They were flooded with memories, and Hesper couldn't help but admit that she had been through so much with Rickard. Her eyes welled up with emotion.The livestream ended, as they couldn't maintain constant surveillance of their lives. Even though they hadn't gone home yet, the crew had left.In the past two days, people had gotten to know them quite well, so the crew decided to give them some alone time.Hesper sat in the passenger seat and stole a glance at Rickard. She couldn't help but say, "I never expected that the only time you were seen as making a mistake in Grandpa's eyes was because of me.""There are many things you don't know," he replied. Hesper raised an eyebrow and asked, "Like what? Tell me."Suddenly, Hesper recalled the countless times Rickard had looked at her. Yet, during those moments, Rickard had always had feelings for Juniper. She knew that was the reality, so she never expected that Rickard might have had the same strong feelings for her as she had for h
He had never anticipated that he would end up loving her so deeply.It could be said that amidst all the misunderstandings and complexities, their journey together had taken many winding paths."I wouldn't risk getting into trouble just to set off fireworks for someone I didn't even like," Rickard said, his voice gentle. "You dummy."His words were soft, but as Hesper listened to his explanation, she cleared her throat, and her eyes turned bloodshot. She had never imagined that the person she had loved so intensely in her youth had, at some point in their lives, secretly admired her.Hesper attempted to smile but ended up with teary eyes. Seeing this, Rickard reached out and affectionately ruffled her hair. "If it's going to make you cry, I won't say anything more."Hesper pursed her lips. "If you don't want to talk about it, then don't."Rickard, despite understanding her reluctance, couldn't help but reflect on the past and openly admitted to the emotions he had felt in his you
In the gynecology ward of First Crest Hospital in Genecity, the doctor shouted anxiously as he looked at the weak, pregnant woman on the delivery bed, “Push, push!”However, Hesper Rivera had already exhausted her strength at this point and her small face was ghastly pale. Her lips that were chewed through did not have a tinge of color in them, and she was barely breathing. “This is bad! The patient is experiencing a difficult birth, and she is hemorrhaging!” The doctor’s expression changed drastically when he realized the urgency of the patient’s condition. He immediately ran out of the delivery room and said, “Family members of Ms. Hesper Rivera, where are the family members? The patient’s condition is critical!”However, the Duvals family members sitting at the waiting area were as calm as a cucumber. They did not appear to be anxious in the slightest, looking so unbothered that one would even wonder if they were related to Hesper in the delivery room. The people sitting here
Hesper could not help trembling from the cold just from listening to Rickard’s voice. She bit her lower lip and said, “Sure, you can propose it then.”Rickard’s deep, attractive voice was filled with a mocking tone, “Hesper, what trick do you have up your sleeve this time? Your playing hard to get trick is old.”Hesper knew that he would not believe her so she said anxiously, “I’m serious, Rickard. I don’t want anything…”Before she could finish her sentence, she heard a strange man’s voice come from the call. It was as if the person was reminding Rickard. “Mr. Duval, Ms. Wight is here.”Hesper’s hand unconsciously held the phone tighter. She felt her chest tighten for a moment. Before she could recover from her surprise, Rickard had already impatiently hung up the call, leaving only the busy signal beeping. Ms. Wight? Juniper is back. If Hesper was a pile of mud on the floor to Rickard, then Juniper was the pure moonlight in his heart. Had it not been for that accident, He
Because of Rickard, Hesper tried all sorts of ways to please the Duvals in the past. She would always put up with them no matter how badly Madam Duval and Sophia insulted her. Sophia was used to seeing Hesper’s submissive mannerism, so she was caught off guard when Hesper called her a toad. She was incredulous. “How dare you scold me, Hesper!”“I can scold you if I want. Do I need to choose a day?” The utterly disappointed Hesper felt as if she was free from the heavy burden weighing down on her. She stopped holding back. Feeling as if her authority was challenged, Sophia was so furious that her face flushed scarlet. She pointed at Hesper and burst out in a torrent of abuses. “You b*tch, who the f*ck do you think you are…”Hesper slapped away Sophia’s pointing finger. Sophia, refusing to be treated that way, stretched out her hand and shoved Hesper ferociously.Hesper, caught off guard, lost her balance due to her weak physical condition. She missed a step on the stairs and roll
Hesper sat on the bed weakly with a thick bandage wrapped around her head. She looked at the overbearing mother and daughter before she said halfheartedly, “Grandfather can tell if I’m faking it with a glance.”Madam Duval grunted coldly and said, “Stop using Mr. Duval Sr. to threaten me. He’s not in the country now, so no one’s going to back you up! Someone, come and pin her down!”When her voice died away, a few middle-aged women with tall, huge physiques showed up in the room. It made Hesper remember the horrible incident that took place in the hospital room the other day. She remembered the feeling of the boiling hot soup being poured down her throat, how it felt like hot lava.She did not wish to experience that again, so she struggled with all her might and shouted frantically, “What are you doing? Let go of me! I’m going to tell my grandfather about this!”Madam Duval cracked a bitterly sarcastic smile. “We’re going to give a post-delivery detox massage to you, of course.
