Adeline's eyes were red, and she said stubbornly, "Don't forget that it was you who repeatedly reminded me that our marriage was just a deal between our families. You told me that you would never love me. Being your wife was just a role that I played. You better not make things difficult for me, Brendan, or I swear I'll go to the hospital and tell Grandpa everything. "You wouldn't dare!". Brendan resented that Adeline said such ruthless and hurtful words. His eyes turned red as well out of rage. He used to think that she was obedient and meek, but now she constantly went against him. Adeline considered for a second that she was imagining things, but to her surprise, Brendan was indeed angry. Wasn't he always cold and indifferent toward her? Didn't he use to pretend that she didn't exist? Why did it seem like he cared about her now? . Lately, he had been losing his cool over and over, which really confused her. But she didn't want to have anything to do with him anymore. She couldn't care less about how he felt. She just wanted to stay away from him. However, when she just took a step forward, he gripped her wrist again. "What the hell do you want?" Adeline yelled. She was on the verge of breaking down. Brendan was so strong that she couldn't shake off his hand. Ignoring her reaction, he dragged her, threw her into his car, and slammed the door. She struggled to get out of the car, but he had already locked the door. "What are you doing?" Adeline snapped. Brendan looked at Adeline with cold eyes. He turned his head and looked at the wound on her forehead, suppressing the impulse to put his hand over her mouth and stop her from making noise. He shouted, "Shut up!". As soon as he finished speaking, he gunned the engine, stepped on the accelerator, and drove like a madman. Brendan's driving scared Adeline out of her mind. She really thought that he had gone crazy. She was afraid that they would crash because of his reckless driving, so she didn't dare distract him anymore. She just zipped her lips and prayed that they would get safely to wherever it was that they were going. Before long, Brendan pulled over, and Adeline realized that he had taken her to the hospital. Brendan unbuckled his seatbelt and said to her coldly, "What are you waiting for? Get out of the car. As soon as Adeline stepped out of the car, Brendan took her hand and started dragging her into the building. "What are we doing here?". Brendan took her directly to the doctor's office and looked down at her. "What else are we going to do in a hospital? You have a wound on your forehead. It needs to be treated. Adeline was surprised. So he took her here to have her wound taken care of? When did he become so considerate? . Adeline touched her forehead and then winced in pain. She also felt a dull pain in her belly, but it shouldn't be a big problem. She had already gotten used to it. She thought that Brendan was only making a fuss. "No, thanks. I'm fine. I can't stay here. I have work to do. "Cut the crap, Adeline. Just go see the doctor. Don't make me say it a second time!" Brendan growled with a gloomy face. He felt his blood pressure rise every time she defied him. Adeline didn't want to argue with him in public. Since she was already in the hospital anyway, she might as well have her wound treated. As it turned out, her injury wasn't that serious. The doctor found some bruises on her torso, which were caused by soft tissue contusions. The doctor treated her forehead and bandaged it. Then, he prescribed her some medicine, gave her a few instructions on wound care and medication, and sent her on her way. As she stepped out of the doctor's office, Adeline saw that Brendan was still there and waiting for her. He was leaning against the wall outside the doctor's office while everyone that passed by him looked at him in admiration. Sometimes she forgot how tall and handsome he was. Looking at him, Adeline fell into a trance. Brendan was really a sight for sore eyes. Even though he exuded an icy aura, it was still magnetic, and it drew attention to him. In the past, she used to gaze upon him with so much love and adulation. However, those days were long gone

He didn't belong to her after all. When he saw her come out, he asked in a concerned tone, "What did the doctor say? Is everything okay?". "Uh-huh. Brendan nodded, took the prescription from her hand, and said, "Wait here. I'll go to the pharmacy and get the medicine. Adeline didn't expect that he would be so concerned about her. She didn't know what to say. What was his problem? . There were many people in the hospital. Indeed, she didn't feel well, so she sat on one of the benches in the hallway and waited for him. When he came back with the medicine, she chec ked the bill. It was twenty-one dollars in tot al. She took out her purse and got some cash. Adeline still couldn't fig ure out why Brendan was be ing so nice to her today. In the past, she would often send him messages, asking about his health and rem inding him to eat his meals on time, but he would seldom reply to her. Sometime s she felt like a madwoman who was only imagining a relationship with Brendan. She smiled bitterly and w ith self-mockery and quic kly handed him the cash. Brendan was surpr ised to see her g iving him money. He narrow ed his eye s at her. "What's that for? " he asked throug h gritted teeth. Adeline returned hi s cold stare, refus ing to be outdone. "For my prescription. I know you have a lot of money, but you don't have to pay for me anymo re. I don't want to owe you anything," she replied solmenly. Then, she pushed the cash into h is hand, took the plastic bag with her medication in it, and rose. She started walking away. "Adel ine! Stop!" . This woman was r eally tugging on his last nerve! . Brendan strode forward and pulled her into his arms. "Let go of me, Brendan! I have stuff to do. I don't want to waste m y time on you," she said in a raised voice and with a frown. "Stuff? What stuf f?" Brendan asked in exasperation. He was only now r ealizing that Ade line was really g . ood at