Chapter 24 Your Obligation as a Wife
That old man in front of her, old as he was, his back was straight. His chiseled face, his deep-set eyes like those of a falcon. Every feature of him exude authority and dignity.
This was a very impressive face, a face that Clara had seen countless times in magazines and news reports.
Russell Kirkland, the Great Master of the most prestigious family in Stratmont City.This is property © of NôvelDrama.Org.
Clara couldn’t believe her eyes.
So he was Horace’s grandfather? That was to say, Horace was the mysterious second grandson of the Kirkland family?
As the first family in Stratmont, the story of the Kirkland family was of course what everyone liked to talk about. Russell Kirkland had only one son, but both his son and daughter-in-law died young, leaving only two grandchildren.
The two grandsons of Russell Kirkland differed greatly in age. The older one was almost in his forties, and he had a son, Darren. Yes, the Darren Kirkland.
The other grandson was less than 30, younger than his older brother. It seemed that he had an accident ten years ago. Since then, he had been sent abroad for medical treatment. He had always been hidden under the mysterious veil, so very few knew about him.
Now it seemed that Horace was the second grandson of Master Kirkland.
Clara felt that she was already trembling all over. Although she always knew Horace’s surname, she never thought that Horace would be a “Kirkland”. After all, everybody knew that Horace started his own business from scratch. It was unexpected that he had such a powerful family behind him.
So Horace was Darren’s uncle?
Clara never thought that her life would be so dramatic.
Her first love became her brother-in-law, and she became her first love’s auntie?
“Clara?” Horace’s low and sweet voice suddenly echoed in her ears. Horace came over in his wheelchair and looked at her pale face, “Are you alright?”
“I…” Clara suddenly found herself unable to speak another word. “Horace, I suddenly feel dizzy and uncomfortable. I need to go back.”
A tinge of displeasure flashed across Horace’s eyes, but he soon opened his mouth and said, “But we are already here. At least let’s have something to eat before my brother and nephew arrived.”
His nephew?
This immediately made Clara’s face even paler.
“Sorry, I really can’t. I feel sick.” She said and panicked. She started to step back involuntarily. “Mr. Kirkland, I’m really sorry. I am feeling very sick now. Now, will you please excuse me for today? Next time I’ll pay a formal visit to you and offer you my sincere apology.”
After she said that, she didn’t even dare to look back at Horace and Russell. She turned and left the box immediately, almost running.
As Clara left, Russell sneered and said, “So this is the woman you choose? She did not even know how to spell the word ‘manner’!”
Horace glanced coolly at his grandfather. “If it’s not for you, I wouldn’t have even chosen any woman.”
“Horace!” Russell was so angry at his grandson but he could not do anything about it anyways.
He had spoiled his little grandson when he was a boy, but unfortunately, since the accident ten years ago, his temperament had become elusive, and his grandfather had no idea how to deal with that.
Horace didn’t stay longer with his grandfather. He turned his wheelchair and was ready to leave.
“What are you going to do?”
“I suddenly lost my appetite.” Horace slid his wheelchair without looking back. “Grandpa, you can have dinner with my brother and his family.”
Back in the villa, Horace learned from Martha that Clara had shut herself in her room and never left since.
Horace’s face turned a bit livid, and he did not know why anger surged up in his heart.
He came to the room and pushed the door in, then he saw Clara lying in bed, still wearing the burgundy red dress as if she had lost her soul.
Seeing her like this, Horace felt that the fire in his heart was fanned up even higher.
He pushed the wheelchair to her bedside and said expressionless, “Clara, get up.”
But it seemed that Clara didn’t even hear what he said.
Horace was completely incensed.
“Clara.” His voice grew dangerously low. “Tell me, why did you have to come back?”
After a pause, his voice became even colder, “Is it because you are afraid of my nephew, Darren?”
Horace’s words had ripped off the dullness on her face. Trembling, she suddenly sat up.
Her face was pale and she stared at the man in front of her. Her voice trembled slightly, “You already knew, do you? You knew what happened to Darren and me?”
Clara suddenly felt like an idiot. She was betrayed by her first love, as well as her husband.
“Yes.” Horace could not deny that, “I know all about what happened between you and Darren, and that you lost your virginity to him two years ago. You should understand that I can’t marry a woman with unknown origins.”
Clara’s body shook uncontrollably and stared at the man in front of her.
“So?” Her voice trembled even more. “What do you mean by asking me to go to that dinner today? You just want to see me make a fool of myself, don’t you?”
“Make a fool of yourself?” Clara’s words had completely ignited Horace’s anger. He grabbed Clara by the wrist and shouted, “He was just your first boyfriend! If you have really gotten over it, are you going to make a fool of yourself by seeing him with my family?”
Clara stared at this handsome man in front of her and uncontrollably bit her lips.
“You don’t get it, do you?” After a long silence, she spoke again, “You don’t even know what Darren means to me.”
Darren was once her God, her everything, and the meaning of her life.
That unforgettable attachment with him, even now every time she thought of it, turned into a deep-seated pain.
He didn’t get it?
Was that really what she said to him?
She said he did not get what Darren meant to her?
Horace thought he could not be more pissed off, but now her words had made his rage explosive!
It had been ten years.
He thought that his heart had already turned into a pool of stagnant water, but he never expected that he could be provoked again and again by this woman in front of him!
He found out that Darren used to be her boyfriend and that she actually worked for him right now and they went on a business trip together. He was so mad that he flew to Queensvales right away.
What he did not expect to see was that she was teased and flirted by that stupid Muller.
At that moment, he was so angry that he wanted to strangle that old bastard right on the spot!
He almost forgot how long he hadn’t felt this intense emotion. But this woman challenged him again.
He could put up with the fact that they had been together, but he could never tolerate her confession of love for that man, right in front of him?
What did she think he was!
“Well, you are right that I don’t understand it.” Horace laughed out with too much anger in his heart, and he stood up from the wheelchair, grabbed Clara by the wrist, and threw her onto the bed, “but I do know that you are my wife!”
When Clara saw Horace get up from his wheelchair, she was shocked.
“You…” she screamed. “Your legs?”
She struggled to get up, but Horace moved faster. He directly forced her into the bed, under his chest.
“Clara,” Horace whispered her name. His voice was as cold as ice. “It suddenly occurred to me that we have been married for almost a month, but you never fulfilled your obligation as a wife?”
What?
Upon hearing this, Clara could not spare time caring for his legs anymore. She shrieked in panic, “Horace! What are you doing?”
With a tearing sound, and before she could finish her sentences, the burgundy red dress was torn into pieces in a blink.