Substitute Bride: Utterly Pampered by Her Billionaire Husband-Chapter 1037: Hubby~Wifey~

She punishes him, eventually leading to loss.

Justin Xavier’s thin lips landed on Leah Thorne’s small hand, rubbing against it, kissing it, and only then did he realize she could be so ruthless.

She had said before, not to let her know that he loved her, and now she knew, so she used herself as a blade and brutally pierced through his heart.

As Justin kissed her, his voice turned hoarse, "Leah, no matter what you do, I accept it gladly."

...

Leah woke up, but her condition worsened every day. She lay in bed without opening her eyes, lacking the strength and desire to open them.

Justin stayed with her daily, never leaving her side. She began to lose her appetite, so Justin prepared a variety of delicacies for her, feeding her spoon by spoon. She obediently ate what he fed, but would vomit it out right after swallowing.

Serena visited daily, but her expression grew increasingly grave.

Leah disliked the sun, almost to the point of aversion. Whenever Justin opened the curtains, she would wake up and struggle uneasily in bed, so they spent the winter in dimness. The room, lacking ventilation and sunlight, was filled with a suffocating oppression.

Leah couldn’t eat, so Serena administered nutritional infusions daily. Eventually, Justin learned to administer injections himself, confronting his own fears with every needle he used.

The only solace was that their child was particularly strong, thriving while his mother endured her trials, remarkably healthy. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

That night, Leah groggily opened her eyes, feeling a splitting headache and discomfort over her body. She stretched her small hand towards the side of the bed, finding no one there.

Struggling to sit up and pull off the covers, she got out of bed. Without slippers, her bare feet touched the soft thick carpet as she searched for Justin.

After a few steps, she heard faint sounds from the bathroom. Approaching, she found the door open, with Justin standing by the washbasin doing laundry.

The man wore a light blue sweater and dark casual trousers, a simple and clean outfit enhancing his handsome appearance.

A small pink basin sat on the washbasin’s edge, and he was washing her undergarments. Foam spilled from his hands, and the single dim light in the bathroom highlighted his solitary figure.

Watching him, Leah’s cheeks grew moist. She reached up, touching her face, finding it covered in tears.

She was already in tears.

As if sensing her presence, Justin suddenly turned and saw her. Dropping the laundry and rinsing his hands, he swiftly approached with long strides. "Why are you out of bed? Aren’t your bare feet cold? What if you catch a cold?"

He lifted her, carrying her back to the soft bed.

Once Leah was settled in bed, he tucked her in securely with the blanket. His brows furrowed, his gentle voice tinged with reproach, "If you need anything, just call me. I was just doing some laundry. I’ll go downstairs to make some food for us shortly. We’ll try to eat some, you might..."

He stopped abruptly as a tender touch brushed his furrowed brow, her gentle voice echoing by his ears, "Husband, don’t frown."

Justin was taken aback, his dark eyes locking intently on her.

What did she call him?

Husband?

Justin couldn’t quite describe his feelings. Should he be thrilled?

Yes, he should be ecstatic, for in all their married life, she had never called him husband – this was the first time.

He had longed to hear her call him husband.

Yet, he couldn’t find joy, for her condition was worsening. This sudden improvement seemed like... the last flare of life...

Leah slowly stretched out her small hands, touching his handsome face, her brows furrowing with concern in her eyes, "Husband, why have you lost weight? You haven’t even shaved."

He was still the familiar man, but much thinner, his features sunken in. A stubbly shadow covered his jowls—a sign of neglect.

Justin touched her small face, his fingers grazing her still tender skin. He pressed a tender kiss on her forehead, "Wife..."

He called her softly, wife.

"Mhm." She smiled gently in response, wrapping her arms around his neck, holding him tightly.

Justin kissed down from her forehead to her cheek, a long time since he’d dared to kiss her, afraid of her displeasure. He had suppressed it for long, but could no longer resist.

Finding her soft lips, he kissed her tenderly.

Leah’s long lashes fluttered, her eyes closing lightly as she tentatively responded.

The dim lamp cast a soft glow over them both. They held each other, kissing silently.

After what seemed an eternity, Justin released her. He buried his head in her fragrant neck, an arm holding her delicate shoulder tightly, as if to merge her into his very bones.

"Wife, please don’t leave me..." He nuzzled into her tender skin like a forlorn creature begging at its master’s feet, "Wife, I don’t know how to express it, nor do I have the right... your parents, your brother, I’m truly sorry. I’ve thought about repaying with my life for theirs, but... I can’t bear to lose my own life... I finally have a wife, a child, a family. Happiness is just within reach, yet I can’t bear to give up my life..."

"Wife, I can’t bear to lose you either, or our son, as the three of us are bound by blood. We can’t be without any of us... I know I’m incredibly selfish, and besides apologizing, I don’t know what else to do..."

Leah buried her face in his neck, hot tears streaming down as she whispered between sobs, "Husband, I’m sorry. I’m in so much pain... so much pain..."

"Mhm, I know, I know..."

How could he not know her suffering? In her nightmares, she cried for her parents, begging them not to push her away, asking them to take her with them...

Her life was filled with pain, longing for release.

Recently, she hadn’t gained a pound, growing alarmingly thin. Before her pregnancy, she weighed 90 pounds. This morning, he weighed her in his arms – she was nearly down to 80 pounds.

Just now, she had stood barefoot on the carpet in a loose white nightgown, so frail she seemed she might drift away like the wind, her arms covered in bruised needle marks.

Her body was full of needle marks, unavoidable as injections were necessary. He could only helplessly watch her endure, watch her struggle.

"Wife, just this once, let me be selfish, okay? You want release, but I can’t let you go. I know holding onto you causes you pain, but..."