Bruce shook his head. âYou donât get her, Evelyn. She has an insatiable appetite for money. She wonât divorce me unless I can cough up a hundred million. No matter how hard I work, I canât make that kind of money. But I yearn to be with you so badly that itâs driving me mad. Thatâs why, when that wealthy widow took a liking to me, I didnât outright reject her. Iâve been stringing her along, hoping to secure that hundred million in alimony so I can sever all ties with her and then divorce that dragon lady. Then, you and I could be together forever.â
âA hundred million? That much?â Evelyn was stunned, only then realizing that her hand was still clasped within Bruceâs.
âItâs a lot, I know. Thatâs why Iâm stuck. I want to give you and Thalassa a complete family, but I canât.
Poor Thalassa doesnât have a father to back her up, and sheâs at the mercy of the Sinclair family.â
Bruce sighed. His tone was filled with regret for not being able to marry Evelyn and help Thalassa.
Every word was like a dagger to Evelynâs heart, highlighting her deepest regrets and fears.
Evelyn felt as if she had found someone who truly understood her pain. She could feel her chest tightening as sadness welled up within her.
âIsnât that Thalassaâs mother, Evelyn?â A womanâs voice echoed from the doorway of the hospital room.
Evelyn turned around to see a young woman standing at the entrance. After a moment of confusion, she suddenly realized that her hand was still being held by Bruce. She awkwardly retracted her hand.
Composing herself, she asked, âMay I know who youâre looking for?â
âIâm looking for you both.â Faye stepped in, handing Evelyn a business card. âIâve been Lysanderâs secretary for seven years.â
After seeing the introduction on the card, Evelyn realized that Faye was a part of Lysanderâs circle. Her demeanor instantly became more cautious and serious.
âFaye, what brings you here?â
âI only just found out that Thalassa has given birth to four children for Lysander. They all had dinner together at Mr. Sinclairâs grandparentsâ house, the Sinclair Mansion, this afternoon. Iâve heard that from now on, Zephyr will pick up the children from their kindergarten and take them to his place for dinner every day.â
Faye diverted the conversation towards Thalassa. She had originally come to visit her sick father but overheard Evelynâs conversation with Bruce at the door of the hospital room. Faye felt a golden opportunity presenting itself.
âYouâre saying the children will be taken care of by Lysanderâs grandfather from now on?â Evelyn asked in shock.
âMr. Sinclair is still unmarried. Naturally, his children would be raised by his grandparents, just like he was. Otherwise, having kids around might make it inconvenient for Mr. Sinclair to find another woman to marry.â Faye explained.
Evelynâs heart filled with indignation and resentment once she heard this. âBut Thalassa was at the Sinclairâs house too, wasnât she? Sheâs the mother of those children!â
âThatâs exactly what I wanted to talk about.â Faye continued, âI was at the Sinclair Mansion this afternoon too, having dinner with Zephyr. He didnât hide his disdain for Thalassa and made things difficult for her at every turn. Itâs clear he wonât let her marry Lysander. After all, sheâs a country girl, and Lysander is from a wealthy, influential family. They value matching social status, you see. I fear Thalassa might even have trouble seeing her children in the future.â
Evelynâs chest heaved in despair. âHow can that be? Didnât Lysander promise that Thalassa could see the children whenever she wanted?â
âBut the children will be under Zephyrâs care soon. Mr. Sinclair might want to help, but he could be powerless to do anything.â Faye spoke, as her face expressed deep regret.
âAs an observer, I feel sorry for Thalassa. I empathize with her. If Zephyr and Sybil had accepted Thalassa, she might have had a chance to marry Lysander.
But Thalassa is too inexperienced in these matters. She might not know how to communicate with the elderly.â
Faye seemed genuinely concerned for Thalassa.
Evelyn was heartbroken and sighed heavily.
She couldnât provide Thalassa with the strong support she needed.
âEvelyn, donât take it too hard. Itâs not so bad. If you canât fit into their circle, donât force it. Living a simple life can be wonderful too. Thereâs always a chance to have more children. I need to visit some patients, so Iâll be going now.â
After âcomfortingâ Evelyn, Faye made her exit, leaving behind a distraught Evelyn.
The possibility of having more children was the cruelest blow. Which child wasnât their motherâs most precious jewel? Which child could ever be replaced in a motherâs heart?
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