Chapter 32

What a protective man. Was Hayden really that worried about Joanna, even for just a moment? He had kept his cool in public, but with me, he didn’t even attempt to hide his feelings for her.

“Richard, take me home,” I said lazily, rolling up the car window. I couldn’t care less about his concern for Joanna.

Richard looked taken aback. Without a word from Hayden, he felt too intimidated to move. Outside the window, Joanna’s face was twisted in frustration. Hayden exuded a chilling aura, yet he remained silent. He simply gave a slight nod towards Richard, who finally started the car.

Back at the Rosy House, I was surprised to find Deborah still awake, waiting for Hayden and me. Her presence left us with no choice but to share a room for the night.

Fate has a twisted sense of humor. When I craved Hayden’s presence and loved him deeply, he seemed to slip further from my grasp. Now that I no longer desired him, even harbored some resentment, he seemed omnipresent.

Just like the night before, I pulled up the blanket and turned my back to him. The air behind me felt cold and oppressive. The heavy silence was shattered by a ringing phone, followed by Hayden getting up.

I assumed it was Joanna, given their usual inseparability. But when he answered, I heard Nevin shouting, “Come save me! They’re about to throw me in jail!”

I jolted awake. Nevin must have been desperate; otherwise, he wouldn’t have dared to speak to Hayden so frantically. Hayden was already in a foul mood, and this call only exacerbated it. His usually handsome face contorted into a scowl. “What now?”

“It was Yvonne. She set me up. You have to help me!” Nevin sounded on the verge of a breakdown, almost in tears.

He wasn’t easily frightened—except when facing jail. If word got out, it would be catastrophic. A pampered rich kid like him would be an easy target, and encountering a pervert could be life-ruining.

Hayden put down his phone and turned to me. “Did you do it?”

I couldn’t pretend to sleep any longer, so I sat up and said, “He started it, making it clear I was involved.”

Hayden rubbed his brow in frustration before barking into the phone, “Deal with it yourself. I’m busy.” The door was locked again tonight, and he was trapped.

“How am I supposed to handle this? They won’t listen to me at all. You can’t just ignore me!” Nevin was practically sobbing. If Hayden didn’t intervene, he could be ruined.

Hayden hung up quickly and called Richard. “Go check on Nevin.”

“Yes, Mr. Parker,” Richard replied without delay.

Hayden finally put down his phone, his deep eyes locked onto me. “Yvonne, what exactly are you trying to do?”

“I’m just giving him a taste of his own medicine,” I replied, feeling sleepy and stifling a yawn.

“He’s my brother,” Hayden’s voice was ice-cold, like a winter chill.

I was prepared to listen, but something snapped inside me. Anger surged, and I shouted, “So what? Just because he’s your brother, does that mean he gets to bully and insult me? We’ve been married for a year, and has he ever shown me any respect? The minute Joanna shows up, he starts calling her your girlfriend. And what about…”

Hayden narrowed his eyes, studying me intently. “He insulted you? When?”

“Do you even care? It’s because you look down on me that he feels free to disrespect me. Hayden, I really regret marrying you!” I yelled, not caring how shocked or impatient he looked.

“What did you just say?” he asked, a mix of disbelief and anger in his voice. “You regret it?”

“Yes!” I shouted, ensuring he heard me loud and clear. “I regret it. I never should have married you. I regret it so much.”

In the darkness, Hayden leaned closer, his expression intense. “Yvonne, say that again.”

I took a deep breath, almost ready to challenge him. But just then, there was a knock on the door, followed by a worried servant’s voice. “Please stop arguing. Mrs. Deborah Parker is already awake.”

And just like that, Hayden and I were summoned to face Deborah.

Deborah was wearing soft, moon-white pajamas, her hair down as if she’d just been roused from sleep. She looked upset, as if jolted awake. With all her life experience, she carried herself with authority, deepening the silence of the already quiet night.

After a moment, she finally spoke, her tone cold. “What’s going on? Why are you two making such a racket in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?”

I hung my head, unwilling to respond, and Hayden remained silent. Speaking up would only make things worse. Deborah seemed to expect this, so she didn’t press us further. Instead, she turned her gaze to the servant standing behind us. Without prompting, the servant began detailing everything she had overheard—Joanna, Nevin, and the rest.

I felt helpless. Was the soundproofing in that room really that terrible?

“What’s the deal with Joanna?” Deborah suddenly asked Hayden.

“Grandma, it’s not what you think,” Hayden replied calmly.

I couldn’t help but snort. It seemed he actually had some self-respect.

Deborah didn’t need to ask to understand. She had always disliked women who meddled in families. With a stern look, she stated, “I don’t want to get involved in your affairs, but keep this in mind: Yvonne is your wife, and you can’t go back on your vows to her.”

Maybe it was my imagination, but after Deborah said that, her gaze toward me softened a bit. I guessed she might have felt guilty about how Hayden treated me.

“Grandma, I know,” Hayden nodded in agreement.

Deborah sighed deeply before turning to me. “Yvonne, I understand you’ve been wronged. How about I give you a vacation villa at South Bay Lake? The scenery there is beautiful. If you’re feeling down, you can use it to relax.”

I was taken aback. Was this her way of offering compensation? But honestly, those things didn’t matter to me anymore.

“That’s really not necessary. I don’t feel wronged,” I quickly refused. “After the divorce, everything I accepted would need to be returned, so why go through the hassle?”

Deborah seemed surprised by my refusal. She paused before saying, “If you don’t want it, I’ll just consider it a gift for my future great-grandchild. You can manage it for now.”

Before I could respond, Deborah turned to Hayden and asked, “And what’s going on with Nevin? Is he causing trouble for you again?”

Meanwhile, Nevin, sitting in detention, sneezed loudly. It was as if he could sense we were talking about him.