The revelation left Calla paralyzed with terror. She ran a hand through her hair while at a loss for words, terrified of what would happen if Zoey found out. "I'll pretend I didn't hear that. Don't say it again!" Calla removed Harlan's hands from her shoulders, her expression cold."Calla, I refuse to believe you've never had any feelings for me." Harlan still held onto her arm, refusing to let go."Stop asking such pointless questions. Zoey is right next door." Calla shook off his hand again."I—" Harlan was about to say something, when suddenly a soft voice was heard. "Harlan, Cal, you…"At the sound of Zoey's voice, Calla's head snapped up. She saw Zoey standing in the doorway in her pajamas, and panic surged through her.Harlan stood there in awkward silence. Calla quickly forced a smile and said to Zoey, "Oh, I came out to hang up some diapers. Harlan insisted on helping, but he's all thumbs and can't even do that right."Calla knew how flimsy her excuse sounded. She had n
"What on earth are you doing?" Calla stared at Zoey, baffled. Zoey sneered. "You're a real peach of a sister, coming into my home to flirt with my husband. I'm so lucky to have a sister like you.""What nonsense are you spouting?" Zoey's voice was quite loud at this point. It was embarrassing for Calla, considering the doula was still making soup in the kitchen."Nonsense? I heard the whole conversation. I wish I could believe it was all in my head, but what I saw and heard is undeniable." Zoey's beautiful eyes were filled with anger and resentment.Calla flinched at the words, taking a step back. Still, she was determined to give Zoey a proper explanation. "If you heard everything, then you should have heard what I told Harlan. I was only trying to remind him to treat you and the baby well. Am I wrong for doing this as your sister?"But Calla's words only made Zoey more agitated. She stepped forward, her gaze turning vicious. "Harlan and I were doing fine. You had to use the e
As Calla passed through the living room, she noticed Zoey sitting on the couch. Zoey was cradling her newborn daughter in her arms. She shot Calla a cold glance, then patted the baby gently. "Sweetheart, your meddlesome aunt is finally leaving our home. I hope she never comes back. Every time she shows up, our house is thrown into chaos. From now on, we're going to have such a great time as a family of three with Daddy."Hearing this, Calla frowned. She never imagined Zoey would turn into someone like this. With a heavy heart, Calla wiped away a tear, grabbed her suitcase, and stormed out the door.As Calla stepped into the elevator, she still couldn't fathom that Zoey had said and done those things. Calla tugged at her hair, the sting a harsh reminder of reality. Their relationship had frayed to this extent.It seemed she no longer had a sister.The elevator reached the ground floor, and the doors slid open.Calla saw Harlan waiting outside, holding a bag of pretzels. Calla's
Calla stared at Harlan in shock after hearing what he said. How did he know Zoey so well? It seemed Calla was the one who had no clue who Zoey was anymore.Harlan continued, "I know Zoey all too well. She'll always push the blame onto others. It's always someone else's fault, and she's never wrong."Calla's first instinct was to defend Zoey. "Harlan, you can't talk about Zoey that way. Don't forget, she's your wife!"Harlan saw Calla's agitation and remained silent for a moment. Instead of arguing with her, he calmly said, "Calla, you'll understand eventually. You'll see that what I'm saying is true."For a moment, Calla felt lost. As Calla reflected on Harlan's words, a wave of anxiety washed over her. As much as she hated to admit it, he was right. Zoey had shifted all the blame onto her."Harlan, do you have something against Zoey?" Calla's heart was still inclined toward Zoey.Knowing that Calla wasn't on his side to begin with, Harlan smiled bitterly. "I know that if I
"Hello?" Calla answered the phone a moment later."Calla, I heard from Miriam that you quit your job. What's going on? You were doing so well, why did you suddenly resign? And where are you right now? I've searched all over Greendale for you." Pierre bombarded her with questions.Faced with so many queries, Calla didn't know which one to answer first. In the end, she responded vaguely, "My sister gave birth, and there was no one to take care of her at home. So I came back to Riverford to look after her during her recovery period."Pierre was silent for a moment, then asked, "Does that mean you're not coming back to Greendale? Are you planning to stay in Riverford for a long time?"Calla didn't know how to answer him because she wasn't sure what her future held. "I don't have any specific plans yet," Calla said with a bitter smile.Pierre chuckled and said, "No rush on the plan; you can take your time on that. Take good care of your sister while she's getting better. Let me treat
Calla was taken aback by Carol's words. But she quickly smiled and replied, "Mom, I've already been divorced once. It's not that easy to find someone suitable again.""You were only married for a short time and don't have children. If it doesn't work out, you can lower your standards a bit. As long as the person is honest and reliable, we can compromise on looks and financial stability." Carol was now frowning.Having been hurt before, Calla was hesitant to love again. Given her current circumstances, she was afraid of becoming a burden to someone else.With a playful smile, Calla said, "Mom, Zoey's already married. Don't you want me to stay home and keep you company?"Carol rolled her eyes and whined, "It doesn't matter whether you get married or not. You've hardly been home to spend time with me.""Mom, I'm taking a long break this time. I'll stay home and keep you company," Calla said, trying to please her mother. Hearing this, Carol pursed her lips and said, "You've been ass
Calla walked along the lake, only the rippling sounds of water accompanying her. Her mind was in turmoil, and she was fighting a whirlwind of emotions.Though this baby had just arrived, she wanted to keep it. The pain of her previous loss was still very raw, and she felt like this was a second chance.That said, this child was Mercer's. He probably knew her whereabouts like the back of his hand now. Could she give birth to the child right under his nose?Moreover, this child was born out of wedlock. She couldn't offer the baby a complete family, nor could she provide them a normal life. Would this be unfair to the baby growing inside her? Would it affect the child's life in the future?As Calla wrestled with these thoughts, someone she recognized appeared before her. Her heart tightened, and she stopped in her tracks, her eyes fixed on the person's tall figure.Calla wasn't too surprised to see him, though. If he wanted to, he could easily track her every move. Judging from recen
Calla's provocative behavior toward Mercer was a mask for her deep-seated unhappiness.How had she attracted so many of the wrong men over the years? All her romantic encounters were either fruitless or troublesome. Mercer slipped one hand into his pocket, his dark eyes fixed intently on Calla. "It doesn't matter how much they care about you. You'll never be able to love them. Deep down, you'll always remember me."Mercer's words, though arrogant, struck a painful chord within Calla.She didn't want to argue with him any longer, so she shot him a glare. "You're so full of yourself!"With that, Calla turned to leave. As she passed by him, Mercer reached out and grabbed Calla's arm. His grip was surprisingly gentle this time. Calla frowned slightly, thinking that he seemed different today compared to usual. Though still as domineering, his usual arrogance was tempered. His eyes carried a melancholy that was both captivating and heartbreaking.His voice softened too, with a note