Scarlett's reply didn't affect him at all. His expression was still dark, but Jonathan started the car again and drove her and Lucas back home without uttering another word. His anger was a heavy, dark cloud that overpowered the atmosphere in the car. Even when they reached her house, he remained a brooding, sulky stone of a man.Since he refused to speak, she didn't bother to make conversation either. This wasn't her fault. Was it wrong to seek better opportunities someplace else instead of allowing herself to become completely dependent on him for the rest of her life? Scarlett found nothing wrong with that, and she decided that if Jonathan refused to break the ice between them, she wouldn't take the initiative to do so herself. After all, this was hardly reasonable, and it wasn't her responsibility to reconcile with Jonathan.Unexpectedly, the man in question called the second night after their fight.Her lingering rage caused her to initially ignore his call. Then her screen lit up
"Don't you worry about that. Of course I'll uphold my end of the bargain, but remember this carefully: during this time, you're expected to do as you're told and not mention Dylan's name no matter what. If you do, I can't guarantee what I'll do to him then!" Jonathan said, his teeth clacking with rage.No matter what, things had already progressed to this point. Even if she wasn't willing to go through with it, she had no choice but to accept her fate. Besides, if she voiced her regret to this deranged pervert, it would only lead to more harm than good. Not only would Dylan be at risk of being prosecuted, but she herself was at his mercy. She'd signed a contract with him after all, and her extensive knowledge of the law was enough to prevent her from breaching it if she could help it. Even though she wasn't sure of its legal viability, she knew that Jonathan was an influential figure with considerable power in Atville. He wouldn't let her go this easily. So, until the contract that bou
Scarlett unintentionally flipped the piece of clothing and noticed the price tag that was still attached to the back. It made her eyes widen in disbelief. She could never understand the wealthy. Who would purchase a piece of clothing that practically cost as much as a house just to gift it to someone else?Though she really didn't want to meet up with Jonathan at the jacuzzi later, she couldn't just disobey his direct orders. They had a written agreement binding her to him, so she was at the mercy of his every whim.Another clause of the agreement that bound them together was that, as long as she was going to be seen in public with Jonathan, she would have to make herself presentable. As such, she put on a light layer of makeup after she'd taken a shower. To be honest, if it weren't for the fear of Jonathan doing something terrible to Dylan if she broke the terms of their agreement, she'd scarf down a few cloves of garlic and run a marathon before she was seen in public with him out
Scarlett was filled with a sudden distaste for Jonathan. Though they had an agreement, it was supposed to be between them! If she remembered correctly, there was no additional clause in the agreement. How could he expect her to entertain his friends as well? Scarlett was practically fuming and was the first to break the stare. She didn't have the energy to deal with him right now, and just looking at him made her blood boil. It boggled her mind that looking at a crowd of drunkards could make her want to blow her top.Though Brian had been blatantly rejected by Scarlet, he didn't seem to feel awkward, nor was he the slightest bit upset. Instead, he flashed her a nonchalant smile and simply took a seat next to her as if nothing had ever happened.Scarlett, on the other hand, was completely disgusted by him. Why couldn't he just take a hint? There was so much alcohol, good food, and a hoard of beautiful women ready to entertain—why was he still sitting next to her? After a long time
Brian had never been publicly humiliated like this before in his life and was about to lose his mind out of anger. He grabbed Scarlett once he'd been hauled out of the water. His hand swung behind him, ready to slap her. He'd acted extremely quickly, and Scarlett didn't have time to react or break free from his grasp. She closed her eyes and waited for the impact. However, before his hand could make contact with her cheek, somebody stopped him.He didn't even need to look to know that the person who'd stopped him was none other than Jonathan himself. Though Brian was furious and his actions were fuelled by pure adrenaline and anger, he couldn't break free from Jonathan's iron-clad grip. After all, Jonathan was much taller than Brian, so despite the latter struggling with all of his might, it was useless.Brian had completely lost his temper at this point. It was bad enough that he'd been rejected and pushed into the jacuzzi by a woman. Now, with Jonathan so easily restraining him i
Jonathan was still incredibly upset with her. This was all her fault. If she hadn't blatantly seduced other men in front of him, he wouldn't have had to slap her and humiliate her.He needed her to know who she belonged to. She wasn't allowed to have anyone else besides him—he absolutely forbade it. "You must be feeling quite upset now. You should've known that this was the only outcome for you the minute you started talking to Brian. Are you addicted to selling your body to men? Is it not enough to belong to me? Do you really want to belong to everyone?"Scarlett was already understandably furious at being unjustly slapped, and his nonsensical accusation infuriated her even more. It wasn't as if he had any redeeming qualities that separated him from the average person. The only difference was that he was rich, but being rich didn't give him the right to disrespect another human being like this."What are you even good for besides hitting women? You left me alone there, so why are
