Chapter 10

At the class party, Cornelia, as Parker's nominal wife, sat beside him, but subconsciously kept a small distance between them. Invisibly, Parker suddenly felt that Cornelia had grown much farther away from him. For some reason, he felt a slight discomfort in his heart. Cornelia accepted all the toasts from her old friends and even chatted with them cheerfully. Clearly, their relationship had never been this close before, so why was Cornelia drinking all their toasts? For a moment, Parker couldn't figure out what he was thinking. But he steadied himself and sat beside her, pretended not to notice, and remained silent. Given Parker's personality and status, no one dared to toast him, and even his presence there was unexpected. As he watched Cornelia grow increasingly intoxicated yet still insist on drinking, Parker’s expression grew stiff. He wanted to help Cornelia leave, but in the next moment, as if he’d thought of something, he took the phone from Cornelia’s hand and dialed Murphy’s number. Murphy arrived shortly afterward, picked Cornelia up in his arms, and left. Parker stood in the shadows, feeling the cold wind and watching them for a long time. This was the first time he felt so frustrated. But he also knew how much Cornelia loved him, so he was sure nothing would happen between them this time. He stopped thinking about it and turned to find Edith. Cornelia was buried in Murphy's arms, her consciousness unclear as she tugged at his collar. As Parker turned away, she kissed Murphy on the lips, ... The room was filled with sensuality. When Parker returned , he saw the tidy room and felt a sense of relief. Sure enough, nothing had happened. Cornelia with nothing to do and in a good mood, was casually pruning flower branches in the greenhouse. Suddenly, a figure followed her inside, and the greenhouse door was closed from the outside. Before she even turned around, she guessed it was Murphy. “Did you miss me?” Murphy embraced Cornelia and kissed her forehead. Lately, he had been busy with his thesis, so the number of times he came to meet Cornelia privately had decreased. Cornelia didn't speak; she responded with a kiss filled with longing. The two kissed passionately in the greenhouse, accidentally knocking over some delicate flowers. Cornelia had already given up hope long ago. She accepted every opportunity Parker created, meeting with Murphy time and again. Parker always thought nothing had happened between them and continued to find ways to create opportunities for them. Until Cornelia noticed she was getting more and more sleepy and her appetite was waning, she immediately had her suspicions. She quickly went to the hospital for a test, and sure enough, the results came back. Three days later. It was Parker’s birthday. Cornelia hosted a banquet for him, inviting all the prominent families in their social circle. The room was filled with the scent of perfume and the clinking of glasses. Mr. Greene approached Parker with a glass of champagne and spoke earnestly once more: “Look at the wonderful wife you’ve married. I’ll overlook those past mistakes.” “On the other hand, Edith isn’t just socially unacceptable—she’s also overly calculating. She pales in comparison to Cornelia. Everyone has seen how much Cornelia has loved you and sacrificed for you over the years. You should break up with Edith immediately, cherish Cornelia and live a good life with her. Otherwise, if she were to leave you, you would regret it.” Upon hearing this, Parker couldn't help but glance at Cornelia, who was entertaining guests nearby. Suddenly, he thought, if he were to tell Mr. Greene about his recent actions, he might faint on the spot from anger. Fortunately, Cornelia loved him too much to have anything happen between her and Murphy. He couldn't let go of Edith, but for Cornelia's sake, he would give her a child himself. This way, he could silence the gossip at home and give Cornelia something to rely on for the rest of her life. He made up his mind. Half an hour later, it was time to exchange gifts. The people in the circle were either wealthy or noble, so the gifts they brought were naturally of high quality. But no matter how expensive the gifts were, Parker merely smiled faintly and placed them on the table. Only the gift from Edith did he carefully accept, then instruct the servant to put it away. Cornelia stood nearby, watched and gave a cold smile. After the gifts were exchanged, Parker was about to cut the cake when a woman’s voice suddenly interrupted him. “Wait a moment, I haven’t given my gift yet.” Upon hearing this, everyone turned around to see that it was Parker’s wife, Cornelia. Parker spoke indifferently, “Your gift can be given privately.” He knew that once Cornelia gave her gift, Edith's would pale in comparison. He didn't want his beloved to be criticized. Cornelia smiled slightly, “Of course not. I've prepared this gift for a long time, and you'll definitely like it.” Though Cornelia always put extra effort into her gifts each year, this time, hearing those words, Parker felt an uneasy premonition, as if she were implying something. Before he could speak, Cornelia had already stepped forward. In front of everyone, she handed the gifts in her hands one by one to him. Parker hesitated for a moment before opening them one by one. But the moment he opened them, his pupils suddenly contracted. Inside lay only two things. One was a divorce agreement! The other was a pregnancy test result!