Chapter 9: Chapter 9

The three members of the Quirk family simultaneously jolted, as if they had been struck with a sudden realization.

Evian’s face turned deathly pale.

Her worst fear had been the possibility of not being able to adopt. However, the mention of divorce took her by surprise. Her initial reaction was one of denial.

The people of the Quirk family were actually well aware that Evian would never divorce. Despite her gentle demeanor, she was stubborn at her core and wouldn’t heed any advice. If it were up to them, they would have facilitated their divorce a hundred times over, given Jasper’s usual indifferent attitude toward Evian.

However, as soon as Isabella had spoken, the Quirk family couldn’t help but feel a stir of anticipation.

I so wanted to persuade them to break up, oh how I wanted to convince them to part ways!

The three of them exchanged glances.

Leading the charge, Alexander voiced out, “The child is already here, which proves that what happened back then was a mistake. I suggest, you should just get a divorce.”

Upon hearing Alexander’s words, both Paula and Jasper were taken aback. They looked at him in astonishment, unable to react for a moment. After all, in the world of the wealthy and powerful, who didn’t have a few illegitimate children?

He looked again at David and Selena, only to find that they surprisingly had no objections at all.

However, at this moment, Evian disappointingly spoke up. “This… this doesn’t mean that Jasper has wronged me.”

The three members of the Quirk family looked at Evian with disappointment, as if she had failed to live up to their expectations.

Isabella nearly spat out her food.

Evian knew she had let her family down. Her head hung low in a manner that bore a striking resemblance to Sean, who was standing next to her.

With a scoff, Jasper immediately said, “That’s true, if we were to discuss who wronged whom, I really wouldn’t know where to start.”

Although spoken softly, everyone could hear the words. In an instant, the Quirk family held their breath, silenced, especially Evian. Her face turned ashen as if she didn’t want to dwell on the issue of adopting a child any longer. It was as if someone had grasped her Achilles heel.

Isabella sensed the whiff of gossip.

Despite being the eldest daughter of the Quirk family and being a step down in this marriage, why is she living so miserably? And how does Jasper act so self-righteous despite having an illegitimate child? Let me look into this.

Alexander realized what was happening, intending to interrupt Isabella’s train of thought, so as not to upset Evian. However, it was already too late.

It turned out that Evian and Jasper were seniors and juniors at the same university. After Jasper broke up with Sienna, he drowned his sorrows in alcohol during a university event. Evian, who was also at the event, took care of him, and then things got a bit indescribable. Huh? Why does this scenario seem a bit familiar?

With an awkward expression, Alexander wanted to facepalm. What have you done? Have you completely forgotten everything?

Isabella continued with her train of thought.

The following day, Sienna came to visit and was devastated to find the two of them together. Heartbroken, she left town without a word. When Jasper awoke and discovered what had happened, he was furious. He believed that Evian, who he knew had feelings for him, had taken advantage of his unconscious state to claim him in a despicable manner. He felt that she had destroyed his relationship with Sienna, making it impossible for him to win back the woman he loved. Before long, Evian found herself pregnant. Left with no choice, the Quirk family sought out Jasper to discuss his intentions. It was then that Jasper stepped up and married Evian. This left Evian feeling like she owed Jasper. Later, when they lost the child, Evian considered divorcing Jasper to grant him his freedom. However, Jasper refused, not wanting to be seen as the kind of man who would divorce a woman just because she couldn’t bear a child. This would tarnish his professional reputation. Furthermore, he bluntly stated that all of this was caused by Evian, so she had no right to initiate a divorce.

Hearing Isabella’s thoughts, the entire Quirk family went silent.

Seeing them finally calm down, both Paula and Jasper felt even more confident and assured.

Jasper’s tone turned even more aloof as he said to Evian, “Think it through yourself!”

It seemed as if the freedom of choice was given to Evian, yet it only led to her accepting her fate with increasing resignation. Just as she was about to speak, a sarcastic voice echoed in Evian’s mind from opposite her.

D*mn, this guy is a master at living off others! I’ve seen plenty of shameless people, but this is the first time I’ve encountered someone this brazen.

This time, the Quirk family didn’t harbor much resentment. Their support for the Lawson family did indeed hint at some dependency, but it was offered willingly. It couldn’t be considered shameless, after all, once married, they were all family.

However, the fact that Isabella was so supportive of their family still warmed their hearts.