That was why he'd done that to Scarlett. Now that she was no longer fighting back or saying anything to anger him, Jonathan had no reason to continue. He finally let her go. His face, which had been icy, also seemed to have regained a small semblance of warmth.However, now that his mind was no longer clouded by anger, he realized that she was actually so different from the other women he'd met. Her outburst made him view her in a completely different light. He never would've expected that she'd treat him like this and even outright criticize him to his face.Meeting a woman who even gave him a mere gaze of opposition was practically impossible, much less a woman like Scarlett, who directly scolded him. Jonathan couldn't understand how Scarlett, who looked about as harmless as a bunny, could be so bold. It seemed like he'd underestimated her bravery.Jonathan unconsciously reached out to touch her swollen cheek and realized that his heart actually hurt for her. Seeing her swollen ch
She fell into a deep slumber the second she got into bed, but unfortunately, she was plagued with nightmares the entire night. Almost immediately after the first nightmare ended, another would take its place. She felt as if she hadn't gotten a wink of sleep at all. Suddenly, she felt like someone had entered her room and was dragging her by the hand.Jonathan had roused her from her sleep and was currently leading her somewhere. Since she'd woken up so suddenly, she was still quite drowsy. She sleepily tried to break free from his grip. However, as expected, she wasn't strong enough to defy him. Despite her using all her strength, he was completely unaffected.Furthermore, due to her drowsiness, she nearly tripped over her own feet multiple times as Jonathan dragged her. Eventually, he simply picked her up and carried her all the way to the restaurant at the hotel. Never in his life had he met such a stupid person who needed help with something as basic as walking.When Scarlett fin
Scarlett knew there was no real solution to the problem between her and Jonathan. The both of them were just choosing to ignore what had happened between them.There was nothing left for them to do to fix what had been broken.Until now, she still felt as if she was in a dream. Was she really married to Jonathan? Was she really living with him in such a lavish house? She found it hard to wrap her mind around it because it was all so surreal.The warm water in the tub sloshed gently over her body, and she felt her eyelids droop. These few days have been tough, and she hadn't been able to sleep well. All she wanted to do was fall asleep in this tub. If she were any less rational than she was right now, she probably would've just fallen asleep in the tub.Scarlett changed into a simple set of pajamas after her bath, completely ignoring the sexy lingerie set that Jonathan had picked out for her. She could probably wear that lingerie set if she were alone but she couldn't possibly w
Jonathan's tone was loving and teasing, and she was immediately transported back to the carefree times she had spent with Jonathan at university. Back then, they didn't have much to worry about and could just enjoy dating each other without reality holding them back."Have you had breakfast? I'm making breakfast right now. Do you want some?" Scarlett asked."No, thank you. I don't like eating in the morning. You can go ahead and enjoy your breakfast," Jonathan replied. Jonathan never got into the habit of eating breakfast; after he went overseas, he had less reason to have breakfast. As such, he never ate breakfast anymore. After Scarlett had finished her food, Jonathan drove them to city hall to sign the necessary documents for their marriage.The entire time, Scarlett felt as if she were in a dream. Everything that was happening seemed so surrea. The absurdity of the events and the fact that she had not slept well in two days only made her more dazed. Scarlett hadn't realize
Scarlett immediately understood what he was trying to say and bashfully lowered her gaze. Since when had he become so sleazy? Going overseas had done nothing to teach him to be a better man. Scarlett didn't know how to answer him, so she stared silently at the ground. Suddenly, she thought of something and raised her head to say, "Jonathan, I have to tell you something. I can marry you, but you must promise me one thing. We won't have a wedding ceremony."Jonathan was upset by that suggestion, and he huffed, "What? No ceremony? Are you planning on just getting married in secret? Is it that embarrassing to be married to me? Is that why you don't want a ceremony? If you don't want to marry me, just tell me! You don't have to do all this to show how reluctant you are to marry me!" Jonathan had no idea what was going on in her head. What woman would outright refuse to have a wedding ceremony? Any woman would love to have a grand ceremony to celebrate her marriage, but now that Sca
