Ch. 421..425
Chapter 421
Sylvia’s pale lips stayed tightly closed, her eyes utterly devoid of feelings.
It was clear that she planned to ignore Odell entirely.
He shouted, “Answer me!”
Sylvia’s mouth remained closed.
Odell lowered his head so that their gazes met and he was so close that the tips of their noses were touching. With a low voice, he spat, “So you plan to never talk to me again?”
Sylvia kept silent.
Odell was so infuriated that his veins were about to pop.
However, Sylvia seemed calm and completely unbothered.
It was as if whatever Odell had said just went in one ear and out the other.
Odell was at his wit’s end but his hands were tied.
He let go of Sylvia and walked toward Madam Carter’s room.
The same as what he had been doing the past few days.
Sylvia did not stay either. She turned her wheelchair around and returned to the bedroom.
In the afternoon, on the same day.
Sylvia was making a wood carving in the yard when Tara walked in through the gate.
As soon as Tara entered, she immediately noticed Sylvia in her wheelchair and the cast around her left calf.
She quickly walked toward Sylvia and asked in a faux-friendly manner, “Sylvia, what happened to your leg?”
Sylvia’s hand paused, her carving knife frozen in mid-air.
However, that was all that happened. She then continued carving and completely ignored Tara.
Noticing that there was nobody else around them, a smirk pulled on Tara’s lips before she taunted, “ Did Odell break your leg?”
Sylvia lifted her head, her eyes cold and emotionless as she stared at Tara. “Yes, Odell Carter hired somebody to break my leg.”
Tara had never expected such an answer from Sylvia, and for the latter to answer so nonchalantly too.
She was instantly taken aback, unsure of what to say.
Sylvia stared at her and asked, “Are you happy now? If you are, then please kindly disappear from my view.”
Tara immediately grew angry at Sylvia’s words. She did not walk away. Instead, she circled Sylvia. She observed Sylvia’s carvings for a while before asking, “Sylvia, what are all these things that you’re making?”
Sylvia ignored her and continued meticulously chipping away at her wood block.
She had no expression on her face and was obviously treating Tara like air.
Tara grew even angrier.
How dare this b*tch ignore her!
Then, she reached out to grab a decorative Rubik’s cube that Sylvia had carved before sneering, “ What is this ugly thing?”
Sylvia’s face instantly changed. “Put that down!”
Instead of putting it down, Tara threw the cube to the ground instead.
“Ah, my hand slipped.” Then, she acted as if she was going to pick it up, only to step on it instead.
Crack.
A corner of the cube had been chipped away.
Tara retracted her foot and smiled at Sylvia condescendingly. “I’m sorry, Sylvia. It was an accident.”
Sylvia’s face was stone-cold as her hands, which were holding the wood block and carving knife, trembled with rage.
She had just finished carving the Rubik’s cube after working on it for days. It was meant to be a present for Liam!
Seeing Sylvia trembling with anger, Tara laughed gleefully.
“Sylvia, don’t be like that. I didn’t do that on purpose.” As she spoke, she picked up the Rubik’s cube before putting it back on the table in front of Sylvia. Then, she grabbed a wooden crown that was also on the table. “What is this?”
Sylvia immediately grabbed hold of Tara’s wrist. “ Put it down.”
Sylvia was also holding onto her carving knife with the same hand as she had not managed to put it down.
With a glint in her eye, Tara forcefully pulled her hand out of Sylvia’s grip.
As she did so, the back of her hand slid across the blade of the carving knife.
“Ah!” screamed Tara the next moment.
Fresh blood began spilling from Tara’s hand.
Sylvia frowned.
At the same time, Odell’s car had just pulled to a stop right outside the gate.
As soon as Tara noticed the car’s arrival, she cradled her bleeding hand and started crying, “ Sylvia, I really didn’t mean to break your carving.
I apologize if I upset you but why did you have to threaten me with a knife...”
Chapter 422
Sylvia had also spotted Odell’s car just outside the gate.
Usually, Sylvia would have gotten angry at the baseless accusation. She might have even done something to prove her innocence.
However, at the moment, not only did she seem calm on the outside, she was calm on the inside as well.
She could not even be bothered to continue watching Tara’s act.
Instead, Sylvia put the crown and Rubik’s cube behind her before she put the rest of her things away. She then planned to go back into the house.
At this moment, Odell was already walking quickly towards them.
He immediately noticed Tara’s bleeding hand.
With furrowed eyebrows, he asked Tara, “What happened to your hand?”
Tara choked back a sob, as if she was unwilling to speak, but her eyes shot over to Sylvia.
