Initially, she thought he would agree, but he shook his head and said, "I'm busy tomorrow. I have an important deadline, and it's almost due." Scarlett couldn't help but feel disappointed to hear this. Although she knew he always prioritized work, she also felt very bored. They weren't like an engaged couple at all. There were no feelings between them. The more she thought about it, the more upset she felt. She couldn't help but pout and say, "Can't you go out with me for just one day? We've known each other for so long, but we've never gone out together. Can't we do it once, now that we're about to get married?"Although she was complaining, she controlled her tone to make sure he did not feel like she was making a fuss for no reason. She only expressed a hint of frustration as she knew Jonathan was more receptive to gentle coaxing than force. Making a scene wouldn't work with him. Upon hearing her upset tone, Jonathan gave in and asked, "So, you want to go shopping?" Scarlett
She and Jonathan both turned back in surprise and found a group of people who were dressed similarly to them but looked somewhat arrogant. She guessed that they were probably from wealthy families. Their demeanor and attire were similar to Jonathan's. The man who greeted Jonathan appeared to be a few years younger than him. He seemed surprised but also glad to see Jonathan.He immediately approached Jonathan and said, "I saw your car from a distance just now. I recognized it from the license plate and knew it must be you. I didn't expect to see you here so early today. If I had known you were coming for a hike, I would have invited you too. I thought you were too busy with work, so I didn't reach out to you."Scarlett didn't know who this man was and glanced at Jonathan curiously. Jonathan immediately whispered to her, "He's a friend." Scarlett nodded in acknowledgment, but she couldn't see how someone so outgoing could be good friends with Jonathan, whose personality was quite the
Hearing these words, Jonathan glanced at her with a glint of annoyance in his eyes. It seemed he didn't appreciate her prying into such matters. Scarlett quickly clarified, "Please don't get me wrong. I'm not being nosy. I'm just curious. After all, you almost married her."Jonathan remained silent as he nodded. Scarlett felt uneasy at his reaction. His nod suggested that he had feelings for Melissa before. She always thought he was a reserved man who would never develop feelings for another woman. Although it made her uncomfortable, she pressed on, "You had feelings for her, but did she have feelings for you?" He seemed to be in deep thought for a moment. Eventually, he replied, "No." Only then did Scarlett realize what a lovesick puppy he could be. Her imagination ran wild as she pictured how Jonathan was deeply in love with Melissa and how she didn't reciprocate his feelings. Moreover, Melissa might even have resented the pressure her family gave to marry him, so she fled to
She had never been interested in such activities or other sports. It had been some time since she last exercised, so it was exhausting. Jonathan had already walked ahead, and when he turned around, he had already lost Scarlett, so he had to turn back and search for her. He found her resting at the same spot, looking tired. As he approached, she complained, "I'm so tired. I'll never do this again." Jonathan disagreed and said, "That won't do. You clearly lack exercise. It's bad for your health too. Staying at home all day is not healthy for you. From now on, we'll come here whenever we have the time so that you can improve your stamina." Scarlett was speechless. She had never seen the need to be physically fit. She hadn't led a particularly healthy lifestyle and was still perfectly healthy. She didn't understand what was the big deal. But she didn't dare to refute Jonathan. Neither did she have the strength to continue walking, so she pleaded with him, "Jonathan, I'm exhausted. Y
Zachary watched his sister helplessly. He had no choice but to step in and say, "It's better if we walk together. We can look out for each other. I believe Miss Langston wouldn't mind either." Scarlett couldn't believe how clueless and impudent these people were. She had yet to voice out her opinion on this matter. Were the Mitchells so clueless they couldn't read the room? Couldn't they see that Scarlett and Jonathan felt uncomfortable by the idea? It was hard enough for her to spend some alone time with Jonathan. Just as they started bonding, these two had to come along and ruin the atmosphere. It infuriated her to the core. At this moment, Jonathan refused firmly, saying, "It's okay. I'm afraid we're not going the same route."Tessa played dumb and pouted. "You're lying, Johnny; we're clearly going the same way! Scarlett, is there something wrong with your legs? Why are you being such a burden to Johnny?" Scarlett didn't expect Tessa to start lecturing her. Hadn't she
Zachary watched Tessa's unruly behavior and thought that although Jonathan's words crossed a line, they did make sense. He said helplessly, "Behave yourself, Tessa. Jonathan has made it quite clear there's no need to keep pestering him. It won't do you any good, either. Besides, this matter doesn't have anything to do with Scarlett. She didn't say anything at all. We should just drop this matter. Although Mrs. Sinclair has cut ties with Jonathan, I don't think things are as simple as it seems. She has always been very fond of Jonathan; she wouldn't act so harshly because of this incident. You don't want to offend her, do you?" Tessa became more adamant upon hearing Zachary's words. "I can forget what Jonathan said earlier, but you should stand up for me as my brother. I am your sister, after all. You have to help me out! Scarlett is nothing! She doesn't deserve Jonathan. This is ridiculous! She doesn't respect us at all. She just annoys me!" Zachary was getting a headache and c
She thought of someone else following them other than Mrs. Sinclair. She definitely did not have any ill intent; she was probably just concerned about them. However, the other party's intentions were unclear. They were probably after Jonathan or herself. Either way, she would not let them off easily. Since it was not a good idea to keep this from Jonathan, she decided to come clean with him and say, "Jonathan, you must've realized there were people following us, right?" She believed Jonathan couldn't have missed it with his sharp senses. Indeed, Jonathan smiled and replied, "Of course I did. But it's okay. You don't have to worry; it's nothing major." Scarlett paused momentarily before continuing, "Actually, I have a classmate working in the force, so I asked him to help me investigate this matter, and he told me that this might be related to you and the recent case you've been handling."She hadn't intended to make things so clear, but she was compelled to tell the truth seei
Scarlett was surprised that Jonathan would take the initiative and explain the situation to her. All her unhappiness immediately melted away, and her anger dissipated. How could she stay angry at him? She immediately said, "I understand. You don't have to explain this to me. I know it's about your work. Besides, I'm not an unreasonable person." He smiled reassuringly and hugged her. "Since we're already married, I should get to know your friends. Tomorrow is Sunday; why don't they join us for dinner?" Scarlett shook her head. She had already spoken to her friends about meeting Jonathan, but they all had plans for tomorrow. So she said, "I just met up with them earlier. We'll treat them to a good meal on our wedding day instead. It's okay. My friends understand you have a busy job."She wasn't angry at all as she knew him very well. He never had to explain himself to others, but today he took the initiative even though he didn't do anything wrong. She was overjoyed and even blamed
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