Marry My Billionaire Second Husband - Chapter 280

Chapter 280: Wife & Lover
“Benjamin…” Annalise trailed off with surprise, her eyes widened slightly.

Benjamin Hawthorne’s hands gripped her upper arms, holding her before she could collapse, while her back leaned against his broad and strong chest. He gazed into her eyes and checked her up and down to make sure she wasn’t hurt before slowly helping her stand to her full height again. Even so, however, he didn’t entirely let go of her.

“Benjamin…” Catherine said as well before she replied, “I… I’m alright. Thank you.”

“Benjamin, what are you doing?” Annalise hissed in anger, seeing red when she zoned in on the excessive physical contact Catherine had with her husband.

“I should be asking you that question,” Benjamin coldly said. The moment his gaze left Catherine and landed on Annalise, all the warmth in his eyes disappeared and was replaced by a chilly expression. He glared at Annalise before he said, “What are you doing fighting in the hallways of a hospital? Do you think you’ve not embarrassed yourself enough?”

“Embarrass myself… Benjamin, you’re the embarrassing one!” Annalise yelled out, pointing frantically at him and Catherine. “What are you doing hugging Catherine like that! You’re my husband, and she is a married woman!”

“Oh fuck… Good fucking god…” Aiden muttered under his breath as he began to shuffle away. “Holy shit, I need to―”

His ramblings were eventually stopped when Matteo pulled him back by the collar of his shirt, holding him in place. He made a choking sound before he was yanked back to Matteo’s side― fairly out of the heat, but close enough to watch the fire burn.

“What are you afraid of?” Matteo asked under his breath, careful not to let the older generation hear― of course, not that they cared. They were too caught up in their own battles to even notice the three of them awkwardly standing to one side. “It’s not like you didn’t already know this.”

“Seeing it twice doesn’t make it less disgusting!” Aiden whisper-yelled. He cringed, wincing as he watched the exchange between Benjamin, Annalise, and Catherine. If his father was here, that would be an even bigger shitshow.

“I didn’t realize being married meant you could go around pushing other women just because,” Benjamin retorted sharply back. “Look at you― you look like a patient who just escaped from the psych ward. What would you do if Catherine fell and injured herself?”

“Benjamin, it’s alright,” Catherine Laine said, placing a hand on his chest. Immediately, he looked down at her, his expression softening. “I’m fine. Please, not here.”

“Not here?” Annalise screeched. “Yes here! I want to know what the hell is going on!”

As though she finally remembered their existence, Annalise crawled off the ground and stormed over to Aiden. She ripped the test report out of his hands before he could react, then marched her way back to Benjamin and Catherine.

She slapped the report against Benjamin’s chest, all while glaring daggers at Catherine.

“Look at this! Look at what is going on! How can you tell me to remain calm after everything that has happened?! After our daughter― my daughter has been stuck in the hospital after getting impregnated by an irresponsible, useless playboy!”

Benjamin frowned but picked up the report to look. Catherine still stood by his side, practically glued to his arms as his eyes scanned through the report. When his line of sight reached a particular sentence, his expression remained unmoving.

Annalise watched as every emotion — or lack thereof — flashed through Benjamin’s eyes. Then, it clicked.

She swallowed, her eyes widening as she took a step back in disbelief. Her eyes oscillated between Catherine and Benjamin, followed by the subtle ways they remained in physical contact even though the former no longer needed support.

Benjamin’s hand still rested on the small of Catherine’s back, and Catherine practically had her breasts plastered against his side without shame. For the first time in Annalise’s life, she carefully squinted at Catherine’s face.

Why did she look so much like Emmeline?

“Emmeline…” Annalise trailed off, her lips quivering as realization struck her like a bolt of lightning. “Emmeline isn’t even my daughter, is she?”

Silence followed her statement. No one dared to make a sound, all of their eyes trained on Annalise. However, no one’s gaze held a look of surprise, not even that distasteful Amelia Kentwood. Annalise slowly observed every single one of them― there were looks of pity, regret, and even indifference. There was even a bit of pride hidden in Catherine’s eyes.

They all knew. She was the only one left in the dark. That was why they were all so insistent that Emmeline got rid of the baby.

“All of you knew…” Annalise mumbled in disbelief, staggering back. “Emmeline… My darling Emmeline…”

However, despite her reality breaking down by its foundations, Benjamin Hawthorne didn’t even spare Annalise a second glance. He looked at Catherine and asked softly, “Is she inside?”

“Yes,” Catherine replied. “The abortion is underway. Don’t worry. That abomination will be gone very soon.”

“Good,” Benjamin said. “I’ll make sure to speak with the hospital director. This will be kept under wraps.”

Then, finally, Benjamin spared Annalise a glance.

“Tidy yourself up, you look like a lunatic,” he said with ire in his tone. “You’re embarrassing the Hawthorne family name.”

“So you realize I am a Hawthorne, your legally married wife?” Annalise asked, her voice shaky. “And yet you’re still holding that… that vixen as though she’s your lover?”

Benjamin said nothing, his eyes simply staring dead into Annalise’s. But everyone knew his answer.

That’s because Annalise had hit the nail right on the head― Catherine Laine was his lover. And by the looks of it, his only lover. He held her as though he was a dragon protecting his horde of treasure.

“Where… Where is my daughter then?” Annalise finally screamed. “Answer me, Benjamin Hawthorne! If the one inside the operating theater isn’t my daughter, then where is she? Where is the baby I carried for nine months, and nearly died giving birth to?!”