Chapter 1 I Desire a Child

• "We should get a divorce. You ought to realize, if it weren't for Grandpa's coercion, I wouldn't have agreed to marry you. There's 4.5 million dollars loaded onto this card. Consider it restitution for you."
• Wendalyn Gardner cast her eyes downward, scrutinizing the bank card proffered by her newly-wedded spouse, Timothy Maberry, struggling to contain her ire.
• B*stard! Divorce on our wedding night? Well, this is the first time I've ever seen something like this happen! And to add insult to injury, he's pretending not to recognize me!
• In the countryside a year ago, it was Timothy who had taken advantage of Wendalyn...
• Forget it. He's simply an irresponsible sc*mbag!
• Had it not been for her daughter's illness necessitating a sibling's bone marrow match, she would never have consented to marry him.
• "I cannot accept this card. What I desire is a child."
• She suppressed her voice, fists clenched around her sleeves, feigning hesitation and awkwardness.
• A child?
• Timothy hesitated briefly, a trace of revulsion welling within him.
• This matrimonial union had been arranged by the elder generation.
• How could any affection blossom between two strangers? And how audacious for a woman nurtured by the Gardner Family in the countryside to even consider bearing my child to inherit the Maberry Family's estate. Her greed knows no bounds!
• "My patience wears thin. Do not overstep your bounds. Ponder this proposition carefully." He turned to depart.
• "Don't leave! I'll sign it."
• Wendalyn appeared startled. She grasped the pen tightly, lowered her voice, and uttered in embarrassment, "But I cannot read. Would you mind coming over to teach me how to write my name?"
• Truly, a woman from the countryside incapable of literacy. Timothy's repugnance deepened.
• He approached patiently, circumventing from behind, and grasped Wendalyn's hand wielding the pen.
• Coincidentally, a fragrance wafted into his nostrils.
• Where did I smell this scent before?
• Before he could delve further into his thoughts, he felt Wendalyn's wrist abruptly twist, seizing his hand in return.
• Simultaneously, her left hand swiftly introduced a slender silver needle into his body.
• "Wendalyn, what are you doing?" he exclaimed in astonishment and fury.
• "I've made it clear. I desire a child."
• Wendalyn raised her gaze, revealing a faint smile akin to a triumphant little fox, devoid of the timidity she had exhibited moments before.
• With that, she propelled her hand forward, and the silver needle plunged completely into Timothy's body.
• Timothy's entire being instantaneously numbed, collapsing onto the bed.
• For the ensuing hour, he stared in humiliation and unwillingness, permitting the woman before him to act with impunity, yet powerless to resist.
• Until finally, drained, he succumbed to a profound slumber.
• Two hours later, Timothy awakened, but Wendalyn was nowhere to be found.
• Only a solitary note remained on the bedside table. He retrieved it and glanced at its contents.
• It was a message left by Wendalyn.
• 'Dear Maberry the sc*mbag, no one desires your tainted wealth. Hopefully, we won't see each other anymore! Here's a little note for your consideration. Your skills require refinement.'
• At the bottom of the note lay an elegantly scripted signature—Wendalyn!
• Sc*mbag? How do I become labeled a sc*mbag? It was she who imposed herself on me last night!
• "Wendalyn, I won't let you off!"
• Gritting his teeth, Timothy had uttered those words vehemently, tearing the note to shreds.
• During the first week of Wendalyn's vanishing act, Timothy, brimming with confidence, had dispatched search parties across Quenlydale to no avail.
• In the third month of Wendalyn's disappearance, Timothy had descended into madness, plastering her photo across Twitter, Instagram, and other prominent platforms.
• And he had proclaimed a bounty of 1.5 million dollars for anyone who located Wendalyn!
• But alas, no success.
• It had been as though she had evaporated into thin air.
• Until one year after her disappearance, his assistant, Calvin Lowe, had returned unexpectedly with an infant boy.
• "She indeed bore a child? Where is she?" Timothy had scrutinized the baby, bearing a striking resemblance to himself, with a blend of astonishment and fury.
• "That woman merely entrusted us with this child. She is clueless regarding Mrs. Maberry's whereabouts." Calvin spoke uneasily.
• "Hmph! I'll see if she possesses the capability to remain concealed indefinitely. Concealing all traces, ensuring Wendalyn remains oblivious to the child's presence. A woman of her caliber isn't suited to motherhood!"
• "Understood, Mr. Maberry!"
• ...
• During the international flight to Marqueen, Wendalyn cradled a newborn baby boy in her arms.
• Little had she anticipated her fortune in being pregnant with twins.
• Just a week prior, in her bid to elude Timothy's pursuit, she had inadvertently lost one of her twin sons during their escape.
• Though many had presumed her to be merely the forsaken daughter of the Gardner Family in the rural outskirts, unbeknownst to them, she had spent over a decade there, utilizing every moment.
• Under the tutelage of mentors versed in medicine and music, she had honed her skills.
• She had even delved independently into the study of pharmaceuticals.
• She had transcended her previous insignificance in the eyes of the world.
• She had even garnered another title, the miracle doctor, "Arwen"!
• Upon her arrival overseas, after curing her eldest daughter, Raelynn Gardner's ailment, she had vowed to return to retrieve her youngest son.
• ...
• Fast forward five years.
• "Cay, Rae, pick up the pace."
• Inside the terminal at Quenlydale airport, a woman clad in sunglasses had stridden forward, her suitcase in tow, gesturing behind her as she spoke.
• "Coming, Mommy."
• Suddenly, two adorable kids had darted out from behind her and scampered a few steps to her side.
• The boy, Cayden Gardner, was slightly diminutive and approximately five years old.
• He exuded a demeanor of remarkable composure, with deeply etched features and immaculately dressed in black overalls.
• The girl, Raelynn, had appeared slightly older than her brother.
• With her neatly cropped bobbed hair and large, luminous eyes, she had emanated an irresistible charm.
• Their trio had immediately captured the attention of onlookers.
• "Oh my! Where did this enchanting family emerge from? They are positively captivating!"
• "They are so strikingly attractive. Could she be a low-key celebrity traveling with her children?"
• "Alas, if only I could have such a captivating pair of children!"