He turned to Steven: "Why don't you bring out all your recommendations?"Finally satisfied, Steven took the menu and first served the Australian blue prawns he'd mentioned. Mia's eyes lit up at the sight.At the Chancer house.Lucy came home in a terrible mood. "Mom! It's so humiliating! The school forum is full of posts about what I did at the party yesterday. Everyone at school was looking at me strangely!"Mrs. Chancer stood up immediately, her brows furrowed. "It must be that whore Sarah! She just won't let our family be!""It was her! I confronted her about it, but she denied everything. Then Mia actually claimed she did it herself. Sarah must have convinced Mia to target me - she just can't stand seeing me happy! What should I do? I don't want to go to school anymore!" Lucy began to cry.Mrs. Chancer, heartbroken for her daughter, immediately contacted school officials to remove the forum posts. But they soon discovered that as soon as one post was deleted, another would qu
"Let's not discuss that matter anymore. I'm looking into it. As for the sponsorship, I doubt she has what it takes to keep Zachary helping her," James said darkly, his expression souring further as he recalled what he'd seen at St. Ritz that day.At St. Ritz Hotel.A pleasant ringtone interrupted Sarah's conversation. She answered - it was someone from the activities department, anxiously discussing the sponsorship situation.Sarah hadn't expected the Chancer family to go so far as to warn most of East Coast’s prominent families against sponsoring them.The university board remained deliberately ignorant of the situation - after all, no one would risk offending the Chancer family for a teacher's sake.Even those who weren't afraid of the Chancers saw no reason to get involved."Alright, I'll figure something out."Sarah hung up, her brow furrowing.Zachary placed a slice of beef on her plate, asking with concern: "What's wrong? Who called?""It's nothing," Sarah shook her head
He hadn't seen her wearing it at yesterday's party and thought she might not have liked it."Steven and Mia certainly found their chance to get revenge for you today," Zachary said with resignation.During dinner, Mia had ordered many desserts, and Steven had gone all out with the dishes until the table could barely hold any more before finally letting up."Thanks for the treat. Next time I treat, you can get your revenge," Sarah said playfully.Zachary found himself momentarily mesmerized by her smile.He quickly recovered. "Looking forward to it."At the apartment building, Sarah helped Mia upstairs.The Chancer family quickly removed the forum posts about Lucy. Though no one dared mention it online anymore, Lucy could still feel her classmates' contemptuous glances whenever she entered the classroom.With less than a week until the psychology competition, her main goal was to get Sarah removed before it began. Though she couldn't influence school leadership, she could target
Lucy nodded. "Alright, I understand."When Lucy and Lindsey reached the school gate, they found James waiting by his Maserati.“James, you came to pick me up?" Lucy excitedly pulled Lindsey toward James. She felt nervous, fearing he might say he was here for Sarah. After being embarassed last time, she was determined to make sure he took her home."Yes. Is this your classmate?" James nodded, greeting Lindsey.Lucy's pride swelled instantly. She told Lindsey smugly, "See? I told you my brother was coming for me. We'll give you a ride home too."“She’s my classmate. Can we drop her off on the way?" She looked at James hopefully, afraid he'd refuse.James frowned slightly but nodded.Once in the car, Lindsey looked around, touching everything - she'd never been in such a luxury car before.Lucy was too busy complaining, “Who would have expected that Sarah got Mr. Reynolds to help her. The whole school is speculating about their relationship. Students are guessing all sorts of thin
Charlotte leaned close to Lucy's ear and whispered something. "This trick is called 'luring the enemy in.'""An early birthday party? Will she come?" Lucy repeated blankly.Mrs. Chancer protested, "I don't want to see that woman, let alone invite her to Lucy's birthday party. Absolutely not!"But Lucy wasn't concerned. She thought about what Charlotte had said - if Sarah came, Zachary might come too. And if he didn't, there'd be no one to protect her.Once Sarah was at the party, everything would fall into place exactly as she wanted.Besides, her birthday was only a few days away - holding it a couple days early, before the competition, wouldn't matter."Mom! I've decided to have my birthday party early. Charlotte, you need to help me plan - she might not come otherwise," Lucy's face clouded with worry."Lucy, think about what she needs most right now. Maybe you can use that," Charlotte suggested softly.Lucy fell into thought. "What she needs most?""I've got it! I know what
After Lucy finished speaking, Sarah didn’t reply for a long time. Just as Lucy was about to speak again, Sarah finally broke the silence.“Lucy, I think I’ve made myself very clear. I don’t have feelings for James anymore. We’re divorced, and I don’t want anything to do with him. Keep that in mind—if you bring him up again, you’ll regret it.”Sarah’s gaze was icy, piercing through Lucy with an intensity that sent shivers down her spine.Lucy suppressed the anger bubbling inside her. She thought about what Charlotte had advised her and clenched her fists tightly to stay calm.“Even if it’s not for my brother, shouldn’t you go for Jane’s sake? Don’t worry, I’m genuinely inviting you. I just want you to see how well my new sister-in-law treats me so you can finally let go. If you come, I’ll believe you don’t care about my brother anymore.”Sarah froze. Jane was attending Lucy’s birthday party?Why would she invite Jane? Could Lucy have found out Sarah wanted Jane as a judge for the