It was found out through the doctor’s examination that Hesper’s fragile uterus was indeed injured during the process. She would need to rest and recuperate, or it would possibly result in infertility in the future. She did not feel anything when she heard that. She waited until she could walk before she went looking for Rickard with the divorce papers. Rickard was sitting in the study room with a nonchalant expression as if he was expecting her. “Rickard.” Hesper made his way to the man slowly and placed the divorce papers in her hand gently. She said calmly, “These are the divorce papers. I don’t want anything from it. If you have no objection, please sign these.”Rickard looked down to Hesper’s fine penmanship and strangely found her handwriting to be an eyesore. “Who says that I have no objection?”Hesper pursed her lips. “You may voice your request.”Rickard did not even rifle through the divorce papers before he said in a cold, merciless tone, “Hesper, not only will you l
However, Rickard did not understand why he felt that way. He shifted his gaze and said nonchalantly, “Since you’ve agreed, do what you’re supposed to do and don’t be an eyesore here.”Hesper glanced at the child, reluctant to part with him. She wanted to stay there for a while more, but the child was tired. His soft face was swaying from left and right drowsily. Hesper could not bear to disturb the baby’s sleep, so she returned to her room indifferently. She did not manage to rest well during the first month post delivery and she was tormented by Madam Duval over and over again. Apart from the mental and emotional trauma, she was experiencing malnutrition as well. She managed to wait until it was dinner time yet Madam Duval sent someone to tell her, “Madam said that you need more rest due to your recent delivery, so you don’t need to join dinner downstairs!”Hesper did not speak and instead covered her empty belly with a blanket in silence. She hardly had a normal meal since
He had never anticipated that he would end up loving her so deeply.It could be said that amidst all the misunderstandings and complexities, their journey together had taken many winding paths."I wouldn't risk getting into trouble just to set off fireworks for someone I didn't even like," Rickard said, his voice gentle. "You dummy."His words were soft, but as Hesper listened to his explanation, she cleared her throat, and her eyes turned bloodshot. She had never imagined that the person she had loved so intensely in her youth had, at some point in their lives, secretly admired her.Hesper attempted to smile but ended up with teary eyes. Seeing this, Rickard reached out and affectionately ruffled her hair. "If it's going to make you cry, I won't say anything more."Hesper pursed her lips. "If you don't want to talk about it, then don't."Rickard, despite understanding her reluctance, couldn't help but reflect on the past and openly admitted to the emotions he had felt in his you
They were flooded with memories, and Hesper couldn't help but admit that she had been through so much with Rickard. Her eyes welled up with emotion.The livestream ended, as they couldn't maintain constant surveillance of their lives. Even though they hadn't gone home yet, the crew had left.In the past two days, people had gotten to know them quite well, so the crew decided to give them some alone time.Hesper sat in the passenger seat and stole a glance at Rickard. She couldn't help but say, "I never expected that the only time you were seen as making a mistake in Grandpa's eyes was because of me.""There are many things you don't know," he replied. Hesper raised an eyebrow and asked, "Like what? Tell me."Suddenly, Hesper recalled the countless times Rickard had looked at her. Yet, during those moments, Rickard had always had feelings for Juniper. She knew that was the reality, so she never expected that Rickard might have had the same strong feelings for her as she had for h
Hesper glanced at Rickard, who remained emotionless, but she still reached out to hold his hand.[This is tough to see. Both of Rickard's parents are no longer here… Sigh.][Hesper immediately checked on Rickard. If I were Rickard, I'd love her so much.]Ernest shook his head and remained silent as he flipped to the next page. Most of the pictures were of Hesper after that. She hadn't realized she had so many childhood photos. Julian appeared in some of them, too.Before everything went sour.Rickard didn't have many pictures. As he grew older, he became quieter.Most of them showed Hesper standing next to Julian, but there was something off about them.[Did you notice... In many of those pictures, Hesper was looking at Rickard, and in others, Rickard was looking at her.][Oh my god, is this puppy love? I had no idea!][I remember Rickard had another lover.]Hesper had noticed, too, but there was no need to remind people that Rickard used to hate her, so she dismissed it as a
