Chapter 314
“Richard, I’m begging you, please?‘ She hoped Ire might grant Isabella a chance at life for the sake of their long marriage.
Richard’s gaze shifted to Catherine, his eyes cold and shadowed as they locked with hers for
‘What is she to you? he finally asked. ‘Why are you helping her like this?”
moment.
The moment those words left his mouth, Catherine felt as if she’d plunged into icy water: he must know the truth!
She stared at Richard’s still seemingly calm demeanor with shock.
‘You know, don’t you?” she asked, her eyes reddening with fear. ‘You’ve known all along and deliberately pretended not to, just to watch me humiliate myself, haven’t you?”
“This cruel tactic of pretending ignorance while watching me make a fool of myself–how vicious!” she thought bitterly. “Richard, you truly are a Harding man. All of you, equally heartless and ruthless!
“You could have confronted me the moment you walked in!” she continued, her voice rising with emotion. “But instead, you chose to say nothing, watching me scramble like a clown trying to hide the truth. You’re so cruel! Did you enjoy watching me perform like a monkey for your entertainment? Did that give you some sick sense of satisfaction?”
Catherine’s face contorted with rage, the once elegant and virtuous Mrs. Harding completely vanished.
Her eyes blazed with fury as she unleashed years of suppressed resentment toward Richard, every word making her heart bleed.
When her sister had died, this man had been so devastated he’d fainted multiple times from grief. Back then, she’d thought men capable of such profound love were rare in this world. When her mother told her to marry him, she had readily agreed, believing that being with someone so devoted and faithful was a blessing.
But after the marriage, she’d discovered the truth: Richard was polite yet distant, treating her more like a business partner than a wife. You give me money, I manage your household and play the role of Mrs. Harding.
Everyone on the outside thought she lived a glamorous, happy life. Only she knew the reality: Richard had barely touched her. They were spouses in name only, more like roommates sharing a house.
He always treated her like a guest–cold, distant, and scrutinizing.
For nearly thirty years, she had walked on eggshells, striving to be a good wife. But the bitterness behind that seemingly perfect facade was known only to-
her.
She felt her entire life had been nothing but a cruel joke.
‘Richard, in all our years together, did you ever love me?” she demanded, tears streaming down her face. “You kept calling me your wife, but did you ever truly care about me?”
The most poisonous knife had finally pierced Catherine’s heart.
For nearly three decades, Richard had encased Catherine in an exquisite glass dome with his coldness disguised as devotion, allowing her to live surrounded by golden splendor.
Now the glass was shattering, and everything had turned into an illusion. Catherine collapsed to the floor, hands clutching her aching knees, sobbing so hard she nearly broke apart.
Richard neither struck nor cursed her. His cold indifference was more painful than any physical blow could have been.
“I don’t even deserve his anger?” she realized. “I mean absolutely nothing to him!”
Richard allowed her to cry, remaining silent for several long moments. Finally, he spoke calmly: “If you want me to save your daughter, it’s not impossible.
Chapter 314
Seeing a glimmer of hope, Catherine shifted from her kneeling position to sit on the floor, looking up at him with desperate expectation,
“Whatever the condition, I’ll agree to it! Just please, save Isabella!
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