Richard's POV"Wait here, I'll be right back." It wasn't Krystal's voice. My eyes felt heavy to open. I chose not to think much and waited until I felt someone ask me to sit reclined on the headboard.It took me a few minutes to take in my surroundings and recognize the figure sitting on my side of the bed. It was Nikkie. Oh, right. Krystal said she had an important meeting at her family mansion this morning. A meeting that no one outside of Krystal's immediate family was allowed to attend. Including me. "I've asked Blake to prepare some porridge for your breakfast," Nikkie said as she picked up the bowl of porridge. I wasn't used to eating porridge when I was sick, but seeing the tense expression on Nikkie's face made me choose to give in."Have you recovered? What about your morning sickness? Sorry, I didn't wake up this morning ...."Nikkie didn't react, her expression flat. She handed me an aspirin and remained seated in the chair, staring around the room. It was apparent that sh
Nikkie's POV"I'm just calming Nikkie down. Gently rubbing her stomach has a good effect on helping to calm Nikkie's nausea symptoms," Richard explained calmly.My guilty conscience made me unable to see Krystal. Even so, I tried to remain calm. Cold sweat had been beading down my back since Krystal had thrown her expensive bag carelessly. She didn't even care if her expensive makeup stuff scattered on the floor and broke. Her focus was still on us. Richard got up to calm Krystal down. He told me to go to my room. I entered my room with mixed feelings. All kinds of bad images flashed uncontrollably, even though I tried to keep myself occupied by walking around the room. I moved on to making the bed.What if Krystal gets suspicious and finds out? I'm sure I won't be able to bear the consequences. Who will help me then? Richard?I shook my head hard. Richard loved Krystal very much. He even dared to do something reckless to prove his love for Krystal. I began to realize that I could on
Krystal's POV"Gently rubbing her stomach has a good effect on helping to calm Nikkie's nausea symptoms." Richard looked calm as he explained that, but I didn't."Let's go back to the room," Richard added after sending Nikkie back to her room. I let out a long sigh, stepping into the room first with no regard for the contents of my bag scattered on the floor. Who could still care about the contents of a bag when faced with the pressure to have a successor? Was it my fault that my uterus was weak and unable to conceive?"Damn it!" I cursed as I started throwing things within my reach. The bed lamp, the entire contents of my dressing table. I stopped when I was about to pull the bed cover off. Richard stopped me by hugging me tightly."It's okay. Everything will be fine," Richard said repeatedly. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down.Only Richard could calm my anger. He always knew what to do. He accepted me and tolerated me. Unlike my extended family, who always tried to
Richard's POV"You don't have to do this, Miss Nikkie. And don't argue anymore that there are different levels and classes between us." Sharon's voice as soon as the door opened made me frown in surprise."I'll go up first. I'm so tired. It's been a good night, Richard." Krystal pecked my cheek, snapping me out of my thoughts. I smiled and nodded to Krystal. The sounds of conversation were still coming from the direction of the kitchen, making me curious. I stepped slowly into the kitchen and found Nikkie being scolded by Sharon. Meanwhile, Blake was taking a glass from the plate rack."You've helped enough by finishing the salad on your plate. No need to help me with this pile of dirty dishes. You should take care of your womb, take care of the nutrition for the baby, considering you also have morning sickness."I paused in the dining room doorway, taking note of the heated interaction. Sharon was scolding Nikkie for trying to help with the dishes.Didn't she know that she didn't h
Nikkie's POV"What do they mean by tiers and classes? Moreover, among them?"I watched Richard's figure, who was wondering to himself. He pulled out his suitcase and left the house.The lonely figure behind Richard's back, who left without being released by anyone, somehow made me sad. I stroked my stomach softly, remembering Richard whispering to the baby in my stomach. I woke up just as Richard was telling the fetus in my stomach. I chose to pretend to sleep, waiting for him to leave. I didn't expect he would kiss my forehead before leaving the room. One action that successfully made my defenses start to waver. I shook my head hard. I can't waver. I have to hold on and know myself until this child is born. I stumbled into my room and stood in front of the toilet door. Waiting for the seconds of morning sickness to make me vomit something again.The nausea that I had been enduring since Richard came out of the room was finally unbearable. It's a good thing I didn't throw up in front
Richard's POV"Hello, have you seen Nikkie? She's not in the lobby; what if she..." I didn't dare to continue my sentence. Afraid to imagine if my words came true.I heard Aaron's deep breath from the other side of the line. I had told Aaron earlier that I couldn't find Nikkie. Aaron said that he would search around the floor where he work. I called again, expecting good news, but Aaron hadn't found Nikkie. My eyes were wide, looking around, hoping to find Nikkie. If I still couldn't find her, I intended to check the hospital's CCTV. Suddenly, I saw a glimpse of a woman about 160 cm tall with black hair down her back standing stunned near the cashier. The woman's haircut was similar to Nikkie's after a haircut at the salon last time. Wait, isn't that Nikkie? I need to make sure quickly! "Looks like I've found Nikkie." I hung up the phone with Aaron and rushed over to the figure."Nikkie!" I called out to confirm. The figure of the woman with shoulder-length hair turned to me. Tha
