Independence

Hansel looked Ingrid up and down, then sneered, “Didn’t you say your stomach hurt? You look just fine to

me.”

Under his sharp gaze, Ingrid felt as though her clumsy act had been completely exposed. “You weren’t home, and I had no one to talk to. I felt so lonely-”

Hansel cut her off, uninterested in her plea. “If you’re lonely, read a book or study. Do something. Aren’t you a student? Don’t you have classes? Aren’t you supposed to be preparing for grad school?

“You seem to have plenty of free time. Martha looks busy. Why don’t you go help her out?”

Ingrid fumbled for words, unable to respond.

Hansel’s dark eyes were cold. He had seen through her tricks too many times. They were too shallow and pathetic!

He then turned to leave, but Ingrid threw herself at him from behind, her arms locking tightly around his waist. Hansel could feel her softness pressing against his back.

“Hans, don’t go. I haven’t seen you in so long. I really miss you. Stay with me, please? Even if you hate me, do it for the sake of the baby…”

Hansel’s jaw clenched as he quickly pried her hands away, his disdain nearly pouring from his eyes. “Stay away from me! And stop using the baby as an excuse.

“I told you to terminate the pregnancy, but you went behind my back and contacted my mom. I haven’t even dealt with that yet!”

Ingrid’s eyes flickered. “I’m sorry, I-

“I’m warning you–behave, or I won’t hesitate to kick you out of this house right now!” he snapped, turning away to head upstairs.

His retreating figure was as cold and unfeeling as ever, chilling her to the bone.

Ingrid bit her lip, taking a deep breath to steady herself. She silently reminded herself to endure it all, Marrying Hansel was her only way out, and she had already invested too much in this path.

She couldn’t lose.

She couldn’t afford to lose.

After a few seconds, she managed to calm down. She remembered that Hansel loved pumpkin soup.

When he first walked in, she caught the smell of alcohol on him. He must have drunk quite a bit last night. Whenever that happened, he always craved pumpkin soup.

This was her chance to cater to his taste!

Inside the master bedroom, Hansel drank the hangover remedy that Martha had brought him, but he still felt miserable. Before long, he drifted back into a deep sleep.

When he woke up again, it was already 2:00 pm. His stomach had been empty for half the day, so it twisted painfully. He then finally got out of bed and went downstairs.

Nonetheless, the discomfort in his body filled him with a simmering rage.

“Martha, is there anything to eat?” he barked. When he didn’t hear a response, he shouted again, impatiently this time, “Martha!”

“Hans, you had too much to drink last night and didn’t eat anything this morning, so your stomach must be hurting. I went to the market and bought some pumpkins to make soup for you. I’ve just done cooking. have some-”

Hearing Hansel coming downstairs, Ingrid eagerly emerged from the kitchen with a bowl of soup. But before she could finish, Hansel slapped the soup out of her hands.Belongs to © n0velDrama.Org.

“Ah!” She cried out as the scalding soup splashed onto the expensive wool rug, with a few drops landing on her as well.

“Who told you to do this? Did I say I wanted your soup?” Hansel’s eyes were cold, filled with disdain and mockery.

Ingrid felt a sting of hurt as her eyes welled with tears. She didn’t dare to talk back and could only whisper, “I’m sorry, I… I was just worried about you.

“You drank, and your stomach always feels bad afterward. I didn’t want you to suffer, so I made pumpkin soup…”

She bowed her head, exposing her pale neck, looking utterly pitiful. The scene was enough to soften anyone’s heart.

But not Hansel’s.

“Stop pretending! Your acting is pathetic; even a dog knows it has to suck up to get a bone. I’m supporting you here, and not only do you disobey, but you also try to play games with me? Do I look that stupid?”

“No, it’s not that. I just love you too much-

The hostility in Hansel’s eyes only grew. Just hearing Ingrid’s voice stirred a deep–seated disgust in him.