After school, Mia rushed to find Sarah and noticed she seemed distracted."Sarah, what's wrong?" Sarah had always appeared calm and collected to her.Sarah smiled faintly. "Nothing serious.""You're lying. Is it about what everyone's discussing on the forum? Who would spread such rumors? Sarah, are the school leaders pressuring you?" Mia asked with concern.She'd heard plenty of talk, even from the faculty office."Nothing gets past you. The school leaders aren't pressuring me. Lucy invited me to her birthday party - Jane Lawrence will be there."Mia's face scrunched up. "She invited you to her birthday party? That's definitely suspicious. Sarah, don't go. If you want to meet Jane, I'll tell my brother. He can arrange it."She looked proud - to her, her brother could do anything."No need. I've already decided to go. Meeting Jane isn't just about the competition," Sarah declined. She didn't want to rely on Zachary every time.Mia's eyes widened. "Not just about the competition
Charlotte quickly took the gift from her. "Miss Sanders, welcome. Lucy is getting ready upstairs. Please, come in and make yourself comfortable."Inside, Sarah found the party already crowded. She had to admit Charlotte had done an excellent job hosting - just as good as when she used to plan these events when she was still married to James.The guests were all connected to the Chancer family, and many knew Sarah. Her entrance drew numerous glances and whispers.She ignored them, scanning the room only to find Jane wasn't there yet. With about fifteen minutes until the party officially began, she'd probably arrive soon. The other guests were already mingling and chatting.Sarah stood alone to one side until Mrs. Chancer noticed her and came over."I can't believe you actually came. I thought you wouldn't show up. Let me warn you - behave yourself today, or else!" Mrs. Chancer said with barely concealed hostility.With no familiar faces around, and Mrs. Chancer walking away, Charl
Lucy stared fearfully at the two police officers. “What are you doing?” They didn’t answer. Instead, they escorted her out of the police station. Standing at the entrance, she saw Vivian leaning casually against a car door. “Get in,” Vivian said coolly. Once inside the car, it finally hit Lucy—she had been released! She looked at Vivian in disbelief. “Miss Wilson, you really got me out. But I still want to know—how did you do it?” After the incident at the stables, Zachary and Melvin had worked together to put pressure on the Chancer family. That was why James had refused to help her. It must have taken a lot to get her released under Zachary and Melvin’s watchful eyes. Vivian let out a soft laugh, her eyes filled with mockery. “It was simple—I just found a scapegoat.” The smile on Vivian’s face sent a chill down Lucy’s spine, making her shudder involuntarily. “You truly are remarkable, Miss Wilson,” Lucy said awkwardly, forcing a compliment. “Don’t celebr
Mrs. Chancer remained silent, unsure of how to respond. Lucy continued, her voice breaking with desperation. “Mom, you have to tell James to do something! If nothing else, have someone create a psychological evaluation report like last time. As long as they can prove I have mental health issues, I can be bailed out!” Her sobs grew louder. “Mom, I can’t stay here a single day longer!” Mrs. Chancer sighed deeply, feeling helpless. She had spent the past few days trying to convince James to get Lucy out, but her son had grown unyielding. He hadn’t even come home, let alone answered her calls. She understood that James had made up his mind this time. “I think your brother is determined not to help you this time. And it’s not just him—your grandfather even called specifically to tell us to leave you be.” Lucy stared at her mother in disbelief, clinging to her arm as tears streamed down her face. “Mom! Even if James and Grandpa don’t believe me, you have to! They’ve all been t
“Are you threatening me?” Vivian glared angrily at the man in front of her.The man remained calm and composed. “Not at all. I’m merely reminding you, Miss Wilson, that we’re in this together. If certain things were to come to light, I imagine your reaction would be quite dramatic.”Though furious, Vivian knew this was something Zachary must never find out about.“This is the last time,” she said coolly. “Go back and wait for my instructions.”Zachary had heard enough. He quietly left, not wanting to hear more. But the words stuck in his mind. The last time for what? Waiting for what instructions?Before their conversation ended, he had already slipped away, leaving the rest unanswered.---At the Misty Island Hotel, the morning session of the symposium had just concluded. Sarah was sitting in the restaurant, quietly eating her lunch, when a woman stormed in through the doors, her face twisted with anger. “Sarah! It’s me,” Charlotte said, glaring at her with venom.Sa