Odell looked askance at Sylvia. “Sylvia, stop right there!”
Sylvia did not feel like giving him any attention nor did she want to explain herself. She threw the carving knife that was stained with Tara’s blood onto the floor before levelling Odell with a cold stare.
The look in her eyes clearly said, ‘This was what I used to hurt her.’
Odell’s face darkened.
Things had come down to this yet she still refused to open her mouth to speak to him!
Was she that stubborn?!
Suddenly, Tara cried out, “Odell, this was all my fault. I noticed that she had made a few carvings that looked really nice, so I picked them up to properly admire them. However, I accidentally dropped one and caused it to chip slightly. Sylvia then accidentally cut me in her anger.”
Odell asked, “What was it that you dropped?”
Tara glanced behind Sylvia and answered, “I wasn’t sure what it was exactly.”
Odell looked behind Sylvia too.
Sylvia hurriedly hid her hands behind her back as she clutched the crown and Rubik’s cube tightly.
Odell reached over behind Sylvia.
His big hand pulled open her hands easily, and he soon retrieved the Rubik’s cube with a chipped corner and the small crown.
Both items were not even as big as the palm of his hand. The Rubik’s cube no longer seemed like a cube and the small crown had a simple design.
Both were completely ordinary wood carvings.
He glared at Sylvia. “You cut Tara’s hand because of these two pieces of crap?”
Sylvia pursed her lips tightly.
She obviously did not want to answer him or explain herself.
Odell scoffed. Then, he dropped both items onto the floor and stepped on them.
Crack!
The Rubik’s cube broke apart entirely, and the small crown split into several pieces.
Sylvia’s face went pale and she glared at Odell.
If it were not for her broken leg and for the sake of being able to see her children, she would have lunged at him immediately. She did not care if she was physically weaker, she would never go down without a fight!
Sylvia’s face had gone red with anger, yet her mouth stayed tightly sealed. Odell was beside himself with fury at her unwillingness to even lash out at him.
“Apologize to Tara this instant!” he shouted.
Sylvia shot him another icy glare but paid no attention to Tara. Instead, she turned her wheelchair around and began moving toward the house.
Odell’s face went frigid. He walked over to her and grabbed her wheelchair. Then, he forcefully wheeled her toward Tara.
Sylvia could not resist. She quickly neared Tara, meeting the latter face-to-face.
Tara held back a smile and weakly said, “It’s okay, Odell. It’s just a small cut. I’ll be fine.”
As she spoke, she cradled her hand gingerly.
The wound was long, and fresh blood seeped through it continuously.
Odell shouted at a nearby bodyguard, “Get me Dr. Forger immediately!”
The bodyguard rushed off instantly.
Tara then said, “Odell, let Sylvia go in to rest. She doesn’t seem to be feeling well.”
Tara’s eyebrows were knit tightly together and the rims of her eyes were red, obviously trying to endure the pain on her hand.
“Don’t worry about her, she’s more than fine.” Odell replied before he said to Sylvia, “If you don’t apologize to Tara right now, don’t even think about going into the house! ”
Sylvia kept her mouth closed.
Time ticked by.
Dr. Forger soon emerged with a first-aid kit.
Sylvia sat unmoving in her wheelchair, her mouth still tightly shut.
Dr. Forger opened the first-aid kit and said, “Ms. Avery, please give me your hand. I need to clean and dress your wound.”
Tara warily stretched her hand out.
Chapter 423
Odell glowered at Sylvia before he ordered the bodyguard, “Watch her and do not let her into the house.”
The bodyguard immediately tailed after Sylvia.
Odell rushed to Tara and watched as Dr. Forger dressed her wound.
The doctor was quick and efficient.
He disinfected the wound, stopped the blood, and dressed it up. Once he was done, Tara’s hand was wrapped up in a clean bandage.
The doctor then instructed, “Ms. Avery, you must rest more. Before the wound scabs, you mustn't let it touch water.”
Tara obediently answered, “Understood. Thank you, Dr. Forger.”
“It’s my pleasure.”
The doctor bid goodbye to Odell before leaving.
Tara gazed at Odell. “Odell, I’m fine. Please stop worrying.”
Odell hummed a reply before looking toward Sylvia.
Tara did the same.
However, all they saw was Sylvia leaning back against her wheelchair with her eyes closed.
It seemed as if she had fallen asleep.
Odell and Tara were at a loss of words.
The atmosphere was dreadfully awkward for a few seconds.
A few moments later, Odell ordered through gritted teeth with each word enunciated clearly, “ Wake her up now.”
The bodyguard immediately did as ordered.
