Marriage Resumption (Valeria and Hackett)

Chapter 25

"Mom...

Valeria could not help but let tears well up in her eyes as she looked at her mother's tombstone. She raised her head, struggling to hold back the tears. She did not want to show her vulnerability in front of Hackett. She didn't want him to see her weak side.

Seeing her struggle to hold back tears, Hackett said in a deep voice, "If you want to cry, just cry. There's no one else here."

"But you're here, aren't you?" She retorted directly, then asked. Why did you bring me here in the first place?"

Hackett walked to another tombstone nearby, and stood silently in front of it, his tall and handsome figure emanating a sense of desolation.

Valeria, puzzled, followed him over.

When she read the words on that tombstone, her whole being froze as if struck by lightning.

The tombstone bore the inscription "Hackett James' Beloved Son's Grave."

Her mouth twitched involuntarily. She was utterly speechless. It felt like a curse on her son, Alex. She never expected Hackett to do something like this.

"W-What are you doing? Why did you set up a tombstone here? Is that necessary?"

Valeria, a lawyer herself, felt at a loss for words. Her thoughts were becoming muddled. She did not know how to react.

She could not tell Hackett that his son was still alive. His current actions were utterly absurd as if he were cursing his own child, though she truly wished she could say such a thing. Hackett's gaze remained fixed on the empty tombstone. His deep voice broke the silence. "This is proof that my childAll text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.

existed"

Valeria was left speechless. She could not believe how dramatic this was. She looked at the tombstone, feeling uncomfortable. Alex was perfectly alive and well at home, yet here was his tombstone.

She coughed twice and looked at the handsome side profile of Hackett. She tried to reason with him. "Um, you see, when I had the abortion, the fetus was only a little over a month old. It wasn't even fully formed, just a tiny dot. It couldn't be considered a real embryo. So, there's no need for a tombstone. You'll have more children in the future.

"Can it be the same? Will any other child be the same as this one! How can a mother be so heartless? You can't even hear having a tombstone for your child?"

Harkett was suddenly furious. He felt that Valeria was quite heartless, something he had not noticed before.

Valeria was left dumbfounded by Hackett's outburst. She never expected to be accused of being heartless by him. If he had not been so adamant in not believing in the child's existence back then, she would not have thought about the abortion He had no grounds to accuse her of being heartless. Moreover, Alex was living well, healthy, and adorable. Yet, Hackett had set up a tombstone for hum, which Valeria found incredibly eerie,

"It's not about being heartless. Why did you set up this tombstone? Aren't you deliberately torturing me? Isn't it painful to look at it and be constantly reminded that I had a child aborted Valeria almost slipped and said that the child was alive.

"Pain is good. It reminds me never to make the same mistake again. Hackett said, gazing at the empty tombstone with profound regret..

Chapter 2.5

He wished he had believed Valeria's pregnancy claim back then. He found himself unable to stop blaming himself, questioning why he had not doubted Valeria's words in the slightest.

Valeria was speechless.

It seemed she could not persuade him any further. It looked like that empty tombstone was set in stone. Unless she told Hackett that the clubd was still alive. But she decided to let him think the child was aborted four years ago. That way, everyone could find some solace. She did not care about anything else as long as he did not try to take the child away from

her.

Her phone started ringing. She glanced at the caller ID. It was Barron.

She answered the call. "Mr. James."

As she addressed Barron, Hackett's attention was drawn to her phone call, observing her interaction closely.

Valerias expression suddenly turned surprised, an incredulous tone in her voice as she asked. "You want to introduce me to someone! Mr. James, are you alright? What's this about? I already told you I'm interested in someone, and he's on a business trip abroad. No, why would I lie to you? I haven't!" Valeria was utterly exasperated today. First, she encountered Hackett erecting a tombstone for her son, and now Barron wanted to introduce her to a boyfriend.

She could not believe how many bizarre things were happening in a single day.

She could not help but suspect that Barron and Hackett were somehow orchestrated by fate to torment her.

Suddenly. Hackett snatched the phone from her hand and put it to his ear, his tone highly displeased and stern. Grandpa, what mischief are you up to again? Who told you to introduce inen to Valeria?"

On the other end of the line, upon hearing Hackett's voice, Barron sounded displeased as well. "What are you doing with Valeria: You're already divorced. Why are you clinging to her!"

"Are you okay? Introducing men to Valeria? What's your intention?"

Hackett truly did not understand Barron's sudden change of heart. Just the day before, Barron was enthusiastically trying to matchmake them, and now, within a day, he had changed his mind and wanted to introduce Valeria to other men. He was puzzled about Barron's intentions.

Suddenly, a voice came through the phone. That was the voice of the bodyguard. "Mr. James! Are you alright? Stay with me!" Then, the bodyguard said to the phone, "Mr. Hacken, your grandfather has fainted. Please come quickly!"

"Fainted? Send me the address!" Hackett immediately grew anxious. Barron had never been in the best of health. occasionally suffering from high blood pressure. Valeria,

upon hearing that Barron had fainted, also started to worry. She took her phone back. "Hurry, go check on Barron!" So, the two of them quickly turned and left the cemetery, leaving behind the awkward tombstone all alone. Meanwhile, Alex, happily playing at the kindergarten, suddenly sneezed multiple times in a row. Meanwhile, in a private room, after the bodyguard hung up the phone, Barron gave him a thumbs up. "Well played Barron had not actually fainted at all. He had just pretended to lure those two over quickly.

"Mr. James, is this strategy going to work? Please don't push these two too far. The bodyguard was worried.

Barron had the air of a strategist. "Don't worry. This is using reverse psychology. I've figured it out. When I tried to force

them together, they resisted, Now it's time for a different approach."

"Hat, Mr. Hackett's temper....

"I realized it last time. That brat does care about Valeria, and he's incredibly jealous. Hmph! Let him worry and stew in his own juices. Otherwise, he might think Valeria has no one else but him" Barron said confidently, with his hands behind his back, wearing a stag smile. Things would be manageable if Hacken still had feelings for Valeria. Introducing Valeria to other men was the perfect way to agitate Hackett. Barron was convinced that this would work..

After some time had passed, Hackett and Valeria arrived at the designated private room that Barron had booked in advance.

"Grandpa""

Valeria exclaimed as she entered, thinking that Barron had fainted and lost consciousness. However, when they pushed open the door, they found Barron leisurely sipping coffee. Seeing this scene, Hackett's anger flared up uncontrollably. He could not hold back his frustration and snapped. "Is this amusing to you? The same trick again!"

Barron sipped his coffee and calmly responded, "Why wouldn't it be amusing? If I didn't fake passing out, would you two have come obediently!