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Chapter 21
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A Love Meant to Crumble Chapter 22
Housekeeper? Doing laundry and cooking? Waiting on the Judds?What made the Judds think Anne would ever agree to that? And they even acted like they were doing her a favor.She couldn't help but smile to herself, too fed up to say anything. Then, she just turned and walked away."Anne, I'm giving you this priority because we're friends," Sophia called after her. "Don't worry about the money. I'm not going to screw you over. Quit being so stubborn and think it over, okay? You're renting that villa, and I'm sure the rent's not cheap."Anne walked faster until Sophia's voice faded away. The world felt so much quieter and calmer now. With her hands in her pockets, she made her way home, feeling lighter.…The next day, Anne got right to work on the walls. Every wall had been plain white. The living room downstairs was fine, but she had her sights set on painting the bedroom and sitting area upstairs a soft blue.After mixing the paint, she carried it upstairs. Her brushstrokes were
A Love Meant to Crumble Chapter 23
"I'm thinking about adding some flower beds on both sides," Anne said, picturing how she wanted to redo the yard."I took a look at the backyard. It's huge, and there's a pool," Caesar said, taking a sip of his beer."Yeah, but the pool's empty, and the yard's a mess," Anne said, shrugging."This is Oceanwind Villas," Caesar pointed out. "Even the smallest houses here are going for 20 to 30 million dollars. This one's got the perfect spot and is supposed to be the largest. It's got to be worth 50 to 60 million dollars, no doubt.""That much?" Anne asked, surprised.Julius nodded. "Probably more, actually."Anne pursed her lips, figuring Harvey had to be dealing with a hefty mortgage."You might want to ask the owner before you get started on the yard," Julius said. "You don't want any misunderstandings.""Uh… Actually, this house belongs to my fiancé," Anne admitted. "I'm fixing it up for us to move in together.""Fiancé? When did you get a fiancé?" Caesar asked, sounding skep
A Love Meant to Crumble Chapter 24
That night, Anne tossed and turned in bed, still seething. She just couldn't comprehend Zachery. He was about to marry the woman he claimed to love.Even though Sophia was pregnant with someone else's baby, he seemed fine with it. He should've been focused on building his future with her. So, why was he so determined to make her life miserable?Just then, Anne's phone rang. An unknown number was calling. She picked up, and the first thing she heard was a muffled groan, like someone in pain."Who's this?" she asked."It's me."She recognized Zachery's voice immediately and was about to end the call when he urgently added, "Hang up, and I'll have your parents' house torn down tomorrow!"Anne clenched her jaw. "What do you want, Zachery?""My stomach's killing me.""That's not going to do you in.""I need some of your butternut squash soup.""Take some medicine.""Where is it?""Wherever you left it.""Come help me find it.""You know what? Just drop dead!"Anne hung up, st
A Love Meant to Crumble Chapter 25
Zachery had no choice but to look for the first-aid kit. He combed through the whole house before finally spotting it in the living room.Everything inside was neatly arranged—several over-the-counter medicines, with a bottle of stomach medicine right on top. When he took a closer look, he saw it was about to expire in three months.The drinking at the work events had taken a toll on his stomach. Anne had always been the one to look after his health.She made easy-to-digest soups, included probiotics in his diet, and even picked up a special massage technique from some alternative medicine practitioner to help his digestion.She would give Zachery massages now and then. Because of that, his stomach had been doing pretty well, and flare-ups were few and far between.But recently, no one had been making him those soups, adding probiotics to his diet, or giving him those massages, so his stomach issues came roaring back.After taking the medicine, Zachery collapsed on the couch and
A Love Meant to Crumble Chapter 26
After cleaning up in the kitchen, Anne stepped out to find Zachery still at the dining table, looking miserable. He was rubbing his stomach, probably in pain.She ignored him and was about to tidy up the living room."Get me some stomach medicine," Zachery muttered."Don't you have hands?" Anne snapped back."You're my housekeeper now."Anne simply nodded, not in the mood to argue. She pulled the first-aid kit out of the bottom drawer of the coffee table and brought it over to him."What kind of stomach medicine did you buy? It doesn't do anything," Zachery grumbled."No way.""I took it last night, and I still feel awful."Anne's professional instincts kicked in. She started asking him questions about his symptoms—whether he'd been drinking too much or skipping meals lately.Then, she opened the kit. The first thing on top was a common medicine for easing stomach discomfort. She checked the expiration date."These should be taken on an empty stomach, and it's best to pair t
A Love Meant to Crumble Chapter 27
"Does Harvey play the piano?" Anne asked, glancing back.Walter looked away as he replied, "Yeah, sort of."Anne didn't ask any more questions. Everyone had their past, including her."Watch out when you're moving the piano. Don't scratch it or screw it up," she warned the workers.…Anne took her work seriously. By noon, she returned to Zachery's to make lunch, deciding on chicken pot pie. She picked up some chicken and started chopping it up.Before long, Zachery came down the stairs."Can you keep it down? Sophia's trying to sleep!" he snapped.Anne was surprised to see he was still home."Aren't you going to the office?" she asked."I'm off today," he muttered."Did you make seafood chowder this morning?" Anne asked, eyeing the leftovers in the pot."Yeah.""Wow, you can actually cook!"Anne had always thought Zachery would probably end up starving if she ever stopped cooking for him."It's not as good as yours," he admitted.She snorted. "Well, look at that—a compl