However, when Evian heard Isabella’s relentless insults toward Jasper, she felt a twinge of discomfort. Instinctively, she wanted to retort, but Isabella’s sarcastic comments kept coming without pause.

Blaming alcohol for reckless behavior is just an excuse. If a man is truly unconscious, he wouldn’t be able to perform at all. Claiming to have forgotten or made a mistake is just a lie. In reality, they know who they are with at the moment. It’s just that their self-control has diminished, and they want to use others as a means to indulge themselves. Once they sober up and don’t want to admit to their actions, they conveniently shift the blame onto others! Didn’t Alexander already have experience being deceived? How come he couldn’t draw a comparison with his sister’s situation? Could it be that he was also unaware of the truth about that night?

Alexander was aghast. Wait, did you just spill some secrets?

David and Selena were shocked as well as they wondered if they just heard something they weren’t supposed to.

Evian was stunned, her face drained of all color, as pale as paper.

That was the biggest mistake she had ever made in her life. Back then, when Jasper, intoxicated, had fallen onto her, she had initially resisted. But Jasper had said, “I want to hold you, I’m so upset.”

A gentle whisper made Evian’s heart soften, leading her to go with the flow.

She thought that when Jasper was looking at her with his eyes wide open, showing a response toward her, it meant that he genuinely wanted to be with her.

To her surprise, when Jasper woke up, he claimed to have no recollection of the events. He even insinuated that she was the one who initiated everything. This left Evian questioning herself, wondering if she had indeed been the one to instigate things under the influence of the moment.

That kind of secret matter would certainly not be discussed in detail, making it naturally impossible to discern its truth.

Evian couldn’t help but wonder. So, it was all a lie? Did Jasper take the initiative that night?

Isabella’s train of thought was relentless. He claimed that Evian ruined his love with Sienna? That she used their child to bind him? I find that laughable. Wasn’t it him who, unable to compete for the top hospital internship, faced a setback in his career? He knew that some things still relied on personal connections and background. Wasn’t it under the constant nagging of Paula that he weighed the pros and cons and decided not to pursue Sienna, choosing instead to marry Evian? Talk about having his cake and eating it too! Did the Quirk family ever threaten him? Did Evian ever morally blackmail him? I don’t think so!

The Quirks were quick to affirm Isabella’s thoughts.

After all, Sienna was also the initiator in that matter, and she should bear the consequences of her own mistakes.

If only Jasper had said no at the beginning, the Quirk family would have asked Sienna to leave with her child.

When Jasper agreed to marry, they initially thought he was stepping up to his responsibilities. However, they didn’t anticipate his indifferent attitude toward Evian. It turned out that he had been holding grudges against Evian and her family all along.

But now, according to Isabella’s words, it appeared that Jasper was only interested in marrying Evian for his own sake!

At that moment, Evian was greatly shocked, looking at Jasper in disbelief.

After all, Jasper had always projected an air of aloof ambition and genuine capability, painting a picture of self-reliance without needing any assistance from her family. This was a complete overturn of her impression of him, so much so that she started to suspect that Isabella was making malicious assumptions.

Isabella’s teasing continued.

If the issue really was about not having a child, wouldn’t divorce be the solution? All those high-sounding justifications were nothing more than excuses. In truth, Jasper is just reluctant to give up the resources provided by the Quirk family. He wants to continue reaping the benefits without making any effort, not just satisfied with being a freeloader, but wanting to do so while standing tall. And after all that, he still has the audacity to complain about the quality of the free meal. How audacious.

Evian’s mind felt as if it had been chiseled open to create another crevice, leaving her somewhat dazed.

In truth, there had been instances where her close confidantes had speculated about Jasper, only to be met with Evian’s angry rebuttals.

Isabella’s thoughts intruded Evian’s mind once again. So he’s a freeloader, fine. But to have the audacity to expect his wife to adopt his illegitimate child, I really wonder what’s going on in Evian’s mind?

By this time, the Quirk family had silently turned their gaze toward Evian, feeling a sense of helplessness deep within their hearts.

Huh? He actually told Evian that if she hadn’t been in the picture, he would have reconciled with his ex-girlfriend, and their child wouldn’t have been born out of wedlock. Therefore, she had no right to reject that child. It seemed to me that all these years, Evian had been constantly belittled and manipulated to the point of foolishness. People should spend less time reflecting on themselves and more time blaming others, right? Now, is she eager to play the role of the scapegoat?

The harsh words had brought a redness to Evian’s eyes.

Then, she started to question herself. She’s right. Is it really all my fault?