However, everything was just a facade. Beneath it all, Hope harbored a deep jealousy, though she hadn't yet found the right moment to act.Meanwhile, over on Quincy’s side, Lydia was spiraling. She felt completely drained, emotionally and physically. Curled up under the blankets, tears streamed down her face, soaking into the fabric. Quincy noticed every tear, and each one broke his heart a little more.Quincy wasn’t doing well either. For days, he had been consumed by guilt and helplessness, unsure of what to do. Just as he was lost in thought, someone approached him. Quincy looked up, surprised to see it was Nash.Nash nodded, glancing toward Lydia's hospital room. He had already heard about everything that had happened."How’s Lydia?" Nash asked.Quincy’s expression turned bitter. He tried to force a smile, but it was clear he didn’t have the strength for it anymore. "Not good. She doesn’t even want to see me. She kicked me out.""Lydia’s definitely been set up. When I find ou
Mrs. Perez used the special herbal tea to cause Lydia to lose her child. Despite the nightmares that plagued her every night afterward, she convinced herself it was worth it. After all, anything was better than having that woman marry into their family."Watch your mouth," she snapped at Mr. Perez, glaring at him. "When I call our son later, you better not let anything slip, or I swear, you'll regret it!""Whatever, do as you like. I'm staying out of this," he muttered, shaking his head.Five minutes later, Mrs. Perez dialed Quincy’s number."Are you coming home for dinner tonight? I’ve invited Tiffany and her mother over. You remember Tiffany, right? She’s my old friend’s daughter. Great girl! She’s highly educated, just got back from overseas, and, most importantly, she comes from a good family. Why don’t you come and meet her?"Whatever Quincy said on the other end brought a wide smile to Mrs. Perez’s face. "Two days from now? That works too! As long as you’ll meet her. I’ll se
It was only after Lydia came to her senses that she realized she had unconsciously walked toward the window. Her hospital room was on the seventh floor, and the window had no safety bars. Anyone who leaned out too far, with the wrong kind of thoughts, could easily fall to their death. She had unknowingly wandered right up to the edge of something irreversible.But Lydia still felt nothing. There was no fear, no panic, no relief. Just emptiness. She couldn’t even remember what she had been thinking or why she had walked to the window in the first place.Quincy opened his mouth as if to say something but hesitated, swallowing his words. Instead, he offered, “Are you hungry?”“I brought your favorite chicken soup from the restaurant you love, and some soy milk. Try it, see if it still tastes the same.”The aroma of the chicken soup filled the room, steam rising from the bowl. Lydia used to love it. Quincy still remembered, even after all this time.She quietly ate while Quinc
Quincy turned back to Lydia, his expression softening. "I have something to take care of tonight. If you need anything, just call me, alright? I'll be back as soon as I can."Lydia’s lips moved, as if she wanted to ask where he was going, but in the end, she didn’t say a word.Quincy left the hospital and headed straight to a four-star hotel. Mrs. Perez had reserved a private dining room there earlier, and Quincy was the last to arrive. As he stood outside the door, he could hear the laughter and lively conversation from within. He clenched his fists, his eyes darkening as he recalled what Nash had told him the other day.“Your housekeeper, Mrs. Lucy, took leave recently, right?” Nash had asked. “Before she left, I had a word with her. If you spoke to her too, you should know who was around the day Lydia fell ill.”That conversation had sent a chill down Quincy’s spine, sparking a suspicion he didn’t want to believe. Deep down, he had probably suspected this person all along, but
As Mrs. Clara asked her question, the entire room fell into an awkward silence. Mrs. Perez’s face tightened with surprise. As she saw the changing expressions of Mrs. Clara and Tiffany, she scrambled to come up with an explanation. But before she could speak, Quincy bluntly stated, “I’m already married.”Tiffany dropped her utensils and her eyes were wide with shock. After a moment, her eyes filled with tears. Mrs. Clara stood up in anger. "Why didn’t you tell me your son was married?" she demanded.Mrs. Perez quickly shot Quincy a sharp glare. "It’s not like that. There’s a woman who’s been clinging to Quincy, but they ended things a long time ago."Mrs. Clara scoffed, clearly unimpressed. That kind of excuse might fool others, but not someone as experienced as her. If things were really over, why wasn’t that mentioned right away? Even if what Mrs. Perez said was true, Quincy would still be a divorced man. No matter how good his credentials were, was she really supposed to
But has Lydia really found the better life Quincy promised her? A hint of doubt clouded his eyes. He suddenly wasn’t sure if his determination had been right or wrong. Maybe if he hadn’t started his own company, they could have found other ways to convince her father. Would things have turned out differently?“You should go home. I’m done going along with your plans for these meetings. I won’t be getting involved anymore.” Quincy paused, then added calmly, “And hand over the rest of the herbal tea ingredients.”Without waiting for a response, he left.This time, their conversation ended in yet another argument. After that, Quincy spent all his time with Lydia, stepping away from the business and letting others take over for the time being. Luckily, Nash was there to help manage things.With Quincy’s constant care, Lydia began to show signs of recovery. The deep grief over losing the baby seemed to be lifting, though occasionally, she would stare off at a baby bottle or a child’
Lydiafroze on the spot, the voices around her cutting through like ice, each word colder than the last. Her fingers stiffened, and it felt as though her limbs had lost all sensation. All that remained was her body, like an empty shell, standing there like a lifeless puppet.So, this was the secret Quincy had been hiding from her?It took her a long moment to shake herself free from the shock, but eventually, she made her way upstairs.Meanwhile, Quincy was already sitting in the living room, his expression even colder than when he first walked in. His eyes seemed to have frozen over, devoid of any warmth.Across from him, Tiffany sat looking crushed, her disappointment almost palpable. She turned to Mrs. Perez with a confused and hurt expression. "Mrs. Perez…"She didn’t understand. By any measure, she was an ideal match. Even coming here was an act of defiance against her mother, who had disapproved of Quincy the moment she learned he had been married before. But Tiffany couldn
Quincy had no desire to drink the tea. He wanted to take what he came for and leave. However, the firm look in his mother’s eyes, mixed with a silent plea, held him back. He still needed to bring the herbal tea ingredients back to Lydia and explain everything. She deserved to know the truth about their lost child. And then there was his mother. Regardless of her actions, she had raised him for over twenty years.His throat tightened as he picked up the cup and downed the tea in one gulp. “Let this cup of tea be the end of it,” he thought.Once finished, he grabbed the jar of herbs and headed for the door.“Quincy, where are you going?” Tiffany’s voice trembled as she stood, but before she could finish her sentence, she staggered, her cheeks flushing deeply.At the same time, Quincy, who had made it to the entryway, clutched his head and collapsed onto the couch. His legs knocked into the coffee table with a loud scrape. His lower abdomen felt like it was on fire, an unbearable