A Love Meant to Crumble Chapter 28
Carol showed up around dinnertime. When she saw Anne working in the kitchen, she scoffed as if she was gloating that this "tough nut" had finally cracked."Some people are just born to serve," Carol said, trying to make a jab at Anne, but Agatha was there. Agatha's face quickly stiffened. She brushed past Carol and went into the kitchen to help."Ms. Stafford, you're a doctor at a top hospital. You're smart, attractive, and have an awesome personality. It's just… your taste in men could use some work," she said.Anne was stirring the broth. She chuckled and replied, "Yeah, I used to be clueless.""The thing is, you and Zachery don't owe each other anything once you two call it quits. The Judds are totally out of line. They're just picking on you.""Yeah, they are. But bullies don't usually get away with it."When dinner was ready, Carol came downstairs with Sophia in tow and Zachery trailing behind. Carol guided Sophia to sit beside her at the dining table."Sophia, how's your
A Love Meant to Crumble Chapter 29
Carol's mug slipped from her hands and crashed to the floor. She jumped up, freaking out."I-I already drank a whole mug of that broth!" she gasped, immediately sticking her fingers down her throat, trying to make herself throw up.Sophia had taken a few sips and was doing the same.Zachery looked at Anne, who was leaning against the kitchen door. She was laughing so hard that she almost doubled over. When she caught him staring, she flashed him a grin.Exasperated, he sighed and said, "Anne didn't poison anyone."But Carol and Sophia wouldn't listen and kept gagging themselves."Oh, my stomach hurts," Carol groaned, clutching her stomach with a look of pure dread. "Agatha, hurry! Call the police. No, call an ambulance!"No matter how many times Zachery tried to assure her that Anne wouldn't do something like that, Carol wouldn't have it. Even when Anne came out and said it wasn't true, she just couldn't believe it.Eventually, the ambulance arrived. Carol grabbed Sophia's ha
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A Love Meant to Crumble Chapter 150
Meeting anyone from that family would always give Anne an immediate headache. Even though Carol had asked her to wait, she still shut the gate to her yard, making her stance clear.Carol cleared her throat. "I know about you and my son."Anne frowned. "What about me and your son?""That you two have rekindled an old flame. Sophia told me.""You guys are crazy!"Just as Anne turned around to leave, Carol called out behind her, "Anne, you're married to Harvey now. You should let go of your feelings for Zachery. Even if you can't help yourself, you must control it! Zachery can be impulsive at times, but you can't afford to be."We're talking about Harvey here—if he finds out about you two, he won't let you off. The Judd family might be powerful, but even we can't afford to cross the Parker family. For the sake of both our families, you two need to keep your distance."Anne was baffled, completely at a loss of how she should react to this. They truly were one family—their logic was
A Love Meant to Crumble Chapter 149
Hearing that, Harvey still looked skeptical."I remember very clearly—you don't like cilantro. Every time we eat out, if the restaurant adds it, you always ask me to pick it out for you."Anne was stunned but managed to maintain a calm expression. "You must be confusing me with someone else."Harvey furrowed his brows and started thinking hard. "Could it be that it's Lilian who doesn't like cilantro? Like last time, I mixed it up—she likes taro cheesecake, and I thought it was you.""Well, Lilian and I do have pretty different tastes." Anne chuckled.She reached over, took a taco from his hands, and took a bite from the top where the cilantro was. "The seasoning is spot on. It's really good."Harvey shrugged. "I must've remembered it wrong.""Good thing it's Lilian. If it was another woman, I'd be mad," Anne teased with a playful huff.Harvey raised a brow. "You can doubt my memory, but don't ever doubt my loyalty. That's an insult to my character."Anne laughed. "That serious
A Love Meant to Crumble Chapter 148
When Harvey got the news, he showed up not long after.Anne threw herself into his arms, fighting back tears. "I want to go home."Harvey kissed her forehead gently. "I'll have them transferred to another hospital. They won't bother you again.""I just want to go home," she insisted."Anne…""Hubby, let's go home." She looked up at him with pleading eyes.Harvey gazed at her, both helpless and doting. "Alright. Let me talk to the doctor."While he went to speak with the doctor, Anne pulled herself together and went downstairs to check on Jenny. When she entered the room, she saw Jenny packing her things."Jenny, are you being discharged already?" she asked.Jenny stiffened slightly before turning around with an exaggerated smile. "I'm fine. There's no need to stay hospitalized. Besides, I can't stand the smell of disinfectants here.""Are you sure you're okay?" Anne asked, concerned."Of course! I have a new audition lined up.""Maybe you should rest a bit longer," Anne sug
A Love Meant to Crumble Chapter 147
