Chapter 5

Silas had no idea what had happened these few days. All he knew was that Lester was madly in love with Margaret. As Margaret watched the doctor lift Lester onto the bed and wheel him out, a lump welled up in her throat. She couldn't say a word. She wondered who was the one suffering here. No one knew how much pain she was going through. She closed her eyes. She lay still on the bed, yet the agony swallowed her whole. Tears streamed down her face, soaking the sheets beneath her. Who could come save her? She felt like she was dying as well… When Lester woke up, Margaret was staring at him with red-rimmed eyes. He immediately grabbed her hand. "Margie!" "I want to go home," she whispered, finally speaking to him after all this time. Realizing she was no longer resisting him, Lester was thrilled. He hugged her tightly and replied, "Alright, let's go home." She stared into the distance, not bothering to break free. Just because Margaret wanted to go home, he couldn't even bother to stay and recover at the hospital. He brought her home right away. After being discharged, he scooped her up into his arms and carried her straight to their car outside. Along the way, the hospital staff had been gushing over how loving he was. But Margaret seemed unaffected by Lester's tender care. … Once they were back home, Lester gently laid her on the bed. "Staying at the hospital these days must've been boring, right? Grandpa's birthday party is in two days. I'll take you there for a change of view, okay?" Margaret said nothing. She didn't reject him either. A twinge of helplessness prickled at Lester. Still, he ruffled her hair and pulled her into his arms. … Two days later, Lester and Margaret arrived at Logan Hamilton's birthday party. Logan's party was brimming with people. The moment Margaret, dressed in a green dress, was wheeled in by Lester, many eyes turned toward her. But with Lester by her side, no one dared to whisper a word. Little did they know that after her accident, instead of being cast aside, Margaret was showered with even more affection. Lester had been attentive toward her the whole time, but she remained quiet. She only spoke when she gave Logan his gift. "Happy birthday, Mr. Hamilton Senior. May all your wishes come true." Logan had watched them grow up. Glancing at her legs, he couldn't help but sigh as he accepted her gift in silence. Margaret knew that ever since the car accident, she was no longer the ideal granddaughter-in-law to the Hamilton family. The only reason no one dared to interfere was because of Lester's unwavering determination to marry her. He was even willing to cut ties with his family. Faced with such resolve, no one dared to stand in his way. But Lester still had to entertain other guests. He couldn't stay by her side the entire time. She was wheeled into the yard, where she stared blankly at the night sky. The moon shone brightly, but since her accident, everything in her world had lost its appeal. Suddenly, hushed voices drifted from the nearby corridor. "What's so good about a cripple? Lester must be insane." "Margaret's really shameless for not breaking off the engagement." "But she's gorgeous. Tasting her even once would be worth it. If I tied her to a bed, she couldn't even run." The men cackled at their lecherous jokes, but Margaret's blood ran cold. In the next instant, their laughter was abruptly cut off. The dull sound of a fist landing on a body echoed through the corridor, followed by startled cries. "Lester, stop!" Margaret wheeled herself toward the commotion. At the end of the corridor, a crowd had already gathered. Having heard the men's filthy remarks about her, Lester was now beating them senseless. Seething, he landed blow after blow with full force. His fists were already bloodied, and it took four or five men to pull him away. He glared at the half-conscious men and snarled, "Run your mouths again, and I'll cripple you!" He turned and spotted Margaret not far away. Panic flashed in his eyes as he strode toward her. Lester reached out to hold her but froze when he realized his hands were covered in blood. Pulling back, he snatched a tissue from a maid and wiped them quickly. "Margie, did I scare you?" At that moment, Margaret was reminded of the 18-year-old Lester. He was defiant and bold back then, beating up a boy who had harassed her until he was barely conscious. He'd also asked her right after if he had scared her. But the next second, his phone rang. His expression changed. He didn't even have time to comfort her as he hastily said, "Margie, I'll have someone take you home. I have something to deal with. I need to go."