I went to ATL Empire the following day. However, I didn’t see Atlas, but Nick signed the contract with me instead. He shook my hand and said, “We’re looking forward to working with you.”“Keep your projects coming, all right?” I said with a smile.With the contract signing, I officially launched my company, Hartz Construction. Although I had Urban Builders’ support, I felt nervous about taking on such a massive project as my first. However, I was thrilled because I could provide for myself and Ava.Soon, the news spread throughout the industry, and everyone wondered who was behind Hartz Construction.As I stepped out of ATL Empire, I hesitantly called Atlas. After all, I couldn’t have signed the contract without him. The phone rang for a while before he answered huskily, “Yes?”He always spoke little and bossily, so I lost my mood to speak. Suddenly, he grew anxious and asked, “Chloe?”“I-I…just wanted to tell you that I signed the contract with ATL Empire,” I tried to sound spir
I was angry and resentful the moment I saw Matthew. How could he stoop to doing this? He smiled and said, “Honey, I know you miss your parents, so I fetched them to our new apartment.”He shamelessly brought my parents in as he spoke. My parents looked around the house, saying, “The place looks great! Your hard work has finally paid off.”As they entered, Ava exclaimed, “Grandma! Grandpa!”She wanted to run to them but saw Matthew. After some hesitation, she threw herself into my mother’s arms. Meanwhile, Matthew attended to my parents’ needs and acted like a good son-in-law.He didn’t even tell my parents what happened between us.“Honey, I didn’t get to eat anything on the plane. Why don’t you keep me company while I whip up something?” Matthew rolled his sleeves and headed toward the kitchen.I gritted my teeth but didn’t dare to scold him. After all, my dad’s condition had just stabilized, and I couldn’t afford to agitate him. I reluctantly sat down as my mom looked me up and
When I saw Matthew in the master bedroom, I grabbed my pajamas from the walk-in closet to sleep in one of the guest rooms. However, Matthew stopped me from leaving. “Where do you think you’re going, honey?”I whispered in exasperation, “Step aside, or you’ll be sorry.”He smiled. “We haven’t had sex for quite some time, right? Come on, I’m sure you don’t want your parents to know about what’s happening. Don’t forget your dad is still recovering from a stroke.”“You’re sick!” I tried to slap him, but he grabbed my wrist and stepped closer.“So feisty. I like it!”I tried to knee his groin as he leaned closer, but he blocked my leg with his hand. “The same old trick? Do you think I’m going to fall for it again?”I was furious. “What the fuck do you want?”“If you think you can take everything and leave me, you have another thing coming. Go on. Scream. I wonder what your dad will think.” He grinned as he tried to grope me. “Just stop thinking about other men, okay? You belong to me
Before Grace could reply, Melanie sat on the sofa’s armrest and put an arm around her. “My dad is visiting his younger brother, so we decided to stay with you.” What? Did she just say that they were also moving in?Melanie gave me a smug look. "You see, we don’t get to spend much time with Chloe."I restrained my rage and acted aloof. “Gee, that’s so thoughtful of you.” My dad stared at my face silently. My mother seemed to sense that the mood was off. She tried to lighten it up, saying, “Mel, you’re looking prettier by the day. Are you seeing anyone?”Melanie announced shamelessly, “Yes, and we’re finally getting married after many years.”I wanted to rip her tongue out. “That’s wonderful news! Don’t forget to invite us to your wedding.” My mom smiled warmly. “You’ll be the first on my list!” Melanie looked at me as she chuckled tauntingly. Gritting my teeth, I silently swore at the bitch."We would’ve married sooner if my boyfriend's ex-wife hadn’t been such a pain,"
I looked at him baffled.“Wasn't the divorce trial scheduled for today? Why wasn't there a hearing today? Why’d you cancel it?” He stared at me impassively, but his tone showed displeasure. Had he gone to the courthouse? No one knew we had postponed the trial. The only logical explanation was that he had been there.“Something came up, so I had to reschedule it at the last minute,” I explained. “Are you having second thoughts again?” His face grew stern. "How could you even consider it after what he’s done?"I was much calmer than he was. I took a few sips of my glass of lemonade and said, "I might not be able to get a divorce anytime soon." He fixed his eyes on my face. “Why not?” “There’s nothing I can do. Matthew is using my parents to blackmail me,” I said helplessly. “I didn’t expect him to stoop so low.”"Do you plan to let him manipulate you forever?" “My hands are tied, okay? My father just had a stroke. I'd rather be humiliated than risk upsetting him." We fell
I knew she was up to no good, likely trying to provoke me. I chose not to react and started the car.She looked at me and asked, “What’s the matter, Chloe? Are you upset?” “What do you think? I feel like throwing up when I see you,” I said plainly. “I feel the same about you!” She glared at me. “Listen carefully. You better move out of the apartment, or you’ll regret it.”I didn’t even glance in her direction. “Dream on! Don’t forget what happened to Henry. I can send you to jail, too, since I have proof of everything." She lost her composure. "Don't push it, Chloe!""You’re the ones pushing it! How dare you come to my house? Do you think I'm scared of you?" I looked straight at her. "You're a slut like your real mom!"Then I added with a snort, “Are you even good enough to stay in that apartment?” “Chloe, don’t forget what I can do to your parents and Ava!” she said maliciously. I stiffened, knowing well that my family was my weakness. She and Matthew would stop at nothi
I raised an eyebrow at Melanie, then led my family into Snow World. I even acted lovey-dovey with Matthew. Melanie was furious, but she dared not react.After visiting the Underwater World, I let Ava take part in the lucky draw. “Surprisingly," she won a prize—a free trip to Celestis Island for three.I had always wanted to visit a tropical island, and my parents shared my enthusiasm. Then I went to the organizer to learn more about the itinerary. We discussed the trip plans at home, and Matthew encouraged me to go with my parents.He said, “Have fun, okay? I’ll pay for all the additional expenses. Stay there for a few more days if you want."I eagerly planned the trip and got an extra ticket for Ava. Then, based on Atlas’s plan, I got Adrian to set a date for the divorce trial. Once we were on the island, I would make an excuse to return for the hearing. The night before our departure, I had packed everything and was talking to my parents in the guest room. Ava ran over to me
I looked at Matthew. "If you still have a conscience, take her away before something happens to my dad!"Matthew looked at my dad and saw that his face was pale. He instinctively put his hand on Melanie's shoulder. “Cut it out, okay?”Melanie, eager to cause trouble, didn’t care. "Stop playing the victim. Give us back everything that’s ours! Matt bought the house for me, and you fucking stole it. Have you no shame?” She smirked as I helped my dad, who looked weak. Grace looked distressed and somewhat flustered. “Mom, take Dad back to your room,” I said with concern.However, my dad composed himself and held my hand. “Don’t worry, I’m stronger than you think.”He glared at Matthew and said, "I trusted you with my daughter's happiness and helped you with your career. I don’t care how you treat me or my wife, but is this how you treat my daughter?"Matthew guiltily averted his eyes. "It's okay if you don't love her anymore," my dad continued. "But she's the mother of your chi