Marriage Crisis: Is Love A Trap?

Leona Barnes awoke to the sound of the door being pushed open. Her eyes instantly lit up.

Today was her birthday.

Elmer Hayes's grandfather had promised that Elmer would come back.

She had waited for him all day. Finally, he was here!

Leona quickly stood up, pretending she wasn't sleeping just now, and approached Elmer with a bright smile.

"Elmer, you're- Hmm..."

Before she could finish her sentence, the man suddenly pressed his lips against hers, silencing her.

She felt herself being pulled into the man's arms and was instantly drowned in the strong smell of alcohol.

Leona pressed her hands against Elmer's chest and tried to push him away, struggling to break free from his embrace.

But this only made the man kiss her more fiercely. He locked her in place, wrapping his arms around her tightly like a python.

With cheeks aflame, Leona could do nothing but let the man kiss her.

Elmer's tongue slipped inside and danced with hers, making the smell of alcohol spread into her mouth.

Leona couldn't stand it anymore. Her whole body went limp in the man's arms.

Elmer paused, cupped her butt cheeks and hoisted her up, letting her wrap her slender legs around his narrow and muscular waist.

It wasn't until he tasted a metallic taste of blood that he temporarily let go of Leona.

Leona gasped for breath. "Are... Are you hungry? I could ask-"

"I'm hungry."

A deep, hoarse voice interrupted her.

Elmer's Adam's apple bobbed up and down. Before Leona could say anything more, a pair of firm hands grabbed her slender waist and threw her to the bed. Elmer climbed atop her and whispered in her ear, "I'm hungry for you."

As soon as he finished speaking, he lowered his head and kissed her smooth, delicate neck. His lips kept moving downwards, until his face was buried in her cleavage.

Perhaps it was the alcohol, but Elmer acted more rudely than usual, leaving a trail of hickeys on Leona's delicate skin.

He gently bit her pink nipple, nibbling on it with his teeth. Leona couldn't help but moan, arching her back in pleasure.

She had no reservations anymore. Holding the back of his head, she squirmed restlessly under his body, her eyes filled with passion.

Elmer's penis was already erect. Stimulated by the alcohol, he couldn't hold it in anymore and ripped Leona's nightdress off.

"Oh, God... Elmer..."

Leona's long eyelashes were wet with tears. Suddenly, she felt that something thick being inserted into her body. She groaned loudly.

The two of them became one.

After climaxing, Elmer rolled over and lay next to her, panting breathlessly.

The air was heavy with intimacy.

Leona rested her head on his chest, her face as ruddy as a tomato. She couldn't help but smile contentedly.

This was their rare moment of happiness, and Leona always held it dear.

She was counting Elmer's eyelashes idly when the phone suddenly rang, destroying the romantic atmosphere.

Sighing slightly, Elmer reached for the phone and answered it. His voice was low and gentle. He seemed to still be immersed in the romantic moment.

All of a sudden, his expression changed, his eyes filled with worry.

Seeing this, Leona's heart sank.

There was always only one person in this world who could make him wear such an expression.

"Don't worry. I'll be right there,"

Elmer said in a gentle tone. Obviously, he was talking to his beloved one.

Unfortunately for Leona, the person he loved was never her.

Leona reached for his hand in an effort to stop him. "Elmer..."

But Elmer ignored her. He shrugged off her hand, quickly got dressed, and left the bedroom without looking back.

He left her in the blink of an eye, as though they didn't make love just now.

The happy moment was shattered in an instant.

Leona smiled bitterly and withdrew her stiff hand. She clutched the quilt so tightly, her knuckles turned white.

It had been a year. She should've been used to his coldness by now, so why did she still feel heartbroken?

After a while, there was a knock on the door.

With her eyelashes trembling, Leona looked up in anticipation, thinking Elmer might've come back.

However, it was just the servant who had come in, holding a glass of water and a pill.

"Mrs. Hayes, please take the medicine," she said politely.

Leona rubbed the spot between her brows, smiling wryly.

Perhaps it was because the air conditioner was on full blast that she felt cold to her bones. Her heart even hurt more.

She couldn't remember how many times she had gone through this scenario.

Every time they made love, Elmer would ask a servant to bring her a contraceptive pill.

He refused to let her have his child.

How could he be so heartless?

Today was her birthday, yet he had left her in the dust, as usual.

