The Reclaimed Rose (Annalise and Steven)

Jessica didn't want Casper to have a strained relationship with his family.

Or maybe, because his salary-every cent of which he gave to her came from the company. She was worried he might lose such a good position. So she compromised.

After returning home with Casper, Jessica not only had to spend her days drawing comics, but she also had to endure his parents' constant meddling.

Casper was always busy, rarely stopping to consider how she felt.

As time passed, Jessica could no longer hold back her frustration and started losing her temper with him. He knew she was struggling, so he indulged her unconditionally, letting her vent however she needed.

Everything changed when Jessica became pregnant. Casper took a deep breath, still unable to comprehend how his parents could be so cruel to his wife.

At first, Gary and Julia's harassment lessened. Just when Casper and Jessica thought they might finally have some peace, she was suddenly struck with severe stomach pain. He rushed her to the hospital, where tests revealed that her food had contained traces of abortifacients.

That was when they realized Gary and Julia hadn't changed at all. They had been using every means possible to force Jessica to miscarry.

Casper finally lost his temper. He warned Gary and Julia that if anything

happened to the baby because of them, he would walk away from the company for good.

The chaos his parents had caused was too overwhelming.

Casper couldn't fix the problem at the company, so his parents backed off for a while.

However, after the baby was born and the company's situation stabilized, Gary and Julia went back to their old ways.

While Jessica was still recovering and caring for the newborn, his parents fired the nanny and household staff, leaving her to handle everything on her own.

If Jessica refused to obey, they would scold her.

Maybe too much time had passed, and Casper felt like an outsider in his life. The more he thought about it, the more confused he became.

Jessica had never done anything wrong, so why did Gary and Julia hate her so much? And why did Casper still cling to them? Why did he still hesitate to let go?

Frustrated, Casper slapped himself

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twice. Throughout their marriage, Jessica had never done anything betray him. She had genuinely hoped their relationship would fast. Yet, he had been too weak and soft-hearted.

It wasn't until their child grew up and started school that things took an even darker turn. One day, while

Jessica was home alone, his parents locked another man in her room.

Jessica was so horrified that she jumped straight from the second floor. Casper arrived home just in time to witness it.

She looked at him, her gaze unreadable. A long silence passed before she finally spoke.

"Let's get a divorce. I can't tolerate your parents anymore."

Tears streamed down Jessica's

face. Casper pulled her into his arms and promised, "We'll move out.'ll cut ties with them if needed care. I won't leave you."

But Jessica didn't look relieved. She whispered, "I'm so tired. All this time, I've done everything I could.

"And what happened? They never stopped targeting me. And now, they've gone so far as to force me into an affair. I don't even know what they'll try next. So please just let me go Let yourself be free, too."

Of course, Casper couldn't bear to let her go. Instead, he erupted in fury at his parents and moved out with Jessica and their child.

For the first time, the three of them lived in peace. It was the happiest they had ever been.

Again and again, Casper wished their days could stay like this forever. But in the end, they still separated.noveldrama

A wave of frustration washed over Casper as he snapped out of his reverie. Suddenly, he sat up.

Had Gary just said Ruby's child was his?