The Sound of Falling Blossoms

The rules of the Lawson family prevented their heir from marrying women who were from an ordinary background. But the eldest son of the Lawson family, James Lawson, just had to fall in love with a woman named Laura Jackson, who was a fish seller. He gave up his right of inheritance just to be with her. He was punished by his family by being whipped 99 times. He was also forced to kneel for three whole days. His shirt was covered in blood, but he still said to Laura with a smile, "It's alright, Laura. I just want to be with you." In the end, the Lawson family finally allowed James and Laura to be together, but on one condition: James had to leave the Lawson family an heir. After that, what James said to Laura the most was, "Just give me a little more time." The first time he said that was when he wanted Laura to wait for him to get another woman pregnant. Chapter 1 After saying that to Laura, James slept with Jessica Rane 33 times. He only stopped when she was pregnant with his child. The second time he said those words was when he found out Jessica's first child was a girl. The Lawson family needed a boy to be the heir. Therefore, James slept with Jessica another 99 times and only stopped when she was pregnant again. Just when Laura thought things would finally end, James and Jessica's daughter coughed up blood and started burning up with a fever right after her Sip & See. Jessica pounced at Laura like crazy and was clawing at the latter's face as she cried, "I know you hate me, but why did you have to hurt my child?" James's parents, John Lawson and Sophia Lawson, were both infuriated. "That's our grandchild, how dare you be so cruel to her?" When Laura was stripped naked and thrown into the cold storage, which was -20℃, James was standing right outside. Through the glass covered in frost, Laura saw how his hand trembled as he lit a cigarette, but the eyes that were filled with love before were now cold. "I told you to give me a little more time." James extinguished his cigarette, his eyes filled with disappointment. "Why did you have to hurt my child?" 'Your child...' Laura repeated inwardly. Her heart ached so much that she couldn't even stand up straight. She suddenly remembered something. James had made a promise in the rain on his knees. "Laura, you're the only person that I want to marry." He used to touch her forehead with his and say, "Laura, I will only see the child that we have together as my child." He used to kiss her on the cheeks after their intimate act and say, "Just give me a little more time, Laura. Soon, it'll be only the two of us." But now, James stood by Jessica's side with their child in his arms and was looking at Laura as if he were looking at a ruthless stranger. When the cold storage door was opened again, Laura was clenching her fists so hard that the nails were digging into her palms. This time, she wasn't going to keep on waiting anymore. Laura dialed the number of the Lawson family's old residence. "I'm willing to leave James." Her voice was unusually calm. "But on one condition. I want you to send me to a place that he'll never be able to find me." Sophia laughed on the other end of the line. "Why didn't you come to your senses sooner? Have you learnt your lesson after being locked in the cold storage for a night? Did you really think a fish seller is worthy of marrying into the Lawson family?" "I'll have everything arranged in two weeks." John's voice was full of disdain. "When the time comes, you'll disappear from James's life for good." After hanging up the call, Laura stood outside the villa with trembling hands. Within the living room, James was holding his daughter and playing with her. Jessica was leaning against his shoulder with a gentle smile on her face. The family of three seemed really happy. Laura stood there and felt as if someone had stabbed a knife into her heart. "Miss Jackson, you're back!" Jessica was the first to notice Laura. She immediately sat up straight, nervously. James almost instantly passed the baby to a servant. "Take her upstairs." The distant look in his eyes made Laura's heart ache. He was afraid that Laura would hurt his child. The man who had said that he would only see the child they had together as his child was now looking at Laura as if she were a murderer. James only walked up to Laura after the baby was taken away. He reached out and wanted to check on. "You're back. Did you... get hurt in the cold storage?" Laura looked at the man in front of her, who had been willing to take 99 whips for her, and her heart ached even more. She tilted her head to avoid his hand. James furrowed his brows and explained, "Laura, after what happened last night, the more I protected you, the more severely they would punish you. Besides, we're leaving this place soon anyway. I don't want anything to go wrong. The child is innocent anyway. You didn't need to..." "I said I didn't do it!" Laura's eyes suddenly turned red. James seemed to have been stunned by her reaction. It took him a while to soften his tone. "Alright now. It doesn't matter anymore." 