lily, in a few months, she would become mentally ill.
Lily was really kind to her. Shortly after she was brought into the Grant residence, she was locked in a dark room for a week and developed post–traumatic mutism for a while.
At that time, Jonathan Andrade said, “If she can’t speak within a month, send her back to the orphanage.”
She couldn’t go back to the orphanage; it was kept afloat by the little money the Grant residence provided.
If she returned, everyone there would starve.
Lily was very patient, teaching her to speak over and over again.
Her marriage was already miserable then; Dominic often beat her, but she remained gentle, with a personality as soft as moonlight.
Yolanda pressed her lips together and drove back to Moonbay Estate.
Charles arrived home an hour earlier than her and saw the servants packing up a pile of clothes.
He asked, “What’s wrong with these clothes?”
“Mrs. Sinclair said they need to be replaced with new ones.”
He didn’t say anything, just told Jack to prepare some new clothes for her.
While working in the study, Yolanda knocked and came in.
Tonight, the incident with Lily has become well known inside the circle. Charles knew it too, seeing her looking pale, he knew she had just come back from the Grant residence.
“Honey, Leo from the Lawson residence is your close friend. Could you possibly…”
She really had no other option but to come to Charles.
Charles didn’t even lift his eyelids. “That’s Leo’s uncle. Your aunt’s unfaithful bodyguard is an orphan raised by the Lawson residence since childhood. This embarrassed the Lawson family a lot. That bodyguard will
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probably be beaten to death tonight.”
The pride of the poor is worthless; the pride of the wealthy is above all, even more valuable than human life.
The one who took the photos of Lily with the bodyguard wasn’t from the Lawson residence but from their rival company, and they used it as blackmail. That’s why the Lawson family feels even more ashamed.
Charles threw the file onto the desk, his tone gentle. “You’d better not get involved in this. Besides, when your Grant family married off the daughters, didn’t they say that if someone cheated, the man could handle it however he wanted?”
Yolanda’s hand hanging at her side slowly clenched.
Charles stood up and wrapped his arm around her waist. “Honey, I saw you throw out all your clothes. Jack bought you some new ones, shoes too.”
Mentioning this made Yolanda feel a bit sick to her stomach.
She turned to leave but heard him ask, “You slapped Vivian? Tomorrow, I’ll set up a meeting, and you’ll go apologize.”
Who knows what Vivian whispered in his ear, but she definitely wouldn’t admit she was the one who started the provocation.
Charles cupped her face with both hands, a slight smile at the corner of his mouth. “Just because she said a few things about your studio? Since when did you get such a bad temper?”
“What if I don’t apologize?”
“She took it out on your studio. I won’t interfere. But if your hard work is destroyed, you’ll have a tough road.
ahead.”
She still doesn’t have what it takes to fight these big companies.
“Fine, I apologize.”
Charles chuckled softly and kissed her on the lips, “That’s better.”
Yolanda was burning with anger inside. Back in her room, her chest heaved several times before she forced a self–mocking smile.
If anyone is to blame, it’s myself for not being capable enough.
Lowering her lashes, her phone rang again at that moment. It was still a message from Lily, this time an address.
Looks like she escaped.
Yolanda thought it over for a few minutes, then decided to go out and get in the car.
When she drove to the address, she saw Lily dressed like a beggar.
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“Aunt Lily,”
she called out.
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Lily looked up. Her face was bruised and swollen, making her barely recognizable. She had clearly been beaten badly.
Her body was covered in marks as well, and she grabbed Yolanda’s hand tightly.
“Yolanda, please take me somewhere. He’s going to die, he’s going to die!”
Yolanda stood still, not moving.
Lily pulled for a while, then hung her head in despair. “Are you refusing to help me too…?”
Logic told Yolanda that helping would cause trouble since Lily was most likely going to meet Jasper Clark.
But Charles just said that Jasper Clark would be killed tonight.
