Without any changes to his expression, Cedrick chuckled and said, “I'm fine. How can I be sick?”
Gwendolyn did not believe his words, however. She had been with him for a long time, and she knew him inside out.
It would have been nothing if the strangeness had only lasted one or two days, but for this to be consecutive... Something had to be up.
As she reached out to Cedrick, she uttered, “Pass me the bowl. I'll eat it myself.”
Her stubbornness made Cedrick hand her the bowl. Gently, he reminded her, “Be careful. It's hot.”
Gwendolyn nodded.
The second she took the bowl, she swiftly placed it on the bedside table and grabbed his hand. Without hesitation, she rolled his sleeves up to check the wrist that shuddered earlier.
“Gwenny!”
By the time Cedrick retracted his hand, it was too late. Gwendolyn had already seen the abrasion and swelling on his wrist.
Startled, Gwendolyn widened her eyes at him as rage built up in her chest. “How did you get hurt? Even I've never hurt you this bad when you make a mistake! Who did this to you?”
Cedrick lowered his gaze and averted his eyes from her. As he guiltily clutched his sleeve, he muttered, “No one. I accidentally burnt myself on the edge of the pot while cooking. I didn't run the spot under cold water, and I didn't think the skin would be burnt off. But I've treated it already, so don't worry.”
How can I not worry about you?
Gwendolyn's eyes reddened, and she ruminated about what she had seen.
How can that possibly be the result of him burning himself on the pot? It's straight too, as if something had struck him instead.
Thus, she uttered, “I don't believe you. Give me your hand. I want to take a closer look at it.”
He refused to budge and rejected her, “It's nothing. You don't need to blow this out of proportion.”
“Hurry up and give me your hand!” she ordered. “Why are you hiding your injuries from me?”
Cedrick hung his head, but he stayed unmoving and silent.
He felt helpless. As he expected, Gwendolyn was smart and would never miss anything.
“Ceddy, you know me. I won't stop until I get what I want. You can hide this from me now, but you have to be a hundred percent certain that you can hide it from me forever, or else I'll find out about it eventually.”
Then, in a softer tone, she went on as she reached out for his hand, “I just feel bad for you, so let me look at it.”
Cedrick pulled his hand back to avoid her again.
Ultimately, Gwendolyn took the opportunity of his distracted state to lunge over and forcibly pull his sleeve up to reveal his muscular arm covered with weals.
When she realized that he had more than one injury on his arm, she was stunned to her core.
Moreover, every one of the weals was smooth and straight. There was no way those would form from burns.
“Why are you hurt so badly? Who did this? Tell me!”
No longer able to hide the situation from her, Cedrick sighed and started, “Gwenny, calm down a little.”
“How am I supposed to stay calm if someone has suddenly hurt you like this? Tell me! Who is it?”
Cedrick did not respond to her again.
By then, Gwendolyn was on the verge of losing her mind.
Her husband was the man who was sweet with her every day, but he was also the powerful head of the Jenson family and the boss of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Yet, somehow, without her realization, someone had severely injured him. How could she not be furious?
Tears welled up in her eyes, but right then, another thought entered her mind.
If this is already the state of his right lower arm, what about the rest of his body? What will it look like?
Sitting upright, she reached out to tug at his shirt. “Let me see where else you've been hurt.”
“Gwenny...”
It had been three days since he had gotten any good sleep, and he had been awake for long hours too. Moreover, he had been going through beatings. Enduring the agonizing treatment of his wounds the night before had taken most of the energy out of him too.
Hence, he was pale and weak.
In contrast, Gwendolyn had intravenous therapy and a good sleep the night before. Along with her anger-fueled state, she was much stronger than Cedrick at that moment.
Once she undid Cedrick's tie, she pulled off his shirt buttons, revealing the crisscrossed wounds on his previously fair chest and abs.
It felt as if her heart had shattered into pieces as an invisible hand crushed her lungs and made it hard for her to take another breath in.
Staring at Cedrick's terrifying weals abruptly made her head hurt.
When she shut her eyes, images of Cedrick standing before her and enduring the belt whipping flashed past her mind.
Why are these fragmented scenes appearing in my mind? Am I... the one who hit him?
I really did this...
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