Nikkie's POV"Why did you give Nikkie your credit card?" a demanding question sounded from the doorway. I, still surprised by Richard's gift, gasped in shock at the interruption.Richard and I both looked to the source of the voice and found Krystal standing in the doorway, staring at us. Krystal's crossed her arms in front of her chest. Her lips pulled down. It was apparent that she was holding back her irritation. I glanced at Richard with concern. I was afraid that Krystal would misunderstand me and think I was looking for an opportunity to gain an advantage over her husband.Without thinking, I grabbed the card wallet and pulled out the credit card inside. Richard watched my movements, but I was already too scared that Krystal would go berserk. That made me think nothing of grabbing Richard's wallet and putting the credit cards back in it.What made me even more depressed in the next second was when I heard Richard's heavy breathing. The atmosphere around us instantly turned hea
Nikkie's POV"Would you like some peppermint tea?" asked Sharon after I finished my morning sickness routine. I nodded slowly, washing my mouth as I watched the image of Sharon stepping out of my room.The medicine Aaron gave me didn't seem to be compelling enough to relieve the nausea immediately. Even so, I was grateful that the nausea wasn't so severe and didn't make me feel too weak.Last night's question ended without an answer. Without an explanation, Richard hasn't said anything since that night until today. Usually, he would take the time to come to me in the morning to check on my condition. Or help me with my nape and back when morning sickness strikes. But today, he had even left for the office first. I washed my face to calm my raging feelings. It's too early in the morning to feel stressed. I need to think about this from another perspective.Sometimes, silence is also the answer. Maybe Richard just showed too much affection to everyone close to him. A kiss on the foreh
Nikkie's POV"Sick? What's wrong with Krystal?" I asked in surprise. The TV didn't mention any details about Krystal's illness. I remained pensive until the news ended and changed to a sports program.Richard turned off the TV to realize that I looked unfocused. I started to realize something was wrong when I saw that Richard didn't look surprised at all or even concerned at all."You must know something, right?" I urged Richard. Richard let out a long sigh, then stroked my hair with a helpless look."What's the point of caring for a bad guy like that?" asked Richard, looking less than pleased. I shook my head stubbornly, waiting for him to speak."Be honest with me. You weren't involved in Krystal's death, were you?" I urged frantically.Richard sighed. "From my reports, Krystal has been sick since before she entered the prison. The TV report was real. She suffered from a malignant disease in her reproductive organs due to her habit of changing partners."I frowned, a conjecture popp
Nikkie's POV"The bride enters the altar!" the MC exclaimed. This time, Calvin was assigned to be the MC in our wedding procession.As the name implies, it was an intimate wedding only attended by those closest to us. There were 4 of Richard's family members, including Richard's biological mother, Shawn, Calvin, Sharon, Blake, and the household assistants. The wedding preparation went quite fast because there were only a few people. The blessing and the party were held in the hall of Moonstone mansion. I stepped with Uncle Denise towards Richard at the end of the altar. This day was full of happiness, with smiles never fading from everyone's faces. I haven't seen Richard since last night, and I'm feeling nervous. How will Richard see me in my wedding dress?When Richard turned around and accepted my hand from Uncle Denise's, Richard's eyes were suddenly wet. He smiled, and the tears just fell.I'm sure that they weren't tears of sadness. We then said our wedding vows in front of the
Nikkie's POV"I don't know either. My coming to this place wasn't planned. I didn't know where to go after my mom died. I also didn't have a home anymore and only had my suitcase and the money from the sale of the house that my mom gave me before she passed away. I boarded a bus randomly, letting it take me wherever it wanted. Throughout the ride, I cried alone by the window. Then, when I was tired of crying, and my tears dried up without realizing it, I arrived in this city. I took it as a sign from my mother that I should stay here. I then spent two days in a cheap hotel and looked for affordable apartments and part-time jobs. I was lucky to find both right away.From the first day of work, I never stopped working. My days off were spent sleeping or doing laundry. Because, you know. I have to work to support myself," I laughed.Shawn looked at me with interest. "You know, you can stop working and be provided by Mr. Richard completely," he said with a serious face.I laughed amuse
