Elaine received a call from Aaron, asking her to come home. After hanging up, she thought she had prepared herself emotionally for any outcome, but now, she felt a surge of emotions she hadn't anticipated. She walked into the house, and Aaron stood with his back to her by the window, silhouetted against the light, appearing somewhat gloomy and sad.Elaine wanted to say something but hesitated and swallowed her words. She silently watched his silhouette.Aaron heard her enter and turned his head. "You're here," he said.Elaine nodded softly. The two of them faced each other. Even though they had been intimate spouses before, there was now an insurmountable gap between them. Both had many words they wanted to say, but neither spoke.They both sat on the sofa. Elaine placed her hands casually on her knees, but her fingertips were slightly clenched, showing her nervousness.With her head slightly lowered, from Aaron's angle, he could see her pointed chin. In these few days of separation,
Elaine thought she wouldn't cry. When her tears fell into her coffee, she realized she couldn't control them. Her tears seemed to have a mind of their own, flowing uncontrollably. Afraid that Calvin might notice her distress, she turned her face away and hastily wiped her tears. Then, suddenly, she stood up."I'll go to the restroom," she said hurriedly.She left in a hurry, but Calvin grabbed her arm. He looked at her and pressed her head against his chest. "Cry if you need to. No one else will know."Elaine didn't have the strength to struggle anymore and simply leaned silently against Calvin's chest, tears streaming down her face. Her heart ached terribly.Across the street, in a black car, Lionel happened to witness this scene. He had originally come to this coffee shop to buy coffee and didn't expect to see Elaine's yellow Beetle parked outside. He intended to look at her for a moment, but he unexpectedly saw Elaine and someone else embracing each other.He took out his phone and
Elaine returned to the Smiths' house, and Sylvia looked at her with concern. "Elaine, are you okay?"Elaine gently shook her head and said, "I just want some quiet time alone.""Okay, then go to your room," Sylvia replied, watching Elaine head upstairs. She then rushed over to Mason and pulled him aside, asking, "Brother, what's really going on?"Mason glanced at her and said, "Get a lawyer.""A lawyer?" Sylvia grabbed his arm. "Brother, is it true that Elaine and Aaron are getting a divorce?""Yes," Mason confirmed.Mason was efficient, and that same evening, he knocked on Elaine's door and placed a document on her desk. "It's the divorce agreement. Take a look. If there are no issues, sign it, and tomorrow, I'll have a lawyer approach Aaron for his signature."After saying this, Mason left.Elaine looked at the divorce agreement, picked it up, and flipped through a page. Suddenly, she put it down in agony. After some time, she looked at the divorce agreement again. This time, she si
The news of Aaron and Elaine's divorce quickly spread online, leaving countless people astonished. Their grand wedding had been a recent memory, and now they were divorcing. Just a few days ago, at the party for Aaron's new company, he had even given Elaine 15% of the shares.At night, Elaine made plans to meet Renee at a bar. The colorful lights in the bar flickered, casting a crazy glow on Elaine's face. Before coming to the bar, Elaine had told herself that today was another important turning point in her life. She allowed herself to get drunk for the man named Aaron. Starting tomorrow, she would leave the past behind and boldly move forward.Renee always understood her so well, and she didn't say much. She just signaled the waiter to bring several bottles of strong liquor. Giving up a man she deeply loved was painful, and Elaine's idea of getting drunk was not wrong at all."Go ahead and drink. I'll take you home later," Renee poured whiskey into Elaine's glass and said.Elaine sm
When Mason returned home from work that day, he went straight upstairs, ignoring Sylvia's calls. Sylvia looked puzzled and asked Elaine, "What's wrong with my brother?" Elaine shook her head, and they exchanged helpless glances.After dinner, Mason, who had been silent all evening, finally uttered his first words since coming home. "I'm going to remarry Renee.""Is that true?" Sylvia was delighted and nearly jumped for joy.Elaine was also happy, but when she closely examined Mason's expression, something didn't seem right. She hesitated for a moment and asked, "Cousin, may I ask why?"Mason replied, "Renee is pregnant.""What?!" Both Elaine and Sylvia were stunned. Sylvia suddenly asked, "Brother, did you decide to remarry Renee because she's pregnant? Did she agree to it?"Sylvia seemed to have revealed the truth; Renee probably hadn't agreed to remarry, which explained Mason's troubled mood."Brother, it can't be true, can it?" Sylvia continued to press for answers.Mason glanced a
Mason almost raced to the airport, driving at speeds he had never attempted before. When he finally pulled up at the airport, he parked the car and immediately made his way to the boarding gate. A quick scan of the area, and he spotted the woman who had attempted to escape.He strode over and suddenly grabbed Renee's wrist. Renee had no idea he was approaching, and she was startled when her arm was yanked. An uneasy frown creased her forehead as she turned to look at the man's angry face.Her heart raced uncontrollably. She had clearly driven him away earlier in the afternoon. Given his arrogant personality, why had he come back?"Come home with me," Mason said, his tone filled with anger.Only now did Renee wake up to the situation. She began to struggle, saying, "No, that's your home, not mine. I'm not going back, Mason."She deeply loved this man, that was true, but she still wanted to preserve a shred of her dignity. She knew Mason had proposed remarriage because of the child in h
