Chapter 198: Of Course I Don’t Want To

Chapter 198: Chapter 198: Of Course I Don’t Want To

Pushing open the door, she saw Bella Thorne sitting by the bed, speaking softly with Patriarch Forrester.

Vesper Grayson walked slowly into the room.

"Grandpa Forrester, how have you been feeling these last two days?"

A kind smile spread across Patriarch Forrester’s face, his voice filled with undeniable joy.

"Wonderful! These legs of mine surprise me every day. I feel like a full recovery isn’t far off!"

He had been paralyzed for years and had long since forgotten the sensation in his legs. But ever since Vesper Grayson began her acupuncture treatments, he had improved daily. The signs of his recovery were unmistakable.

"Then let’s start the third course of treatment today," Vesper Grayson said smoothly.

"Alright. Thank you for your hard work," Patriarch Forrester agreed with a nod.

Bella Thorne, standing nearby, knew Vesper Grayson’s routine. Aware that Vesper preferred to be alone with her patient during acupuncture, she immediately stood up.

"Grandpa, Vesper, I’ll go out and wait. If you need anything, call me!"

After Bella Thorne left, Vesper Grayson picked up the silver needles, disinfected them carefully, and methodically prepared for the treatment.

Patriarch Forrester watched her busy figure and suddenly spoke, his tone carrying a hint of earnest pleading.

"Vesper, my dear, there’s a favor I’d like to ask of you."

"Of course, please ask," Vesper Grayson replied softly, her hands never ceasing their work.

"Bonnie is all alone here, without any close friends. If you have free time, could you spend more time with her?"

Vesper Grayson looked up, smiled, and readily agreed. "No problem. I can ask a friend to keep her company."

’I’m pregnant now, so it’s not convenient for me, but I could have Shiloh go out with Bella Thorne. The two of them hit it off immediately last time and got along splendidly.’

"That would be for the best. Help Bonnie make some true friends. Last time she went out with you all, her mood was so much better when she came back!" Patriarch Forrester sighed softly, his eyes full of heartache. "Bonnie is an orphan. She’s soft-hearted and gentle. Most of the people she knew before were just social climbers. I’m always worried she’s too naive and will be taken advantage of out there."

Vesper Grayson offered a gentle reassurance. "But she’s your proper granddaughter-in-law. With the Forrester family backing her, who would dare to bully her? Besides, she has her husband, Mr. Forrester, to protect her."

’Although I’m not sure how much genuine affection Tristan Forrester has for Bella Thorne, she is, after all, his wife in name. He would never let her be humiliated in public, if only to save face for the Forrester family.’

"You don’t understand this child. She’s always cautious and timid, never says a word when she’s wronged, and just swallows it all herself." Patriarch Forrester shook his head helplessly. "Every time I ask her how things are with Tyson, she only ever reports the good news."

Vesper Grayson smiled and picked up a silver needle, preparing to begin.

"With you doting on her and protecting her like this, who could possibly wrong her?"

"Vesper, you’re a perceptive and smart person. You should understand what I’m getting at," Patriarch Forrester said, not beating around the bush.

"Matters of the heart are like drinking water—only the one drinking knows if it’s hot or cold. We aren’t the ones involved, so it’s not our place to judge. They are the ones living their lives as a couple, and they’re the ones who have to work through their issues."

’I don’t want to meddle in other people’s romantic entanglements. What if my good intentions backfire and I just end up getting blamed?’

"You’re right. My concern has clouded my judgment. I’ve been overthinking it." Patriarch Forrester said no more and slowly closed his eyes.

An hour passed in a flash, and the acupuncture session ended smoothly.

Vesper Grayson carefully put away the silver needles, then gently pressed on the patriarch’s legs. Her fingertips could clearly feel that the leg muscles were much firmer than during the first treatment.

"Grandpa Forrester, the muscle atrophy in your legs is slowly improving. This is an excellent sign. If you continue to take your medicine and get massages, your recovery will get better and better."

Patriarch Forrester looked pleased. "This is all thanks to Bonnie. She soaks my feet and massages them every day without fail, taking such good care of me."

No wonder the old patriarch doted on and protected Bella Thorne so much. Even a biological granddaughter couldn’t have been more attentive.

"Bonnie is indeed a good, kind-hearted girl," Vesper Grayson said softly. "You shouldn’t worry too much, either. Just let the young couple work things out on their own."

...

In the living room downstairs, Justine Hughes was chatting and laughing with Jared Hawthorne and Tristan Forrester, reminiscing about the past. The atmosphere among the three was harmonious, filled with constant laughter.

By the railing, Bella Thorne’s hand hanging by her side quietly clenched into a fist, her knuckles turning white from the force. She stared blankly at the smiling Tristan Forrester downstairs, a bitter sourness welling up in her heart.

’It’s been so long since I’ve seen him look this happy.’

’I have to admit, Tristan Forrester and Justine Hughes look so perfect together. Like a match made in heaven.’

’If Grandpa hadn’t insisted on me marrying Tristan Forrester, maybe he and Justine Hughes would be together now, living happily ever after.’

Her raven-like eyelashes fluttered down, hiding the surging disappointment and loneliness in her eyes.

When Vesper Grayson came out, the first thing she saw was Bella Thorne standing alone by the railing, shrouded in an unconcealable aura of loneliness.

The gap between her family background and her current life had etched an indelible inferiority complex into Bella Thorne’s very bones. The obedient and cheerful demeanor she usually displayed was just a protective shell she had deliberately constructed.

A person like her, who seemed docile and harmless, actually craved to be loved and chosen with conviction more than anyone.

Vesper Grayson slowly walked up and stood beside her.

"Why don’t you go down and chat with them?"

Bella Thorne slowly turned her head, forcing a faint smile onto her lips.

"I’m afraid I’d just ruin their fun and spoil the good atmosphere."

"Why would you think that?" Vesper Grayson followed her gaze to the living room below, her tone serious. "No matter what past Mr. Forrester and Miss Hughes may have had, you are the rightful Mrs. Forrester now. Don’t tell me you’re already planning to give up on Mr. Forrester and let them be together?"

"Of course I don’t want to..." Bella Thorne’s voice trembled, her eyes filled with confusion. "But it’s been so long since I’ve seen him this happy. I think... at a time like this, they probably don’t want me to go down there and interrupt."

"That’s just your own baseless speculation!" Vesper Grayson’s tone was laced with exasperation. "You are his lawfully wedded wife! Everything you do is justified and reasonable!"

’I really can’t understand Bella Thorne’s insecurity and self-sabotage. In this marriage, she’s constantly putting herself in a subservient position, always giving in and compromising.’

’If Tristan Forrester had truly been against this marriage, he never would have given in so easily, even with Patriarch Forrester’s pressure.’

Bella Thorne bit her lip tightly, her voice filled with helplessness and conflict.

"Vesper, do you think I was wrong back then? Marrying him without a second thought, even though I knew his heart belonged to someone else."

"Even if you could do it all over again, with your personality, you would still make the same choice. Truly loving someone is never wrong. And he wasn’t entirely unwilling to marry you back then, either. There’s no need for you to be so hard on yourself, wallowing in self-pity." Vesper Grayson looked away from the scene below and turned to her with a serious expression. "Did Mr. Forrester say something to you? Or... did he mention divorce?"