What We Had Was Never Real novel Chapter 8

Suddenly, a wave of helplessness washed over Natania.

She curled her lips into a bitter smile and said, "Forget it. You all can think what you like. What I say doesn't seem to matter anyway."

"Daddy, that bad woman has admitted to it! You definitely have to punish her!" Andrew said while tugging on Stephen's sleeve. At the same time, he snuck a look at Rosalie.

Both mother and son locked gazes, and when Rosalie subtly nodded, the tense look on Andrew's face eased slightly.

Stephen crouched down to stroke Andrew's head, his eyes shining with love. "Good boy, Andy. I'll definitely protect you."

Following that, he frostily ordered, "Take Mrs. Fost to the mausoleum at Fost Manor. Her punishment is to kneel there. No one is allowed to let her leave without my permission!"

His words were like the final nail in the coffin, pushing the situation past the point of no return.

With that said, he helped Rosalie to her feet before the family of three headed for the door. Throughout it all, he never once looked at Natania again.

However, Rosalie did shoot Natania a provocative look, the smugness in her eyes stabbing at Natania's heart.

Upon seeing the car drive off, Marissa finally nodded in satisfaction. Putting on the air of someone elderly, she waved her hand and ordered the housekeepers to drag Natania away forcefully.

The housekeepers, who had been working here for years, felt their hearts go out to Natania. They whispered into her ear in hopes of comforting her, "Don't worry, Mrs. Fost. We believe that you're not that kind of person. Mr. Fost must have his reasons for doing this. With how much he loves you, there's no way he would really let you suffer any grievances."

Natania chuckled bitterly in response. She didn't think it mattered anymore as she was about to leave.

She knelt in the mausoleum for three whole days, the entire process harder to endure than she had expected. The housekeepers at Fost Manor had clearly been given instructions, as they would come every few hours to whip her and throw a barrage of insults at her.

The thin whip lashed into her back relentlessly, yet Natania refused to allow even a grunt to escape her lips. She bit her lip so hard that it bled, and the coppery taste filled her mouth as her despair grew.

She abruptly thought of that time seven years ago, when Stephen had knelt in the mausoleum for three whole days because he wanted to marry her. His untreated broken ribs had almost caused him to become crippled for life.

In truth, Marissa wasn't the only one who was rooting for them to break up back then. Sophia and Natania's parents had also tried their best to persuade Natania not to marry him. After all, everyone knew how deeply the Fost family valued having heirs.

However, it had hurt her to see him like that, and believing that their relationship could overcome any obstacles, she had ignored the tremendous pressure on her and registered her marriage to Stephen.

Natania wondered if what she was going through now was her karma for falling in love with the wrong person.

"Stephen Fost, you'd better not regret this!" she thought.

It wasn't until the fourth morning that the door to the mausoleum slowly opened, and Stephen entered.

"Darling, I've come to take you out," Stephen said hoarsely, his expression showing a trace of fatigue.

Natania pretended as though she hadn't heard him. She merely stared numbly at the plaque before her that listed the various ancestors of the Fost family entombed here.

"That's right. The Fost family has always kept this mausoleum well-maintained, and every generation of family head has been laid to rest here, their lineage undying. It's my own fault for blindly believing that Stephen wouldn't want children. Now that things have turned out like this, I can only blame myself," she mused.

She didn't pay him any attention as she slowly stood up. Due to the many hours of kneeling, her legs had long since gone numb, and the slightest movement pulled at the wounds on her back.

Hence, she had barely gotten to her feet when her knees buckled and she collapsed.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify