Chapter 3

I let my mind go blank for a few minutes.

Remembering the tough battle today, I quickly grabbed my smartphone.

I opened the trending topics, and as expected, saw last night's news topping the list.

In the photograph, Nora Nash sat on Rowan Beckett's lap while I stood facing them.

The comments were all over the place:

[Mrs. Beckett is so generous, even gifting her best friend to Prince.]

[Prince is quite something, picking up his wife's best friend, even having his wife watch. Impressive!!]

[Prince is so handsome! If I were Lydia, I'd let him have anyone he wants in his harem!]

[Don't you think Lydia is pitiful? Betrayed by the two closest people, it makes you feel heartache for her.]

[Hilarious, she deserves it! Prince never wanted to marry her. If she hadn't used favors to threaten Mr. Beckett, Prince wouldn't have married her!]

[Exactly, clinging to Prince without any dignity! Still not divorcing after all this, truly shameless!]

[No way! Prince is clearly in the wrong, and you're all blaming Lydia? Why aren't you blaming Prince and that disgusting best friend?]

[Let me be fair, it's mutual. We netizens don't know the truth, just enjoying the drama.]

The onlookers argued endlessly.

In the blink of an eye, the trending topic disappeared.

The Beckett PR team acted.

There was a noise from the entrance.

Rowan Beckett returned.

He glanced at me indifferently, "We're going to the family estate in thirty minutes."

I nodded.

What was meant to come would come.

The Beckett family rule was that everyone must return to the family estate every weekend.

Disobedience meant facing the family rules.

Even the reckless Rowan Beckett never disobeyed.

"Lydia, good luck!"

He smirked, his tone full of schadenfreude.

The crowd was caught up in a fierce argument.

In an instant, the trending topics vanished.

The Beckett family's PR team stepped in.

There was a commotion at the entrance.

Rowan Beckett had returned.

He glanced at me with a distant look, "Be back at the family estate in thirty minutes."

I nodded.

What is destined to happen will happen.

The Beckett family rules require everyone to return to the family estate every weekend.

If not, the rules are enforced.

Even Rowan Beckett, known for his carefree nature, never disobeyed.

"Lydia, good luck!"

He curled his lips slightly, his tone dripping with mockery.

At the entrance of the Beckett family estate.

Rowan Beckett didn't bother with formalities and walked straight into the main hall, leaving me behind.

When I entered, he had the old lady smiling widely.

"Grandma."

I greeted her respectfully.

"Mm," the old lady replied indifferently, "Your parents are waiting for you in the study."

I nodded slightly, "Understood."

I knew what was coming.

And Rowan Beckett, the instigator, had a slight smile at the corner of his mouth, not even bothering to lift his eyelids.

As soon as I entered the study, Mrs. Beckett slapped me.

My head turned from the impact, and I could taste blood at the corner of my mouth.

She blew on her hand and regained her composed and elegant demeanor.

Mrs. Beckett looked at me coldly, her words slow and dismissive:

"Lydia, you've let me down."

"A woman who can't even hold her husband's heart, how can you be Mrs. Beckett?"

"If I had known, I wouldn't have agreed with Mr. Beckett for Rowan to marry you!"

"What a mistake!"

I lowered my head, my hands unconsciously clenched.

"Lydia, if you still can't make Rowan love you, you should divorce him sooner rather than later!"

I suddenly lifted my head, my gaze resolute: "Fine, I'll divorce him!"

Mrs. Beckett's eyes widened in disbelief.

Mr. Beckett also frowned slightly, unsure, "Really?"

"I mean it!"

I spoke with conviction.

Mr. Beckett waved me away, indicating I should leave first.

I stood at the study door, vaguely hearing their conversation inside.

"Why blame her for your son's mess?"

Mr. Beckett sighed.

"If not her, then who?!"

"Before Rowan married her, he never acted out like this!"

Mrs. Beckett couldn't help but complain:

"If you hadn't forced Rowan to marry a woman he doesn’t love, would he have ended up like this?"

"Don't you know how much he's hurting inside?"

Mr. Beckett looked at her helplessly:

"Don't you know your son's nature?"

"If he didn't like it, who could force him?!"

"Now Lydia wants a divorce, just watch, there’ll be trouble..."

Mrs. Beckett was stunned, "Impossible, right? If Rowan really liked Lydia, why would he act like that..."

"He'll keep acting out until even his wife leaves..."

Yes, how could Rowan Beckett possibly like me?

I turned and left.

Walking through the long corridor, Rowan Beckett was waiting at the end.

He crossed his arms, a cigarette between his fingers.

I silently tried to walk past him.

But he grabbed my wrist, gently touching the side of my face that got slapped, scoffing lightly:

"Tsk~ just like that?"

"Isn't the punishment a bit light?"

His deep voice carried a lazy smile, void of emotion.

