The Wife Who Jumped on New Year's Eve

Chapter 10

Ryan Bennett's eyes darkened as he fixed his piercing gaze on Crystal Lynn.

"I came to see what kind of venomous heart lies beneath this fragile facade."

"Crystal Lynn, how many lives do you have to dare scheme against my wife and daughter?"

At his words, Crystal trembled slightly but quickly regained her composure. She lifted her head, tears welling in her eyes, her expression pitiful and fragile.

"Ryan, what are you talking about?"

That innocent look—had it been before, Ryan would have believed her without hesitation. But now...

The thought of everything Joanna Taylor had endured made his heart feel as though it had been pierced by a thousand needles.

Crystal seethed with fury, yet her face remained a mask of anguish and despair.

"Ryan, I did it all because I love you. I love you so much that I lost my senses."

Tears streamed down her cheeks, her voice trembling with sorrow.

"You have a wife, a child... but I'm carrying your baby too."

"I know I deserve punishment. I know I'm wicked for hurting Lily and Joanna. But how can I not think of my own child?"

"He's innocent. It was my greed. Once he's born, you can do whatever you want to me—I won't complain."

At the mention of the child, Ryan's heart ached, his clenched fists slowly loosening.

This was his sin. That night, Crystal had been drugged—so had he. Yet a single mistake had led to this.

He never meant to betray Joanna. But Crystal had fallen to her knees, begging him.

"Ryan, I've dreamed of having a child of my own."

"My body is weak. If I lose this one, I'll never be a mother."

Seeing the pale, pleading face of the girl he'd grown up with, his heart burned with torment.

Years ago, she had risked her life to save him from drowning—that was why her health was frail.

But the harm she had caused his wife and daughter was undeniable.

The image of his adoring daughter and his despairing wife hardened his resolve.

"Have this child. Afterward, I'll arrange for you to leave the country."

"I don't love you anymore. My heart belongs only to Joanna. I'll find her, and we'll have another child."

"As for you and this baby, I'll give you enough money to live comfortably."

Crystal nodded meekly, but malice churned within her.

She hadn't returned for mere scraps. The title of Mrs. Bennett could offer her far more than just money.

Leave the country? Never.

Joanna's corpse was probably drifting in the Pacific by now. If she played the victim long enough, everything—status, wealth—would be hers.

But this child...

She touched her stomach uneasily. She couldn't let it be born. If she miscarried because of Ryan, guilt would drive him to marry her.

With this plan clear in her mind, Crystal intensified her pitiful act.

Ryan watched her, his heart twisting further.

He had once believed Joanna was jealous, that she had fabricated drama to win his attention.

But the truth was, he had been complicit in her suffering.

Closing his eyes, he suppressed the torment inside.

Only now did he realize who he truly loved.

She had grown up with Grandma Wilson, loved their daughter so deeply—how had she endured all those years of misunderstanding?

That desperate leap—how much pain, how much grief had driven her to it?

The thought made his heart shatter.

Joanna, don't die... Give me a chance to make it right.