Elmer didn't even glance at her when he left, but he didn't forget to ask the servant to take the medicine to her.

Suppressing the grief in her heart, Leona took the medicine and glass of water with trembling hands.

But the servant didn't leave. She stood glued to the spot and looked at Leona expressionlessly.

Leona knew that the servant wouldn't leave until she saw her swallow the contraceptive pill.

This was Elmer's order after all, and the servant dared not disobey him.

After having been married for one year, Elmer had given Leona whatever she wanted.

Except his child and his affection for her.

Their loveless marriage was arranged by Elmer's grandfather.

Leona married Elmer only because she was the biological daughter of the Barnes family.

She was elated back then. Thanks to the arranged marriage, she finally got the chance to be with the man she had loved for many years.

But Elmer never reciprocated that love. In fact, he was in love with someone else when he reluctantly married Leona.

She knew this since the beginning.

It was only natural that he hated her!

She had never held onto the hope that someday, her husband might warm up to her.

She was just determined to stay by his side as his loyal wife.

She even turned a blind eye to Elmer's affair with that woman. She just endured the pain in silence all alone.

It was already two o'clock early in the morning when Elmer arrived at the hospital.

He pushed the door to the ward open and found the woman lying in bed, pale as a ghost. She seemed so weak.

She smiled at him with difficulty. "You're here, Elmer... Ahem."

She couldn't even finish a sentence without coughing violently. She looked so pitiful.

Elmer walked over to her side and patted her back gently. To the doctor, he asked with a frown, "Didn't you say that she was all right?"

The doctor pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Mr. Hayes, she was admitted this time not because of her congenital heart disease, but because of the bleeding..."

As soon as the doctor finished speaking, tears welled up in Aurora Barnes' eyes. Her long eyelashes trembled and she lowered her head guiltily.

"Elmer, our baby... Our baby almost..."

She sobbed and couldn't manage to finish her sentence.

Elmer was stunned.

Aurora was pregnant? How could it be possible?

They had never slept together.

After all, Aurora had a congenital heart disease.

So he never got intimate with her, for fear of injuring her inadvertently, let alone made love to her.

Elmer's eyes were riddled with confusion. After thinking about it for a moment, he asked, "When did this happen? Why didn't you tell me?"

Seeing that he wasn't happy but suspicious, Aurora grew a little flustered.

She blinked away her tears and forced a smile, saying, "Don't you remember that time you got drunk at my place? Well, that night, we..."

Aurora let her voice trail off deliberately, and she turned her face away shyly.

"I didn't know I'd be so lucky to get pregnant the first time we did it..."

Seeing the sweet smile on her face, Elmer no longer doubted her.

He figured the alcohol must've erased his memory of that night.

But the most pressing concern was Aurora's physical condition. She was in no shape to carry and give birth to a baby.

Elmer sighed slightly. "Aurora, you're not well yet. The baby will only make things worse."

He reached for her hand and continued in a low voice, "I think you should have an abortion."

"What?! I don't want to have an abortion!"

Aurora withdrew her hand and looked at Elmer in disbelief.

But a split second later, her heart skipped a beat. She realized that she overreacted just now.

With a faking pitiful look on her face, she threw herself into Elmer's arms and burst into tears.

"I know I'm not in good health. You don't even have the heart to make out with me when you're sober. But this is our only chance. I can't bring myself to kill our baby."

She looked at Elmer with her teary eyes, squeezing out a tear or two. Elmer couldn't help but pity her.

"I know that you and Leona are husband and wife. I won't ask you for anything else. I just want to give birth to your baby, even if it means raising it by myself.

And if I die first, at least you'll still have someone to accompany you."

She looked at him, her eyes full of expectation.

"Stop talking like that. I can't watch you get hurt because of it," Elmer said with a serious face.

Aurora shook her head firmly. "I'm willing to do anything for our child. Even if it means risking my life, I want to give birth to it!"

Elmer didn't want to talk about this topic with her anymore, so he helped her lie down and said softly, "You must be tired. Get some rest first."

Afraid that her emotional stress would worsen her condition, Elmer coaxed her gently and lulled her to sleep before leaving the hospital.

By the time he left, it was already dawn.

Leona didn't sleep a wink all night.

When Elmer stepped foot inside his villa, he found his wife sitting on the sofa absentmindedly.

The morning light flooded into the room from the window, illuminating her tired face.

