Chapter 403: Shipping Everything Will Only Harm You

Chapter 403: Chapter 403: Shipping Everything Will Only Harm You

At Arabella Donovan’s words, everyone present was stunned yet again.

Plotting an "accidental" death for his wife to make her a heart donor for his illegitimate son was already monstrous enough. But this man actually wanted to use the opportunity to commit insurance fraud—clearly, he intended to squeeze every last drop of value out of her.

Plenty of men had affairs, kept mistresses, and fathered illegitimate children these days. But someone like First Uncle, who would go so far as to murder his wife for his illegitimate son and even try to cash in on her insurance policy, was a true rarity.

Instantly, all the relatives who had been closer to First Uncle’s family subconsciously took several large steps back, distancing themselves. They were afraid of accidentally getting dragged into the family’s dispute, a mess they would never be able to explain their way out of.

Because of their movements, a several-meter radius around First Uncle became a vacuum. He was so furious he could barely stop himself from cursing out loud right then and there.

"You’re lying! You’re lying! Everything you said is fake, you made it all up! I’ll sue you for defamation! I’ll have you thrown in jail! I..."

"We’ll see if it’s fake or not once your wife gets home and looks for those two documents. Of course, that’s assuming a certain someone doesn’t get a chance to move them first. But even if he does, it’s no big deal. Some things can always be found if you really look, like that accidental death insurance policy. After all, documents like that generally need to be notarized to be valid. An ordinary person wouldn’t go to all that trouble for nothing."

Arabella Donovan’s words were also a warning to First Uncle’s wife and the others. They shouldn’t delude themselves. Who suddenly spends a fortune on a massive insurance policy for their spouse for no reason? When something is this abnormal, there’s bound to be something sinister afoot. The truth was obvious. If she continued to deceive herself, she could really lose her life.

Zane Lynch and the others couldn’t help but look at First Uncle’s wife with sympathy. Little did they know, Arabella Donovan’s next words would shake them to their very core.

’Actually, what heart disease? There isn’t one. It’s just a lie the mistress cooked up because she wants to take the wife’s place.’

Everyone: "?!!"

’That Mrs. Quinn’s cousin works at the hospital. He’s the one who forged the heart condition report. He also subtly steered the conversation to the crucial point that the child’s blood type matched the wife’s, leading First Uncle to naturally assume his wife could be the heart donor. In reality, the idea that a heart transplant is possible just because blood types match is ridiculous. It’s something only a credulous idiot who believes everything he’s told would fall for.’

But on second thought, this veteran philanderer had been womanizing for decades. What kind of schemes for his favor hadn’t he seen? How could he possibly be a fool?

He most likely pulled this stunt just to go along with the scheme, seizing the opportunity to find a "legitimate" reason to swap out his wife while satisfying his own selfish desires.

After hearing this, everyone felt Arabella Donovan’s analysis made perfect sense, and their sympathy for First Uncle’s wife deepened.

First Uncle’s wife’s face was ashen. She wept silently, unable to comprehend how her years of patient endurance had earned her none of her husband’s pity. Instead, he now wanted to take her life!

Walter Rhodes seemed to still be reeling from the shock of his father’s roars and the onslaught of absurd revelations. He just stood there, dumbstruck and unresponsive.

In contrast, Sheila Wyatt, who was supporting her mother-in-law, stared coldly at her father-in-law, her eyes flashing with a murderous glint.

"For all these years, Mother has followed you everywhere, through thick and thin. At home, she managed the household and kept our family in perfect order. In public or in private, she has never done a single thing worth criticizing. In return? For the sake of some illegitimate child, you ignore your years of marriage and try to kill her. All those years together, day in and day out, mean less than a few words from some other woman and her child. It’s laughable. Your cruelty and selfishness are truly astounding.

"Mother, don’t be afraid. I’ll protect you. We’ll go home, divorce him, and move out together. I’ll take care of you from now on, and I’ll never let anyone hurt you. If he dares to come after you again, I’ll make sure he rots in jail. I, Sheila Wyatt, keep my word!"

Sheila Wyatt wasn’t making an empty threat. Her family was a legal dynasty; in her generation alone, there were seven or eight top lawyers from prestigious law schools. Furthermore, her family had connections within the judicial system. If First Uncle had been a law-abiding citizen, that would be one thing. But if he dared to make another move on his wife’s heart—and her life—Sheila’s words would quickly become reality.

First Uncle’s face was as black as thunder. It was hard to tell if it was from the humiliation of being threatened by a junior in front of everyone, or from the frustration of his plan being thwarted.

Zane Lynch and the others were gossiping on the sidelines. One of them, seeing the scene unfold, said with some confusion, "Why does the daughter-in-law seem more worked up than the actual son?"

"Exactly. Her son only questioned his dad a couple of times at the beginning, but after getting yelled at, he didn’t dare make another peep. The daughter-in-law is great, though. She knows to protect her mother-in-law. They must have a good relationship."

’Of course she’s worked up. That’s her precious Lover, her one true love in this family. If she wasn’t so reluctant to leave her mother-in-law, with her personality, she would have divorced Rhodes ages ago. Why wait until now?’

The group: "?!" ’Holy shit, is the gossip really this explosive?’

’I have a pretty good guess that she was so upset when she heard Rhodes was fooling around because she was worried his escapades would drag her into it, affect her and the child’s health, and stop her from growing old with her mother-in-law. Even worse, it would prevent them from raising the child together. After all, that child carries both of their bloodlines—it’s the very bond that connects them. Sss... now that I think about it, that’s kind of thrilling.’

Everyone: "..." ’Shipping everything is going to be the death of you!’

Arabella Donovan: ’No, shipping everything just gives me a balanced diet.’

First Uncle’s wife was deeply moved by her daughter-in-law’s words. She had a naturally meek personality and wasn’t one to have strong opinions of her own.

But no matter how indecisive a person might be, it was impossible to remain indifferent when her life was on the line.

"I... I can’t be a burden to you."

"How is this a burden? If I really... caught something... like that young lady implied... well, you know Walter’s situation. I can’t count on him. If you leave me now, too, I really don’t know what I would do."

"This..." Seeing her daughter-in-law’s heartbreaking expression and red-rimmed eyes, First Uncle’s wife began to waver.

She couldn’t count on her own family. Although they were well-off, she had been practically invisible since childhood, never favored by the family elders.

Only after marrying her husband did she earn a sliver of respect from her siblings and their spouses. If she actually divorced him and left the Rhodes Family, she feared she would end up homeless, left to wander the streets.

That was precisely why she had swallowed her grievances and endured for so many years. Even now, having resolved to divorce to save her own life, she was still terrified of being a burden to others.

Of course, Sheila Wyatt knew exactly what her mother-in-law was thinking. She continued to plead pitifully, finally coaxing the older woman to let go of her reservations and agree to move out of the Rhodes Family home with her.

Arabella Donovan, having watched the entire spectacle unfold: "..."