'It doesn't matter anymore?' Laura repeated inwardly. Those words made Laura's heart ache. It seemed that James still didn't believe her. Seeing that the atmosphere was getting tense, Jessica walked over, whilst rubbing her belly, and pretended to be sincere. "Miss Jackson, I owe you an apology as well. I was just really worried about my daughter yesterday. You don't have a child yet, so you might not understand my feelings as a mother..." She raised her hand and caressed her hair. The bracelet on her wrist shone under the light. Laura's eyes widened as she grabbed Jessica's wrist. "Where did you get this bracelet?" "Jessica likes it, so I gave it to her." James pulled Laura's hand away. "Just see it as you giving her an apology." "My mother left me that bracelet!" Laura's voice was trembling. "How could you give it to someone else? You knew how important it is to me!" She reached out to take the bracelet back, but Jessica suddenly stumbled backwards and fell onto the ground. The latter then held her belly and cried, "My stomach... it hurts..." "Laura Jackson!" James immediately pushed Laura to one side. His eyes were colder than ever. "She's still pregnant with my child! Haven't you caused enough trouble already?" James pushed Laura so hard that Laura fell and hit the back of her head against the coffee table. Blood immediately began pouring out of the wound. But James didn't even take a look at her. He picked Jessica up and rushed out of the house. "James..." Jessica leaned against James's chest and cried weakly, "Is the child going to be alright?" "Don't worry. I'm here with you." His voice was unbelievably gentle. "Both you and our child are going to be alright." Chapter 2 When James rushed out of the villa with Jessica in his arms, Laura was still sitting weakly on the ground with blooding pouring out the the back of her head and trickling down her neck. She looked at his receding figure. James seemed so desperate and in a panic. Not once did he turn around and look at her. The pain Laura was experiencing was excruciating. That was when she suddenly remembered that James once cared just as much about her as well. Back then, she was still a fish seller in the open market. Her hair was simply tied into a ponytail. She looked young and innocent. The other stall owners at the open market called her an angel. When James first saw her, he stood by Laura's stall for a full two hours. After that, he took out a premium bank card and said, "Be my girlfriend, and you won't have to work for the rest of your life." Laura might be poor, but she was proud. She was a little taken aback by James's words, but still gave the card back to him. "That won't be necessary, sir. I earn money through my own hard work, and I'm proud of that." James stared at her for a while before handing her a business card. "The name's James Lawson. I'll be back tomorrow." Laura didn't take his words seriously, but James did come back as promised the next day. He arrived in a black Maybach and was wearing a clean suit. He really stood out in the open market. He pursued her for three whole months, and during that time, he did things that he wouldn't normally do. Laura refused all his roses, so he arranged for his men to import a lot of expensive seafood from overseas. She avoided his luxury cars, so he would walk through the entire open market on foot. When Laura said they were from different worlds, he would squat down next to her and help her work on the fish. She stood at her stall for a whole three months. He refused to give up, no matter how many times Laura turned him down. It wasn't that Laura wasn't moved; she just clearly knew how far apart they were in terms of background, so she didn't dare allow herself to develop any feelings for him. That was until he shielded her from a competitor who tried to pour sulphuric acid on her, and it caused a massive burn on his back. Only then did she agree to date him. Back then, the pain caused him to be soaked in cold sweat, but he was still smiling as he said to her, "Remember, Laura, you owe me your life. You'll have to repay this favor with the rest of your life." Tears trickled down her cheeks and fell onto the palm of his hand. After they started dating, James doted on her and spoiled her. He would summon his private doctor in the middle of the night just because she accidentally cut her finger. When she said she liked a certain brand of cake, he would just buy the entire store. When her stomach ached during her period, he would stay up all night to rub her aching belly. There was once when Laura accidentally fell over and scraped her knee, and he was so