Just then, Scarlett heard someone call her name from behind her, "Scarlett?"Scarlett turned in confusion and realized that it was the school counselor. She never expected to see him here, and her heart was filled with warmth at the sight of him. She hadn't seen him since graduating, so she didn't think he would still remember her. She hastily wiped the tears from her face before greeting him with a brilliant smile, "Mr. Brown! Why are you here?""I had nothing to do today, so I thought I would drop by to play basketball. How's work? Why aren't you here with Jonathan? I can't believe it's been a year already. Time really flies … I still remember when Jonathan would play basketball, and you would cheer for him from the sidelines. I miss all of you, so come by with Jonathan next time! By the way, don't forget to send me a wedding invitation when both of you get married. After all, I've got my eye on both of you, and I'm sure you will end up together. I remember how nice Jonathan trea
"Hey! What are you doing? Are you going home now?" Scarlett asked."Of course! Where else would I go? Didn't we just break up? Why are you calling me again? Don't tell me that you miss me already!" Teresa's voice which was filled with glee, came from the other end of the receiver. Hearing her voice made Scarlett feel much better than before, but Scarlett was worried that she would no longer be so happy after Scarlett tells her the truth. She didn't want her problems to affect the lives of those around her. Since she made a mistake, she would be the one to bear responsibility, and no one else should have to suffer because of her … especially not her best friend.Scarlett hesitated before asking, " Teresa, do you like your job?""What's not to like? I love it! Being a teacher is my dream! My students are obedient and understanding. My job also gives me a sense of accomplishment! Why are you asking me this now? I've told you before that my dream is to be one of the best teachers in
As she spoke, Scarlett attempted to push Jonathan away, but he was too strong. She couldn't fight back at all. She felt like a fragile child in front of Jonathan, and he could crush her into pieces with just a little force. Jonathan leaned in and whispered coldly, "Do you think I’m still as compliant as before, allowing you to push me away repeatedly? Let me tell you, I’m not the same. How well do you think you know me? Let me make it clear, I will get what I want, including you!" Scarlett sensed the threat in Jonathan's words and looked at this unfamiliar man with some caution. She asked cautiously, "Jonathan, are you threatening me? What exactly do you mean? Why don't you just tell me instead of playing games? My time is not free, so let me go if you won't talk. I still have to work tomorrow." Scarlett was truly exhausted at this moment. Listening to her colleagues discuss Jonathan in the office had already put her on edge. After work, she spent so much time walking aroun
Jonathan did not take her comments to heart and continued coldly, "You came home quite late, Scarlett. It seems like you've learned to enjoy life more now, huh? Weren't you just a bookworm before? Why are you so late today? You've changed a lot after starting work and made more friends, huh? Tell me, who were you out having dinner with just now? A colleague? Your boss? Or is it your boyfriend? Whoever it is, it seems like he takes good care of you, and since you were having so much fun with him, why bother coming back home in the evening?" Scarlett could hardly believe the cruel words that came from his mouth. When did Jonathan become so heartless? Although he could be a bit carefree before, he would never say such things to her. In Scarlett's eyes, Jonathan had always been gentle and caring, completely different from the person uttering these words now. Scarlett felt infuriated and couldn't help defending herself, "It's not what you think! I was just having a cup of coffee with
The two best friends chatted, and before they knew it, time had passed as they enjoyed their coffee. Soon, night fell, and the sky that was once adorned with the setting sun was now full of twinkling stars. It was beautiful, but it also reminded Scarlett of the day she parted ways with Jonathan. That day was just like today, a beautiful night with bright stars. However, things had changed, and she could never sit here and talk with Jonathan as she did that day. Teressa noticed the shift in mood from across the table. After hesitating, Teresa couldn't help but speak up, "Scarlett, Jonathan ... He's coming back soon." Teresa didn’t know the details of Scarlett and Jonathan’s relationship, but she knew they went on a trip together during their final year while everyone was looking for internships. It was quite sudden since Scarlett barely hung out with Jonathan. Then, there were rumors that they were dating, but Jonathan went abroad to study soon after, and Scarlett never menti
Scarlett sighed heavily at these words. “Yeah, there’s no way our small magazine can get an interview with the great Jonathan Leonard. Only those major news outlets have the qualifications for that. It’s his first time returning to the country after going abroad, so this is big news. The media would be busy with this, but it’s certainly not for us to handle.” Just then, the editor-in-chief of the office suddenly appeared. He must have overheard their discussions outside and sternly said, “Am I paying you to gossip around? You’re all good for nothing. You’re all itching to gossip now that I’ve eased up on you?” Once he roared, everyone fell silent. They either looked down at their computers or pretended to be busy with their work. No one responded to him. Who dared to oppose the editor? His words were final. However, Scarlett, who had always disliked this editor, felt grateful to him at this moment. She thanked him silently for saving her from her colleague’s gossiping. This wa