Joey felt like her heart was about to jump out of her chest. She felt guilty and was unable to utter a sound. Her body trembled, but the white coat was loose enough to hide it.Joey intentionally lowered her voice and stuttered, "I-I…"The doctor glanced at the name on the gown white coat. "Oh, you're new. Are you lost?"Joey played along. "Yes…""This is the examination room. No one other than authorized personnel is allowed here. You should leave."Joey thought she had managed to escape. "Okay."She ran, hid in a corner, and threw her clothes into the trash can beside her. Then, she threw Lucy's blood and hair into the toilet and flushed them away.After she finished doing everything, Joey was in a state of shock. It took her a long time to calm down.Joey's eyes twitched as she recalled her impulsive behavior. She clasped her hands and prayed. "Lucy, it's your fault for being barren. I will never let our lineage end with Tobias. I have no choice!"Joey recollected herself a
"Okay, Madam Joey."The driver made a turn and drove toward Hudson Manor.Joey looked out the car window; her heart was weighing down on her. It didn't matter how influential Lucy's family was—she was barren. Joey had no choice but to take matters into her own hands.…Tobias returned to the ward. Soon, the doctor completed the discharge procedures. Since Tobias and Lucy hadn't brought much, they quickly packed up and returned to Ripley Residence.Tobias was exceptionally gentle throughout the process, thoughtfully caring for Lucy, who was struggling with moving around.Soon, their car arrived at Ripley Residence.Walter came out to greet them. "Welcome back, Mr. and Mrs. Ripley."Tobias got out of the car. He carried Lucy and placed her in a wheelchair. "Hello, Walter. Where is my mother?""Mr. Ripley, Madam Joey told us she went to visit Mrs. Ripley. Didn't she return with you?"Tobias frowned slightly. "It doesn't matter if she hasn't returned. Please arrange a few househo
Who still passed notes in this day and age? Lucy was surprised. "Can you help me open it, please?" After all, she couldn't move her fingers at all."Sure, Mrs. Ripley." The maid opened the note, and Lucy recognized the handwriting.It said, "Meet me, Lucy. Or else the Ripleys will suffer!"The notes didn't include a name, but Lucy could tell who it was from the handwriting. Her gaze turned cold at the thought of that person.A strong sense of hatred lingered in Lucy's eyes. "Has the person who gave the note left?"Chad was the reason why she had lost her twins, and Anna was the reason why she was now unable to have more children. The feeling of losing her babies and the pain of never becoming a mother were unfathomable. The hatred in Lucy's heart was as vast and deep as the ocean.She would tear Chad to shreds if he was still outside.The maid was afraid to look at the note's contents. She said truthfully, "A boy delivered it, Mrs. Ripley. I asked him not to leave, so he's wai
Lucy finally understood why no one was outside; they had been assigned other tasks.Lucy could tell Joey was doing it on purpose but couldn't understand why Joey was targeting her. Although Joey had appeared warm when she had visited the hospital this morning, she was completely different when Tobias wasn't around.Lucy didn't give it much thought and said, "Mom, you don't need to summon all the maids to cook. You should leave someone with me. I have trouble moving around right now."Joey gave her a side-eye and scoffed, thinking, "For a barren woman, you are so troublesome."Joey played along and said, "Okay, I'll get someone to come and help you. You can rest while I show Maya around."Lucy nodded and looked at Maya again, who had plastered on a smile."Let's go take a walk, Maya.""Okay, Joey."Maya turned and glared at Lucy with a look of disdain.After both of them left, Lucy was left alone for 30 minutes, without any signs of a maid coming over to attend to her.Lucy
"If she has a visitor, so be it. Can't you say it politely? How dare you call her a stupid woman? Test me, and I'll tell Tobias about this."Although Lucy felt uneasy about what Joey had said, she had held it in for the sake of keeping the peace. However, Sasha couldn't take it anymore and reproached Joy."Who the hell are you? You have no right to use that tone with me in my own home!""I'm Lucy's good friend. I'm warning you, don't mistreat Lucy, or you will suffer for it!""Stop it, Sasha." Lucy gave Sasha a look. Sasha stomped her feet in anger.Joey's eyes sparkled. She asked, "Lucy, it's my fault for what happened earlier. I trust that you won't tell Tobias about it.""It's okay, Mom. I won't tell him. Who's here to see me?""Brett and Rhett Eberhard. Let's go to them.""Okay."The group went to the living room. Brett, Rhett, and Maya were there.Lucy entered and secretly perked an eyebrow. She immediately noticed Maya's mesmerized gaze as she stared at Brett.She thou
Tobias wanted to see Lucy the moment he stepped foot into Ripley Residence.He had been occupied the whole day and had been unsure whether Lucy had been properly cared for while she had been recuperating at home. He had been riddled with worry, completely oblivious that Lucy was the only person occupying his mind."Welcome home, darling!" Lucy's eyes brightened when she noticed his return. Her voice was as sweet as honey.Tobias walked toward her, ignoring the guests in the house. Concerned, he asked, "How was it at home, babe? Did you get enough rest? How are you adapting?"Lucy felt uneasy about Joey's treatment of her. However, she immediately oozed warmth at the sight of Tobias, so she pushed her uneasiness to the back of her mind.Lucy said, "I'm getting used to it. I will eventually."Tobias stretched his arms and wrapped Lucy in them. He asked lovingly, "Did you miss me?"Embarrassed, she glanced at her surroundings and said, "Tobias, we have company."Only then did To
Joey's plan was to kick Lucy out. But now that she had realized how deeply Tobias loved Lucy, she knew she had to shake the foundation of their relationship if she wanted to separate them.So, she had to disappoint either Tobias or Lucy.Lucy was the daughter of the Eberhards, so Joey wasn't bold enough to make Lucy lose her innocence.Hence, she had no choice but to use Maya, who seemingly admired Tobias. Once her plan succeeded, she would take Lucy to catch them in the act."Maya, whether you can get Tobias will depend on your performance. Do your best and give me a grandchild. Then, I will welcome you into the Ripley family."Maya appeared shy and said, "I will try my best, Joey."She lowered her gaze. No one noticed the dark glint that flickered in her eyes. Then, they returned to the dining table one at a time. Tobias was attentively taking care of Lucy. "Darling, I can eat the greens. You don't need to slice the meat for me.""How can you only eat vegetables? Protein is
"Don't worry, Joey, I'll follow your plan.""Great, I'll head out now. All the best!""Thank you, Joey!"After Joey left, Maya's gentle demeanor instantly changed. It was as if she had turned into a naughty elf; it was difficult to grasp whether she was good or bad.Maya went to the second floor. She didn't go to Tobias' room but to the guest room where Brett was.She had never liked Tobias and had had a crush on Brett for many years. Unfortunately, Brett didn't even know who she was. Today, she had mustered the courage and was ready to do something outrageous.The Hudsons were backed by the Shelton family, so she couldn't afford to offend the Sheltons. However, she could tip the scales in her favor secretly.She entered Brett's room. Brett was drugged, so he was unaware that someone was close to him. Maya caressed Brett's handsome face; she looked obsessed as she fixed her eyes on him."Brett, I like you. I don't hope for a future between us, but I need you to be my first time