CHAPTER 18: CHAPTER 18: SHE’S ACTUALLY PREGNANT?!

"A whore is just a whore, can’t stand loneliness and keeps flirting with men every day? Bah, bringing her back would just dirty the floor!"

Through the door, Laura Quinn’s biting curses seeped through to her ears.

"Aunt, please don’t be angry, that might just be my sister’s friend, it’s late, so he’s just bringing her home," Cynthia gently persuaded, "Although, my sister doesn’t really have any male friends, but I trust her."

As soon as she finished speaking, Laura’s curses intensified, as if she wanted nothing more than to trample Ann Vaughn into the mud.

Ann dropped her gaze, no longer attempting to enter the password, turned around, and squatted down by the door, her face calm.

If she walked away now, it would only embolden Laura, providing more reasons to trip her up, even though she had done nothing wrong.

But not one of the people inside would stand by her.

The night was dark, the air moist, and the rain that had paused for half a day resumed its drizzle.

Exhausted from the day, Ann curled up and somehow drifted into a half-sleep, hugging her knees, looking like a little puppy abandoned by someone.

When Cyrus Hawthorne returned with an umbrella to the villa, this was the scene he saw.

His deep eyes swept over her rain-drenched hem, his brows furrowing slightly.

"Ann Vaughn, wake up." He walked over, fingers nudging her shoulder, his tone impatient as he roused her.

Ann was a light sleeper and woke up immediately, seeing the face before her, handsome and cool as in her childhood, with slightly gentle contours, she was momentarily dazed.

"You...you’re back?"

"Hmm." Cyrus input the password to open the door, his voice indifferent with mockery, "Squatting here so you’d fall ill tomorrow, and let others laugh at our Hawthorne Family for mistreating the daughter-in-law?"

Having crouched too long, Ann’s legs were numb, and her action paused when she heard his words, her heart aching finely, "Mom changed the password lock, locked me outside, would you believe that?"

As Cyrus stepped inside, he paused briefly, glanced at her with cold indifference, his half-curved lips barely hesitating to insinuate she fabricated lies again.

Ann didn’t bother to say more, bypassed him and headed upstairs.

As she reached the staircase, she ran directly into Cynthia, who was coming out of Cyrus’s study holding a book.

Ann’s expression remained unchanged, walking straight past Cynthia without acknowledging her.

Cynthia, seated in a wheelchair, quickly turned her eyes and then swiftly extended her foot to viciously trip Ann!

Unprepared, Ann fell hard to the ground.

A sharp pain extended from her abdomen, cold sweat beaded on Ann’s forehead from the agony, her hand trembling slightly while holding her abdomen, an outrageous thought popped into her mind.

"Sister, how come you can’t even stand properly? Your health is really poor, maybe Aunt’s nourishing soup should be shared with you so you can improve your strength?"

Looking at Ann, who was in disarray on the ground, Cynthia smiled innocently and gracefully, but her eyes showed deep disdain.

Playing with her, Ann would only be toyed with to death.

Ann was in such pain she could hardly speak, struggling to support herself to stand, she barely had the strength to question Cynthia, trembling as she turned to her room.

The uneasy premonition in her heart grew heavier.

Slowly moving to sit by the bed, Ann gritted her teeth, her fingers trembling as she placed them on her right wrist.

Her slightly panting breath froze, her eyes slowly widening in disbelief as she looked at her own abdomen.

She was actually... pregnant?!