But what surprised me was David.
He didn’t look relieved.
Instead, he frowned, his irritation deepening.
"That’s ridiculous! If you’d just beg me, do you really think I’d throw you out?"
He scoffed.
"Fine, if you’re worried about what people will say, I’ll make a post right now. I’ll tell the world you’re officially Madam Gunn from this day forward."
Funny.
When I was forced into this marriage, he never even held a wedding for me.
Whenever his business partners or friends visited, he never introduced me as his wife—just as a woman who ‘takes care of the kid and keeps the bed warm.’
Everyone knew the truth.
I was just a caged bird, allowed to enjoy a comfortable life for ten years before being discarded.
But I had never cared about a title.
And I certainly didn’t care now.
I smiled faintly.
"The doctor said I might be permanently disabled from this fall. A crippled woman isn’t fit to be Madam Gunn. And she certainly isn’t fit to raise the future heir of the Gunn Family."
For the first time that night, David exhaled in relief.
"Why are you even worried about that?" he said lightly. "With the Gunn Family’s money, we can get you the best doctors."
David looked at me like he had expected this all along, as if he thought I was just throwing a tantrum.
David spoke casually, almost amused, "Alright, stop saying things you don’t mean. You’ve been a housewife for ten years. Without the Gunn Family or the Xander Family, how do you expect to survive out there?"
"If it really matters to you, I’ll have my secretary buy you a diamond ring. We’ll have dinner as a family and you’ll be Madam Gunn. But as for making it official in public? Forget it. If Yvonne sees it, what if she doesn’t want to come back?"
And with that, he left, taking my parents and Tyler with him.
He left me with his secretary to handle my medical treatment.
Oh, and the charity ring.
The secretary barely concealed her condescension.
"Miss Nadine, Mr. Gu has approved a budget of one hunded thousand dollar for your ring. So you can choose from pre-made designs. If you don’t know much about jewelry, just pick the most expensive one. Just so you know, jewelry is considered personal property."
David had always assumed I was a gold digger who had schemed my way into his bed.
That’s why, despite our marriage, he only allowed me to withdraw a measly three hundred dollar a month from the housekeeper.