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

Chapter 279: Chapter 279: This Love is Too Painful

Wren Sutton’s heart sank. She had already guessed the outcome, and disappointment washed over her like a tide.

"It seems the Sterlings still refuse to accept Isla."

"Not only that..." Adrian Lancaster paused, his voice growing even deeper.

"My aunt fainted from anger and was rushed to the hospital."

"What?!" Wren Sutton’s heart dropped. She thought Adrian had been the one to anger his aunt into fainting.

A cold sweat broke out on her back. She grabbed Adrian Lancaster’s arm, her fingertips turning white from the force of her grip.

"It’s that serious? What did you say to her? You made her so angry she had to be hospitalized?"

"How is she now? Is she okay?"

Although her heart was with her best friend, Isla Griffith, Wren Sutton didn’t want anything to happen to Yvonne Donovan.

If something truly did happen, public opinion would undoubtedly turn against Isla Griffith.

The story would be that the prospective daughter-in-law angered her future mother-in-law into fainting.

Just the thought of it sent a chill down her spine.

At that point, Isla would never be able to clear her name. She’d be pilloried, left to blame herself for the rest of her life.

Adrian Lancaster realized Wren had misunderstood and quickly explained, "Calm down. It’s my fault for not being clear. It wasn’t me who angered my aunt, it was Sean Sterling."

He took a deep breath and added, "The doctor has already seen her. She’s awake and she’s fine. She can be discharged after a few days of rest."

Wren let out a long sigh of relief, as if a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

"As long as she’s okay," she murmured, her voice laced with lingering fear. "Otherwise, Isla would become the culprit. She’d blame herself for the rest of her life."

Adrian Lancaster rubbed the bridge of his nose and succinctly recounted everything that had happened at the Sterling residence that morning.

He described how he had tried to reason with his aunt, how Sean Sterling had burst in to defend Isla by confronting his mother, and which exact words had caused Yvonne to faint and be rushed to the hospital.

As Wren Sutton listened, waves of shock washed over her, one after another.

She never imagined that Sean Sterling would go to such lengths for Isla Griffith.

To turn against the mother who had raised him for over thirty years for a woman, even to the point of speaking of a complete break.

This wasn’t simple affection; it was a love that ran bone-deep, a fierce, reckless need to protect.

From the perspective of a best friend, she was happy and relieved.

But as an observer, she also felt a pang of heartache.

Sean Sterling’s love was born of so much pain and difficulty.

After a moment of silence, Adrian Lancaster suddenly spoke. "That’s not even the worst part."

Wren Sutton’s heart leaped into her throat again.

Her nerves tensed. "There’s more?"

Adrian Lancaster’s expression was grave. Worried that Wren wouldn’t be able to handle it, he chose his words carefully.

"My uncle rushed to the hospital this afternoon. He slapped Sean and said a lot of heartless things. Especially..."

"Especially what? Tell me, quickly." Wren Sutton leaned forward, so anxious she nearly bit her lip.

Adrian Lancaster’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he forced out the deeply cutting words.

"My uncle said... he won’t acknowledge the children in Isla’s womb."

"..." Wren Sutton’s breath hitched.

"He also said that as long as he and my aunt disapprove, Isla will never marry into the Sterling family, even if she gives them ten children."

"The worst part is..." Adrian Lancaster found it too painful to continue.

Just hearing this was enough to make Wren Sutton’s heart ache so much she was on the verge of tears, which welled up in her eyes.

Adrian Lancaster steeled himself and finished his sentence.

"My uncle said that in his eyes, those children are all bastards, and the Sterling family won’t acknowledge a single one of them."

BOOM—

That sentence struck Wren’s heart like a bolt of lightning.

She froze instantly, her body as if paralyzed. She stared at Adrian Lancaster in disbelief, her lips trembling violently, her face deathly pale.

"Isla is carrying his own grandchildren! How could he say something so hurtful? It’s just too cold-hearted," Wren Sutton’s voice was choked with sobs.

That word, "bastards," felt like an ice-cold dagger plunging deep into her heart.

What a cruel insult to a mother!

And what a vicious slander against a woman carrying twins!

The more Wren Sutton thought about it, the more her heart ached. Tears streamed down her face, splashing onto the tabletop one by one.