"She ate the food I made! That was my first time cooking, and I made it especially for you!" Sophia shouted, pounding her chest. Her eyes were filled with grievance."How could you let her eat it? How could you trample on my feelings like this?"Zachery paced the hospital room, his frustration boiling over. "Fine! I admit it—I'm still in love with her! I regret marrying you!""Zachery, you bastard!""I'm a bastard? What about you? Sneaking around with Sean behind my back? You're worse than me!""I don't care! You can't treat me like this! You promised you'd only love me and be nice to me! You swore that even if there were other women around, none of them would matter to you, only me! I'm the only one you love!" Sophia sobbed uncontrollably."I… I just didn't know my true feelings back then. I didn't realize it until later, but by then, I had already married you. I've been miserable ever since. Yeah, maybe it's my punishment, but I never actually wronged you—you're the one who wro
A Love Meant to Crumble Chapter 146
What was the point? Things were over between them."Thanks, but please don't do things like this anymore. It makes me feel annoyed," Anne said in a calm but firm tone.Zachery's face darkened like storm clouds, clearly feeling unappreciated."How's your injury?"Anne let out a deep breath. "It's nothing serious. You don't need to concern yourself with it.""Isn't Harvey supposed to be so amazing? Yet you still got hurt. Hah! The truth is, he doesn't really care about you. If he had, he would've protected you better.""Zachery Judd!" Anne tried not to lose her temper, but he was pushing her buttons. "Who exactly are you to criticize my husband?"Zachery glared at her. "I care about you!""Go care about your own wife. Stop worrying about someone else's wife, alright?""Anne!" Zachery looked like he was punched in the gut. "How can you be so cold to me? You… You used to love me so much!"Anne was beyond exasperated. How much clearer could she be? And yet, Zachery acted like he d
A Love Meant to Crumble Chapter 145
Anne furrowed her brows and got up to check the door. By the time she stepped into the hallway, all she could see was the back of a man in hospital scrubs, hurrying away in a flustered manner.She pressed her lips together. Even with just a glimpse of his back, she could recognize the man.It was Zachery.Anne ended up sleeping until nightfall. When she woke up, she noticed light spilling from the bathroom and the sound of water running. Knowing Harvey was here, she stayed in bed quietly, waiting for him.After a while, he finally emerged.Seeing she was awake, he walked over with a smile and leaned down to kiss her."Your hair's still dripping!" Anne quickly dodged.Harvey pulled her into his arms and kissed her firmly before pulling out food containers from the thermal bag. "Eat first. I'll go dry my hair."There was some oatmeal, steamed veggies, and two dinner rolls. She only needed one bite to know it was his cooking."I didn't have much time today, so I whipped up someth
A Love Meant to Crumble Chapter 144
Julius nodded. "I've handed the bar over to Caesar for now. I'll be at the hospital with her these next few days.""She's really scared," Anne said softly."I know.""Jul, she…""I know."Julius couldn't hold it together anymore. He wiped away a tear, then turned and slammed his fist into the wall. "I hate how useless I am. If I'd been able to help her pay off that debt earlier, none of this would've happened."Anne patted him on the shoulder. He was just Jenny's ex-boyfriend. He wasn't obligated to do any of this."Don't think like that. This isn't your fault. But as her friend, she'll need us to help her through this dark time."When Anne returned to her hospital room, Liam and Lilian were already there."You didn't tell Harvey's parents, right?" Anne asked them."Nope. Uncle Harvey specifically told us not to," Liam replied.Hearing this, Anne breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't want to worry the elders or make them overthink things."Anne." Lilian walked over and hugg
A Love Meant to Crumble Chapter 143
At the hospital, the doctor treated Anne's wound.Harvey insisted on holding her the whole time, saying if it hurt, she should lean into his arms.Anne felt a little embarrassed. As a doctor herself, she'd always thought patients like this were a bit too dramatic. But now? Okay, fine—she kind of wanted to stay in his arms, too, so she could be pampered and comforted.Still, she gently pushed him away. This was Windbrook Hospital, and the doctor treating her was someone she knew. She couldn't embarrass herself like this in front of a colleague.Harvey stood sulking against the doorframe, watching her pitifully.Her injury turned out to be more serious than expected—she needed to be admitted.This time, she was placed in a VIP suite. Harvey wanted to book the entire floor, but she stopped him just in time."I have to handle a few things. I'll come back tonight to stay with you," Harvey said, then kissed the tip of her nose.After the chaos from last night, Anne could barely kee
A Love Meant to Crumble Chapter 142
Anne frantically backed away, heart pounding in terror. No one knew she was here, so no one would come to save her."God, please don't let this happen," she prayed in her mind.She could no longer stay calm as despair consumed her."No, please. I'm begging you…" Tears streamed down her face as she pleaded over and over.The bearded man started taking off his clothes, leering at her as if he was about to devour her.The cigarette guy nudged the other two men awake. "Come on. Don't miss the show.""What the hell? Why does he get to go first?""Relax. You're second.""Fine. I'll be third.""I'll go last, then. Happy now?"Anne realized she couldn't escape. Rather than be violated, she'd rather end it herself. Gritting her teeth, she flung herself toward the wall.With a sickening thud, her head hit hard, and warm blood instantly blurred her vision.The men shouted in surprise."Damn, this woman's got guts!""Hah, the boss said even if it's a corpse, we still need to get it o
