At 8:30 am the next day, Calla arrived at the courthouse right on time. The weather was especially gloomy, matching her mood. She wore a black coat and had put on light makeup to look better, but it couldn't hide her slightly swollen eyes.When Calla arrived, Mercer was not there yet. She glanced at her watch. He was five minutes late, which was unusual since he was always punctual. She wondered why he was late today.A moment later, a black figure suddenly walked into the lobby, followed by Simon as per usual. Mercer looked stern, his black cashmere coat sharply tailored. There was a bit of stubble on his jaw, which only added to his rugged charm. He was still a man who women couldn't take their eyes off.Calla's eyes met his for a second before she lowered her gaze. Her heart was in turmoil but she was unwilling to let him see any sign of it.Mercer gave Simon a look, prompting him to greet Calla. "Mrs. Garland, have you spoken to a clerk?"Calla was bewildered. She had neve
The young man said to Simon, "Sir, are you here to get a divorce? I'm number three in the queue. Would you like to take my place?"Simon frowned upon hearing this. They had tried their best to delay the inevitable, and now this person suddenly appeared."I don't think that's necessary. You should keep it for yourselves," Simon said quickly, glancing at Mercer's ashen face."It's okay. We're not getting a divorce. We've patched things up!" The young man grinned, holding the woman's hand, and she looked just as happy.Simon was speechless. He had handled many tricky situations for Mercer, but he never encountered something so odd.While Simon hesitated, Calla looked at Mercer. His hands were in his coat pockets. His face was ice-cold, and his anger probably hadn't subsided yet.The next moment, Calla made up her mind. She took the number slip from the young man, and exclaimed, "Thank you!"Calla's action stunned Simon, and Mercer's brow twitched slightly."Number three, please pr
The ride back was silent, and the atmosphere in the car felt very oppressive. Finally, they arrived home. Calla entered the foyer, changed her shoes, and headed straight to the bedroom.She had already packed her clothes and essentials the night before. With this, she could avoid rushing today. Calla thought she could take her suitcase and leave right away. But she hadn't expected anyone to check if she was taking something that didn't belong to her.Looking around the room she had lived in for so long, Calla felt sad. Then, she pulled her suitcase out of the bedroom.Calla entered the living room with her suitcase in tow. Seeing the suitcase in her hand, Jasmine called out with a look of reluctance, "Mrs. Garland, are you leaving?"The thought of parting ways with Jasmine weighed heavily on Calla's heart. After all, Jasmine had taken great care of her, otherwise she would not have recovered so quickly. "Jasmine, don't call me Mrs. Garland anymore. I'm not his wife now. Call
At that moment, Mercer’s cold gaze swept over Jasmine. Calla followed his gaze and looked at Jasmine as well. Seeing her with her head bowed, Jasmine appeared timid and shrinking. Calla suddenly understood that Jasmine had told Rose everything. Jasmine had worked for the Garland family for many years, and Rose was her true employer! Although a little annoyed, Calla realized Jasmine was only being loyal to her employer. After all, she had to listen to whoever paid her salary. In her case, it was the Garland family, so Calla let it go."Mr. Garland, I’m only a helper. When Mrs. Garland Senior asks, I have to tell the truth," Jasmine explained. She tugged at her collar, unable to bear Mercer’s stare."You can pack your things and return to Sedonia," Mercer said coldly."Yes, sir." Relieved at this outcome, Jasmine quickly went to her room to pack.Calla grabbed the handle of her suitcase and turned to leave.Sophie's eyes darted to the coffee table, noticing the bank card, diam
Mercer gazed at Calla's retreating figure with a glint of admiration in his eyes. She had evoked a different feeling within him from the moment she appeared in his life. She was tough on the outside but soft within. Straightforward and resilient, she faced setbacks with determination. She possessed qualities unlike any of the girls he'd known before.Sophie knew Mercer too well. She could see from his eyes that he admired Calla and had feelings for her. A spark of jealousy immediately rose in her heart."Mercer, someone needs to take care of your daily needs from now on. Why don't I move in to look after you?" Sophie turned and sat down beside Mercer.Mercer didn't even spare her a glance. He merely replied, "If you think that apartment is too small, I can rent you a bigger one.""Mercer, that's not what I meant." Sophie hurried to explain."I'm used to living alone," Mercer replied coldly.Hearing this, Sophie lowered her head in thought. Then, she said, "Mercer, I don't have
"Ms. Jonas has asthma?" Jasmine exclaimed in surprise.Mercer didn't answer her question. "Go get a glass of water," he instructed."Alright." Jasmine hurried to fetch the water.Sophie lay in Mercer's arms, saying pitifully, "I know I'm sick. I won't be able to get married or have children. Maybe I was a bit harsh on Calla because I couldn't control my jealousy. Mercer, please don't blame me."Seeing Sophie tormented by her illness, Mercer's tone softened. "Don't think too much. I've already received the treatment plan from Morvenia. I'll send you there for treatment as soon as possible.""No! I don't want to go. I don't want to leave you," Sophie said, grabbing his collar."I'll go with you." Mercer finally relented."Really?" Hearing this, Sophie's eyes immediately lit up."I'll keep my word." Mercer nodded in resignation.At this moment, Jasmine returned with a glass of water. Mercer took the glass and handed it to Sophie, who obediently drank half of the water inside.Me
Hearing this, Carol was stunned, but Rudy was even more shocked."Divorce? How could you make such a big decision without telling me?" Carol was as anxious as a cat on a hot tin roof."Exactly! How could you get divorced? You're giving up being the wife of a CEO. How does that benefit the family? It's not good for you either!" Rudy didn't forget to add that last part."Mom, this is my business. Of course, I can decide for myself," Calla said to Carol, ignoring Rudy.Carol was trembling with anger and suddenly slapped Calla across the face!"Mom..." This was the first time her mother hit her. She covered her face as tears welled up in her eyes.Carol scolded her through tears, "You didn't tell us when you got married, and now you don't tell us about your divorce. Do you even consider me as your mother anymore? Marriage and divorce are such big decisions, and you've decided everything on your own."Seeing this, Rudy quickly pulled Carol back and said, "Scolding her now is useless.