Sylvia opened her eyes almost instantly.
She took one glance at Odell’s dark expression and Tara’s angry one, before leaning back into her wheelchair again and closing her eyes.
She truly did not want to see them or pay them any attention.
The atmosphere turned awkward once more.
The bodyguard asked softly, “Master Carter, do you want me to wake Mrs. Carter again?”
Odell closed his eyes for a moment and tried to suppress his fury. “Everyone, leave.”
The bodyguard left immediately.
Tara timidly said, “Odell...”
“You too.”
His voice was as cold as ice.
Tara shot Sylvia a defiant look before turning around and walking off.
Suddenly, Odell lifted Sylvia off her wheelchair and over his shoulder.
He strode into the house and headed directly to the bedroom, before promptly dropping her onto the bed.
Sylvia took a moment to find her bearings.
As soon as she did so, the first thing she saw was Odell’s dark expression.
Odell suddenly bent down to hover over her, effectively trapping her underneath him.
Before Sylvia could push him away, he pulled her face toward himself and kissed her.
Odell was strong and his actions were not gentle in the slightest.
Sylvia kept her lips pursed tightly together.
Even when she felt like she was going to suffocate, she did not make a sound.
That was until she felt Odell begin to unzip her skirt.
Her gaze turned sharp and she bit down on his lips. Odell ignored her biting and continued to unzip the garment.
Sylvia could bear it no longer and finally shouted, “Odell Carter, stop this right now!”
In an instant, he stopped moving completely.
However, he remained hovering over her. At the sight of her face which was red with anger, he smirked. “What did you say?”
Sylvia glared at him ferociously.
Noticing that she had gone mute again, Odell narrowed his eyes and his hand went back to the zipper of her skirt. As his hand travelled up her leg, his warm fingertips caressed her skin.
Through gritted teeth, Sylvia spat, “Stop it!”
Odell withdrew his hand at her outburst before patting her lightly on the cheek. “So you can speak. For a while there, I thought you had become a mute.”
Chapter 424
Sylvia immediately turned her face away to avoid his touch and his stare.
Odell patted her on the cheek again before he growled, “If you ignore me again when I’m talking to you, I’ll sew your mouth shut.”
Sylvia pursed her lips.
Odell’s voice was cold as he asked, “Did you hear me?”
Sylvia resisted the urge to bite him and replied, “ Loud and clear.”
Only then did Odell push himself off the bed.
Suddenly, as if a thought had just occurred to him, he said, “I’ll turn a blind eye to you hurting Tara today, but you won’t get off so easily if it happens again.”
With that said, Odell strode away.
Sylvia slowly got up from the bed.
Using crutches to support her, she made her way to the bathroom and started to wash her face.
Sylvia washed her face several times and brushed her teeth twice before returning to the bedroom.
A moment later, Violet walked in with her wheelchair.
Noticing that Sylvia was sitting alone by the window in a daze, Violet asked softly, “Mrs. Carter, are you alright?”
She had been in Madam Carter’s bedroom all this while. However, she had heard the commotion outside and seen Odell carry Sylvia into the bedroom.
Sylvia replied, “I’m fine.”
“Then I’ll take my leave. Please call for me if you need anything.”
“Hmm.”
Violet then left the room.
Sylvia pulled the wheelchair closer before retrieving the smashed wooden Rubik’s cube and wooden crown.
She had wanted to give the Rubik’s cube to Liam and the crown to Isabel.
However, both were completely destroyed and beyond repair now.
Sylvia’s gaze turned cold before she threw both wooden carvings into the trash. Then, she retrieved a new wood block from her bag and began to carve a new piece again.
The next afternoon, Sylvia was carving wood in the yard when Tara arrived again.
She was in a form-fitting dress, with a branded cashmere shawl draped around her, and high heels.
As soon as she entered the residence, she walked over to Sylvia.
“Sylvia Ross, are you still making wood carvings? Don’t you have anything better to do with your time? Odell gave me five million dollars last night so I went shopping. Many boutiques had displayed some
new items. I saw so many limited edition handbags and accessories. Do you want to know what I bought?” Tara asked with a smile.
Her tone dripped with ridicule.
Sylvia ignored her, not even bothering to lift her head to look at Tara as she meticulously worked away at the wood block.
Seeing that Sylvia was ignoring her, Tara felt insulted. She stretched out a hand to try and grab the wood block from Sylvia’s work desk.
Sylvia immediately put her hand on the desk, her carving knife facing upwards as she levelled a cold stare at Tara.