pu shing his buttons. "If you don't tell me, I wo n't let you go," he threaten ed when she didn't respond. With a helpless sigh, Adeline an swered, "I'm going to the nursin g home today to visit my mother. If it weren't for this series of unfortu nate events, she would already be with h er mother at the nursing home right now. As soon as she finished her sentence, Brendan took her ha nd and started dragging her out of the hospital. Then, he took her to his car, opened the door, and pushed her in. At this point, she was getting familia r with the routine. "I don't have time for this, Brendan!" Adeline groaned an d began rubbing her temples. Ignoring her whining, Brendan slammed the door a nd got into the driver's seat. He leaned over an d fastened her seatbelt with one fluid movement. "Which nursing home? I'll dr ive you there. "I don't need you to, okay? Don't you understand? I want a clean break from you , from us. I didn't leave you to spend more time with you. And isn't this what you always wanted? Me out of your life?" Adeline could no longer tolerate him. Before she could finish her words, Brend an turned on the ignition and the loud r oar of the engine drowned out her voice. "You either tell me where to drive y ou, or I'll drive you straight home. Your choice," Brendan said casually. Drive he r straig ht home? . The last place Adeline wanted to be was Brendan's villa. Tiffany was already there and playing queen to the court that once belonged to he r. At this point, she would rather die than return to Brendan's home. Backed into a corner, she had no cho ice but to say, "Okay, okay. Please drive me to Seymour's Nursing Home. Arthur was cunning. In order to control Adeline, he never allowed her to visit her mothe r often. And if ever she did, he would immediately transfer Helena to different nursing homes and refuse to tell Adeline where her mother was until she did everything he asked. Today, Adeline had a fight wi th Arthur. She had no idea whe re he would send Helena next. Therefore, she ha d to hurry up and see her mother. Brendan pulled ov er at the gate of the nursing home. As soon as the car stopped, Adeline pushe d the door open and hopped out

She could n't wait to go inside and see her mother. The environment at Seymou r's Nursing Home was good and so was the security. However, most of the patients living here had mental problems. Most of them were unstable, m aking the atmosphere in the n ursing home very depressing. Every time Adeline visited her e, she felt cold in her limbs and a dull pain in her heart. This was all the Dawson fa mily's fault! . Her mother was s uffering because of those jerks. Thinking of this, Adeline clenched her fists and became even more de termined to take her mother away. After collecting her self, she walked int o her mother's ward. In the ward, Adeline fo und her mother, Helena, looking out the window. She had on a hospital gown , and she was sitting quiet ly on the edge of her bed. Adeline immedia tely felt a lump in her throat. Helena was a lovely, gentle, and kind woman and a great mother to Adeli ne. When Adeline was a little girl, Helena held her in her arms all the time, and at night, she read stories to her as she coaxed her to sleep. Even though Helena was suffering from ill ness and had no makeup on her pale face, she still looked magnificent to Adeline. Adeline shook he r head. She didn't understand why me n preferred mean and crafty women over their own wives. Her father had an affair with an evil woman and so did her husband, Brendan. Adeline slowly walked over and squatted in front of Helena. She took her mother's ha nd in hers and flashed her a gentle smile. "Hi, Mom. It's me, Addie. I'm here to vis it you. I'll take you out to get some suns hine, okay?" The ward was cold and quiet. Because Helena was always inside her room, she was paler compared t o the other patients in the home. Adeline grabbed a blan ket and started puttin g it on Helena's lap. At this moment, Helena's eyes suddenly lit up. Sh e grabbed Adeline wrist. "Ad die . Hearing Helena's voi ce, Adeline looked up at her in surprise. "Mom? Do you know who I am?" . The doctor had said that Helena's mental illne ss was already in its end stage and that she w ould most likely not return to normal anymore. But now, sh e had recog nized her. Adeline's eyes lit up, and hope spar ked in her heart. However, the next sec ond, Helena's face su ddenly turned gloomy. Her lips began trembling and so did her v oice. She held Adeline's wrist tightly an d stared at her with eyes full of panic. "Addie. Arthur. A rthur. Addie, be careful of him. "What are you trying to tel l me, Mom? What happened?" Adeline asked in confusion. Her mother used to be smart and a lert, but she suddenly fell ill, a nd her mind started wasting away. At that time, Adeline wa s young, and Arthur was in charge of everything. Then, things began to seem strange to Adeline, and she thought that maybe th ere were secrets being kept from her. Mental illness was supposed to be heritable, but the Haywood family didn't have a history of p sychiatric problems. Before Helena allegedly went crazy, she had been sharp as a tack. She had been a well-adjusted and stable woman who didn't let her emotions win over her intelligence. It just didn't add up. How could Helena fall ill wi th a disease that she couldn't have possibly gotten from her family? What exactly had happened to her? . While Adeline was th inking, Helena sudde nly pushed her away. Helena held her head an d screamed. Not expecting Helena to sho ve her, Adeline lost her bal ance and fell to the floor. Brendan reacted quickly and caught her in time. Seeing that Helena's eyes sudde nly turned red, he pulled Adeline back. "Don't go near her again. Your mother is sick. Be ca reful. She might hurt you. "This is none of your business! Let me go! She's my mother! She won't hurt me!" Adeline pushed Brendan away. She wanted to hold Helena in her arms. Looking at Helena's pained f ace, Adeline felt her heart sink. She couldn't take the sight of her mother's suffering