Chapter 8

Edward's face darkened instantly. Jessica sat there pale, looking all pitiful as she explained herself to Edward.

"Edward, I really wasn't lying, I genuinely felt sick..."

Her voice was soft and whiny, on the verge of tears. It made Cecilia's stomach turn.

"Do you know who that man was?"

Seeing Edward about to comfort Jessica again, Cecilia cut in with a sneer. "That was George."

With that, she turned and walked away.

She had no interest in watching Jessica's little performance anymore.

Pathetic and boring.

George. A well-known child prodigy, from a family of doctors, and the director of this very hospital. The idea that he'd misdiagnose something this simple? Now that was a joke.

Edward watched Cecilia's slender figure walk away, his eyes dark and cold, his voice sharp with anger. "Cecilia, I never agreed to a divorce. Don't think you can just walk away from the Percy family that easily."

Cecilia stopped but didn't turn around. There was a faint mockery in her voice.

"You don't run the Percy family on your own. I'll talk to your father."

"As for you, focus on taking care of your girlfriend."

She left before he could respond, leaving Edward frozen in place.

Jessica lowered her eyes, filled with hatred. As if she couldn't bear to face Edward right now, she pulled the blanket over her head.

......

In the hospital hallway, George stood by the window looking outside, a cigarette between his fingers. The smoke curled around him, somehow making his face look even more striking, with that effortlessly charming bad-boy energy.

He had a Bluetooth earpiece in, his voice casual but with a teasing edge, like he was talking to an old friend.

"Guess who I just ran into."

The Windsor family and the Miller family went way back. George and Charles had grown up together — not brothers by blood, but close enough. He knew a fair bit about what had happened between Charles and Cecilia.

He'd rolled his eyes when he heard that Cecilia's lousy husband had shown up at the hospital with his girlfriend. But since Cecilia was here, he figured he'd stick around and see what this Edward guy was all about — the one who'd lost his mind over some woman.

Now that he'd seen him, the verdict was clear: decent-looking face, brain full of water and rusted through.

Charles had driven back to the garage. He was walking through the front door, taking off his jacket, when George's call came through. He pinched the bridge of his nose. He had zero interest in who George had run into.

"Nothing going on? Then I'm hanging up."

He tossed his jacket onto the couch. A nearby servant quickly picked it up and poured him a cup of hot tea.

"Cold-hearted, aren't you." George flicked off some ash and drew out the words, about to tease him some more — but the line went dead.

George laughed despite himself. He was just about to call back when he saw Cecilia walk out of the hospital room.

He raised an eyebrow, switched to video call, and pointed the camera at Cecilia.

Charles picked up again and was quiet for a moment.

"I remember driving her home."

George raised an eyebrow, about to reply, when Cecilia walked closer and noticed his phone. "Dr. George?"

Unless she was seeing things, was he filming her?

George gave a small cough. His smile was a little awkward as he pointed to his phone. "Sorry, my partner's checking up on me — asked me to show them what's around me. You accidentally ended up in the shot."

It was a weak excuse, but George had just done her a favor, so Cecilia wasn't going to make it difficult for him.

Hearing the word "partner," Charles frowned and ended the call again.

"Tch." George clicked his tongue and stubbed out the cigarette.

Watching George casually mess with his phone — the call clearly dropped — she stepped closer. "Either way, thank you for what you did today, Dr. George."

George smiled. "Sharp one, aren't you."

He didn't explain why he'd pulled that stunt, and she didn't ask. They weren't friends, so there wasn't much to say. She said her goodbye and left.

Back in the hospital room.

Jessica had the blanket pulled over her head, too afraid to face Edward.

The room was dead quiet. All you could hear was their breathing, and the faint tick-tick-tick of the clock on the wall.

Edward sat on the couch and lit a cigarette in silence.

By the time he finished the whole cigarette, Jessica still hadn't said a word. He seemed to lose interest. He picked up his jacket from the couch, put it on, and said flatly, "Get some rest. I'll come see you tomorrow."

Edward left.

She heard the door click shut.

Jessica broke down in tears, crying quietly to herself.

She knew better than anyone how cold Edward could be. Most people's hearts had room for only one person, but Edward's had room for too many.

She knew clearly that the one Edward loved was Cecilia, the one he felt guilty about was Julia, and she herself was just using his lingering feelings for Julia to drive a wedge between him and Cecilia.

She couldn't accept it.

She had been the one to fall for Edward first. So why did Edward end up marrying Cecilia — just to get back at her over Julia?

What kind of revenge involves marrying someone and making her your wife? That was love, plain and simple.

Edward couldn't see it, but she could see it crystal clear.

She wasn't giving up on Edward. No one was going to stand in her way.

When Edward got home, the living room was fully lit. He assumed Cecilia was waiting up for him, and hesitated for a moment before pushing the door open — only to find Owen and Debra.

"Dad, Mom, what are you doing here this late? Where's Cecilia? She didn't come down to keep you company?"

Debra's face tightened with barely concealed anger the moment he mentioned her name. "You've got some nerve bringing her up. We heard what happened tonight."

"When the Brown family fell apart, we took in both Julia and Jessica. After Julia passed, we treated Jessica like our own daughter. And this is how she repays us? Carrying on with her own brother-in-law is one thing, but you had to bring her to the Windsor family dinner."

"Now look at us — the Percy family is a laughingstock in every social circle. People are saying the Percy heir has no sense, parading his mistress around while treating his own wife like dirt. Half the city is calling you an idiot."

"I can't even look Cecilia in the eye after this mess you've made."

Debra tore into him without holding back.

Owen said nothing, but his silence said everything.

"Cecilia was the one who pushed Jessica. Jessica was the one who got hurt tonight."

Edward held his ground.

"In five years of marriage, has Cecilia ever done a single thing to embarrass the Percy family? Everyone out there praises her — graceful, poised. So why would she suddenly act out tonight, of all nights, right in front of Jessica? Have you even thought about that?"

"You got caught getting cozy with Jessica, and to keep the stock price steady, you made Cecilia cut her hair. That was humiliating, and she still did what you asked. You really think a woman like that would shove someone at a dinner party?"

Debra had her issues with Cecilia — the Davis family had fallen from grace after the marriage — but when it came to public image, Cecilia was the best daughter-in-law she could show off. Jessica? Not even fit to carry Cecilia's shoes.

"Jessica isn't like that..."

Edward started to defend her, his face a little pale. Owen frowned and cut him off.

"Enough. Whatever Jessica is or isn't, you need to remember that not just anyone can be Mrs. Percy."

"You and Cecilia are not getting divorced. Everyone in our circle knows your wife is Cecilia. The Percy family has built a lot of its public image around her. She and the Percy family are tied together now. A divorce would set off speculation — from the markets, from the public — and it would hurt Percy Group's stock price."

"And once the stock takes a hit, your rivals will start digging up dirt on you. Edward, do you really think you're clean?"