In the end, Aaron and the driver of the white car were lucky. Aaron's injuries weren't severe, perhaps due to the white car driver braking in time, or maybe because Aaron's sports car was advanced. The driver only suffered a leg injury, and neither of them was in life-threatening condition.The next day, Elaine stood at the door of the hospital room, taking several deep breaths before pushing the door open. The room was quiet, and Aaron lay silently on the hospital bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. When he heard the sound, he calmly turned his head and, upon seeing Elaine, immediately brightened up.He almost sat up right away. Elaine noticed the thick bandage on his forehead and remembered that he had been covered in blood when she left last night. She approached and said, "Is the head injury severe? The nurses said you haven't been eating or drinking. You need to take care of your health."Aaron looked at her and said, "I want to eat the fish soup you make."Despite her reluctanc
In the late afternoon, hurried footsteps could be heard from upstairs. "What did you say? She's coming too? Why should she attend our gathering? She has an invitation, so what?" Sarah exclaimed as she rushed to try on her dress.Watching her rush off, Mary immediately called Elaine. "Miss, she's left the house," and that's exactly what Elaine had been waiting for. She quickly prepared and left.It must be said that these elite young ladies knew how to choose their venues. Just look at the handsome and stylish waiters walking around; they were a sight to behold."Miss Smith," Elaine had never been here before, but the handsome young server who had led her recognized her immediately.Elaine raised an eyebrow in surprise, and the young man who had escorted her in said, "Follow me."When they arrived at their reserved banquet hall, Elaine's eyes widened. The gathering not only had exquisite food and wine but also featured a handsome male server attending to each woman, serving them food a
In the following weeks, Lance frequently invited Sylvia to meet up. Gradually, Lance developed feelings for Sylvia and decided to confess his feelings. However, Sylvia felt he was too young for her and turned him down.A few days later, Sylvia was taking a break in her office. She heard footsteps approaching the door and assumed it was a nurse coming to remind her about a patient. She set down her coffee cup and stood up. But when the door swung open, it wasn't a nurse who entered; it was Lance, dressed in a suit and holding roses.Almost reflexively, Sylvia's heart skipped a beat. She pretended to flip through patient records and casually asked, "Why are you here?"Not receiving an immediate response from Lance, Sylvia raised her head to find him standing less than two meters away, holding roses and looking directly at her.Lance said, "You asked me to think it over carefully, and I did that after I went back."His expression was incredibly earnest, and Sylvia's fingers, gripping the
Seeing the young man staring at her, Sylvia wasn't one to be subtle. Considering the potential identity of the young man, even though she didn't have any disdain for that profession, she still felt a bit strange. So, taking advantage of the moment when the man was in a daze, she swiftly moved out of his embrace.Realizing that her arms were suddenly empty, Lance snapped back to reality. He lowered his head and looked at his empty arms, feeling a sense of loss. A trace of disappointment appeared on his clean face, and his eyebrows furrowed slightly."Lance, I advise you to think it over. I'm offering you a high price. Don't regret it!" The woman took the opportunity to approach, and her finger almost pointed at Lance's nose in an arrogant manner.Sylvia didn't like this woman at all and wanted to teach her a lesson. However, her hand was pulled by Lance, whose fingers were clean and slender, with neatly trimmed nails, just like him, giving off a very clean impression.Sylvia lowered he
From a very young age, Sylvia displayed a different side compared to other girls. While most girls immersed themselves in pretty princess dresses and shades of pink, and vied for the attention of handsome young men, Sylvia showed little interest. Furthermore, she had an exceptional older brother, Lance, which led her to have high standards when it came to men. Ordinary young men simply couldn't capture her interest. During her school years, many pursued her with flowers and gifts, but failed to attract her. Later, when she began working in the emergency department of a hospital, she encountered gory scenes every day. Her conversations were often peppered with terms like "fracture," making her one of the renowned figures at St. Love Hospital's emergency department. Sylvia didn't think much of men. They seemed to exist only to fulfill certain needs, and she had little desire for such things. Having become accustomed to being on her own over the years, even as her family members marrie
