Secretly Married for 4 Years, He Regrets to Tears After the Divorce-Chapter 6: Belated Affection Is Cheaper Than Dirt

Chapter 6: Belated Affection Is Cheaper Than Dirt Editor: Henyee Translations

"You said you were at Isla Griffith’s. It seems you lied to me."

Adrian’s face was grim as he stared at Wren, his eyes clearly accusing her of lying.

Wren’s heart turned to ice.

At this point, Adrian didn’t really care about her health. He was just upset that he’d caught her in a lie. This man was truly hopeless.

"Where I was is none of your business."

She violently shook off Adrian’s hand, desperate to avoid his touch. He had just been holding Maya, and now he was touching her. The broad, warm hands that had once made her feel safe now just made her sick.

"Whether I live or die is none of your concern."

Humiliated by her public rejection, Adrian snapped in anger, "I am worried about you."

Wren scoffed internally. "I’m hardly worthy of President Lancaster’s concern."

She deliberately stressed the two words "President Lancaster," her tone distant and contemptuous.

At the office, Adrian was used to hearing Wren call him President Lancaster. But hearing her say it now, it felt incredibly grating, and a wave of irritation washed over him.

"There’s a limit to your sarcasm. This is a hospital. I’m trying to be civil for your sake, so don’t take it too far."

Wren was done arguing. It was pointless. Nothing would change, and it would only make her angrier.

Getting angry over a scumbag wasn’t worth it.

"Too far? Who’s really the one going too far here? Adrian Lancaster, you should ask your own conscience."

With that parting shot, Wren turned and walked away without a backward glance.

"Wren Sutton!"

Adrian’s face was livid. He stared at her stubborn, defiant back, his hands clenching into fists at his sides as he fought to suppress his rage.

Growing up, no one had ever dared to snub him like that. Wren was the first. He had really underestimated her temper.

People bustled around the elevators, and a passerby nearly knocked into Maya. She tugged on Adrian’s sleeve, her eyes glistening with tears. She looked as fragile and helpless as a child who’d done something wrong.

"What should I do? I think I made Wren upset. Is she going to ignore me now? Will she stop being my friend?"

Adrian snapped out of his thoughts, a headache forming. He put an arm around her shoulder and soothed her in a low voice, "No, she’s not that petty."

If she couldn’t even handle this much, she didn’t deserve to be his wife.

Maya nodded, relieved. "Wren has the best personality. I’m nothing compared to her." 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

"Personalities aren’t good or bad. She has her strengths, and you have yours. You don’t need to put yourself down."

At his words, a sweet smile spread across Maya’s face, and she leaned contentedly into Adrian’s arms.

Adrian glanced back a few times, his mind clearly elsewhere. He patted her shoulder. "I’ll take you home."

The two of them got into the car and left the hospital.

Maya leaned intimately against Adrian’s shoulder, her hands hugging his arm tightly. She chattered and laughed the entire way.

Adrian didn’t pull away from the close contact, but he didn’t hear a single word Maya said. His mind was consumed by the image of Wren walking away, and the more he replayed it, the angrier he became.

...

That evening, Adrian came home and headed straight upstairs.

He pushed open the bedroom door and saw Wren leaning against the headboard, watching TV. She seemed to be in a pretty good mood. For some reason, he let out a sigh of relief, and the tense look on his face softened.

It’s good that she came back. He was the bigger person; he could let today’s incident slide.

Besides, she was...

"You weren’t feeling well. Why didn’t you tell me? If I hadn’t run into you at the hospital today, how long were you planning to keep it from me?"

He broke the silence, his tone gentle as he walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. His intention to make a peace offering was clear.

Wren Sutton was stunned. She didn’t know what had gotten into Adrian Lancaster, or what kind of drugs he was on, for him to suddenly show concern for her.

"I spoke with the doctor. The department chief told me about your condition."

Adrian Lancaster’s answer cleared up Wren Sutton’s confusion.

