The Divorce That Brought Us Back novel Chapter 49

Nora realized the rug in the bedroom had been replaced.

Although the style and pattern were identical, it was undeniably a different rug.

Because last month, while Nora was sitting at the foot of the bed clipping her nails, a piece had snapped off and buried itself into the rug. When she tried to dig it out, she accidentally pulled up a tuft of fuzz, leaving a tiny bald spot on the fabric.

But the rug right in front of her was flawlessly smooth and brand new.

The spot that should have been missing was perfectly intact.

As for why the rug had been changed.

The answer was glaringly obvious.

Let alone the rug—the duvet, the pillows, and likely even the mattress had all been entirely replaced.

In that instant, Nora felt like she was sitting on pins and needles.

The walls of the bedroom seemed to be slowly closing in on her, making it hard to breathe.

Nora jumped up and bolted.

Maloney reacted instantly. He grabbed Nora's arm and gave a forceful pull. Powerless to resist, Nora tumbled directly into Maloney's embrace.

"Where are you going?" Maloney sat cross-legged, having pulled her down onto his lap, his large hand firmly pressing against her lower back.

Trapped, Nora reached out to push Maloney away, only for him to catch her wrists and pin them firmly behind her back.

Now she was completely and utterly subdued.

"Hmm? Nora," Maloney's voice was low and dangerous. "Where are you going?"

Nora mumbled, "I wasn't trying to go anywhere."

"Then why were you running?"

"I... I just wanted to stretch my legs."

"When we're talking, you look at me and speak properly. No squirming."

"...Oh."

Maloney released her wrists, flipping her around so she was straddling his lap.

Nora sat obediently, her body curled inward slightly as she rested her head against his shoulder.

Looking down at her, Maloney asked gently, "Shall we continue with your question?"

Every word she spoke heavily implied that Nora had ruined Maloney's life.

She complained that Nora's background was inferior to the daughter-in-law she had chosen, that her personality was terrible—too submissive and unable to shoulder responsibilities—and that her health was too fragile. She even openly questioned whether Nora was capable of bearing children.

When Nora was little, Bella had pushed her into a freezing river, and she had soaked in the ice-cold water for over half an hour before someone saved her.

That incident was famous throughout The Gated Community, and Eleanor had heard about it.

Hence her cruel interrogation.

Nora had been completely shell-shocked.

The truth was, she didn't even know if she could have children.

She had indeed fallen into the river as a child and suffered a massive illness because of it. But her family didn't care about her; they never bothered to check if it left any lasting damage on her body. Plus, she was only twenty years old when she was suddenly faced with marriage. She had no concept of going to the hospital for fertility checkups, let alone thinking about having a baby that early.

She couldn't answer her.

Which only made Eleanor despise her even more.

True, later that afternoon, when Maloney heard his mother had visited Nora, he immediately rushed to the hospital to clear the air, begging Nora not to listen to a single word she said. And from that day forward, he refused to leave Nora's side, shielding her from any further threats.

But words once spoken could never be taken back.