upset that his eyes turned red. His hands were trembling while he carried her to the hospital. The doctor didn't know whether to laugh or cry when he told James that it was just a scratch and nothing serious, but James insisted on giving Laura a CT scan just in case she had a bone fracture. But now... Laura lowered her head and looked at the pool of blood on the floor. She suddenly laughed. But as she laughed, tears began trickling down her cheeks. She went to the hospital alone. After the wound was treated, she still felt dizzy and could barely stand. As soon as she walked out of the consultation room, someone grabbed her wrist forcefully. "Laura!" The anger was evident in James's voice. "Jessica nearly had a miscarriage, and you still won't give up? Are you planning on making a scene at the hospital?" Laura turned around and saw James's furrowed brows and his cold eyes. He was dressed in a suit and tie, as aloof and aristocratic as ever. The only difference was that there was a scent of Jessica's perfume on him. Laura's voice was so quiet that one could hardly hear her. "I didn't come to the hospital... because of her..." She slowly raised her hand and pointed at her bandaged head. "I'm hurt as well." James was taken aback. Only then did he see Laura's pale face and the bandage on her head. "You said we'd leave this place together after she gives birth to the child, but do you even still care about me now?" Laura looked at James with red eyes. James furrowed his brows even more. He reached out to touch her wound. "What happened?" "You did this," Laura said calmly. "I bumped into a corner of the coffee table." James's eyes widened. Only then did he remember what happened. His anger dissipated almost instantly. He then pulled Laura into his arms. "I'm sorry, Laura. I didn't mean it. I was just worried about the child that Jessica was carrying. If anything happens to her, then it would cause more delays to our plan..." Laura didn't respond. She just allowed James to hug her. Her eyes were empty. James had said those words way too many times. "I know." Laura pushed James away. "You should go take care of her." She turned on her heels and was about to leave, but James grabbed her wrist. "You've got to believe me, Laura. You're the only one I love, no matter what. Everything I'm doing right now is for us to leave this place as soon as possible." He touched her bandage gently. "I'll tell the servants to take care of you. Your wound should be kept dry." With that said, he released Laura and turned to walk into Jessica's ward. Laura stood where she was as she looked at James's receding figure. She suddenly laughed, and tears trickled down her cheeks. "I don't believe you anymore, James. Your words mean nothing to me now," she said gently. Chapter 3 For the next couple of days, Laura would receive provocative photos from Jessica almost every day. In the photos, James was playing with his daughter, and he had a gentle look in his eyes. As for Jessica, she would lean against his shoulder with a sweet smile on her face. Laura flicked through the photos with trembling fingers. There were photos of James sitting by Jessica's bed in the middle of the night, of James feeding her, and of James carrying their child with the gentlest look ever in his eyes. Every single photo made Laura's heart ache. But as time progressed, Laura suddenly realized that her heart didn't ache anymore. Perhaps, she was completely disappointed with James the moment she was locked in that cold storage. Just when she was about to blacklist Jessica, her phone vibrated again. It was another photo. Jessica was playing with the bracelet that Laura's mother had left her. "Do you want the bracelet that your mom left you? Come alone if you want it back." Laura immediately stood up. The sudden movement caused her to almost black out, but she didn't really care. She grabbed her coat and rushed out of the room. Inside the VIP ward, Jessica was carrying the baby in her hands and was humming a song. "Who's Daddy's most beloved baby? Daddy's going to come see us every day..." When she raised her head and saw Laura, the smile on her face became wider. "Laura, you're here. There's something I want to tell you. During the days that I've been hospitalized, James didn't even go to work. He just stayed here with my daughter and me." Laura clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug into the palms of her hands. She didn't want to hear anything that Jessica was saying. "Where's my bracelet?" Jessica slowly picked the bracelet up from the side of her pillow and waved it gently. "You mean this bracelet?" She curved her lips into a cruel smile. "How about this? I'll give you this bracelet back if you get on your knees and beg me." Laura trembled in anger. "Don't go too far." "So what if I did?" Jessica's eyes were full of disdain. "You're just a fish