田
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
Part 1: The Discovery of BetrayalYolanda Grant’s marriage was built on patience, sacrifice, and quiet endurance — but that illusion shattered in one night. It was late when she arrived at a dark, empty alley after receiving a mysterious message with an address. At first, she thought it was a misunderstanding. After all, her husband Charles Sinclair — a man of wealth, power, and refined taste — would never lower himself to something so vulgar. But when she saw him holding a young woman in his arms, kissing and touching her like a man possessed, every ounce of denial drained from her. Charles, the proud and disciplined businessman, was cheating — and in a filthy alleyway, no less.Part 2: The Scene of HumiliationFrom the safety of her car, Yolanda watched as the scene unfolded. The woman clinging to Charles was frail, trembling, and emotional, like a flower blooming in the mud. The surroundings — the stained floor, damp walls, and suffocating darkness — mocked everything Charles had always claimed to be. This wasn’t just infidelity; it was degradation. Yolanda’s mind swirled with disbelief. Her husband, who obsessed over class and perfection, had become a man of impulse and dirt. She didn’t confront him or make a scene; she didn’t even cry. Instead, she leaned back in her seat, numb, realizing that her marriage was already over in spirit.Part 3: Two Years of DevotionAs she sat there, flashes of the past flooded her mind. Two years of marriage — two years of her trying to please him in every way. She had known from the start that Charles didn’t love her. On their wedding day, he had made it painfully clear that his heart already belonged to another woman. Still, Yolanda married him out of hope, out of love, out of the foolish belief that devotion could melt even the coldest heart. She gave up her career, her ambitions, and her independence, just to prove she was worthy of him. She cared for him like a nurse for her patient — cooking his meals, planning his wardrobe, and tending to every detail of his life. And in return, she got nothing but distance and silence.Part 4: The Breaking PointNow, watching him entwined with another woman, everything she had built inside her — the patience, the sacrifice, the illusion — collapsed. The man she had once called her husband had become unrecognizable. He had torn off his noble mask and revealed himself as nothing more than a beast driven by desire. Yolanda felt like she’d been slapped, her dignity shattered into pieces. But instead of screaming or crying, she felt an eerie calm. Her pain was too deep to express. All she could think was: This marriage must end.Part 5: Charles’s UneaseWhile Yolanda drove home, Charles suddenly sensed that something was wrong. The headlights of a passing car illuminated his face, and a chill ran down his spine. He didn’t know whose car it was, but unease stirred in his chest. The girl in his arms whimpered for his attention, but his mind was already elsewhere. Straightening his clothes, he pulled away coldly. “That’s enough for tonight,” he said flatly. “The company’s got big projects. I can’t afford divorce rumors right now.” His words revealed not love, but calculation — every move guided by image and control. The girl, blinded by her feelings, agreed softly, claiming she would wait. But to Charles, it was just another temporary indulgence.Part 6: The Return HomeWhen Yolanda returned home, the villa felt colder than ever. She had just come out of the shower when Charles entered the bedroom, carrying his jacket. He looked as immaculate as always — tall, handsome, commanding — but tonight, his arrogance seemed cruel. On his pristine white shirt, Yolanda noticed a faint smear of pink lip gloss. She had never worn lip gloss; she hated its stickiness. That small, shiny mark told her everything she needed to know. As she dried her hair, she kept her expression neutral, unwilling to give him the satisfaction of seeing her pain.Part 7: The Cold ConversationCharles glanced at her and asked casually, “When did you get back?”“This afternoon,” she replied.He loosened his tie, unbuttoning his shirt as if nothing had happened. “I was out playing golf tonight,” he added. The lie rolled off his tongue effortlessly. Through the reflection in the window, Yolanda saw the dirt on his back — proof that golf wasn’t the only game he’d been playing. With quiet fury, she shot back, “Then I guess you scored plenty of holes. Congrats.”Her sarcasm caught him off guard. For the first time, he frowned, slightly unsettled. He wasn’t used to this tone from her — the woman who once worshiped him now sounded indifferent, almost mocking.Part 8: His Cruel ArroganceInstead of apologizing, Charles smirked and wrapped his arm around her waist. “Are you mad? I told you when we got married that I didn’t love you. If you’re that unhappy, find someone else to cheat with.” His words cut through her like a blade. It wasn’t just betrayal anymore — it was humiliation. He treated her heartbreak as an inconvenience, as if her pain were irrelevant. Inside, Yolanda’s chest felt like it was being strangled with wire, every breath searing. Yet she stayed silent. Her quietness, once a sign of love, now turned into armor.Part 9: The Memory of InnocenceIn that moment, Yolanda’s mind drifted back to when she first met Charles. She was young, freshly adopted into the Grant family, and he was already the picture of perfection — disciplined, confident, untouchable. Back then, she looked at him with admiration and love. To her, he was everything she aspired to be. Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine that this same man would someday make her feel worthless. All those years of love, of marriage, of giving — they now felt like a cruel joke.Part 10: A New Beginning Hidden in the Word “Fine”Charles chuckled when she finally said, “Fine.” To him, it was just another empty threat, another outburst that would fade with time. He kissed her cheek, confident that her love would keep her shackled to him forever. What he didn’t realize was that this time, “Fine” wasn’t surrender — it was goodbye. Behind her calm eyes, Yolanda had already made her decision. The love that once bound her had turned to ash, and from that ash, something new was forming — strength.Chapter 1 ends with Yolanda’s quiet determination to take back her life. She won’t cry or beg anymore. This time, she’ll walk away — not as a broken wife, but as a woman reborn through betrayal.