Nonetheless, Calla didn’t regret it. The experiences of the past year were vastly different from her life before. After all, not everyone could say they experienced what she did. At least, that was what Calla thought self-deprecatingly.As Calla was returning home that evening, she saw two figures standing in front of the old building's entrance from a distance. The slender, petite figure was a smiling Zoey, looking up with a bright and excited look in her eyes as she talked to the taller figure.Calla was stunned when she saw the tall person's face.It was Harlan!He and Zoey were chatting happily, and they seemed very casual with each other, even to the point where Harlan patted Zoey on the head at the end. Calla had thought that Zoey only had a crush on Harlan. However, things seemed to be more complicated than she thought.Could this be the beginning of a romance?As Calla stood there silently, she went unnoticed by Harlan and Zoey.After a few minutes of conversation, H
Seeing Pierre's expression, Calla realized that a few words wouldn't dispel his suspicions. She reached into her bag, unzipped it, and pulled out the knife.Pierre's eyes widened as he noticed the gleaming knife Calla was pulling out of her bag. He furrowed his brows in concern. "What are you—"Calla explained, "Mercer told me that Casper is my son, that he wasn't stillborn as I was told. I didn't believe him at first, but I was afraid he might be telling the truth, so I went to his house to see him."But I was afraid he might have ulterior motives toward me. As a woman, I'm naturally no match for him. In a moment of desperation, I had to grab this knife from the kitchen for protection. If he dared to do anything to me, I wouldn't have hesitated to use it on him."Her expression was intense, reflecting her genuine fear and resolve.Pierre looked deeply at Calla, then gently touched her cheek. He took the knife from her hand and placed it on a nearby table.Calla then rushed into
Suddenly feeling Mercer's hand on her shoulder, Calla instinctively recoiled. She swatted away his hand and shouted, "Don't touch me, Mercer!"The harm he had caused her was too profound. Even though she now understood his desperate reasons, she still felt immense aversion toward him."Fine, I won't touch you." Mercer retracted his hands and left them suspended in the air."Don't think you can use Casper to threaten me, Mercer. I will never be manipulated by you!" Calla shouted at him.Mercer's expression turned pained at her words. He took a step back, and his eyes filled with profound anguish. "Do you really see me as someone who would use my own son as a bargaining chip?""Yes," Calla replied sternly.Mercer's body swayed slightly, then he turned away in dejection. "If that's the case, then you should leave."Seeing his forlorn figure, Calla felt a pang of sadness, but she couldn't bring herself to trust him again. She turned and walked out of the house.She stumbled out of
At this moment, Mercer clenched his fists. Even with his resolute nature, his eyes seemed misty."This is where I feel most sorry toward you and Clover. Clover is my daughter too. Of course, I wanted her to come into this world healthy. But I couldn't let Casper disappear from this world either."His condition worsened so severely at that time. I was afraid he wouldn't make it to your due date, so I had to take drastic measures..." Mercer struck his fist hard against the wall.Seeing the despondent and remorseful Mercer before her, Calla felt a twinge of compassion, but she still couldn't accept all his explanations.Glancing at the reports in front of her, Calla placed her hand on her cheek. She could feel her fingers trembling.Suddenly, she looked up and asked, "You kept searching for me in Greendale to get me pregnant so you could use the baby's umbilical cord blood to save Casper?"From the timeline Mercer had explained, Casper's condition must have been severe by then.Cal
Mercer smiled bitterly. "I knew that you wouldn't believe me, so I prepared a copy of Casper's medical reports. You can take a look." He pulled out several thick envelopes and set them on the coffee table. Calla frowned upon seeing those envelopes which were all an inch thick. She opened one of them and flipped through the documents inside, frowning as she read. The envelope held reports of Casper's hospitalization in both the city and state hospitals, spanning two years, starting from when Casper was a year old. They were records of Casper's illness and his recovery process.Calla couldn't help thinking about his adorable, chubby face, and she felt her heart clench. She wondered how Casper had managed to triumph over his illness after two years. She couldn't even fathom how painful and difficult the process must have been.Suddenly, Calla noticed something in Casper's surgery reports—a note about how a newborn baby's umbilical cord blood was miraculously compatible with Casper.
