I said, "I want a divorce. Julian, if you’re truly a man, let’s end this amicably."Looking directly into his eyes, I continued, "I was young and naive before. I made mistakes. Julian, let’s set each other free."With that, I turned and left the hospital with Joseph by my side.As the elevator doors slowly closed, I caught one last glimpse of Julian’s tall, solitary figure standing in the hallway.Lowering my gaze, I refused to look at him again.I couldn’t quite describe how I felt. Relief, perhaps?At eighteen, Evelyn White had been proud and radiant, but she had loved the wrong person, clipping her own brilliant wings.At twenty-five, she was still young enough to start over.But this time, she wouldn’t fall so easily into the trap of love.I returned to the Wynn estate.Joseph continued administering the IV drip and making sure I took my medication.I complied obediently. Before leaving, he turned to me and said earnestly, "Miss White, everything will be okay."A bit surprised, I a
How could I not be angry? Even if there was no love left between Julian and me, the fact remained that he was still my husband. Yet here he was, dating another woman, showering her with flowers and a diamond ring before our divorce was even finalized. Any woman would be furious. I could vividly imagine how, before losing my memory, Chloe’s petty games had beaten me down time and time again, leaving me utterly defeated. I told Dolly, "Of course I’m angry. But getting angry only plays right into her hands. Don’t let it get to you either. Let’s just sit back and watch them dig their own grave." Dolly was silent for a while before finally saying, "Eve, my heart aches for you." Her voice quivered. "You’re so good, so kind—why can’t Julian love you? It just makes me so mad. And I’m even angrier that everyone seems blind to Chloe’s manipulative schemes." I didn’t respond, sinking into silence. Dolly kept ranting on the other end, but I felt an unusual sense of calm wash over me.
The silence stretched so long that I wondered if Julian had muted the call. Just as I was about to hang up, his voice returned. "Evelyn, it’s a misunderstanding. Today was Chloe’s birthday. I only had dinner with her to celebrate and gave her a gift I promised her a long time ago. I really…" I smiled faintly. I was sure my voice carried a light, almost casual tone when I replied, "Mr. Moore, thank you for making it abundantly clear that in this marriage, I’ve been nothing more than a complete fool. That excuse of yours—sounds like you’ve perfected it by now, haven’t you?" "It’s all a misunderstanding. It’s nothing. You’re overthinking. Don’t make a scene. Don’t act crazy. Ha... ha..."My voice dropped to a softer, colder tone. "Mr. Moore, I sincerely wish you and Miss Clarke a wonderful dinner tonight. And I hope you’ll be there to celebrate her birthday every year from now on." I ended the call and promptly blocked his number, feeling the peace settle over me once more. Pi
I offered an awkward smile. "Oh, I see. If my brother comes around, I’ll tell him how kind you’ve been to me. I’ll make sure he treats you to a great meal." Then I paused, realizing that someone like Miles probably wouldn’t care for a casual dinner invite. I quickly corrected myself. "No, I’ll have him give you one of his best projects to handle instead. I won’t compete with you for it." Miles’s gaze deepened. "Is that how you plan to thank me?" I froze for a moment. He chuckled lightly and casually patted my head, a gesture more fitting for comforting a child. "That’s unnecessary. Even if it wasn’t for your brother, I’d still help you if it were your issue." "Why?" I asked, still baffled. Miles winked at me. "Have you forgotten? I’m your Woody." I was completely lost. Miles didn’t seem inclined to explain further. After a few more pleasantries, he left the room. Lying back on the bed, I stared at the IV drip bottle, letting my mind wander aimlessly. The more I tho
I nodded. The memories in this body seemed frozen at eighteen. Back then, my brother had just begun taking over my father’s company. The brother who used to spend all his time playing and laughing with me suddenly became someone I could hardly see. I tugged on Miles’ sleeve and asked, "Did my brother say when he’s coming back to the country?" Miles’ expression turned complicated. "You’re really eager to see him, aren’t you?" I nodded immediately. He looked at me for a moment before glancing away. "Your brother said it’ll be about a month before he can return. The new company he’s setting up overseas just started operations, and he’s also negotiating a major acquisition." He added, "Mergers and acquisitions abroad are complicated and take a lot of time. You should be prepared for that." I grew anxious. "Then where is he? Once I’m better, I can go see him!" Miles smiled gently, the kind of smile anyone would use to placate a child. "Alright. Once you’re fully recovere
After I finished eating, Miles asked, "Want to go for a walk?" "Huh?" I blinked at him, feeling like an idiot. He gestured to my wrist, still wrapped with the IV port. "The doctor said you can move around a little. Just nothing too strenuous or tiring." That was when it clicked. Miles came home specifically to keep an eye on me. He wasn’t avoiding work or choosing not to check his emails upstairs—he was quietly staying by my side to help me recover. I nodded quickly. Miles motioned for someone to bring out a pair of lightweight sneakers prepared for me. "Let’s go for a walk." Just as we were about to head out, loud voices came from the front door. I heard someone say, "Miss Smith, Mr. Wynn is busy." Kira’s fiery tone followed. "I don’t care how busy he is, he has to see me! How long does he plan to keep me dumped in a hotel? I’m not staying there another night!" "Miss Smith, please..." Instinctively, I shrank back. The last thing I wanted was another confronta