She felt the injustice of it all on Isla’s behalf.

For a moment, she really wanted to persuade her best friend to give up on this relationship. The Sterling family was so disrespectful; marrying into it would mean endless misery.

But on second thought, she remembered Sean Sterling, the man caught in the middle.

He had been protecting Isla all along, never giving up on her or the children. He was in more pain and facing greater difficulty than anyone.

Wren Sutton wiped her tears, her mind a tangled mess.

Seeing this, Adrian Lancaster quickly walked over and hugged her, gently stroking her trembling back to soothe her.

"We’re not at a dead end yet," he coaxed in a soft, firm voice. "We’ll figure something out."

"My uncle and aunt are both furious right now. They won’t listen to anyone. Once they cool down, maybe they’ll see reason."

Wren sobbed, overwhelmed with sorrow.

Adrian Lancaster continued to console her in a low voice, "I know you’re upset. For now, we have to keep this from Isla. We can’t let her get agitated."

Wren was exhausted, body and soul. "The truth will come out eventually. Isla will find out what your uncle and aunt said sooner or later. We can’t hide it forever."

Adrian replied, "Even if we can’t hide it forever, we have to hide it for now. We’ll wait until my aunt’s condition stabilizes and my uncle has cooled off a bit, then we can try to persuade them again."

Wren Sutton closed her eyes, tears silently streaming down her face.

"I hope things take a turn for the better."

...

「Night fell.」

The hospital corridor was brightly lit, but it felt as cold as if it were coated in a layer of ice.

Claire Sterling hurried over, her face etched with worry.

Her high heels made sharp, hurried clicks on the floor.

Just as she turned into the ward area, she spotted Sean leaning against the wall in a corner.

Sean was a wreck. The red handprint on his face hadn’t fully faded, the corner of his mouth was bruised, and his eyes were bloodshot. With his disheveled hair, he stood perfectly still, like an abandoned statue.

"Sean," Claire Sterling called softly.

Sean Sterling slowly raised his head. Seeing his aunt, he called out in a hoarse voice, "Aunt Claire."

Claire’s heart clenched.

Her nephew, whom she had watched grow up, had always been so proud and proper. When had he ever looked so desolate and haggard?

"I just asked the nurse. Your mom’s asleep and her condition is stable, so don’t worry too much. Where’s your dad?"

"Inside the room." Sean’s Adam’s apple bobbed, his voice dry. "He won’t let me in."

Claire sighed, her heart aching for him.

She knew her brother Simon Sterling’s temper all too well. He was uncompromising, and once he was set on something, he wouldn’t listen to anyone. He was furious right now; no amount of persuasion would work.

"I know you feel wronged, and I know you genuinely want to protect Isla and the children." Claire reached out and patted her nephew’s shoulder.

"Your dad is being stubborn right now. Staying here will only make him angrier."

Sean’s hands, hanging at his sides, clenched into tight fists, his knuckles turning white.

"Aunt Claire, I haven’t seen my mom yet. I can’t leave."

"You won’t get to see your mom even if you stay here. You’ll just exhaust yourself." Claire’s tone softened. "Listen to your aunt. Go home for now."

"Your dad and I are here at the hospital, so you don’t need to worry. But don’t forget, there’s someone at home waiting for you."

"If you run yourself into the ground, who will protect Isla? Who will protect your two unborn children?"

Claire’s words struck the softest spot in Sean’s heart.

He froze abruptly.

’That’s right. Isla is still at home waiting for me.’

Sean Sterling slowly closed his eyes, his chest heaving once. When he opened them again, a glimmer of clear-headed struggle had appeared in their depths.

"Aunt Claire, I’ll listen to you."

Seeing him like this, Claire’s heart ached with a bittersweet sorrow.

"Good, that’s the right choice. Go home for now and take good care of Isla. Don’t let her worry."

"In a couple of days, when your dad has cooled off and your mom is feeling better, I’ll help you talk to them. Things will work themselves out. There’s always a chance for a breakthrough."

Sean Sterling nodded gratefully. Before he left, he clung to a faint glimmer of hope and asked cautiously.

"Aunt Claire, will I really be able to marry the woman I love?"

Claire Sterling encouraged him, replying seriously and solemnly with four words, "Faith can move mountains."