Secretly Married for 4 Years, He Regrets to Tears After the Divorce

Chapter 277: Chapter 277: Self-Blame, Pain

Sean Sterling practically spat out the cruel words through clenched teeth.

His chest felt tight, as if blocked by a searing-hot brand.

Anger, disappointment, helplessness, and pain churned within him like a tempest.

He had poured his heart out, saying everything he truly felt.

He had explained and pleaded, begging his mother to just open her eyes and see the good in Isla Griffith, begging her to respect his choice for once.

But in the end, his mother remained as stubborn as a block of ancient ice, still demeaning the woman he cherished as if she were worthless.

His heart went completely cold.

The moment Yvonne Donovan heard those words, she froze on the spot as if struck by lightning, utterly petrified.

Her eyes widened as she stared in disbelief at the son she had raised for over thirty years. Her lips trembled so violently she couldn’t form a single coherent sound.

"Sean Sterling, you... what did you say!"

"You... you want to disown your own mother?"

Yvonne Donovan’s voice was faint and airy. The sharp, commanding presence she had moments ago crumbled in an instant.

In that moment, all her pride and stubbornness were brutally shattered.

Over thirty years of raising him, of doting on him so much she was afraid he might break, of sparing no effort to pave his way and plan his future...

An immense, stabbing pain and despair washed away all her reason.

"Fine, Sean Sterling. Just fine. You’re something else, you..."

Before she could finish, Yvonne’s vision went black. A suffocating tightness seized her chest, her legs gave out, and she fell straight backward.

"Auntie!"

Adrian Lancaster, who had been watching silently, paled and rushed forward in an almost reflexive motion. He shot out a long arm, steadily catching Yvonne Donovan’s collapsing body.

She was completely unconscious, her full weight pressing down on his arm. Her face was as white as a sheet, her lips were bloodless, and her breathing was weak and rapid. She had fainted completely.

"Mom!"

Sean Sterling was scared out of his wits. All his anger vanished in a second, replaced by overwhelming panic.

He staggered forward, his trembling hand reaching out before he snatched it back, terrified that the slightest contact would make things worse.

"Mom, Mom, wake up! Don’t scare me! I was wrong. What I said just now... I was just angry."

"Don’t panic yet. Let’s lay her down flat and make sure she can breathe."

Adrian Lancaster’s voice was steady and strong. He carefully supported Yvonne Donovan’s back and neck, slowly laying her flat on the sofa.

"Nanny Zane, call 911! Now! Give them the address clearly. The patient suddenly fainted. It’s an emergency!"

"Yes, yes! I’ll call right now!"

Nanny Zane’s face was deathly pale with fright. She scrambled over to the phone, her fingers trembling so badly she could barely dial the number.

Sean Sterling knelt by the sofa, tightly gripping his mother’s cold hand. Tears streamed down his face uncontrollably as he repeatedly whispered, "Mom, please wake up."

Regret washed over him like a tidal wave.

’Why did I have to say something so harsh?’

’Why couldn’t I have just held back a little longer?’

’She’s the person I’m closest to in the world. Why did we have to take it this far?’

Soon, the wail of an ambulance siren grew from a distant cry to a piercing shriek, shattering the quiet of the villa neighborhood.

The paramedics rushed in.

"Please make way."

The paramedics quickly examined Yvonne Donovan, checked her blood pressure, and administered oxygen. With practiced efficiency, they lifted her onto a stretcher and jogged her out to the ambulance.

Sean Sterling, his face ashen, followed them in a daze. Adrian Lancaster was right behind him.

...

「The Hospital.」

The red light above the emergency room door lit up.

Sean Sterling leaned against the cold, sterile white wall of the hospital corridor, his hands buried in his hair. His shoulders trembled uncontrollably.

His eyes were vacant and his face was drained of all color. He looked as if his very soul had been ripped out, leaving behind an empty shell filled with self-blame and agony.

’I’m the one who put my mother in the hospital.’

’My cruel words pushed the person who loves me most to the point of collapse.’

’I kept saying I would protect Isla, but in the end, I just hurt the mother who gave me life and raised me.’

’What kind of son am I? What kind of man?’

Adrian Lancaster stood beside Sean Sterling, his expression grave. An unpleasant feeling churned in his gut.

He didn’t speak or offer any blame. He just patted Sean’s back gently, again and again, comforting him in the most silent way.

He could understand Sean’s breakdown, and he could sympathize with Yvonne Donovan’s despair.

There were no winners in this argument, only family members hurting each other.

Time ticked by, second by second.

Finally, the red light above the emergency room went out.

A doctor emerged, pulling off his mask, his expression calm.

"There’s no need to worry. The patient is out of danger. There are no underlying physical conditions. It was mainly a sudden fainting spell caused by extreme emotional agitation, which made her blood pressure spike."

"She’s awake now, but she’s very weak. She’ll need to be hospitalized for a few days of rest. It is crucial that she not be agitated again."

"Thank you, doctor. Thank you."

Sean Sterling’s heart, which had been lodged in his throat, finally dropped, only to be enveloped by an even thicker shroud of regret.

Adrian Lancaster whispered, "Go in there and say something gentle to your mom. She’s your mother; she’ll forgive you."

Sean Sterling nodded stiffly, but he didn’t dare to enter the room.

He just leaned against the door outside her room, peering through the glass at his mother lying in bed, her face still pale. A painful lump formed in his throat.

"I didn’t mean to make my mom this angry. I just wanted to protect Isla, I..."

Sean couldn’t continue. He raised his fist and slammed it against the wall with a dull THUD, but he didn’t feel the pain at all.

Compared to the pain in his heart, this was nothing.

Adrian Lancaster frowned and grabbed his wrist to stop him from hurting himself further.

