Chapter 6

So, Ingrid wasn't content with just provoking Penelope through text messages anymore. She even decided to show up in person and challenge her like this. Penelope wasn't interested. She just frowned and turned to leave. However, Ingrid maintained her infuriatingly innocent act and kept getting in Penelope's way. "Penelope, do you like the photos and videos I've been sending you? I bet Ricky has never treated you like that. You're just an old hag with no boobs or butt to make up for anything." Penelope stopped in her steps and smiled softly at Ingrid. "Indeed, I'm no match for someone like you. You're just a squeaky toy who won't stop squawking without a dick in your mouth." Hearing that, Ingrid's innocent face immediately turned ugly, her eyes filling with hatred. "Ricky told me before that he's only marrying you because he pities you for being an orphan. I bet if your parents were alive, they'd still kill themselves because you're such a pushover—ahh!" Penelope slapped Ingrid hard on the cheek. Ingrid nursed her smarting cheek and glared at Penelope, her eyes full of disdain. "Penelope Sanders! You only dare hit me because you're still a softie around Ricky who won't even dare to speak up against him! No wonder your parents are dead and nobody else wants you! It's not surprising, considering all the crazy things you do!" Penelope couldn't be bothered to answer her. She raised her hand again, but before she could slap Ingrid, Ingrid tilted over in her seat and fell to the ground. When Penelope came back to her senses, Ingrid was already cradling her stomach on the floor. Some blood trickled out from her lower abdomen. Before Penelope could even take her phone out to dial for an ambulance, someone shouted from behind her, "Iggy!" It was Eric's voice. Penelope was just about to turn around when she was forcefully shoved aside. Her injured waist banged against the edge of a display table, paralyzing her momentarily as the excruciating pain shot straight down her nervous system. She immediately tumbled to the ground. However, Eric, who had shoved her aside, didn't even seem to realize that she had fallen. He just hurriedly staggered toward Ingrid as quickly as he could. Eric hurriedly gathered the half-conscious Ingrid into his arms and comforted her, whispering, "Don't worry, Iggy. I'll send you to the hospital at once. I won't let anything happen to your baby." Ingrid closed her eyes as tears began to fall. "Ricky… Penelope didn't mean to do it…" Eric stiffened at once. It was only then that he caught sight of Penelope on the ground, still in pain. However, he was now shrouded with the panic and anxiety of possibly losing his child and couldn't be bothered to check on Penelope. He didn't even realize that Penelope was curled up on the ground in paralyzing pain. He just shot her a dry look and said, "It's an emergency. I'll explain later." Then, he immediately left with Ingrid in his arms. Eric and Ingrid disappeared from view, yet Penelope was still in so much pain she swore she felt the throbbing in her bones. She couldn't stop shaking and wasn't even able to get a single word out. The only thing she could do was stay on the ground in a fetal position, waiting for the pain to ease. The sales staff quickly called for an ambulance. Meanwhile, Penelope gradually lost consciousness on the floor. While in her half-conscious state, she couldn't help but recall the time she first got injured at the waist and how Eric would carry her on his back wherever they went. He always made sure she was well-fed, tucked her up in bed, and did almost everything for her aside from helping her use the bathroom. He just couldn't bear to see her frown or hiss in pain. But now, even though she was suffering from such dreadfully numbing pain, Eric wasn't there for her anymore. … The next time Penelope regained consciousness, she found herself lying on a hospital bed with an IV drip in her hand. There was nobody else in her ward. The pain in her waist had eased up because of the painkillers. However, just the mere thought of the incident earlier was enough to cause another ripple of pain to stab into her heart. Eric had gotten Ingrid pregnant. And he was treating the baby so preciously that he'd choose them over her. Penelope stared up at the bare hospital ceiling until sundown. Her ward gradually turned dark as well, just like her phone, which never lit up with even a single message or call from Eric to check up on her. Just as she was about to fall asleep, her phone lit up with a new text notification from Ingrid. "Thanks to you, the baby's fine now. Wanna come to ward A03 in Central Hospital? I've got a lovely surprise for you!" Penelope knew that she was hospitalized in Central Hospital. After sitting in the dark for a long while, she eventually decided to remove her IV drip and go up to the third floor. The wards on the third floor were relatively quiet, save for Ward A03. Anyone could tell that there was a lot going on inside that ward. Penelope drew her lips in a thin line as she slowly made her way closer. There was a transparent strip on the door to the ward. She stood on her tiptoes to look inside. When she finally understood what was going on inside, she was immediately frozen in place. The ward was crammed full of visitors. Aside from Ingrid lying on the bed and Eric right next to her, there were also Eric's parents, uncles, and aunts. The table next to the bed was also filled with all sorts of supplements and baby shower gifts. Eric's mother, Esther Beech, seemed particularly happy as she pressed a wad of cash into Ingrid's hands. "My dear, I've always known that you'd bring the family great luck. If you give birth to a boy, I'll officially acknowledge you as my daughter-in-law!" Eric's low voice could then be heard. "You'd better keep this among yourselves. The only official daughter-in-law you'll ever get is Penelope." Esther's expression darkened at once. "I don't care. I only care about who gives me a baby first. I heard that Penelope nearly caused Iggy to lose her baby! I'll never acknowledge an evil woman like her as my daughter-in-law!" Eric's aunt and uncle chimed in, "Exactly! I heard that Penelope was orphaned at a young age. People who grew up without their parents are the worst! She's nothing like Iggy, who went through so much pain and hardship for you without a single complaint!" Penelope was still listening in on their conversation on tiptoe outside the door, hearing the Fulmer family diss and humiliate her and her family mercilessly. However, she simply couldn't move. Her feet felt like they had been cast in lead. She couldn't budge an inch. Furious, Eric slammed his fist on the table, giving everyone a shock. His voice was icy, making everyone shiver from the tone. "How many times do I have to say that Penelope is the only one I'll marry and make my wife? If you continue talking shit about her, that means you're also talking shit about me. I don't want to hear any of this again in the future. Capisce?" Esther and the other relatives immediately zipped their mouths and said nothing more when they saw how scary Eric had become.