The door flung open and Grace stood at the entrance, peering inside.
Violette was curled up against the wall, hugging her knees. Her hair was a chaotic mess draped over her shoulders.
At the sound of the door, she turned her lifeless eyes towards the noise—
"Violette! What happened to you?" Grace was startled to see Violette’s pale face. "How did you get like this? Did...did Elijah do this to you?"
Grace's voice quivered as she spoke.
Violette had lost a significant amount of weight. Her face was pale and her lips had faint cracks.
Her chest heaved as if she wanted to say something, but no words came out.
Lacey came over with a cup of warm tea, "Ma'am, have some tea first. Don’t worry, I’m here. You won’t starve."
Grace frowned, "What the hell happened? Isn't Elijah feeding Violette? She's all skin and bones! Is he trying to starve her to death?"
She was completely taken aback by this.
Storming off to the living room, she found her son, and confronted him, "Elijah, Violette is the wife I found for you. How could you treat her like this? I can’t stand this."
"Punishment must be served for mistakes. Do you think I would keep her around if it weren't for you?" His voice was cold and indifferent.
To him, starving her for a couple of days was a light punishment compared to breaking her hand.
She had crossed a line she shouldn't have. How could he possibly forgive her so easily?
"Mistake? What mistake did Violette make?" Grace saw Violette as a girl who was easy to get along with. She wouldn’t have done anything to piss off Elijah.
Elijah clamped his mouth shut, offering no response to his mother.
"I know... I know why you're reluctant to get married and have kids. Elijah, because I know you too well, I can't tolerate what you're doing. Violette is a nice girl. It’s okay if you don't love her. I just want you two to be together, even if it's just a marriage in name." As she spoke, tears of pain welled up in Grace's eyes.
Her voice grew louder, her eyes bloodshot.
Just as Elijah was about to retort, he noticed his mother's condition worsening and immediately signaled the bodyguards to steady her.
"As long as I'm around, you can't kick Violette out! You can get a divorce if you want... find a woman you like, but I can't allow you to be alone anymore!" Grace was helped to the sofa, her head spinning.
She felt her breath growing erratic as she spoke.
Thirty seconds later, Grace passed out on the sofa.
Fresh from her recent discharge, Grace was rushed back to the hospital.
Elijah hadn't expected his mother to be so adamant, let alone her anger.
He originally thought he could easily resolve the issue with Violette, but now it seemed more complicated.
He didn't just dislike Violette; he had an aversion to all women.
Therefore, he couldn't possibly divorce Violette to find another woman.
In the room, Violette felt slightly better after finishing the cup of tea.
She heard what had transpired outside.
Although Elijah had only spoken a few words, it was enough to make his mother pass out from anger.
Lacey brought her a bowl of oatmeal and combed her messy hair.
"Ma'am, did you hear? With Grace around, Mr. Bourne won't kick you out." Lacey comforted her.
Violette was weak because she hadn't eaten for two days, but she was very determined about getting a divorce.
"I want a divorce." Her voice was hoarse, but each word was clear. "Whether he wants to divorce me or not, I have to divorce him."
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