Elmer was inexplicably irritable to see her awake. He said in a cold voice, "Why aren't you in bed yet? What are you doing here?"

Clenching her fists, Leona looked up at him and said defensively, "I waited for you to come back..."

She had thought that if Elmer had spare time, he would come back to accompany her.

As expected, he finally showed up. At least, Elmer would belong to her-even if for just a moment.

Leona tucked her messy hair behind her ears and smiled at him, hiding her tiredness well.

But the corners of her eyes were still red from crying.

Seeing this, Elmer frowned more tightly. He unbuttoned his shirt and snapped impatiently, "Why do you pretend to be so pitiful? What're you going to do? Run to Grandfather and cry again?"

The other night, Elmer was in a meeting with a client when his grandfather suddenly called, asking him whether he hadn't been home for a couple of days.

His grandfather also ordered him to go home and stay with Leona on her birthday.

Obviously, it was all Leona's idea!

Now, it seemed she wanted to use the same trick again.

Leona was stunned. "What? I never talked to Grandfather."

Although Elmer's grandfather was nice to her, she had never thought about asking him to force Elmer to treat her well.

She didn't have the heart to force Elmer. Neither would she stoop so low.

As long as she could stay by his side like this, she was more than content.

"Oh, forget it."

Elmer cast her an indifferent glance and dropped the topic, not because he believed her, but because he didn't want to waste time talking with her.

He sat down opposite her, took out a document, and handed it to her. "Have a look at it. Tell me what else you need to add."

Leona's eyes landed on the bold words at the top of the document.

It was a divorce agreement.

Leona's eyes went as wide as saucers. She looked at Elmer in disbelief. "You want to... divorce me?"

Elmer's collar was open, exposing the hickeys she had left on him earlier. But when her eyes met his, she saw only coldness.

"Yes."

Leona gasped in astonishment. She felt her heart break into a thousand pieces.

She had thought that it didn't matter that her parents and sister had forgotten her birthday. She had waited for Elmer expectantly, eager to find comfort in him.

However, he had only come home to have sex with her in a drunken state, and then he left without hesitation because of one phone call from Aurora.

She had waited for him all night, only to receive a divorce agreement.

Why did everyone treat her like this?

Why did he decide to rip her heart out of her chest?

She had had enough of the injustice. She wouldn't let them get what they wanted!

Leona's eyes suddenly flashed with fierce determination. In a voice that trembled slightly, she said, "I disagree. I won't accept the divorce."

Exhausted, Elmer rubbed his temples tiredly.

"Let's not waste time. Aurora is pregnant."

The news was like a bolt from the blue. Elmer's cold voice echoed in Leona's ears as she stared at him in a daze.

All the courage she had plucked up just a moment earlier had dissipated completely.

After a long while, she finally came to her senses and asked, "When did it happen?"

"It's none of your business."

"I see."

Leona chuckled bitterly, tears streaming down her face. Her straight back was bent by the unbearable grief.

Too emotional to think straight, her hand suddenly shot out.

She grabbed the divorce agreement on the tea table and ripped it to shreds in front of Elmer.

White pieces of paper floated in the air between them.

There seemed to be an insurmountable gap between them.

Leona's body trembled, but she stared at Elmer defiantly.

She had swallowed so much humiliation in this marriage, yet her husband never saw her fit to be the mother of his child.

But now, he told her that Aurora was pregnant with his child!

Her sister got pregnant with her husband's baby! It was simply too ridiculous!

Leona seemed to be nothing but trash in everyone's eyes.

Her parents only doted on Aurora, their adopted daughter, and her marriage was on the verge of disaster thanks to Aurora.

Her life was like a joke!

Elmer's expression darkened. He stood up and looked down at her, asking coldly, "What was the point of that?"

Leona pursed her lips. He was right. What was the point of insisting on sustaining the marriage?

He had never loved her after all.

But even so, she didn't want to sign her name on the wretched divorce agreement.

At the very least, they were still bound by the marriage-even if just on paper.

If they divorced, they would cut ties forever.

The atmosphere in the living room became so tense that one could've cut through it with a knife. Neither of them spoke for what felt like an eternity.

Suddenly, Elmer's phone rang, breaking the stalemate.

He answered the phone.

"Elmer," his grandfather's stern voice sounded from the other end of the line. "Bring Leona here tonight. Let's have dinner together!"