Hesper and Rickard entered the room and awkwardly informed Ernest that everything had been live-streamed just now. Ernest was shocked, but upon hearing that it was something people do, he nodded."It's fine. There's nothing that others can't hear."Hesper pursed her lips and glanced at Rickard before saying, "We didn't expect the Summers to come and see you. You should move in with us so these people will leave you alone."If Ernest lived with them, no one would dare intrude because they represented power and influence.Who would dare challenge them?"I don't want to get involved in your life. Renfew and Renarie would keep you occupied enough."Hesper understood that he had already made up his mind not to live with them, so she didn't press the matter further.She could understand his concerns, as many things might become inconvenient. Besides, Ernest didn't want to disrupt their lives either."We'll be heading to Fredonia soon, so even though we have filming to do, we wanted t
So what if the cameras were still recording?"Was my son's life not as valuable as your son's?"If he had grasped this earlier, recent events might not have unfolded. Jade had a point.The live chat fell silent. Though they lacked the full backstory, they could deduce what had transpired in the past.[I heard Rickard lost his parents when he was a child. I feel sorry for him.][His parents died because of that incident. It's no surprise if he harbors resentment.][Truthfully, this old man has no shame. If my child were responsible for another child's death, I'd beg for forgiveness.]Everything unfolding before their eyes was purely coincidental, and no one had control over the situation. They could only watch and terminate the livestream immediately if anything escalated.Fortunately, Jade received a stern talking-to and refrained from discussing the matter further, but Mrs. Summers did not fare as well. Hesper and the others bore witness to her irrational behavior.[This is e
"We've known each other for years, Ernest. I saved your life once, and now your descendants want to take my son's life!"As they approached, Jade Summers was angrily berating Ernest before him. Hesper's countenance immediately turned frosty as she walked over to Ernest."You should conduct yourself more appropriately, Mr. Summers Sr."Jade was taken aback to see Hesper, but he composed himself, took a deep breath, and fixed her with a hatred-filled gaze."If it weren't for you, none of this would have happened. You're just a woman. Since when do you get a say in the Duval family matters?"In the 21st century, people were all for equality. Besides, Hesper was no ordinary or unintelligent woman. Naturally, she had a voice in these matters.The viewers were inundated with comments when they heard Jade's words, and the live chat exploded.[Who is this guy? He looks old but lacks respect.][What's the argument about?][I sense some drama.]Rickard walked over. Jade had thought he
[Didn't Hesper mention that Mr. Duval Sr. took care of her? Maybe she did grow up well.][I'm certain she did. Hesper doesn't strike me as someone who would tolerate mistreatment.]Hesper and Rickard were under constant surveillance throughout the journey, and they hadn't allowed Benji to accompany them. Rickard was behind the wheel, with Hesper in the passenger seat.During the drive, they remained silent, but to observers, it appeared as though they were in harmony.Upon arriving at the ancestral mansion, Hesper noticed other cars parked around and cast a curious glance at Rickard. Visitors to Ernest's home were a rarity."Sir, Ma'am, you're back," a young housekeeper greeted them. It was the same person who had assisted Wendy earlier, but they couldn't recall her name. Nevertheless, Hesper had faith in her.Noticing the housekeeper's troubled demeanor, Hesper deduced that the guest inside was likely unwelcome. However, she couldn't fathom who would disrupt Ernest's life. Given
Rickard noticed something in Hesper's expression, prompting him to ask, "Is there something else you haven't told me?"Being intimately familiar with each other wasn't always without its challenges. Hesper could never conceal anything from him.She sighed and replied, "It's nothing. Just that Pennleigh will also be on the list."Rickard fell silent.Hesper was aware that sometimes Rickard might not appear bothered, but Pennleigh's presence did bother him.Observing Hesper's awkward expression, Rickard lowered his gaze and suddenly took on a pitiful appearance, like a big dog caught in the rain.Yet, she knew he was merely putting on an act. Still, every time she saw him like that, she couldn't help but miss the Rickard who didn't engage in such playful antics. His character had undergone a change.Hesper found it amusing but didn't quite know how to express it. She sighed and added, "It's a fantastic opportunity. I know you'll let me go, right?"Rickard had no intention of inte
"Sullivan lied to her. He had her parents quietly killed. She found out after she turned her back on you."Benji lowered his gaze. "She was already dead when you came back. It was suicide."The conclusion lacked the weight necessary for such a betrayal. Hesper shut her eyes. The person she had trusted most was Renee. They had shared countless years together.Hesper acknowledged that their bond might not have been a genuine friendship. Renee had abandoned her when given the choice.However, Hesper had faced such situations before.Thankfully, there had been someone who had placed her first in their heart, reassuring her that she wasn't always relegated to being an option. Hesper stood in silence for a while before simply nodding.There was nothing she could do to aid Renee now. Renee had entered and departed alone, leaving no trace behind with Hesper.When the topic was broached, it weighed heavily on her heart. Hesper understood the situation but found herself at a loss for word