Chapter 5 

The next day, at the hotel, Nathaniel waited backstage for the wedding ceremony to begin, distracted by my absence. He assumed I was sulking and felt an unfamiliar nostalgia. 

I’d grown up pampered too, and whenever I threw tantrums as a child, it took him ages to coax me out of them. He couldn’t remember when I’d stopped throwing tantrums–or when he’d stopped trying to comfort me. 

Nathaniel impulsively texted me: 

“Ruby, I might have been a bit harsh that day, but you caused Vivienne to miscarry and lose her chance at motherhood–I had to make things right for her.” 

“I’ll find the best cosmetic surgeons for you. You won’t have scars. You’re still my woman, after all. I’ll take care of you for life as long as you don’t challenge Vivienne again. Be good, okay?” 

When I didn’t reply, he felt increasingly agitated. Recalling how I’d suddenly started calling him “brother” again, as if distancing myself, his irritation grew. 

Until Mrs. Grey arrived, he immediately asked: 

“Grandma, where’s Ruby? Is she still upset about the dress shop incident? I’ve already tried making peace, but she’s being stubborn as usual…” 

The next second, Mrs. Grey slapped him hard across the face: 

“You bastard! How dare you even mention her name?” 

“Ruby’s gone abroad to marry someone else. She’ll never bother you again. Happy now?!” 

Nathaniel stood stunned for a moment before laughing dismissively: 

“Grandma, aren’t you too old for jokes like this?” 

“Everyone in Avalon City knows Ruby’s been in love with me for over a decade–she’d never marry anyone else. She’s just upset about Vivienne taking her wedding dress, so she made up this marriage story and ran away to sulk, right? Fine, after the wedding, I’ll go comfort her. Will that do?” 

With that, Mrs. Grey slapped him again, throwing a stack of papers in his face. 

The Golden Cage: Murry the billiquair na Bury lii? 

Chapter 5 

“Joking? Open your damn eyes and look at what you’ve done!” 

“You killed your own child and nearly killed Ruby too! She was born with a blood clotting disorder. yet you had her cut forty times! You knew she loved you for ten years, and even if you didn’t love her back, how could you be so cruel?!” 

Nathaniel dubiously picked up the papers. As he read their contents, his body went rigid–they were hospital reports–my miscarriage certificate and a critical condition notice issued after excessive blood loss due to my abnormally low blood clotting function. 

“Nate?” Vivienne appeared wearing the wedding dress my grandma designed for me, taking his arm. 

Nathaniel mumbled: “She really was pregnant? That’s impossible. I made her take contraceptives. and the doctor said Vivienne was the pregnant one. How could…” 

Vivienne saw the reports in his hand, a flash of cruelty crossing her eyes before she feigned shock, covering her mouth: 

“Oh my God, Ruby was actually pregnant?” 

“Nate, this isn’t your fault. How could you know the contraceptives didn’t work? And you didn’t know about her blood disorder either. Ruby’s always been a liar–how could you tell if she was telling the truth? She only mentioned it when she was afraid of getting cut!” 

Nathaniel suddenly remembered that he did know about my condition. 

When we were very young, he’d taken me out to play. I fell and scraped my knee on a rock. That day, I was rushed to emergency. 

His grandma told him I wasn’t like other children–even the smallest wound could be life–threatening. I needed to be protected and cherished. 

He cried all night at my bedside. When I finally woke up, he stared at me with swollen eyes like walnuts and swore: “Ruby, I’ll protect you from now on. I’ll never let you get hurt again.” 

But how had he forgotten? 

Back then, that tiny wound had me in emergency treatment for hours. He’d ordered forty cuts on my body, and yet…remembering the blood soaked bathroom floor when he left, Nathaniel felt an indescribable fear and dread, as if he’d lost something irreplaceable. 

“Nate, our wedding’s about to start. We should go in,” Vivienne urged. 

150 C 

The Golden Cage: Marry the Billionaire of Bury Hlav 

Chapter 5 

But Nathaniel suddenly pushed her away, frantically turning to his grandma: 

“Grandma, how is Ruby? Is she alright? Which hospital is she in? I need to see her…” 

Mrs. Grey looked at him coldly, her voice dripping with sarcasm: 

“Now you’re worried? Too late. Like I said, Ruby doesn’t want to see you again. She’s married someone abroad. The ceremony just ended. Her life has nothing to do with you anymore!” 

15:10