seller, Laura, and I am the heiress of the Rane Group and the future daughter-in-law of the Lawson family! Do you think you're worthy to be my equal? Get on your knees and beg me to give you this bracelet back! It's the least you can do!" She pretended to throw the bracelet away. "I'm going to count to three. If you don't get on your knees, then I'll throw this out the window! One... Two..." Laura bit her lip, her eyes turned red as she went to her knees. She begged Jessica to give her the bracelet back. Jessica laughed. "The way you look right now is so pitiful." She stood up and looked down at Laura. "However, there's no way that I'll give you this bracelet back." With that said, she raised her hand and threw the bracelet out the window. Laura's whole body was trembling. She was just about to go after the bracelet when the ward door was suddenly pushed open. James and his parents were standing at the door, all with dark looks on their faces. "What are you doing?" John asked in a sharp voice. Jessica's face changed instantly as she cried in James's arms, "James! I don't know what's got into her. She suddenly barged into the ward and started beating and strangling the baby..." She unbuttoned the baby's clothes and a couple of bruises could be clearly seen. Laura couldn't believe what she was seeing. "It wasn't me!" She shook her head in horror as John walked towards her angrily. Slap! John had slapped her and it made her feel like the whole world was spinning. Her head was ringing and there was blood at the corner of her mouth. "How can you be so ruthless as to hurt a baby?" John's voice sounded like it was from a distance. Sophia said coldly, "Looks like you haven't learnt your lesson the last time. Someone, get this bitch out of here and whip her 20 times!" James clenched his fists and took a step forward. "Mom..." "Are you still going to protect her?" Sophia interrupted. "Who she hurt was your own daughter! Even if you're going to abandon her at the old residence and leave with Laura, she's still your own flesh and blood!" Laura was trembling all over. She instinctively looked at James. He was still standing there. He was clenching his fists so tightly that his knuckles had turned white. He looked at her and there was an obvious struggle in his eyes. He looked as if he was in pain at first, but then he gradually calmed down. He slowly turned his head away. Laura looked at James in a daze. She felt as if someone had ripped her heart in pieces. But the next second, her lips slowly curved into a smile and she laughed. She was laughing at herself for being such a fool and actually believed that James was going to take her away. She was also laughing at herself for actually believing that James would put his promises to her before his own flesh and blood, and hoping that he was still choosing her at such a critical moment. Laura was dragged to the open corridor of the hospital. The bodyguards pinned her down on her knees. When the first whip landed on her, the pain caused her to almost black out. She remembered when the Lawson family did all they could to separate her and James. She broke up with James with red eyes. It was raining heavily that night, but James stood outside her house for an entire night. The next day, he started burning up with a fever and nearly had pneumonia. When she went to check on him, he was in a daze, but he still grabbed her hand and said, "Keep this in mind, Laura. You're the only person I love, even if the whole world is against us." When the second whip landed on Laura, she bit her lip. She could taste the metallic taste of blood in her mouth. She remembered the day when James went on the next flight home just because she sent him a message saying she missed him. Laura was whipped time after time. Every whip made her heart ache way more than the actual pain on her back. When the 15th whip landed, she seemed to have heard James asking her what happened and wanted to check on her. By the 19th whip, the pain caused Laura to almost lose consciousness. She felt as if someone was calling her name, but she couldn't tell if she was hearing things or if someone was actually calling her name. By the 20th whip, Laura blacked out and lost consciousness. Chapter 4 When Laura woke up again, she was lying on a hospital bed. Her back was burning. "Laura!" James immediately came to the side of the bed. His eyes were bloodshot. "You're awake! Does it still hurt?" Seeing how worried James was, Laura was a little dazed. In the past, whenever she had a fever, he stayed beside her just like now. But now, she didn't have a fever, but was ordered to be whipped by James's parents, and as for James, he just stood and watched. She pulled her hand back and wasn't willing to look at James again. James was stunned by Laura's actions. He explained, "Laura, it's not that I don't want to speak up for you. It's