Chapter 89 Always Cheating
"Mrs. Lancaster!" Rhea rushed to help her up, seeing that Harriet's face had turned red, with blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.
"What are you doing!" Tristan immediately got out of bed, but pulled at his wound, wincing in pain.
"I should be asking you that!" Owen was furious. "Tristan, do you even know what you're doing? She hurt you like this, and beating her to death would be going easy on her!"
"Really?" A bone-chilling coldness spread through Tristan's eyes. "Try touching her one more time!"
"You dare to protect her?" Owen couldn't believe his eyes. "Tristan, when did you become so irrational? You actually dared to rush out and take a knife for a woman? How are you going to handle this situation now!"
"What situation?" Tristan said coldly. "It's my body that got hurt, why are you so angry?"
"Your body? Doesn't your body belong to the Lancaster family!" Owen demanded. "Do you even know how much responsibility you carry as the heir of the Lancaster family! You can't have children, how will the Lancaster family continue? Now it's even worse - you'll never be able to have the next generation! And all for such an insignificant woman!"
Harriet sat frozen on the floor, listening to Owen's hurtful words, shame flooding every nerve in her body.
She knew Owen had never looked at her properly as his daughter-in-law. Before, he maintained surface-level peace with her - partly out of respect for Haven, and partly because she had followed all the rules in the Lancaster family these past few years without any mistakes.
But now, with Tristan hurt like this because of her, he wouldn't tolerate it.
As Harriet sat there in a daze, she suddenly heard Tristan's voice.
"She's not an insignificant woman, she's my wife."
Harriet slowly lifted her head and looked at Tristan.
He sat on the hospital bed, his gaze confronting Owen's in the air. His handsome face was tense as he spoke word by word, "I know that in Mr. Owen Lancaster's dictionary, forget about ordinary women - even wives are just tools for arranged marriages, not even worthy of your respect. But I'm different from you."
"Good, that's just great." Owen laughed in anger. "So it turns out I, Owen, raised a lovesick fool! Listen carefully - since you were born into the Lancaster family, you were born with a mission! If you don't want to be the heir, I have plenty of backup options!"
"Naturally." Tristan sneered. "Mr. Owen Lancaster has countless illegitimate children out there. Picking any one of them to train as heir wouldn't be difficult."
Owen's face turned livid with rage. "Fine, I'll do as you wish!"
Seeing Owen leave in fury, Harriet got up to chase after him, but Tristan stopped her. "Don't go!"
Harriet said anxiously, "Tristan, Dad is only angry and worried because you got hurt. If he yells at me a few times and lets off steam, that's fine. Why did you have to argue with him like this?"
"You did nothing wrong, you don't need to be yelled at." Tristan turned to look at her. "Come here."
Harriet walked over.
Tristan looked at her slightly swollen face, his eyes turning cold. "He really had the nerve to hit you!"
"I'm fine, don't be angry."
Rhea called the doctor to apply medicine to Harriet's face.
After the doctor left, Harriet spoke up. "Tristan, don't let things get so bad with Dad because of me."
"It has nothing to do with you. My relationship with him was never that good to begin with." Tristan didn't care. "If it weren't for Grandma maintaining peace in the Lancaster family, this family would have fallen apart long ago."
Harriet hesitated, then asked, "What you just said about Dad having illegitimate children - is that true?"
"Of course it's true, and there are many of them. The oldest is older than me, the youngest is only two or three years old, all from different women."
Harriet was shocked. She had married into the Lancaster family over three years ago and never knew about any of this.
"So not only did he have children with other women before marriage, he's been cheating throughout the marriage too." Harriet was furious. "How could he hurt Mom like this?"
Tristan gave a cold laugh. "Their marriage is nothing but a joke."
Harriet suddenly seemed to understand something. Growing up in such a family where appearances were maintained but hearts were distant would certainly affect Tristan's views on marriage and love.
Seeing her looking down with lowered eyes, Tristan thought she was sad. He reached out to gently touch her face. "I'll make him pay for that slap today."
Harriet shook her head. "No matter what, he's still your father. What Grandma values most is family harmony. Don't let the family fall into chaos because of me."
Tristan's expression gradually softened. "Harriet, thank you. But this matter isn't as simple as you think, and it won't just blow over because you're willing to let it go."
Tristan stayed in the hospital for a week before being discharged and returning to Cloud Bay.
Harriet learned from Ryder that while Tristan was hospitalized, Owen had gradually taken back control of the company.
Although Owen had been in charge of overseas markets these past few years, he had managed the Lancaster Group for over twenty years - taking back control wasn't difficult for him.
Harriet couldn't help but worry, while Tristan remained relaxed every day.
That evening, Harriet sat at her vanity, applying skincare products while saying, "Tristan, I'm going back to work tomorrow."
"Okay." Tristan responded. "Work hard."
Harriet smiled. "I will."
After finishing her skincare routine, Harriet lay down on the bed.
Tristan turned off the light and rolled over to kiss her.
Harriet closed her eyes and responded to his kiss.
Before long, Harriet sensed something was wrong with Tristan.
His breathing grew heavier, and his body temperature clearly reminded her that he wanted to make love.
"Stop it." Harriet pushed him away at the right moment, breathing heavily. "Or you'll feel bad."
Tristan's hand gently caressed her face. "Are you feeling bad?"
Harriet naturally knew what he meant.
It would be a lie to say she didn't feel anything.
In the past, she would say through tears that she wanted it, and Tristan would stop teasing and immediately satisfy her.
But now, the word "want" was a fatal blow to him.
Harriet steadied her breathing and said softly, "Stop teasing, I'm tired."
Tristan chuckled. "Darling, wanting it is normal. You're not frigid."
Harriet's heart trembled.
This was the first time Tristan had called her "darling."
His voice was as deep and pleasant as a cello, and when he said that word, it touched the depths of her soul.
Harriet had never felt such happiness before.
"Tristan."
Tristan smiled. "Good girl, I'm here."