Sweet Wife in Hidden Marriage

Chapter 26 Kneeling in the Ancestral Hall as the Punishment

"It's nothing more than gossips," said Lilian with her eyes looking down. She sounded calm.

Sebastian sat next to her and looked furious. The report may be made-up, but Lillian still stayed close to Archibald after the gossip came out. Sebastian had the reason to believe that she was doing this on purpose.

Eleanor cast a sarcastic glance at Lilian and said, "I don't care if it is made-up. All I want to know is what it is between you and Archibald."

"I don't know him," Lilian answered honestly. She knew the answer would only make her mother-in-law more suspicious.

"You don't know him? They took a photo of you with him in the hospital! I'm sorry... do you really think you deserved more than being my son's wife, and you want to be with a higher-up?" Eleanor asked aggressively.

"Zoe is in the hospital now. I go there every day to look after her. You know that." Lilian felt so helpless.

Eleanor frowned. The name Zoe seemed to have rung no bell in her mind. Later, she laughed, "Zoe? The burden? Why do you have to take care of her? Where's the father? You're just her aunt, why do you care?"

Eleanor's words have irritated Lilian. She said with a severe face, "Zoe is not a burden! She's my sister's child, and I'll raise her like my own. Do you dare to call her a burden again!"

"Like your own? Listen to yourself! Why don't you just bear a child for this family of your own?" After all, Eleanor was still holding hatred for Lilian because she didn't have a child for this family. Eleanor tried hard to persuade Sebastian last time, but Lilian was too stupid to keep her husband with her.

"Enough! Don't push her that hard. It's not all her fault," said Douglas who found this scene too ugly to watch.

"She had no contribution for this family, and she's having an affair with another man!" Eleanor screamed. Insanity took over her mind.

"Don't worry. nobody knows I and one of this family," Lilian answered calmly, but Eleanor found the answer so sarcastic.

"Listen to yourself! You do think you deserve a higher-up, didn't you? If have any dissatisfaction, you can go to the ancestral hall, kneel down, and whisper it to those dead old men."

"Have you lost your mind? Telling her to go to the ancestral hall at this time of the night?" Douglas yelled.

"I just want her to reflect on herself in front of our ancestors." Eleanor turned back. She asked the housekeeper to take Lilian to the ancestral hall immediately.

Lilian glanced at Sebastian. He hadn't said a word and had been watching this coldly. Lilian then curled her lips and turned away, heading to the ancestral hall. She knew Eleanor would never give it up if she didn't give in.

Eleanor was always arrogant and domineering because she came from a rich family. Douglas had been in poor health over the past few years, so he had Eleanor help him deal with many family affairs. She had the final say in this family now.

Lilian knelt down in the hall for almost one night. Her leg went numb, and she felt the blood was clotting in there. It's getting dark outside again, she wondered if she had to kneel for another night.

She looked at those memorial tablets in front of her and thought of Mr. Palmer. The old man was severe to others, but he was always so gentle to her. Maybe it's because he had been saved by Lilian's grandmother. Old Mr. Palmer took her as his granddaughter-in-law as repaying. He was about to give Lilian a happy life, but the plan failed as soon as he died. All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.

When Lilian's grandmother was dying, she held Lilian's hands and said gravely, "Lilian, you and your sister had been living a hard life with me for so long. Now I can finally leave with no regret because you'll have a husband to rely on."

At that time, Lilian thought she could rely on her husband. Her grandma told her to serve her in-laws and support her husband lovingly, and above all, never get divorced. A divorced woman would be joked at and bullied.

She had given her grandma her promise, but the only promise she could keep now was not to get divorced.

Lilian was drowned in thoughts. and she didn't notice someone had come in. Then the man said to her, "Get up."

She was startled and raised her head. Sebastian was standing straight behind her, looking at her with no expression.

She realized this was finally over. With her hands supporting, she was about to stand up. As soon as her knee got off the ground, they went numb. She fell to the ground again. Luckily, a big hand grabbed her at that moment.

"What's wrong?" Sebastian supported her and asked.

Lilian grabbed his hand firmly and whispered innocently, "I've knelt for too long. I can't feel my legs now."

Sebastian frowned at first. All of a sudden, he held her in his arms and walked out of the ancestral hall without making any sound.

Although Lilian didn't want him to do this, she could only let him because she couldn't walk on her own.

Sebastian put her in the car at the gate. Then he started the engine and drove away from the house. Lilian was surprised. She looked at Sebastian in a daze. The man was still as indifferent as he was.

"Don't you have to tell your mom and dad that we're leaving?"

"You'll see them in the hotel later," Sebastian replied coldly.

"Hotel? Why are we heading to a hotel?" Lilian was confused. All she had eaten during the day was a piece of bread. She could barely recall what day it was today.

Sebastian cast a cold glance at her and said, "It's my father's birthday. He's with the guests in the hotel now." Then he closed his mouth and didn't say a word.

Seeing his expression, Lilian thought the man didn't want to talk to her. So she read the hint and stopped asking. She surely had forgotten today is Mr. Palmer's birthday. In the old days, Eleanor would ask Lilian to go home and help her, but she hadn't been notified this year.

Lilian wondered if Eleanor had given Sebastian permission to pick her up.

She rubbed her legs. The pain from her knees is killing her. She looked at Sebastian who was still relaxing with his eyes closed. She rolled up her pants and gasped when she saw the bruises there on her knees.

Before they went to the hotel, she changed into a ceremonial dress and did a full make-up.

Sebastian was a bit weird today. She could feel that. In the past, he would never care about what she wore, but today he almost forced her into that ceremonial dress.

She chose an ankle-length dress to cover the bruises on her knees. The seven-inch high heels make her wiggle. Sebastian didn't care if the shoes were comfortable or not, all he needed was a decent plus one.

At the birthday celebration, light and elegant orchestral symphonies filled the air of the magnificent hall. Everyone was in suit and tie. The fragrance of nice wine and delicacies could be smelt far away from the gate of the hall.

Eleanor was catching up with the guests. Her face changed when she saw Sebastian showed up with Lilian. In a hurry, she walked over and asked the waiter to take Lilian to the lounge first.

Lilian didn't know what she was trying to do. She wondered why Eleanor was so afraid of letting her get exposed to the public. The old woman didn't have to try so hard to hide her hated daughter-in-law. In the old days, Lilian would've already sat at one of the tables and started eating. Everything was so unusual today.

The waiter took her to the lunge and left in a hurry. Lilian didn't care about this at all, she felt even hungrier when she saw the food on the table. She looked around and found nobody else in the room, so she picked up a few cakes and took a bite.

Nobody would believe the messy woman was the wife of Sebastian Palmer.

She had just finished the first piece of cake when she heard somebody walking closer and closer. The man hadn't seen her, yet, because she was hiding behind a huge pillar.

“Sebastian, I told her to stay in the ancestral hall! Why do you bring her here?" Eleanor asked.