just that if I spoke up back then, they would only give you a harsher punishment..." "So you think it was me who hurt that baby as well?" Laura's voice was hoarse. James swallowed. In the end, he chose to remain silent. Such a reaction caused Laura's heart to ache even more. It was as if someone was driving a blunt knife into her heart. She looked at him with red, teary eyes. "I've only got one question for you. Do you believe me or not?" James furrowed his brows. There was a trace of anger in his voice that he himself didn't even notice. "Laura, the evidence was right there in front of me. How do you expect me to believe you? Didn't I tell you to give me a little more time? Why did you have to make a scene?" Tears suddenly started trickling down Laura's face. She thought the pain couldn't get any worse, but she was wrong. She quickly turned around to prevent James from seeing the state she was in. "You'd better leave." Laura's voice was so quiet that James could hardly hear her. "Please just give me a little more time, alright?" James's voice softened. "Things will soon go back to the way they used to be." 'The way they used to be?' Laura closed her eyes. 'Do you really think that's possible?' James now had Jessica and two children. He had chosen to hurt Laura time after time for them. Laura turned around slowly so that she had her back to James. She didn't want to say a single word to him. James gently caressed her hair. "Get some rest. I'll be right here by your side." Before James could say anything else, a nurse rushed into the ward in a panic. "Mr. Lawson! Miss Rane is crying and saying that she wants to see you..." James furrowed his brows and hesitated for a while before finally standing up. "I'll be right back, Laura." But he never came back to the ward after he had left. The day that Laura was discharged from the hospital, it was raining heavily. Laura stood at the hospital entrance and looked at James driving slowly towards her. As soon as she opened the passenger seat door, she saw Jessica sitting there with the baby in her arms. "James..." Jessica looked at her and immediately nudged towards James. "I... I'm still scared of her from what happened last time..." Her eyes were red, and her voice was trembling. "She can hurt me, but not the child. Can you... give me a little more time? I don't want to be in the same car as her." Laura stood in the rain, trembling. James remained silent for a while. Then, he passed Laura an umbrella. "Wait here for me, Laura. I'll be back to pick you up soon." With that said, he closed the window, and the car drove into the distance. Laura stood where she was and watched as the car disappeared into the distance. She closed her eyes. Deep down, she felt an emptiness that she had never felt before. She waited outside the hospital for an entire day, but the car that had promised to return to pick her up never returned. Laura called James time after time, but he never answered. As the sky became darker, the rain also became heavier. She had no choice but to walk home using the umbrella to shield her from the heavy rain. The strong wind almost broke the umbrella, causing Laura to stumble. She then suddenly slipped and fell into a puddle. The umbrella landed on the ground with a loud crack and broke. The rain immediately soaked Laura. When she finally arrived home, it was already the middle of the night. She stood soaked in the foyer, but heard Jessica's cries coming from the living room. "James, I know you like Laura, but these are special circumstances right now..." Her voice was soft and trembling. "I have a plugged duct, and it really hurts. The baby needs milk..." She sobbed. "Please, do it for the baby. Help me... Don't worry. Laura will never know..." Laura froze when she heard those words. The blood seemed to have stopped flowing through her veins. James had his back to the door, so Laura couldn't see the look on his face. All she could see was his tense figure. After a long silence, Laura saw James slowly raise his left hand and unbutton Jessica's clothes. He raised his hand to touch her soft skin and then began lowering his head. Chapter 5 Laura stood frozen where she was, as if struck by lightning. She watched as James leaned in and sucked Jessica's nipple. Time seemed to have slowed down. Every second that passed made her heart ache. A while later, Jessica moaned coquettishly and placed her hand on James's head. "I want some help with the other side as well..." James frowned. "I thought the other side was alright." Jessica didn't say anything else. She just wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his face towards her other breast. After a short pause, James lowered his head again. Laura couldn't stand the sight anymore. She turned on her heels and rushed out of the house. The heavy rain soaked her from head to toe, but she didn't feel cold at all. All she could think of was their first night together. James held her in his arms like she was his most precious treasure. His voice was hoarse as he said, "Laura, you're my first woman and will also be my last..." But now, he was kissing another woman. The pain was excruciating and caused her to bend down. Laura felt like someone was ripping her heart apart from the inside out. 