Chapter 127 Suffering the Consequences of One's Own Evil Deeds
Chapter 127 Suffering the Consequences of One's Own Evil Deeds
Shawn didn't listen. He simply ordered his staff to keep watch over her, then turned and left.
No matter how much she screamed in despair, Shawn never once stopped or looked back.
Time dragged on, and Vivian lost track of how long she'd been trapped there.
Meals arrived at her door on schedule. A servant would knock a few times, then leave without so much as a glance in her direction.
Vivian tried everything—crying, throwing tantrums, smashing things, even refusing food. The only result was that meal deliveries went from three times a day to once a day.
Clearly, Shawn's concern didn't extend beyond keeping her alive. Nothing more.
Even the baby growing inside her no longer seemed to matter to him.
Her only lifeline now was the phone the staff delivered daily—strictly for contacting her private doctor, medical purposes only.
During one bout of abdominal discomfort, Vivian seized the opportunity to send Maggie a desperate message.
Vivian: [Maggie, I'm being held prisoner. Please help me—call the police, contact the media, anything.]
The message showed as 'read,' but no reply came.
Vivian sent several more.
Vivian: [Maggie, did you get this?]
Vivian: [I'm begging you, help me get out of here!]
Vivian: [I can't stay trapped like this.]
...
Vivian waited for Maggie's response. Days passed. Finally, on the third day, Maggie replied.
Heart pounding with hope, Vivian opened the message—only to find a rejection.
Her blood ran cold.
She couldn't believe it. Maggie was her best friend. How could she possibly refuse to help?
Vivian called. The line disconnected immediately. When she tried again, it went straight to 'number unavailable.'
In that moment, the truth hit her: her most trusted friend had weighed the costs and chosen to abandon her.
Worse still, Maggie had told Shawn about the distress messages.
Now even the phone was confiscated. She was truly cut off from the world.
Vivian broke down completely, sobbing and screaming, "I need to see him! Let me see him! Doesn't he realize this could kill us both?"
No one answered.
Between emotional collapse and poor nutrition, Vivian went into premature labor at eight months.
The private doctor handled the emergency delivery and placed the baby in an incubator, but keeping the child alive would require substantial ongoing medical expenses.
When Shawn arrived at the hospital, he stood at the glass window staring at the tiny life inside the incubator. His expression remained blank.
He turned and walked into Vivian's room, his voice measured and deliberate. "When you first came to me, was it because you cared about 'me,' or because you wanted the power and status I could give you?"
Vivian laughed—a bitter, self-mocking sound tinged with reckless defiance. "The power, obviously. You've got women throwing themselves at you left and right. One more, one less—who would actually love 'you'?"
Shawn stood beside the bed, his hands clenched at his sides. "And whose child is this, really?"
Vivian hadn't expected him to question the baby's paternity at a time like this.
"The child is yours. I didn't lie about that. But even without this baby, some other woman would've found a way to get pregnant by you eventually. Shawn, you've never been a good man. Stop pretending you're some devoted romantic."
She glanced at the medical files on the side table, then added coldly, "As for Ruth... she knew about us from the very beginning. But she never said a word. Why do you think that is, Shawn?"
Disbelief flooded Shawn's eyes. His head snapped up. "You're saying Ruth 'knew' about us?"
At this point, Vivian saw no reason to hold back. "That's right. You could've easily checked into this yourself. But you didn't..."
Shawn staggered backward. If Ruth had known all along about him and Vivian... and never said anything... He couldn't bear to finish the thought. Stumbling, he fled the room.
Vivian watched his retreating figure and threw her head back with a harsh laugh.
What a fool.
After leaving, Shawn immediately ordered an investigation. The findings confirmed everything: Ruth had indeed known about his affairs all along, but had kept silent.
He felt himself unraveling.
Following this revelation, he provided Vivian with enough money to raise the child to adulthood. He arranged for an assistant to hire caregivers. Beyond that, he had no intention of seeing either of them again.
Brenda and Elsie both tried to reason with him. It was useless.
---
At the estate, Ruth's due date approached. Her belly had grown noticeably larger, and her movements became increasingly awkward.
William had already arranged for New York's top obstetric team to be stationed at the estate.
The delivery room, equipment, backup blood supply—everything was meticulously prepared.
That morning, Ruth woke to waves of pain.
She gripped the edge of the bed and sat up slowly. Cold sweat beaded across her forehead. She took several deep breaths to steady herself.
The nurse staying in the adjacent room heard the commotion and rushed over. After a quick examination, she immediately notified the obstetric team.
When William got word, he rushed back from the office.
He burst through the door and headed straight for the delivery room, only to be stopped by a nurse.
"Mr. Scott, you'll need to wait outside."
Left with no choice, William stood in the hallway. Though his expression remained composed, the veins in his hands stood out prominently.
Edith appeared at some point, leaning against the corridor wall. She looked him up and down with an amused smile. "Anyone who didn't know better would think you were the father."
William's heart stirred faintly at those words. If only the child were his... but it wasn't.
Still, it didn't matter. He ignored Edith, his gaze fixed on the delivery room door.
Muffled sounds drifted from inside—Ruth's labored breathing, the steady reassurances of the medical staff.
Time crawled forward.
After what felt like an eternity, a sharp, clear cry rang out.
The door swung open. A nurse emerged cradling a tiny bundle, her face bright with a smile. "Congratulations, Mr. Scott. Mother and daughter are both healthy."
William barely glanced at the baby. He instructed the staff to take good care of the child, then strode quickly into the delivery room.
Ruth lay on the bed, drenched in sweat, her face pale. When she saw William, she looked momentarily startled—clearly she hadn't expected him to be there.
"You shouldn't be in here..."