Tara quickly withdrew her hand and chuckled dryly. “Sylvia, what do you thinkyou’re doing? I just wanted to see what you’re carving.”
Sylvia scoffed. “You’re here today because you want to see if Odell tortured me after you left yesterday, right?”
Tara’s eyes trembled slightly.
Sylvia had hit the nail on its head.
She then added, “After you left yesterday, Odell carried me into the bedroom. He only kissed me forcefully a few times before leaving.”
An ugly expression pulled at Tara’s face.
Sylvia could not help laughing at her reaction. “ I’m sorry for disappointing you, but he didn’t torture me.”
Tara forced a smirk. “Hmph. Your leg is broken and you’re trapped here like a dog on a leash.
What is there for me to be disappointed about?”
“Of course, I did have my leg broken, but he also got a doctor to put it in a cast so I think I’ll be completely recovered soon. And yes, I am trapped here and I can’t leave, but what about it? Odell still refuses to divorce me, let alone want to be with you.”
Chapter 425
Looking at Tara’s sour expression, Sylvia added, “ Tara Avery, you’ve done so many things yet Odell still refuses to divorce me. Even if you’re not upset, I’m upset for you.”
The fake smile on Tara’s face disappeared instantly. She glared venomously at Sylvia and spat, “Odell’s just thinks of you as entertainment. Once he grows bored of you, he’ll definitely divorce you and make your life a living hell! ”
“You’re right.” Sylvia laughed lightly. “But he’s unwilling to divorce me now, so he won’t be with you officially.”
“You... You b*tch!” Tara was trembling with rage.
She wanted nothing more than to beat Sylvia up, but there were bodyguards everywhere so she could only resist her violent urges.
Sylvia chuckled. “Tara, if you’re really that capable, you’d better convince Odell to divorce me soon. Otherwise,” Sylvia paused, a cold smile on her face, before continuing, “as long as I’m alive, as long as I can breathe, I’ll repay what you did to me tenfold.”
Sylvia’s tone was gentle and her voice was weak, barely above a whisper.
However, her words drained all the color from Tara’s face as the latter backed away slowly.
By the time Tara realized she was actually scared of Sylvia, she had already put quite a distance between herself and Sylvia.
Soon, Tara came back to her senses. In a fit of guilt and annoyance, she shouted, “You don’t scare me at all! Odell will definitely grow bored of you soon because you’re nothing more than a pretty b*tch. However, you’re no match for me!”
With that said, Tara spun around and walked toward the gate.
She was quick and soon disappeared from Sylvia’s view.
Sylvia laughed dryly before continuing to carve her wood block.
Not long after Tara’s departure, Odell’s car pulled to a stop outside the gate.
Sylvia was completely focused on her carving so she did not notice the sound of his car’s engine.
Only when his tall figure stood directly in front of her, effectively blocking her light source, did she realize Odell had arrived.
Sylvia furrowed her eyebrows and continued to carve her wood block.
Odell studied the wood block in her hand before asking, “What are you carving?”
Sylvia ignored him and acted as if she had not heard him speak.
At her lack of a reply, Odell’s face grew cold. “ Have you forgotten what I told you yesterday?” He was referring to his threat of sewing Sylvia’s mouth shut if she ignored him.
Sylvia swallowed her pride and replied, “I’m making a Rubik’s cube.”
“A Rubik’s cube?” Odell was stunned for a moment. “Are you talking about the cube that Liam often plays with?”
“Yes.”
Odell looked closer at the cube Sylvia was holding before he suddenly thought back to the cube he had stepped on the day before.
He had been angry that he had not realized it, but it had definitely been a finished carving of a Rubik’s cube that had been meant as a gift to Liam.
The other carving that had resembled a crown must have also been meant for the children.
At the realization, his chest grew tight. Then, he said, “It’ll be lunch time soon, continue carving after you’ve rested a little.”
Sylvia ignored him.
Odell lowered his voice in a warning and said, “ I’m asking you to take a break. Did you not hear me?”
“I’m not hungry and I don’t want to rest,” came Sylvia’s reply.
Her tone was calm and collected.
Odell stretched out his hand, wanting to take away the things in Sylvia’s hands.
However, Sylvia’s reflexes were quick. She quickly hid the carving knife and the half- finished carving behind her back before she stared at him watchfully.
It was as if she was afraid he would step on her carvings again.
Odell felt a knot in his throat and did his best to suppress his emotions. “Just put your things down and go have lunch.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“You’ll eat even if you’re not hungry!” Odell suddenly shouted.
Sylvia frowned before putting her carving knife and the half-finished carving into a small bag that was hanging off the side of the wheelchair.