'James Lawson, you've not kept any of your promises. Since that's the case, then why did you have to barge into my life and mess everything up?' Laura exclaimed inwardly. She wrapped her arms around her legs as she squatted in the rain, and her legs gradually became numb. She only headed back into the villa after all the lights inside were switched off. In the middle of the night, she suddenly started burning up with a fever. Whilst being half-conscious, Laura seemed to have heard James's gentle voice from next door. "Be good, sweetheart. Let Daddy tell you a bedtime story..." It was obvious that he was talking to the child in Jessica's womb. What James was doing was exactly like what he had promised Laura, but he wasn't telling Laura's baby stories right now; he was telling stories to Jessica's baby. After what seemed like forever, Laura felt that someone was calling her name. "Laura? Laura?" Laura slowly opened her eyes and saw James sitting on the side of the bed with some medicine in his hands. She then closed her eyes and refused to look at James. "I'll leave the meds and water here, Laura." There was a short pause. "Jessica's pregnant, and there's also a baby that she has to take care of. You'd... better stay in your room for the next couple of days so that you don't pass it on to them. Your door will be locked, and the servants will bring you food or whatever you need." With that said, James turned to leave before Laura could say anything else. He left the room and went to take care of Jessica and their children. When Laura heard the clicking of the door, she suddenly laughed. She gradually laughed louder and louder, but in the end, the laughter turned into a heart-wrenching cry. Everything felt like a total joke. She used to be his most cherished treasure, but now he locked her up as if she were some kind of dangerous virus. For the next couple of days, no one brought Laura any food or water. The servants had probably received orders from Jessica to do so. Laura's fever didn't break at all. She could only lie on the bed, feeling dazed. She could hear the laughter and happiness on the other side of the door. James and Jessica were watching a film. It was the same film that he had watched with Laura countless times. The two of them were having a candlelight dinner. In the past, James would personally cook something for Laura once every month to give her a surprise. The two of them had even begun to discuss the name of their future child, just like how James would hold Laura in his arms in the past and say gently in her ear, "Laura, if we have a son in the future, let's call him Jake Lawson, if we have a daughter, then let's call her Lauren Lawson. If it's a boy, then the first letter of his name will be J, and if it's a girl, then the first letter of her name will be L." But now, James was naming Jessica's child Jack Lawson. Both of their names began with J, so Jack was a perfect name for their child. Laura lay curled up in bed and was biting the cover so that she wouldn't cry out loud. Chapter 6 Laura's fever burned for three whole days before it finally broke. That was when Laura was allowed to leave her room. It was also the first birthday party of Jessica's daughter. The banquet hall was beautifully decorated and was full of guests. John and Sophia held their granddaughter in their arms with big smiles on their faces. All kinds of luxurious gifts were piled up beside them. "James, this is for Jessica." Sophia handed over a gift box with a smile on her face. Inside was a beautiful diamond ring. The diamond on it seemed to be at least 10 carats. "This is what she deserves for giving us such an adorable granddaughter." James took the ring and put it on Jessica's ring finger. He then said gently, "Thank you." Jessica leaned into his arms shyly. They really did look like a happy family of three. Laura stood in the corner and watched as they took photos together. She also listened to the praises that the guests were giving them. "The child's so adorable. She actually looks like her dad!" "Look at those pretty eyes! She has Jessica's eyes!" "James and Jessica really are a perfect match! Even their kid is so adorable!" Laura's nails dug into the palm of her hands, but she didn't feel the pain at all. "Miss Jackson!" Jessica suddenly walked towards Laura with a sweet smile on her face. "Let's take a photo together." "No need." Laura shook her head. "Oh, come on. Let's not spoil the mood." Jessica grabbed Laura's arm