"Don’t do something stupid like that."

"You’re not in the wrong, and neither is Auntie."

"You just love each other too much, and you’re both too stubborn. You’re both just trying to do what you think is best for the other person."

"There’s nothing wrong with you wanting to protect Isla Griffith, and there’s nothing wrong with Auntie wanting to pave the way for you."

"You just have different perspectives, and your ways of expressing them are too extreme. That’s why it blew up like this."

"Deep down, Auntie knows. She isn’t really trying to back you into a corner; she just can’t bear to lose face."

Sean Sterling listened, and his emotions began to settle.

Adrian continued, "You can’t fall apart now. If you fall apart, what will happen to Isla Griffith? What about Auntie? What about this family?"

Sean Sterling lowered his head, remaining silent.

The only sound in the quiet corridor was his pained breathing.

A moment later, the sound of rapid, heavy footsteps echoed down the hall. It was Simon Sterling.

He had been in the middle of an urgent meeting at the office when he got the call from Nanny Zane.

Upon hearing that his wife had collapsed, he hadn’t even bothered to grab his jacket, just snatched his car keys and rushed to the hospital.

His usually calm and imposing face was now a mask of torrential fury and panic.

"Sean Sterling!"

The roar, carrying the force of a thunderclap, exploded in the quiet corridor, startling a passing nurse to a halt.

Sean Sterling flinched and slowly raised his head, meeting his father’s eyes, which were practically shooting fire.

He knew the inevitable had arrived. He didn’t hide or run, just stood there rigidly, awaiting the punishment to come.

"Dad."

Simon Sterling stalked up to Sean Sterling, furious.

Without another word, without even giving him a chance to explain, he raised his hand and—SLAP!—landed a vicious blow across his son’s face.

He had put his full force into the slap, so much so that his own hand went numb.

Sean Sterling’s head snapped to the side from the force. The clear imprint of five fingers instantly appeared on his cheek, stinging with a fiery pain.

He staggered, and if Adrian Lancaster hadn’t been there to steady him, he might have collapsed to the floor.

The coppery taste of blood filled his mouth; the corner of his lip was split and starting to bleed.

But he didn’t cover his face or argue back. He just slowly turned his head to face his father again. The pain in his eyes was deeper now, yet still tinged with a thread of defiance.

"Dad."

"You bastard, don’t call me ’Dad.’ I don’t have an ungrateful son like you." Simon Sterling’s voice was bone-chilling, his entire being radiating hostility and rage.

"Arguing with your mother over a woman, angering her so much she had to be rushed to the emergency room... and you still have the nerve to call me ’Dad’!"

"Your mother gave you life, raised you, and has worried herself sick over you."

Simon Sterling pointed at the hospital room door, his whole body trembling with fury.

"Is this how you repay her?"

"Do you have any idea? When you were born, your mother nearly died in this hospital. And even then, she fought with everything she had to bring you into this world."

"So that you could have all our love to yourself, your mother insisted on not having a second child. She gave all her love to you."

"She’s been a strong woman her entire life. When has she ever been treated this way? She’s lost sleep over your marriage, terrified you’ll choose the wrong person, terrified you’ll be dragged down. How is she wrong?"

"You ungrateful brat, you don’t even know how good you have it."

The more Simon Sterling spoke, the angrier he became. He raised his hand to strike Sean again, but Adrian Lancaster stopped him.

"Uncle, please calm down. This is a hospital; let’s not cause a scene."

"Hitting him won’t solve anything. He knows he was wrong. He’s regretting it now."

"Auntie just woke up. If she hears this commotion, it will only upset her more."

The thought of his wife in the hospital room helped Simon Sterling cool down, but the fury in his heart did not vanish.

He panted, his eyes wide with rage, and pointed a finger at Sean Sterling’s nose.

"For Adrian’s sake, I won’t hit you again today."

"But you listen to me. If anything happens to your mother, I will never forgive you. I’ll act as if I never had a son."

"Stop standing here with your fake concern. Get out. Marry whoever you want, go wherever you want with that woman, and never come back to the Sterling family."

"I would rather donate everything the Sterlings own than leave a single penny to you."

"Get out!"

Those words hurt more than the slap.

Sean Sterling’s face instantly turned deathly white, as if all the strength had been drained from his body.

He looked at his father’s resolute expression, and his heart felt as if it had been ripped open, the pain so intense that even his breaths were trembling.

He opened his mouth, but not a single word came out.

The air froze.

Adrian Lancaster looked at the father and son, who were at daggers drawn, and felt a splitting headache coming on. His brow was deeply furrowed, his chest heavy with helplessness.

"Uncle, please, calm your anger. Auntie just got out of danger. If you get yourself worked up into a state, this family will truly be in chaos."

His gaze swept over the glaring red handprint on Sean’s face and the still-wet blood at the corner of his mouth.

"He’s not being ungrateful. Right now, he’s in more pain and feels more regret than anyone."

"He’s been blaming himself this whole time, wishing he could suffer in Auntie’s place. He didn’t mean to defy her when they argued. He’s just caught up in his emotions and spoke without thinking, saying foolish things in a moment of impulse."

"Protecting Isla Griffith is a man’s responsibility. Hurting Auntie was immature of him. He admits that, and I’ll admit it for him, too."

Simon Sterling’s chest heaved. He stared intently at Sean, his sharp eyes—honed by years in business—a turbulent mix of fury and heartache. He gritted his teeth.

"Responsibility? That’s not responsibility, that’s being utterly bewitched, letting a woman cloud his mind."

"I, Simon Sterling, have never wronged anyone in my life. And now, in my old age, my own son is tearing my family apart and destroying the peace in my home."

"What have I done to deserve this!"