My gaze was calm and unwavering: "Yeah, I told my parents about the divorce."

He paused, taking a long drag of the cigarette, "What did they say?"

I shook my head, "They didn't say much."

With Mr. Beckett around, Mr. and Mrs. Beckett can't make decisions.

And I want a divorce, need to wait for Mr. Beckett to return.

"Exactly, what right do they have to say no!"

His voice was calm but harsh, "Damn, you brought this on yourself, deal with it."

Rowan Beckett walked away decisively.

Leaving me to endure the Beckett family’s underhanded teaching under the guise of instructing on marriage.

I accepted it all with neither arrogance nor submission.

Waiting.

Leaving the Beckett family, I had the driver take me to the nursing home as usual.

Halfway there, I received a call from the nursing home:

"Mrs. Beckett, something’s wrong."

"Mrs. Nash's condition isn’t good, please come quickly."

My heart sank suddenly, and I hurriedly took out my smartphone to call Nora Nash.

All the way to the nursing home, no one answered on the other end.

Finally, at the hospital room door, the call connected.

"Nora Nash, hurry to the nursing home, Mrs. Nash is in trouble!"

Nora Nash sneered:

"Lydia, you were so generous letting Rowan Beckett be surrounded by women, why not me? And now you're cursing my mom?"

"Don't I know my mom's health?"

"Even if there’s really a problem, she has you, after all, she’s always treated you better than me!"

"I don’t even know who her real daughter is, letting you marry Rowan Beckett!"

Before I could respond, she hung up.

I tightly clutched my smartphone.

Pushing open the hospital room, I saw the emaciated woman on the bed.

My eyes instantly stung with unbearable soreness.

"What happened?"

Clearly, two days ago when I came, Mrs. Nash was much better.

The nurse couldn't meet my eyes: "I'm sorry, Mrs. Beckett, I couldn’t stop her, the lady saw online..."

I was stunned.

"Lydia." She called me with difficulty.

I hurried to the bedside, holding her hand: "Mrs. Nash."

She patted the back of my hand soothingly, her cloudy eyes brimming with tears.

"Mrs. Nash apologizes on behalf of Nora, it's my fault... I didn’t raise her well..."

"If it weren't for her heart condition relapsing, you... wouldn't have married Rowan Beckett so decisively..."

"It's Mrs. Nash's fault for ruining your life..."

The more she spoke, the heavier her breathing.

I wiped away her tears, speaking softly:

"Mrs. Nash, everything I did was voluntary, it's not your fault, don’t blame yourself."

"And if you hadn’t adopted me when I was young, I’d probably be dead by now."

The more I wiped, the more tears flowed.

"It's our Nash family that burdened you... And now Nora treats you like this... I... I’m truly sorry!"

"Don’t worry, I’ve told Mr. Beckett, you and Rowan Beckett will divorce, and... Lydia, you must find happiness... No need to suffer anymore..."

Tears blurred my vision, I managed a faint smile: "It's not hard at all, being Mrs. Beckett is very comfortable, with fame and fortune, how great is that."

She looked at me for a long time, then turned her head away, unable to bear it.

After a long while, Mrs. Nash asked cautiously: "Lydia, can you let that ungrateful daughter come see me?"

I nodded repeatedly, "Okay."

But the calls went unanswered again.

I called Rowan Beckett, but there was no response either.

Finally, I called Rowan Beckett’s secretary.

The secretary told me that Nora Nash and Rowan Beckett went to the Arctic to see the aurora.

Tears fell uncontrollably.

Seeing my tears, Mrs. Nash seemed to understand everything.

She chuckled softly, "Forget it, Lydia, don’t wrong yourself anymore, you owe the Nash family nothing..."

After speaking, she closed her eyes relieved.

I cried heart-wrenchingly.

After Mrs. Nash's funeral, the two were brought back by Mr. Beckett.

At the Beckett family estate.

I stood aside.

Rowan Beckett knelt on the ground.

Nora Nash was taken to Mrs. Nash's cemetery.

Mr. Beckett used his cane to strike Rowan Beckett's back repeatedly.

In the past, every time Mr. Beckett hit him, I would step in front of him, feeling heartbroken.

Every time, I’d get one or two hits.

Now, I stood aside, unmoved.

Mr. Beckett saw my resolve not to help Rowan Beckett, knowing I was truly heartbroken.

He beat Rowan Beckett half to death, saying in a deep voice: "Tomorrow, you two will get divorced."

Rowan Beckett lay on the ground, a trace of surprise in his eyes.

Then, he gritted his teeth, "I don’t agree! Why should she get married when she wants and divorced when she wants!"

Mr. Beckett hit him on the back again with the cane.

I'm sorry, but it looks like the text you want translated is missing. Could you please provide the text you need translated?

“I won’t let you disagree! You've utterly shattered Lydia's heart. Do you really think she’ll come back?!”