forcefully and pulled her in front of the camera. She then lowered her voice and said, "You see how well James is treating me right now? He'd keep me company every night and tell bedtime stories to my baby and watch me fall asleep..." Laura closed her eyes. She didn't want to listen, nor did she want to retort. Click! As soon as the photographer pressed the shutter on the camera, the photo string wall suddenly collapsed. "Watch out!" James rushed over and pulled Laura away. The giant wall just missed Laura, but Jessica was buried underneath. There was also blood on the floor. "Jessica!" James immediately let go of Laura and rushed over to Jessica like crazy. Outside the operating room, James smoked one cigarette after another. Laura looked at how worried he was and remembered when she had acute appendicitis. Back then, he had also stayed outside the operating room the whole night. "Mr. Lawson, the patient is suffering from massive bleeding!" The doctor rushed out of the operating room. "We don't have enough blood reserved at the hospital. We need someone to donate blood right away!" "Use mine." James rolled up one of his sleeves. "We can't use your blood. You're Type AB, but the patient's Type O." After hearing those words, James immediately turned around and looked at Laura. She was completely stunned by his gaze. She quickly took a step back and said in a trembling voice, "I'm not giving her any of my blood." "Laura!" James grabbed her arm. His eyes were sharp. "Now's not the time to be sulking. She's still pregnant. We won't be able to leave if anything happens to her, do you understand?" Laura's heart skipped a beat. 'Is he worried about not being able to leave, or is he actually worried about the child?' wondered Laura. "What if I say no?" she asked quietly. James's face darkened immediately. "Jessica's injured because I went to save you. Since you're the one who's benefited from my actions, what's wrong with you donating a little blood?" He looked at Laura with eyes full of disappointment. "Why have you become so unreasonable, Laura?" Laura's eyes turned red. Did she change at all? It was James who had said that she was the only person he would love. It was he who promised that he would only marry her and no one else. It was also he who stood in the rain and begged her to believe him. But now, he was saying that she had become unreasonable? "So... are you regretting the fact that you chose to save me instead of Jessica. Is that it?" Laura's voice was trembling. "So if you had another chance, you would save Jessica instead of me, right?" James was a little taken aback. "What nonsense are you talking about?" "The patient's condition is critical!" the doctor urged. "We might not be able to save either the mother or the baby if you keep dragging this on!" James's eyes turned cold and turned to his bodyguards. "Take her to the blood donation room!" When Laura was pinned to the chair, she was still struggling. But when she saw the worry in James's eyes as they were fixed in the direction of the operating room, she suddenly stopped struggling. The pain of the needle being pushed into her veins was nowhere near the pain that she was feeling in her heart at that moment. Blood was gradually drawn from her body, but James didn't even spare her a glance. When the blood drawn from Laura reached 400cc, the nurse began to hesitate. "She's too weak..." "Keep going." James didn't even turn around. When the blood drawn from Laura reached 600cc, she felt like she was going to black out. Just before she lost consciousness, she thought she had gone back in time to the day when she first met James. James was standing in front of her stall and was smiling at her. "The name's James Lawson. I'll be back tomorrow." After that, Laura lost consciousness. When Laura woke up again, the first thing she saw was James sitting by the side of the bed. She thought he would try to comfort her just like before to ask for her forgiveness, but when she looked at him, all she saw was the coldness in his eyes. "Was the collapsing of the photo string wall your doing?" James said straightforwardly. His voice was colder than ever. Chapter 7 Laura was stunned by James's question. "What do you mean?" "My parents looked into the matter and found out that someone had tampered with the photo string wall." James's eyes were sharper than ever. "Who else, except you, would set Jessica up like that?" James's words sent chills down Laura's back. "I'll say this one more time. It wasn't me! Not this time, not the time before, not the time before that! Do you believe me?" "You ask me to believe you every time, but what do you go and do?" James's eyes were colder than ever. "You've set Jessica up countless times and tried to hurt her child. How many times did I tell you? I'm only treating her well because of the children. Why did you have to keep making