So that was it. No wonder he was acting like a completely different person. But his crisis of conscience came too late. It was meaningless now and did nothing to move her. Belated affection is cheaper than dirt, and this couldn’t even be called affection.

"You shouldn’t have hidden something like this from me," Adrian said, his voice low, as if holding something back.

For the first time, Wren saw a flicker of pity in his eyes. She remained calm.

"I didn’t hide it from you. You just refused to believe me."

Adrian tried to defend himself. "You weren’t clear on the phone."

He never once heard her mention a "corpus luteum rupture."

Wren had no energy to explain. She turned off the TV. "Right. My fault."

So this was what it felt like to be dead inside. No desire to argue, no interest in what he had to say.

Adrian grew flustered. "That’s not what I meant. I..."

Wren cut him off. "Just stop. I don’t want to hear it. I’m tired, and I want to sleep."

With that, she rolled over, turning her back to Adrian in a cold dismissal.

Having been rebuffed, Adrian’s frustration boiled over, and his patience wore thin.

He didn’t know how to placate women; making the first move was the most he could offer. He had more he wanted to say, but in the end, he left in a huff, his face cold.

Sleeping separately was for the best. They both needed to cool down.

Hearing the door click shut, Wren slowly opened her eyes. She curled into a ball, wrapping her arms around herself. She would never forget the cold gleam of the surgical instruments, or the fear and anxiety of lying alone on that operating table.

If Adrian Lancaster had just shown up then, if he had just shown her some compassion, she might have been able to let it all go, to forgive him just this once.

But he never came.

Sorrow washed over her. Wren wanted to cry, but the tears wouldn’t come.

The night deepened.

DING. Her phone chimed with a new message.

Drowsy, Wren curiously tapped it open.

Adrian had transferred 100,000 dollars to her, with a one-word message: Sorry.

Wren calmly accepted the transfer, ignoring everything else.

You can hold a grudge against anyone, but not against money. Money was the most loyal companion.

...

Time passed.

Sunlight spilled into the room.

Wren slept until she woke naturally. After freshening up, she changed into a set of loose, comfortable loungewear. Just as she was about to head downstairs, a knock came from the door, followed by it being gently pushed open.

A strange woman in a maid’s uniform stood smiling in the doorway, holding a tray.

"Ma’am, your breakfast is ready."

Wren stood rooted to the spot, her brow furrowed in confusion. "Who are you?"

In all their years in this house, it had only ever been her and Adrian. There had never been a third person.

"Ma’am, Mr. Lancaster hired me to take care of you," the maid said respectfully, placing the breakfast on the table as she spoke.

Wren glanced at the food. It was all nourishing. All was good for her recovery.

"Is he downstairs?"

"Mr. Lancaster left very early, Ma’am. Please eat. It won’t taste as good if it gets cold."

"Mm."

A person’s got to eat. No sense in punishing her own body.

Wren ate with gusto. She’d waited on Adrian hand and foot for four years; it was about time she got to enjoy being taken care of.

"Oh, and Ma’am, Mr. Lancaster said he’ll be back for lunch."

Wren’s expression was neutral. "Understood."

"Ma’am, does Mr. Lancaster have any dietary restrictions?" The maid was new and didn’t know the master of the house’s preferences.

Wren answered dismissively, "No. Just make my favorites. You don’t need to worry about him."

The maid broke into a fond smile. "You and the mister are really on the same wavelength."

"..."

"Mr. Lancaster said the same thing before he left."

"..."

Wren pretended she hadn’t heard, lowering her head and continuing to eat.

The maid took the hint and discreetly left the room.

An hour later, Wren came downstairs holding a file folder. She had changed her clothes, and her makeup was simple but elegant.

"Ma’am, are you going out?"

"Yes, I’m heading to the office."

Wren reached the front door, then stopped. As if remembering something, she turned and walked back to the kitchen, with the maid trailing behind her.

"Ma’am, is there something you’re looking for?"

Wren pointed at the counter. "Pack up my leftover breakfast in a container."