Miles turned and walked back through the gate, leaving the distraught Kira to be half-dragged, half-pushed into a car, luggage and all, before being driven away. I hurried back to the living room, doing my best to act as though I hadn’t seen or heard a thing. When Miles entered and saw me sitting quietly, he smiled. "Let’s go. It’s nice outside now, but the dew will get heavier if we wait too long." I cheerfully walked beside him as we headed out for a stroll. …The walk was pleasant. The night breeze was gentle, and his presence was reassuring. I found myself talking more than usual, while Miles said little, simply listening to my rambling with quiet attentiveness. I didn’t ask why he was willing to go so far as to send Kira away just to stand by me. Some things are better left unknown. I realized happiness often lied in not questioning too much. …The next day, I went to the hospital for a check-up and to have my ointments reapplied. Dolly came to visit me. Seein
I remained speechless. It was becoming painfully clear just how unhinged I must have been before losing my memory. I actually had Dolly create a fake account to go undercover just to catch Julian cheating. Honestly, with that kind of behavior, it wasn’t hard to see why Julian and everyone else around him disliked me. I frowned, incredulous. "I even had you create a fake account? But wait, if I had her screenshots, why didn’t Julian believe me before?" Dolly rolled her eyes so hard I thought they might stay that way. "Because you didn’t dare show them to him. You sent him one once, and Chloe turned it around on you, claiming you photoshopped it to slander her. Julian believed her, not you." I was stunned. "I lost to Chloe just like that? Is Julian an idiot?" Dolly sighed. "He’s not an idiot. He just doesn’t love you."That’s why it wouldn’t matter what you said. He still wouldn’t believe you. And I think, deep down, you always knew that. That’s why you didn’t try to use thes
The moment Julian spoke, Chloe broke into even louder sobs, tears streaming down her cheeks like a porcelain doll cracked beyond repair.Dolly gave a cold laugh, then tugged my arm. “Come on. This place is suffocating.”We turned to leave.“Wait!” Julian called out.I stopped and glanced back, frowning.He looked like he wanted to warn me and say something sharp but seemed to realize this wasn’t the time or place.In the end, all he could manage was, “Eve, don’t take it out on Chloe. Think about the baby.”I gave a short, cold laugh. “The baby? Whose baby?”His face flushed, then paled. “Eve, don’t be so... unreasonable…”The last word came out weak and guilty.I smiled. If Julian had changed at all since I lost my memory, this was it—he’d gone from brazenly cheating and blaming me to fumbling through half-hearted defenses, too ashamed to even meet my eyes.I didn’t bother wasting another second on him. “Mr. Moore, instead of lecturing me, maybe ask your precious Chloe why she came al
Chloe was caught off guard by his words, staring at Julian with a wounded look.But his eyes weren’t on her.I saw her bite her lip hard, then shoot me a bitter, venomous glance.I almost laughed and turned my attention back to the runway....Elmwood’s show was a complete success. When Sarah stepped onstage for her closing remarks, the applause lasted well over ten minutes.A swarm of reporters rushed forward for interviews, while the invited sponsors were led by staff into a backstage lounge to rest.Dolly and I took a seat and chatted about the standout pieces we’d captured on our phones.She was just as experienced as I was in the industry, but unlike me, Dolly was passionate about fashion design since she was a kid. She even self-studied design courses back in college.It was her eye and enthusiasm back then that convinced me to sponsor Elmwood’s first brand show.Now that the company was gaining momentum, no one was happier than her.We were deep in discussion when a shadow appe
Seeing that I’d achieved what I wanted, I immediately agreed.Just as I was about to turn away, I remembered something and said to Sarah, “By the way, I’m no longer Mrs. Moore. My name’s Evelyn White. You can call me Eve, or Miss White.”Sarah froze. “Wait, what…?”Her assistant quickly leaned in and whispered a few words into her ear.Sarah’s expression shifted instantly.Her eyes filled with sympathy as she looked at me.She took my hand and sighed. “Mrs.—I mean, Miss White, I admire your courage.”Just then, she turned and caught sight of Julian and Chloe approaching. Her expression instantly soured.“What’s that scumbag doing here? And with her, no less…”I stepped in before it escalated. “Let’s catch up after the show, Sarah.”With that, I turned and made my way back to my seat.Behind me, I heard Julian’s overly polite voice. “Miss Care, the setup of your show is quite impressive.”Chloe chimed in sweetly, trying to please. “Miss Care, I heard your designs have won international