In mid-September, Renee gave birth to a baby girl. When Elaine and Aaron arrived at the hospital, they saw the newborn baby, wrinkled-faced and tiny. Elaine looked at her with great affection and couldn't wait to hold her.The nurse carefully handed the baby to her, a soft bundle that seemed fragile, as though she might break with a wrong move. Elaine held her with stiff movements, as if cradling something extremely delicate. She didn't dare to breathe too heavily."She's so small and so soft," she exclaimed excitedly. Elaine turned to look at Aaron and was surprised to see a hint of tears in his eyes. She was momentarily taken aback. The baby in her arms had already been taken away by the nurse."I have to take the baby to the nursery. Family members can go there to see her," the nurse said and left with the baby.In the corridor, it was just Elaine and Aaron. Elaine placed her hand on her swollen abdomen, then linked her arm with Aaron's, and smiled. "We'll have our own baby very so
As time passed, Elaine's belly gradually grew larger. With Aaron's meticulous care, she gained a little weight. Her once sharp chin filled out, and her complexion improved.During these two months, a significant event occurred: Ralph Brown passed away. He transferred all of Aaron's company's 30% of shares to Elaine, left the old Brown family mansion to Vincent, and the other five properties, including cars and various antiques, to Trevor. Mavis, at first, didn't agree with this distribution of the inheritance. Elaine didn't want those shares either, but the lawyer explained that if Elaine refused, the shares would have to be donated to a charitable organization. So, in the end, Elaine had to accept the shares. Mavis had no choice but to accept it as well, as the will had legal effect.Elaine already had 10% of Aaron's company shares, and with the additional 30%, it meant that Aaron's company ultimately returned to Aaron's control.Throughout this process, Aaron remained silent. He see
Aaron brought Elaine back to their home. He carried her upstairs, being gentle and considerate. "You're so cold. Let me run a hot bath for you."In truth, Elaine wasn't cold; it was his own body that felt icy.Seeing his lips turning purple, Elaine couldn't help but reach out and gently stroke his cheek. "I'm sorry for making you worry."Aaron just shook his head. "As long as you're okay."Elaine bit her lip. "I'm not okay. I've really thought about ending it, why go on living to face all that pain?"As her words fell, Elaine distinctly felt Aaron's arm around her tightening. Nevertheless, she continued, "I just thought of the baby in my belly. I've already killed one. I can't harm this one too, so..."Her words caused Aaron's entire body to tense. Yet, he was also relieved that they had this child. Otherwise, he might have lost Elaine forever. He shifted his gaze to her abdomen and softly said, "Thank goodness for you."Elaine was unaware of his thoughts, and her fingers instinctivel
After two days of anxious waiting, Melissa finally received the DNA test results, confirming that she and Elaine were indeed mother and daughter. The samples had been provided by Melissa herself, and the hair samples, including Elaine's and hers, couldn't have been falsified.Her fingers trembled uncontrollably. Melissa staggered backward, her back against the wall, unable to contain the shivers running through her body. Elaine was really her daughter.She was the same daughter she had heartlessly abandoned in the wilderness during that winter, the daughter she had forsaken in her ruthless quest for revenge against Tatum. She had harbored murderous intent against her daughter not once, but three times, all in the name of saving Shumo Ran's life.Elaine was her daughter!..."Aaron, hurry and find Elaine. She drove off by herself, and we're worried she might be in danger. You must find her!" Renee's voice sounded frantic on the phone."What happened? Why did Elaine leave home like that
More than an hour later, Elaine woke up. When she opened her eyes, there were people standing around her hospital bed. She blinked and felt some discomfort in her shoulder. Her brow furrowed slightly.Aaron, anxious, immediately asked, "What's wrong? Do you feel uncomfortable somewhere?"Elaine shook her head. "I'm okay. Thanks for worrying."She remembered Calvin, the man who had pushed her away, and asked anxiously, "How is Calvin?"She tried to sit up but was gently restrained by Sylvia. "Don't worry; he's okay. He has a broken leg, but the other injuries aren't too severe."Elaine, reassured about Calvin's condition, patted her stomach. "Oh, yes, I almost forgot about the baby."Aaron stopped her from moving further, saying, "The doctor said you should try to move as little as possible. Don't forget, there's a baby in your belly."Elaine rested back down.Over the next few days, Aaron not only took care of Elaine but also investigated why the driver had veered toward her. He found
Tatum went to the Garcia household since Melissa wasn't at home. After waiting for about half an hour, he heard the sound of a car outside. Tatum suddenly looked up, a hint of panic in his eyes, and slowly stood up from the sofa. It was indeed Melissa returning. She was holding her phone and talking on the phone, saying, "Don't worry, as long as you complete this task for me, I promise to send your wife and child abroad. Yes, the two million deposits have been transferred to your wife's account. I'm waiting for good news from you. Remember my requirements, go all the way!" Then she hung up and walked into the house. "Melissa!" Tatum looked at the weary woman before him. If only he hadn't insisted on leaving all those years ago... "You..." Melissa looked at the person before her, and a vague image in her mind became clearer, merging with the man before her as if he were the man from her hallucinations. She opened her mouth as if to say something but suddenly clutched her head, her