After a moment of hesitation, Virginia finally spoke, her voice strained.
"It's just... the wedding is already prepared. But with your condition now, you might have to—"
"Find someone to take my place. The Stuart family must not lose face."
I knew exactly what she wanted to say.
Rather than letting myself be placed in a passive position, it was better to take control. At the very least, I could maintain my dignity.
Virginia was momentarily stunned by my unexpected response. But since she had already gotten what she wanted, she chose not to press the matter further.
Just then, her phone rang.
She glanced at the screen, then looked at me in surprise.
"Bryan, what documents did you cancel?"
I swiftly deleted the message and replied calmly,
"Nothing important. Just some expired documents—I’ll renew them online."
She didn't dwell on it. Instead, she hugged me tighter, her voice filled with concern.
"You’re not in the best condition right now. If you need anything, just tell me—I’ll handle it for you."
"Virginia, I want to leave the hospital."
Her expression tensed instantly.
"No. Your body hasn’t fully recovered yet. I don’t agree."
I reached out and gently caressed her cheek, a faint smile playing on my lips.
"Didn’t you say you wanted to take me to adopt a child? There’s a nanny at home to help out, and I’ll be fine. I just want to visit the welfare home. Please?"
In five years of being together, this was the first time I had ever acted vulnerable in front of her.
She couldn't resist. With a reluctant sigh, she finally gave in.
On the way there, she took out a box of cakes she had prepared in advance and placed them in front of me one by one.
She claimed she bought them, especially for me.
But the packaging, clearly marked as suitable for young children, made my chest tighten.
Silently, I closed the bag, tossed the cakes to the backseat, and shut my eyes, feigning discomfort.
This charade had gone on for five years. It was time to end it.
As soon as we arrived at the welfare home, I sat in a wheelchair.
Before I could even take in my surroundings, a little girl came running up and clung tightly to Virginia’s leg.
She looked up at her, eyes sparkling with joy, and called out over and over again, "Mommy!"
Virginia’s face paled, panic flickering in her eyes. She quickly turned to me, her voice laced with urgency.
"Don’t misunderstand. I’ve been sponsoring this welfare home, and I’ve visited a few times before. She’s an orphan—she just got attached to me and started calling me that."
I nodded and smiled, reaching out to gently touch the child’s face.
"She looks a lot like you. If you hadn’t told me otherwise, I would’ve assumed she was your daughter."
"What’s her name?"
"Cassie. She’s the one I plan to adopt."
Before she could say anything else, Cassie suddenly burst into tears and cried out, "Daddy!"
Virginia’s expression turned deathly white in an instant.
She glanced at me nervously, trying to gauge my reaction.
I met her gaze with an easy smile.
"I’m fine. Go comfort her. She’s a beautiful child—I like her too."
My words seemed to reassure her.
Without another thought, Virginia carried Cassie into the office, leaving me alone.
Seizing the opportunity, I excused myself, pretending I needed to use the bathroom.
Outside, the voices of the welfare home staff drifted through the hallway.
"Why is Virginia pretending her child is an orphan? Look at those clothes—each piece costs more than my monthly salary. Who would believe she’s not from a wealthy family?"
"You don’t get it. Virginia planned all of this. It’s the only way to get the child into the Stuart family without raising suspicion. Be careful of what you say outside—Mr. Klein mustn’t find out."
"Figures. Virginia has always loved Mr. Wheeler the most. Back in college, they used to visit this place together all the time. I saw it with my own eyes. Guess it finally worked out for them. A man and a woman spending nights together… you do the math."
Laughter, laced with suggestive undertones, echoed through the hallway.
A sharp pain stabbed through my chest, suffocating me.
I gripped the wheels of my chair and moved closer to the office door.
Inside, a familiar voice spoke in a hushed tone.
"Is she good to you?"
"Very. But since she spends most of her time abroad, there are things she doesn’t know about. It’s actually better this way—she’ll never find out about Cassie. Ironically, she’s even pushing for us to have a child together."
