Chapter 35 Chapter 35
He was right. She wasn't just pretending; she was enduring. The pain was real, and the faint dampness was merely her body's self-preservation response. She felt drained of the strength to even hate him, staring at him numbly. "Then what do you want me to do?"
He wanted to conquer her. He wanted her genuine emotion. He wanted her to cry uncontrollably in his arms. He wanted her face to turn crimson and her body to tremble. He wanted her to gasp as she climaxed with him.
He wanted so much, yet in the end, he only sneered, leaning down to whisper, "I want you to beg me to fuck you like a slut."
"Fine. I beg you." She repeated his words mechanically.
He wouldn't relent, pressing closer. "Beg me for what?"
"To fuck me." She repeated.
Still unsatisfied, he demanded, "Grace, is this how you react with your husband?"
Her entire body shook uncontrollably; the tremors were so violent that they seemed to shake her bones loose. Yet she gritted her teeth, turned her head away, wrapped her arms around his neck, pressed herself close to him, and whispered hoarsely, "Benjamin, I beg you. Please give me pleasure."
"Fine. I'll give it to you," he replied, enunciating each word deliberately.
But he couldn't give her pleasure. All he offered was humiliation and pain. Her body grew increasingly dry, unable to muster even the most basic self-protection. The slightest movement from him felt excruciating.
He noticed her change, his resentment and humiliation deepening. He sneered, "It's fine. I have all the time in the world to waste on you today. You needn't worry about my stamina or endurance."
He lowered his head to kiss her.
Unlike last time, she didn't resist. She let him put his tongue in her mouth without struggling, forcing her body to relax. Closing her eyes, she deceived herself. This man wasn't the beast she hated. He was Adrian, her husband. She loved him. She enjoyed everything he gave her.
Surprised by her change, his movements softened unconsciously.
Her eyes remained closed, her face buried against his neck. She was utterly immersed in her own fantasy.
The combination of psychological suggestion and physical stimulation began to elicit a normal response from her body.
She arched her back and moved in rhythm with Benjamin, reaching climax.
Almost simultaneously, he let out a muffled groan as well, holding her tightly and capturing her lips with a kiss. In the midst of their shared climax, he gave her everything—physically and emotionally.
After this wild lovemaking ended, he didn't want to pull away. She remained motionless with her eyes closed and utterly silent.
He lifted his head and stared at her face, watching with a hint of regret as the flush slowly faded from her cheeks. He lowered his head to gently touch her nose. His voice was hoarse. "If only you'd been this obedient sooner!"
Only then did she open her eyes and push him away. He showed no anger, silently observing her flustered state. He fetched a wet wipe from the car and handed it to her. "Want to take a shower?"
How could she possibly shower?
How could she explain to her family that she bolted from the dinner table just to shower and then return?
Filled with rage she couldn't express and afraid to provoke this devil, she didn't dare scold him. She simply lowered her eyes and dressed herself. "No, please just take me home. My family is still waiting for me."
He found her utterly ungrateful. The slight softening in his heart hardened again. With a smirk, he pressed the intercom button on the console and ordered, "Michael, go back to where we came from."
Michael's voice remained calm as he replied, "Got it."
The car turned around and retraced its path, returning to the same narrow street. Before the car had even come to a complete stop, the rear door swung open. Grace leaped out impatiently and strode forward without looking back.
After taking only a few steps, she heard Benjamin calling her from behind. She turned back and saw him getting out of the car, his hands tucked into his pockets. He looked at her with an ambiguous smile. "Ms. Hill, watch your step. Don't let your husband catch on."
She stared at him. "Okay."
Adrian hadn't noticed her slip-up. He trusted her completely and never harbored the slightest doubt. He only saw the weariness on her face and felt heartbroken for her. Back at their home, he urged her, "If the job is too hard, just quit for now. You'll be changing jobs after you finish your Ph.D, anyway. Don't exhaust yourself over those kids day in and day out. You can't even enjoy your own birthday.”
Grace wanted to cry. Guilt and shame gnawed at her, preventing her from meeting Adrian's gaze. She forced a smile, gathered her clothes, and headed for the bathroom. "It's just busy for a little while longer," she said. “It's almost the end of the year, right?"
She locked the bathroom door and cried alone inside for a long time. She washed herself countless times before finally getting dressed and coming out. Adrian was watching TV in the living room. Noticing her red eyes, he asked, "What happened to your eyes?"
"Nothing. I just got shampoo in them while washing my hair.” She sat down beside him and leaned her body against his shoulder. They stared at the TV screen for a moment. Then, out of the blue, she said, "Adrian, let's get a divorce. Okay?”
Adrian was stunned. "What did you say?"
Her eyes still red, she met his gaze. After a long moment, she suddenly burst into laughter—a laugh that grew louder until she collapsed onto the sofa. Startled, he reached out to pull her up. "Grace, what's wrong? What are you laughing at?"
She just kept laughing, burying her head in her hands as if she were laughing until tears streamed down her face. After wiping her eyes, she managed to say, between fits of laughter, "I was just teasing you. Today, a colleague told me a joke about wives suddenly asking their husbands for a divorce and how bizarrely the husbands responded. Everyone agreed to try it out at home.”
He believed her, feeling both amused and exasperated. With a mix of helplessness and affection, he reached out to ruffle her hair. "You scared me. Don't ever joke like that again.”
She wiped the tears from her eyes but hadn't forgotten the earlier question. She pressed him. “You still haven't told me your answer.”
“What answer?” he asked. "Divorce?"
"Yes!" she nodded, her expression turning serious. "Adrian, you have to give me an answer, too. If I said I wanted a divorce, what would you do?"
Adrian frowned slightly, clearly reluctant to address the question. But, seeing her determined expression, he relented. “If you ask for a divorce because you no longer love me, then fine. I'll let you go because I love you. But if you still love me and want a divorce because of another problem, we'll solve it together. If I can handle it alone, I will. If not, I'll drag you along to solve it with me. Because we love each other.