"My heart is already in pieces because of you. So what if I hit, cursed, or even stabbed you now? What's the point of doing all that? I beg this of you, Mercer, please let me live my life quietly and stop bothering me!"Stop making up all these ridiculous justifications too. I'm tired—exhausted! I don't want to deal with you anymore," Calla sobbed, tears running down her face.She knew that she shouldn't have cried in front of him. It wasn't just a sign of her weakness, it might also fuel his assumption that she still cared for him. However, she couldn't control it. Whenever she thought of the suffering she'd gone through in the past couple of years, tears ran uncontrollably down her face."I want nothing more than for you to let me tell you the truth in its entirety. I want you and Casper to not miss out on the chance to reconnect as mother and son. "I promise that I'll respect your choice once I'm done telling you everything, and I won't bother you again in the future!" Mercer l
Calla's eyes widened as she remembered everything that had happened in the past. She stumbled over her words as she said, "B-But we were going to get married after we were back on good terms with each other, and I'd already met Casper at that point. Why didn't you tell me about him back then?"Mercer looked at Calla meaningfully. "Do you remember when I told you, on the day we were about to get our marriage certificate, that I had a big surprise for you?"Calla thought about it, then nodded. He had indeed said that he'd prepared a big gift for her. Could the gift have been Casper?Facing Calla's doubtful look, Mercer nodded. "Yes. I wanted to tell you after we received our marriage certificates, but I didn't expect something else to happen on that day."Calla sneered. "'Something else' is a nice way of putting it. You didn't go to get the marriage certificates done with me, because you chose to hold a press conference with Sophie instead, announcing your marriage with her."When
Mercer's face fell. He sat on an armchair before asking Calla, "Do you dislike me that much? Are you not even willing to stay by my side for one minute?""I don't dislike you—I hate you. Also, one minute is too long—I can't even bear to stay by your side for one second!" Calla replied without hesitation.As memories—filled with love and resentment alike—flashed in Calla's mind, she felt an intense hatred for Mercer. If not for Casper, she would never have stepped inside this place again, much less take a seat across Mercer to have a conversation.Calla's words hurt Mercer. He sat there for a while with his head lowered before lighting up a cigarette and taking a long drag.Calla couldn't help coughing when the acrid smell of smoke entered her nose. Realizing that he'd made her cough, Mercer quickly stubbed the cigarette in his ashtray. Calla didn't want to waste any more time with him. She asked impatiently, "Why did you have me come here? Who is the woman you had Casper with?"
Calla finished getting ready, slung her bag over her shoulder, and walked over to Clover. She gave her a quick peck on the cheek and then turned to Fiona. "Fiona, I'm going out to meet a friend.""Okay," Fiona replied with a smile, then continued feeding Clover some water.Calla left the apartment and was about to press the elevator button when Pierre emerged from the opposite door."Hey, aren't you supposed to be off work today? Where are you going this early?" Pierre asked, noticing Calla was heading out."Oh, I'm meeting Alicia. She's going back to work tomorrow, so we're hanging out later," Calla replied hastily, avoiding eye contact with Pierre. She had never been good at lying."She's going to be your bridesmaid. It's only right to express our gratitude," Pierre said with a smile, walking into the elevator with Calla."Where are you meeting her? I can give you a ride," Pierre offered."We're meeting at the department store. It's not on your way, so you should get going. I'
Calla was initially certain that Mercer's goal was to use Casper to ruin her marriage with Pierre.But as the night wore on, Calla's doubts grew. She couldn't shake the feeling that maybe—just maybe—Mercer was telling the truth. Perhaps Casper was indeed her child, the one she had given birth to all those years ago.She couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope. What if her child had not died? What if he was still alive and well?As the first light of dawn crept into the room, Calla made a decision. She would go see Mercer, no matter what his motives were. She had to get to the bottom of it.Calla gazed at Clover, who was still fast asleep. She gently stroked her daughter's cheek. "Clover, don't you think it would be wonderful to have an older brother to share your toys and adventures with?Clover's chubby face didn't move. Calla's eyes lingered on her for a moment before she spoke again. "I have to get to the bottom of this no matter what the outcome is. I have to find out if Casp