Chapter 2

Catherine hadn't expected Samuel to go this far because of Natalie. He would even harm his own wife just to win Natalie's heart. Overwhelmed by the tormenting pain, Catherine wanted to say something. But her vision went black, and she passed out. When she regained her consciousness, she could feel an excruciating pain in the back of her head. She struggled to open her eyes, only to be greeted by an unfamiliar sight of the ceiling. She couldn't even tell how long it had been. "Mrs. Lynch, you're awake." A cold voice rang out. Catherine turned around and saw Natalie standing next to her bed while holding a first-aid kit. She wore a basic white T-shirt and denim pants. Her hair was tied into a ponytail, and she had no makeup on. Yet, she looked so youthful. "I'm your caregiver, Natalie Sullivan." Natalie looked composed, but her tone sounded distant. "Although I've moved in, please make sure Mr. Lynch behaves himself. If he does anything out of line again, I'll leave right away." Catherine felt a sharp pain in her chest. It was such an irony. Natalie had moved into her house, yet she wanted Catherine, the lady of the house, to make sure her husband behaved himself. "I want another caregiver." Catherine's voice was hoarse. As though she hadn't heard it, Natalie took out a syringe. "I'll give you the anti-inflammatory shot now." When Natalie pushed the needle in for the first time, she couldn't detect the vein. The second time, she positioned the needle at the wrong angle, and a bump immediately formed on the back of Catherine's hand. Catherine's hand started bleeding when Natalie pushed the needle in for the third time. "Let someone else do it if you don't know how to handle this." Catherine's voice trembled from the pain. Natalie's eyes turned red and she questioned stubbornly, "What do you mean? If not because my grandma is severely ill, I wouldn't want to be here." As she said that, she wanted to grab Catherine's hand again. This time, the needle pierced through her skin, and blood dripped down her pale wrist. Catherine couldn't stand the pain anymore and shoved her away. "That's enough! Don't touch me!" Natalie stumbled backward and knocked the medicine tray over. The glass bottles shattered into pieces. Just then, the door was pushed open forcefully, and Samuel strode in. "What's wrong?" He swept his gaze across the two before fixing his eyes on Natalie, who had stumbled on the floor. His expression changed at once. "If I'm not welcome here, I'll leave!" Natalie's eyes were red as she stood up to get out of the room. Samuel immediately tugged at her. "Who said so?" Natalie struggled to shake his hand off. "Your wife! I was giving her a shot, but she pushed me! I'm not skilled in doing this, and you knew that from the start!" Samuel swiftly looked at Catherine's swollen hand. A distressed look flickered in his eyes, but he relented when he turned to look at Natalie. "What should we do so that you'll stay?" he asked, putting his pride aside. Natalie raised her chin. "I hate it when rich people like you act so superior. I want her to apologize to me." "Cathy." Samuel turned to Catherine, his voice firm. "Apologize to her." Catherine stared at him in disbelief. "I was hurt because of her, but you want me to apologize?" Samuel's eyes dimmed. "If you refuse, think about your parents' company." Catherine felt a chill down her spine. "Are you… threatening me for her?" "Cathy, it's only an apology. It won't hurt you. Are you really going to sit by and watch your parents' company go bankrupt?" he questioned. At that moment, Catherine felt as though someone was stabbing her heart, over and over again. She bit her lips hard until a metallic taste filled her mouth. Seeing how Samuel had grown colder, Catherine realized that he was serious. She struggled to get up from bed and put up with the humiliation before she said to Natalie, "I'm sorry." Frowning, Natalie retorted, "Is that how the rich apologize? It was so soft." Catherine's nails dug into her palms, and she raised her voice. "I'm sorry! Are you happy now?" The tension on Samuel's face eased a little after he saw Natalie nod reluctantly. Then, he persuaded her to apply the medicine. When the door was closed, Catherine couldn't hold it in anymore. She slumped to the ground and cried in silence. She fumbled out an aged love letter under the pillow and lit up the lighter with her trembling hand. As the fire consumed the 96th love letter, the sight of the 16-year-old Samuel writing the letter appeared in her mind. Under the magnolia tree on the campus, his ears were red as he gave her the letter. "Cathy, will you be my girlfriend? I'll treat you well for the rest of my life." Just as the flames were about to go out, the door was pushed open suddenly. "What are you burning?"