Julian froze.From the look on his face, he clearly had no idea what this brand show was actually about. As for Chloe…I glanced at her and, sure enough, caught the flicker of guilt in her eyes.Julian turned to her, frowning. “What’s going on?”Chloe looked timid and unsure. “Julian, are you upset with me? I really don’t know what’s going on either. It was Mr. Watson who told me a company-sponsored fashion event had invited us to come take a look.”Tears gathered in her eyes. “You know how much I love fashion and art events... I didn’t realize there was anything out of the ordinary.”Her explanation wiped the irritation clean off Julian’s face.He softened. “Alright, I’m not blaming you. I just… never mind. This isn’t your fault.”Then he turned to me with a sharp glare, clearly annoyed. “Evelyn, what exactly do you want?”As he spoke, he tugged uncomfortably at the collar of his tie.I noticed more and more guests arriving, and I said coolly, “I’m just letting you know that this bra
The hostess paused for a second, then quickly adjusted with a smile. "Of course, Miss White. Miss Jones, please follow me. Our founder and a few directors are over this way."“Well, well, no longer Mrs. Moore? That was fast. Wasn’t it just a while ago someone couldn’t stop flaunting the fact that she was Mrs. Moore?”A mocking voice rang out.I turned around sharply, my expression darkening.Chloe stood there in a loose-fitting dress, carefully shielding her baby bump. Her arm was looped through Julian’s.And the one who’d made the snide comment was Rossie.Rossie stood beside Chloe, eyeing me from head to toe with thinly veiled smugness.Chloe’s eyes flickered the moment she saw me. She quickly leaned into Julian’s chest, all delicate and helpless."Julian, why didn’t you tell me Miss White would be here?" she asked sweetly.Julian clearly hadn’t expected me either. His brows furrowed. "What are you doing here?"I frowned. "The better question is—what are you doing here? I don’t rec
“Yes, I’m stupid! But what else can I do?” I said helplessly.Dolly went quiet for a moment on the other end of the line. “Forget it. That Pierse isn’t too bad. I’ll help this time. But Evelyn, don’t get involved with the Moore family again.”I nodded eagerly. “I know. I won’t touch anything else.”After getting my promise, Dolly asked, “By the way, tomorrow’s the second brand show for Elmwood. They contacted me asking for your number. They said they couldn’t reach you.”“What brand show?” I asked.Dolly smacked her head on the other end. “Ah, I forgot you lost your memory. You used to sponsor this niche brand. Now they’re doing better and better, and you’ve been their show sponsor every year. I remember you paid the sponsorship fees annually.”I had no memory of that, but Dolly sounded quite certain.A thought struck me. “Did I sponsor them under Moore Group’s name?”Dolly thought for a moment. “Probably. Back then you wanted to build some name recognition for Julian, so you sponsored
He cleared his throat. "But Miss White, are you sure you want to help Pierse? He’s still under eighteen, and custody and guardianship legally belong to the Moore family. This kind of thing rarely ends well for the person trying to help."I gave an awkward smile. "I know. My plan is to pick a school, then have him go back and talk it over with his family. “He’s in a rebellious phase right now. I really can’t just leave him to fend for himself. If I do, he’s going to spiral."The more I spoke, the heavier my heart felt.Ian looked at me with a complicated expression. "You really are a kind person, Miss White. If Julian failed to keep you, that’s entirely his loss."I managed a tight smile.Skipping the small talk, we quickly settled on a school thanks to Ian’s help.It was an international school that was established for twenty years. It had an excellent reputation, and after graduation, students could transition smoothly into overseas programs with direct guidance for studying abroad.
With things spiraling the way they had, both of us were a little dazed.Once Pierse snapped out of it, he grinned and grabbed my hand. "Eve, from now on, I’m sticking with you."Sticking with me?I let out a helpless smile. "You’re not even eighteen. Your mom and brother are still around. It’s really not my place to take care of you."Pierse waved it off like it meant nothing. "They don’t care about me anyway. Whether I live or die, it’s all the same to them. So, I might as well stay with you."He seemed to have found a new sense of purpose, full of enthusiasm. "Eve, I can work. I’ll find a job and earn my own money. You don’t need to give me anything."I sighed. "Don’t talk nonsense. Just remember, you’re still a minor. Your mom or your brother can come take you away anytime."He didn’t seem the least bit concerned.Seeing that I couldn’t reason with him, I decided to take him for a meal first.A teenage boy really had big appetite.I brought Pierse to a restaurant and watched him dev
I pretended not to care. "He was just a kid who didn’t know any better. Now that he understands, I don’t mind treating him like my brother again."Julian looked moved.He took a step forward. "Eve, you’ve changed. You’re more understanding now, more mature."I took a step back in disgust. "Mr. Moore, if you have something to say, say it. Don’t come any closer."The light in Julian’s eyes dimmed slightly at my words. "Eve, I just wanted to explain what happened with Chloe and the baby...""Stop!" I covered my ears. "I don’t want to hear it."I glared at him, unable to hold back anymore. "Mr. Moore, don’t assume I’m so generous that I’ll accept any kind of garbage or that I care to hear about your filthy mess in detail, alright?"I’ve told you so many times. I don’t love you anymore. You mean nothing to me now. I want a divorce! I don’t want to know anything about you and Chloe!"Julian looked stunned by my outburst.He stared at me strangely. "Eve, you really don’t love me anymore? If y