Chapter 3 A Cruel Hand

Flynn seemed to have been standing outside the door for a long time. His eyes, sharp as a hawk's, fixed on her. "My mother truly chose the wrong person. You should prepare yourself to be kicked out of here. The Theophilus Group has already sent a sum of money to the Yashashree Group. Since you married into the Theophilus family, your job is to be a servant. The money you receive is more than what they get."

His voice was incredibly cold, reflecting his deep dissatisfaction with her.

Giselle glared at him. Having just escaped a brush with death, her heart overflowed with a mix of grief and anger. "How can you speak so harshly. I sincerely wanted to marry into the Theophilus family and be a good daughter-in-law. Your family committed marriage fraud from the very beginning. I haven't complained at all, so why are you all so strict with me?" She had never once grumbled. Even if she had to marry a disabled man, she did not look down on him.

"Harsh. If you wanted that much money, you should have expected to pay this kind of price. If it weren't for the greed of your Yashashree family, wanting to marry you off to a wealthy house and extract money from the Theophilus family, how could we have let you in? Putting makeup on this ugly face... don't you know it makes people feel disgusted." Flynn curled his lips into a mocking smile and walked away immediately after speaking.

Giselle bit her teeth hard, her blurred vision following him as he left. Was there any parent who didn't want their daughter to marry into a good family with a good husband? They were just ordinary people; was it necessary to speak so poorly of her parents? Ever since Mrs. Theophilus took an interest in her, her mother had been so happy, saying she hadn't let her father down. The proposal to marry into the Theophilus family was made by them, and the money was offered by them voluntarily. In the end, what did she do wrong? On what basis could he call the Yashashree family excessive? On what basis?

After returning to the room, Giselle glanced around. She hadn't brought much with her, so leaving would be easy and without any trouble. However, before departing, she had to call her mother to let her know.

Once the call connected, the sound of a woman's light laughter came from the other end. "Giselle, are you listening to your mother-in-law at the Theophilus house. The Theophilus family is a prestigious clan, so don't just do whatever you like. Do you know how many people admire you for marrying into that house? Not to mention the second master of the Theophilus family, who is handsome, elegant, and the future heir. Marrying into that family means you have endless blessings to enjoy."

Giselle hesitated for a long while before speaking. "Mom."

The other end was still filled with joy, seemingly not hearing her tone. "Today, the Theophilus family transferred the money to the Yashashree family. Your Uncle Yashashree has always treated us well. I am truly happy that you could marry into the Theophilus family and help him."

It was true; Uncle Yashashree had been very good to them. She wanted to reassure her mother and repay Uncle Yashashree for his years of care.

"Giselle, what did you want to say just now?" Mother Yashashree suddenly asked.

Giselle forced herself to sound cheerful. "It's nothing, I just missed you. Moving to a new place so suddenly, I'm just a bit unaccustomed to it."

"It will get better in a few days. If you are truly uncomfortable, you can discuss it with Flynn and stay at your mother's house for a day or two."

She hurriedly declined. "There is no need, Mother. Flynn has been very busy lately."

After finishing the call with her mother, Giselle composed herself and went to find a first aid kit to treat the wound on her forehead. As she stepped out of her room, Mrs. Theophilus suddenly appeared before her with a cold expression. "Did I ask you to care for Reid just so you could sleep in your room?"

"Mother, I wasn't sleeping," she explained softly.

"Tell me truthfully, did you make Reid angry?"

Giselle nodded. "Yes."

"You should understand your status. Even if you were Caradoc Yashashree's biological daughter, you still wouldn't be a match for Reid. Do you despise his legs? Do you think the Theophilus family tricked you into this marriage, forcing you to live like a widow?"

Facing the aggressive questioning from Mrs. Theophilus, Giselle stood tall and said, "I do not. I don't despise Reid at all. I sincerely wanted to marry into the Theophilus family, and I want to care for Reid. Thank you, Mother, for choosing me to marry into this house and for considering my family's dignity by letting everyone think it was the younger brother who wanted to marry me. Thank you for extending a helping hand to the Yashashree family."

Knowing how to show gratitude and being intelligent and kind were the traits Mrs. Theophilus liked about her. Hearing Giselle's words, the anger on Mrs. Theophilus's face softened significantly.

"Go, pour a glass of water and take it to Reid."

Giselle nodded and replied, "Yes, Mother."

From this moment on, she made up her mind to stay with the Theophilus family. She could not make things difficult for her mother and felt a duty to repay the Yashashree family. If she wanted to take good care of Reid, she first had to understand his temperament, grasp his thoughts, and avoid offending him. Giselle carried the freshly poured glass of warm water into the study.

"Mother asked me to bring you some water." Her voice was very soft, as if she were afraid of disturbing his reading.

She remembered clearly the two times Reid had lost his temper: once regarding the crutch and once regarding the light. Reid had overheard her conversation with Mrs. Theophilus earlier. Regardless of whether she was playing tricks to please his mother, she had indeed said she did not despise him.

Taking the glass of water from her, Reid narrowed his eyes at her. "What is your name?"

Reid didn't even know his own wife's name. Giselle was slightly startled. She had thought she was the only one who didn't know she was supposed to marry Reid.

"Giselle Yashashree. Giselle means pure and full of life, while Yashashree stands for prosperity and luck." These words were a repetition of how her mother had explained the meaning of her name.

Her voice was very gentle, and it sounded pleasant to Reid's ears. He listened carefully to her explanation and looked at her, realizing she truly suited the name. Reid took a sip of the water, frowned, and said, "The water is too hot."

She had poured the water herself and checked it. It was just the right temperature. She knit her brows and reached out to touch the rim of the glass, finding it wasn't hot at all. "The water isn't hot."

For years, no one had dared to act so casually in front of him. Reid looked at her coldly, frowning. "Pour another glass."

Seeing him like this, Giselle felt some hesitation. He was too quick to anger, and she shouldn't go against his wishes, yet she still said softly, "The temperature of this water is just right. It's very good for your health."

Reid clearly saw the fear on her face. If she was so afraid of him, why did she still want to defy him?

Giselle held her breath, bracing herself for his anger, but after a long moment, he said nothing and simply finished the glass of water in his hand.

After he finished, Giselle hurried to take the glass from him. "I feel the study is a bit cold. What do you think?" she asked cautiously, wanting to adjust the room temperature.

Reid said nothing but picked up the air conditioner remote to increase the temperature. He said, "From now on, when you are in the same room as me, wear more clothes."

Giselle understood that he wasn't showing concern for her; he simply didn't like a warm environment.