“How could he?” Charlotte silently questioned, her heart heavy with resentment. How could James treat her like this?---Adams University.Sarah was in the middle of a meeting when Dean Larson informed her she would be attending a symposium in the northern part of the city. To ensure she wouldn’t have to return late at night, the school had even reserved a room for her at the Misty Island Hotel. This news quickly reached Zachary. That evening, Sarah checked into the Misty Island Hotel, unaware of the unexpected turn her night would take. Late at night, Zachary found himself at the hotel, almost as if drawn there by an unseen force. Standing outside her room, he noticed the window was slightly ajar. He hesitated for only a moment before pushing it open and slipping inside, moving like a thief in the night. As he approached the bed, Sarah’s eyes suddenly opened, her deep brown pupils glinting in the dim light as they locked onto him. “You…” Sarah gasped, her mouth falli
Had her actions already been exposed? Did James know? Charlotte’s heart raced wildly, panic creeping in. What would she do if he had found out? James stared down at her with sharp, cold eyes. His voice was detached as he said, “If you claim you don’t understand, then I’ll take your word for it. Just focus on being Mrs. Chancer.”With that, he gave her a symbolic pat on the back before brushing past her and walking away. Charlotte felt a chill run through her entire body. What did he mean by that? Was he warning her? The thought sent a wave of anger through her. She wanted to sweep everything off the desk in frustration, but this was James’s study—she didn’t dare. Forcing herself to calm down, she reminded herself that her previous actions had already made James weary of her. She needed to rebuild the trust she once had. ---As James entered the bedroom, Charlotte’s voice called out from behind him. “Are you leaving again?” He turned to see her standing there in a
At that moment, a sharp pain hit Zachary’s chest. He realized something had changed—something fundamental—but even so, he wasn’t ready to give up on Sarah. “Sasa, yesterday Vivian said she was in a car accident…” “Zachary, do you know that what happened at the stables was her doing?” Sarah’s eyes widened as she waited for his answer. Zachary hesitated before nodding slowly. “I know.” “You knew and said nothing? She tried to hurt me, Zachary. You’ve let me down.” Sarah’s voice was icy. “Tell Vivian, my patience has its limits.” With that, she shoved Zachary out of the counseling room, handing the gift back to him. “We’re done, Zachary. Since we’ve broken up, there’s no need to stay in touch.” She slammed the door shut and pulled the curtains closed. ---Zachary walked back to his office, looking utterly lost. His assistant quickly approached him. “Mr. Reynolds, Miss Wilson is here.” He entered the office immediately and found Vivian sitting in his chair, a playf
Sarah drank the rest of her wine in one gulp, placed the glass back on the table, and said, “I’m going to rest.” “Alright,” Melvin replied, clinking his glass before sitting back down. His gaze lingered on his phone, his expression complicated. Sarah returned to her room, tidied up the gifts she’d received, and went to freshen up. By the time she sat on the edge of her bed, it was already 11:30 p.m. She held the bracelet Zachary had given her, lost in thought. Why hadn’t he come? What could have held him up? In just thirty minutes, her birthday would be over. She had received so many heartfelt wishes, but not his. While she was deep in thought, her phone chimed with a message. Picking it up, she saw a multimedia message containing text and a photo. The photo showed Zachary fast asleep. Her heart skipped a beat. Below the image was a message from Vivian: “Miss Sanders, this is Vivian. First, happy birthday! Zachary really wanted to attend your party, but he could
Watching them goof around, Sarah couldn’t help but laugh. As she laughed, she suddenly felt something cold on her face. She looked over to see Mia grinning mischievously—there was cream on her face. “Mia, you’ve turned naughty!” Sarah exclaimed, standing up from her seat and grabbing a plate of cream. She chased after Mia with playful determination. Melvin sipped his red wine and smiled as he watched them. His gaze drifted toward the front door, and he frowned slightly. Was Zachary really not coming? Earlier, before the cake was brought out, Melvin had noticed the disappointment in Sarah’s eyes. Though she hadn’t said anything outright, Melvin, who had watched her grow up, could read her emotions like an open book. Still, at least she seemed happy now. Lost in thought, Melvin suddenly felt a gust of wind behind him. Turning around, he saw Sarah. Her hand was already reaching for his cheek. Before he could react, Sarah smeared cream across his face with a triumph
During dinner, Scarlett and Steven sat together at the table, which was loaded with skewers and desserts. Steven picked up an egg tart, took one bite, and immediately put it down with a look of disdain. “This egg tart is awful. The crust is way too greasy, and the filling tastes weird—like it’s gone bad.” Scarlett rolled her eyes and tried a bite herself. “I think it’s fine.” Ignoring her, Steven kept eating while complaining. “This grilled meat is terrible! The chef didn’t even bother to do a good job—it tastes gamey and smells bad.” “And this fried pork chop? My God, it’s dripping with oil!” … As he kept eating and grumbling, Scarlett couldn’t take it anymore. She grabbed the food out of his hands. “If you’re going to complain so much, then stop eating! These dishes were made by the chefs Melvin hired. If you don’t like it, why don’t you cook something yourself?” Steven looked at her, stunned. “Are you kidding? My cooking is way too expensive for this!” Scarle