Nikkie's POV"Besides, you might think that way. Mr. Richard is a forgiving person. Shouldn't he forgive Mrs. Krystal based on that trait? Even if they can't get back together, Mr. Richard should never think of cutting off the core pleasure of his ex-wife's life: the money. Their company."Shawn stopped talking when the waiter arrived with our order. The thin, flavorful smoke of the food that would typically instantly whet my appetite now meant nothing. My mind was filled with questions."Are you saying that Richard was the mastermind behind exposing the rottenness of Krystal's company?" I asked after the waiter came back downstairs.Shawn nodded. "I did it all. But I was carrying out the orders given by Mr. Richard. The message was obvious, which was to destroy Goldman Inc. until it could not rise again."I was stunned by Shawn's words. "But why? Doesn't Richard love Krystal? I honestly didn't even think Richard would follow through on his words to divorce Krystal," I said, astonish
Nikkie's POV"Miss Nikkie! Hold on!" a man exclaimed in an absolute tone. Goosebumps ran down my spine, recalling the time I was almost kidnapped when I was going to buy flour when I was still living in Krystal's apartment."Miss Nikkie! Have you forgotten me?" this time, the man even dared to pull my arm. Gosh, did he forget that we were in a supermarket full of people? Even now, there were already several pairs of eyes looking at us with suspicious glances.When I remembered that I wasn't alone this time, I glanced at the man who dared to pull my arm. He was a tall man with big eyes that reminded me of a CCTV camera."Shawn?" I asked incredulously. Shawn nodded with a smile. There was a trace of relief on his face that made me wonder why he looked relieved.Until I remembered that Shawn was usually not far from Richard, I glanced around, then out the window. But I didn't see Richard or his car parked in the self-service parking lot. "I'm alone, came here by car. No, Mr. Richard her
Richard's POV"Since you mentioned it, I've been thinking about it. You're right; Krystal's male mistresses all have something in common with me!" I exclaimed in disbelief. My eyebrows knitted together, an oddity crossing my mind. "But I don't understand; what do you mean by Krystal loving me so much? Just because I have some things in common with those men?"Calvin explained again. "From a study I read, it was explained that love is complicated. The way each person loves another person and expresses their feelings is unique and different from one another.Some of them cannot distinguish love from obsession to the point that they commit deviant acts.But I won't talk about deviant acts here."Calvin paused momentarily as he overtook a car in front of us."There seems to be an emptiness in Mrs. Krystal's soul that makes her look for an outlet outside the home. It could be loneliness or an unhealed childhood wound.Or it could be that Mrs. Krystal is wrong for thinking that she doesn't
Richard's POV"Did you try to find out from the real estate agent? Shouldn't it be traceable to the person who bought the house?" I suggested to Shawn an idea that came to my mind this morning."I've already done this method first. But this house was sold about a month ago by Miss Nikkie's mother. The payment was made in cash, making it even more difficult to check through the bank," Shawn said on the other end of the line.My eyebrows furrowed at this oddity. "Why is Nikkie's mom selling the house all of a sudden? Is she in dire economic straits?" "I found out through the nurse you assigned to look after Miss Nikkie's mother. The answer is they are not experiencing economic hardship.The nurse mentioned that Miss Nikkie's mother had mentioned that she wanted to move to the countryside, which is why she is selling her house now," Shawn explained.I let out a long breath. Who would have thought that Nikkie's mother would move to heaven? "Why can they still live there when the house h
Krystal's POV"What are you going to do now, Krystal? You can't run a company, and now you're officially a widow!" Grandpa exclaimed in a high-pitched voice.Why does everyone always ask me the same thing? Do they think I have 1001 solutions to every problem?I nibbled on my thumbnail, feeling depressed at seeing the divorce papers lying on the table. Grandpa wasn't helping at all, just pacing around, making me even more dizzy! I held my nose, which had been bleeding a lot lately. Ever since I hit Richard's car that time, I'd been feeling unwell.Unfortunately, I didn't have time to go to the hospital to get my health checked. Why? Of course, because of my current status as a police fugitive!Grandpa suddenly stopped pacing when he got a call from who knows who. Shortly after, he turned his body to face me. The look of anger he had shown me lately no longer frightened me.Usually, he would immediately spout out curse words. But now, Grandpa seemed to have run out of words and could
Richard's POV "Let's head back," Shawn commanded Calvin. The three of us quickly entered the car and drove away from Nikkie's hometown.It was already late when Calvin dropped me off at home. I felt like my energy had been sapped, and I didn't have the power to do anything else."Tomorrow, take a day off. I'm not going to the office either," I told Calvin as I was about to get off.Calvin had been with me all day and even late into the night. These days, he didn't even have a day off as he was busy assisting me with various matters."Yes, Mr. Richard. Good night," Calvin said before walking away with Shawn. I staggered towards the front door. I don't know why it felt like the front door was so far away to reach.Halfway there, the front door suddenly opened. The figures of Grandma and Aunt Karina, wearing quilts on their shoulders, immediately came into my view."Oh, Richie. What's going on? Why do you look so messy?" the two women immediately ran to meet me. My tears fell again when