It came as a surprise to Leona that Alfie Hayes, Elmer's grandfather, called at this time and asked them to go back. It was a good chance for her to temporarily get rid of the unpleasant situation.

For the time being, she didn't have to sign the divorce agreement.

Elmer would never disobey his grandfather. So he took Leona to the old mansion of the Hayes family in the evening.

Leona was already a bit familiar with the place. Since Alfie liked her, he would occasionally ask her over for a meal.

As soon as she entered the living room, she saw Alfie sitting on his chair. Beside him was Hilda Ramos, Elmer's mother.

As a famous actress in the entertainment circle for the past thirty years, Hilda had won numerous awards and garnered many fans. She was both beautiful and excellent at her craft.

Even if she just sat in the corner, her mere presence was enough to attract people's attention.

Her face was young and good-looking, and her skin was smooth and delicate. She was wearing a floor-length dress, with her long hair twisted into a tight knot. There was an air of nobility around her that made her seem aloof and charming at the same time.

As she watched her son and daughter-in-law walk towards her, her facial expression was cold as ice, as though she was completely indifferent with their arrival.

Leona greeted everyone present and apologized profusely. "I'm sorry. We're late."

Even though they were in a hurry to come over, they were still a bit late.

Hilda just spared Leona a cold glance and didn't say anything.

Meanwhile, Alfie snorted and threw a sharp glance at Elmer. "I've set the time with Elmer. He should be the one explaining it, so why are you apologizing?"

Elmer lowered his eyes. "It's my fault. I was so busy with the company's affairs that the time completely slipped my mind."

Hearing this, Alfie's face softened. Then, he turned to Leona and smiled amiably as he took her hand. "Leona, it's been a long time since you last came to visit me."

Leona wrapped her arm around Alfie's and, with a sweet voice, replied, "I was busy before. But in the future, I'll make sure to visit you more often."

"That's great. I specially asked the cook to make some nutritious soup today. I hope that you'll have some later."

Then, Alfie turned to Elmer, who was standing behind Leona. Immediately, the smile on Alfie's face disappeared.

"Let's sit down at the table and eat," he said in an authoritative tone.

Shortly after, everyone moved to the dining room and sat on their seats.

Both Elmer and Hilda were silent during the entire meal. Aside from the sound of forks and knives clinking against plates, only the hushed whispers and laughter between Alfie and Leona could be heard.

Alfie and Leona were putting food into each other's plates as they chatted happily. It was as though Leona was Alfie's own grandchild.

It wasn't until dinner was almost over that Alfie noticed his grandson. With sharp and stern eyes, he looked at his grandson and said, "Elmer, you and Leona have already been married for a year. When will you give me a great grandson?"

As soon as he uttered these words, both Hilda and Elmer, who were quiet all this time, suddenly looked at Leona.

With a stunned expression, Leona glanced at Elmer and began to panic.

Ever since they got married, she had been taking contraceptive pills. Thus, it was difficult for her to get pregnant.

Besides, Aurora was pregnant now.

Although she had not yet agreed to sign the divorce papers, she knew that sooner or later, she and Elmer would be divorced.

Aurora would surely force Leona to leave Elmer once the baby was born.

How Leona wished she had become pregnant before Aurora!

If that happened, would it mean that she didn't have to divorce Elmer at all?

She wasn't expecting much. All she wanted was to stay with Elmer and remain in the Hayes family.

She wanted to cherish the rare chances to live in harmony with Elmer even though he had no feelings towards her.

Moreover, Alfie was treating her like she was his own granddaughter. It was the kind of familial affection that she had never experienced from her own parents.

Because of all these reasons, she was reluctant to leave Elmer and the Hayes family.

Her eyes cast downwards as her lashes drooped slightly, hiding the uneasiness that she was feeling. However, her hands that were clenching the hem of her dress betrayed her.

Elmer just brushed it off and said, "It's still early. There's no rush."

This enraged Alfie. He threw his fork on the table and shouted, "I can't wait anymore! It's been so long! Why isn't Leona getting pregnant?! Elmer! Pay more attention to Leona! She's your wife!"

It was a rare occasion for Alfie to get so worked up like this. Even though he lived a peaceful life at home, it didn't mean that he wasn't aware of the rumors circulating about Elmer.

It was said that his grandson had been in an intimate relationship with his wife's sister. It was beyond ridiculous!