a scene? What good would it do us if she had a miscarriage?" Laura's chest heaved up and down. She felt both angry and aggrieved. She wanted to question James and wanted to retort. She also wanted to shout at the top of her voice to tell him that she never wanted to hurt anyone. She wanted to ask James if he had forgotten that he said that he would believe no one else but her. Had he forgotten that he promised to never doubt her? But in the end, she just looked at him wearily and said slowly in a trembling voice, "Alright, since you don't believe me, then let's break up. I'll let you be with Jessica. You can be a happy family of four!" James was stunned. His eyes widened in shock. "What did you just say?" "Did I not make myself clear enough?" Laura looked at James stubbornly with red eyes. "I'm making room for you and Jessica!" Bang! James kicked the coffee table over, and the glass shattered. He grabbed Laura's wrist. The anger was evident in his eyes. "Laura! What nonsense are you talking about? You've always been the one that I love! And you're now telling me to be with another woman?" Laura kept looking at James with red eyes and didn't say anything else. The standoff lasted for quite a while. James took a deep breath to force himself to calm down. He pulled Laura into his arms. "I'll pretend I never heard that. Jessica has already forgiven you, so I won't hold it against you anymore." He tightened his hold on Laura. "But remember, don't ever say things like you're going to leave me again. Everything that I'm doing right now is so that we can leave this place together." What Laura didn't tell James was that she had already made up her mind about leaving. "She just forgives me like that?" asked Laura. "Were there no conditions?" James's body stiffened. He lit a cigarette and said slowly, "She... wants to hold a wedding. She said that she wants her children to know that her parents had loved each other at some point and were married." After a short pause, he turned around to look at Laura and continued, "But the wedding's all just an act. We're only doing it for the children. Don't overthink things." Laura trembled as they parted, but she didn't know what to say. She felt as if an invisible hand was wrapped around her heart. Every beat caused excruciating pain. 'James Lawson, you and Jessica already have kids, and now you're going to hold a wedding with her? And you expect me to believe that everything between the two of you is fake? Who is she to you then?' Laura said inwardly. James was still saying something, but Laura felt that his voice had become distant. Laura watched as James kept hurting her with his words. She didn't say another word. James took care of Laura at the hospital for three whole days. During those three days, he did everything he could to take care of her. He would always make sure that she took her medicine on time every day. Whenever Laura moved the slightest during the night, he would wake up and hold her hand. He would only fall asleep again when he was sure that she was fine. Whenever a nurse was giving Laura an injection, James would hold her in his arms and use his hand to cover her eyes. Then he would say in a gentle voice, "It's alright. It'll be over soon." But after Laura was discharged, he went back to preparing the wedding. To prevent her from making a scene, James even confiscated her phone and sent bodyguards to keep an eye on her 24/7. Laura didn't resist and was just packing her luggage indifferently. After Laura had finished packing her luggage, she began donating everything that James had ever given her over the years. Those things never belonged to her in the first place, just like she and James were from two different worlds. On the day of the wedding, James gave Laura her phone back. It was filled with photos that Jessica had sent. There were photos of James wearing a suit and gently putting the wedding ring on Jessica's ring finger. There were photos of the two of them kissing passionately in front of the crowd. There were photos of the family of four cutting the cake happily. Every photo made Laura's heart ache as if it were being cut into pieces. Just when Laura was about to switch off her phone, the door to her room was pushed open. John and Sophia were standing at the door and looking at her with cold eyes. "All the paperwork's done. You'll now head to the airport and leave on the next flight." Sophia passed Laura a plane ticket. "You have my word that once you leave, he'll never be able to find you." Laura took the plane ticket without saying a word, then picked up the luggage that she had already packed. When she walked out of the villa, the sun was shining. She didn't look back. She walked slowly towards the car parked on the side of the road. She didn't say goodbye to James because they would never see each other again for the rest of their lives.