Chapter 2

Beatrice glared at me viciously, her spit practically flying into my face. "You useless woman! Can you even conceive? Was this adoption your stupid idea? Let me tell you, as long as Arthur and I are alive, we will never let the Vance family legacy end like this!"

Arthur also pointed his finger aggressively at my nose, shouting, "If Julian hadn't insisted on marrying you back then for your family’s trust fund, who would ever marry a woman who can’t even produce an heir?!"

In truth, before Julian and I got married, we had signed a strict prenuptial agreement.

That was a protective measure my parents had set up for my marriage and assets before they passed away.

The agreement clearly stated: after marriage, as long as Julian did not force me to have children and remained faithful, he would eventually receive half of the Sterling Group’s shares. However, if either party committed adultery or engaged in any moral misconduct, they would be forced to divorce and leave with absolutely nothing.

Arthur had always been bitter about the clause that prohibited forcing me to have children. He and Beatrice felt that not having a grandson was entirely my fault.

Yet Julian never defended me. It was actually his choice not to have children, claiming that a baby would distract him from building his career.

He knew the truth, and I knew the truth. We just silently kept the secret in a tacit understanding.

As a result, every time Arthur and Beatrice brought up the topic, they directed all their resentment toward me.

Once again, Julian was caught in the middle, looking completely helpless.

He grabbed his parents and tried to soothe them. "We’ll have one soon, I promise. By the way, I bought you two VIP spa passes yesterday. Why don't you go relax for a bit?"

Arthur’s face was dark. "Who has the mood for a spa! Your wife is about to end our family line!"

Beatrice screamed, "Julian, I know you’re suffering and desperately want a son, but you can't just give up and adopt! I want a biological grandson! I want your own flesh and blood!"

Seeing that Beatrice was not going to back down, Julian quickly dragged them both out of the room.

The thick hospital door seemed to shut out all the noise.

But through the glass, I could clearly read Julian’s lips. He was telling them, "Mom, just be patient. Who knows, your wish might come true sooner than you think!"

I let out a cold laugh. I wondered if they would still be laughing this happily when the truth finally came out.

As the saying goes, bad news travels fast.

Once the Vance family relatives found out we had adopted a child with a heart condition, they all began to criticize me behind my back.

"She must be completely out of her mind! What kind of woman refuses to give birth but adopts some random orphan instead?"

"I knew the Sterling family was sketchy from the start. Who puts a 'no pregnancy' clause in a prenup? This is an absolute embarrassment to the Vance family!"

"To put it bluntly, she's probably just infertile and too cowardly to go to a clinic! Now she’s using a sick kid to fool everyone!"

Even Mrs. Gable asked me with a puzzled look, "What were you thinking, Valerie? How could you agree to let Julian adopt this boy? If you have that kind of time and money, you two should be making your own babies!"

"What if you spend millions curing his heart condition, and then his biological parents show up to take him back?"

"Honestly, if you have fertility issues, I have some secret traditional recipes from my hometown that guarantee a baby boy. I can share them with you."

I smiled faintly, completely unfazed. "No need, Mrs. Gable. I believe an adopted child is no different from a biological one."

Mrs. Gable was so shocked she couldn't speak.

Eventually, she rolled her eyes in disgust and immediately went to spread more gossip among the Vance relatives.

From that day on, rumors about me spread like wildfire.

People for miles around pointed fingers at me whenever I passed.

Some said I was mentally unstable.

Some said I was desperate for a son because I was a barren, defective woman who couldn't get pregnant.

Others even claimed I was a sadist who adopted a disabled child just to abuse him and relieve my frustration.

It was pure, filthy slander.

Yet, I never offered a single word of explanation. I didn't care at all.