Quincy felt utterly defeated. He and Lydia had genuinely loved each other and had both invested in their relationship. How did he end up being compared to a total simp?"Lydia never did anything to betray me. If anyone was in the wrong, it was me. But Mom, drugging your own son? That’s something only you could do." Quincy turned and looked at his mother, lying there in the hospital bed.The bitterness and frustration in his heart were almost overwhelming. He still couldn’t come to terms with the fact that his own mother had drugged him. But she was sick, and as her son, he couldn’t just bring up old grievances or walk away while she lay there unwell. So, he buried everything deep down, though it made him feel suffocated.Mabel hadn’t heard about the drugging incident. She glanced at Mrs. Perez, clearly shocked. When they had asked for her help, they hadn’t mentioned that little detail.Mrs. Perez started to cough violently. Tiffany quickly stepped forward, gently patting her back
"It’s no trouble at all," Tiffany said with a smile, shaking her head. The chance to spend more time with Quincy was something she eagerly welcomed, not something she would find bothersome.Mabel gave a slightly awkward grin. "Quincy, she really does know what I like. We have a lot in common."Quincy didn’t say anything as he turned and headed for the door. They had planned everything out, and if he refused, they would label him as ungrateful. That would mean his mom might refuse her medications and treatments. He didn’t mind bearing the reputation of being unfilial, but he couldn’t stand the thought of his mother’s health deteriorating over it.Tiffany quickly followed, happily chatting all the way to the mall, though Quincy remained silent. He was just going through the motions.In the cosmetics section on the first floor, Tiffany picked up two shades of lipstick and asked him, "Quincy, which color do you think looks better?"He glanced at them. "Aren’t they the same?""No, t
Lydia stopped in her tracks and turned to Quincy, disbelief flooding her eyes. She understood every word he said, but hearing them strung together like that felt utterly surreal.“So, you’re telling me,” she said slowly, “that your mother drugged you with that kind of drug?”“Yes.” Quincy nodded, though saying it out loud made him feel deeply humiliated. Still, he had to tell her the truth. Regardless of whether they ended up divorcing or not, he couldn’t let Lydia believe he was some heartless player messing around with other women’s feelings.“I can’t believe you’re telling me the truth. I… I…” Lydia’s voice trembled, leaving her at a loss for words. Tears brimmed in her eyes until they spilled over, leaving a faint trail down her cheeks.Her mind drifted to the child they had lost so suddenly. She had found it strange at the time. Everything had been fine, and her health had been good. But as soon as Mrs. Perez arrived to ‘help,’ things had taken a turn, and she had miscarried
Eugene gave Quincy a taunting look. “Quincy, you’re a CEO now. Don’t go around playing the clingy ex. That’s hardly a good look, is it?”Quincy knew that if he could win Lydia back, he would throw his reputation aside in a heartbeat. Building his company had always been about giving her a better life. But he also knew that holding on would only add to her frustration and resentment. He couldn’t be that selfish.Lydia sighed, looking at Quincy one last time. After all they had shared, the love she felt hadn’t faded. Even though they were heading for a divorce, she wouldn’t let Eugene belittle him. “Stop it. I’m tired. Let’s just pick up the skincare for my mom so we can go home,” she said.Eugene immediately took her hand, steering her toward the exit. “Then let’s take a break first. We can grab a bite to eat and rest up. There’s no rush. It’s just us.”Not far behind, Tiffany wrapped her arm around Quincy, raising her voice so Lydia and Eugene could hear. “Quincy, let’s grab some f
Quincy didn’t respond to that. Instead, he shifted the topic. “Do you remember what you just said about Lydia?”“Of course I remember.” Tiffany didn’t understand why he suddenly asked, but she had no problem repeating herself. After all, Quincy was the one who brought it up this time. “Lydia’s running around with another man before your divorce is even finalized. She’s not a good woman, and you saw it with your own eyes. I know it’s hard for you to accept, but you can’t just fool yourself forever, can you?” She even made sure to bring up Mrs. Perez, adding, “If your mom found out, she’d be furious.”“Lydia hasn’t finalized the divorce yet, but neither have I. Miss Tiffany, I’m still married, and here you are saying all this to me. Should I interpret that as you trying to make yourself the other woman?” Quincy wasn’t holding back at all.Tiffany’s face drained of color. The term “other woman” hit her hard. How could he use such an ugly phrase to describe her?“We’re perfectly inno
“What’s there to feel shortchanged about?” Lydia chuckled lightly.Sure, she had seen Quincy just now, but a brief encounter wasn’t going to throw her off balance. She was learning to let go. Life was too long to spend it mourning over one person forever.“I had wanted to take you to a nice restaurant, but you were hungry, so we just grabbed a bite here at the mall. Lydia, back when you were with your family, you were used to the best. Now, look at this,” Eugene continued, trying to make his point. He was implying that Quincy had let her down.Quincy’s family didn’t have much to begin with. Over the years, he had managed to save up a decent amount, but with the expenses of buying a house and covering the costs of the wedding, along with running his own business, he was probably stretched pretty thin. The Fay family, on the other hand, had a long-established business with steady cash flow and regular dividends. They had countless assets, and even just the rental income from their p
After finishing their meal, Eugene suggested they stroll around the mall a bit longer, but Lydia looked visibly exhausted. “I didn’t sleep well last night, and I really need to catch up on some rest,” she explained. Seeing the dark circles under her eyes, Eugene could only nod, despite wanting to spend more time with her. “Alright, I’ll take you home so you can get some sleep.”They hadn’t had time to pick out the skincare products, so Eugene took matters into his own hands. He bought every skincare set for older women from the brand, even throwing in the extra serums. The sales associate's grin widened as she rang up the purchase. “Wow, you’re really generous! With this many sets, three people could use them and still have some left over.”“These are all for her mom. I wasn’t sure which set she’d prefer, so I thought I’d get a few and let her decide,” Eugene explained, keeping his gaze on Lydia.The sales associates, quick to pick up on things, immediately realized he meant f
It was quite a coincidence.They had parked their car in the underground garage and were just about to head out when they overheard Quincy’s voice from a distance. He was speaking calmly, trying to reason with someone. “Yes, I did rear-end your car, and I’ve taken photos. Let’s handle it through insurance.”“No way! You think I’m just gonna wait around for insurance? This is a luxury car. I want ten thousand in cash. Not a penny less!” The man was relentless, refusing to budge.He even turned his attention to Tiffany, standing nearby, and sneered, “You two lovebirds in a hurry to get hitched or what? Are you blind? Can’t drive straight?”“I’ll take responsibility, but please watch your language. There’s no need for personal attacks,” Quincy replied, barely keeping his anger in check.Lydia stood nearby, feeling a wave of sympathy as she watched the scene unfold. It reminded her of when Quincy had first started his business, spending countless nights wining and dining potential c
But instead of feeling touched, Vera’s first reaction was nausea. A wave of discomfort surged up from her stomach, and Vera’s face paled. She bolted for the bathroom. Caleb followed quickly. “Are you feeling sick?” “I don’t think so. I’ve been eating normally—nothing too heavy or weird lately.” Vera clutched her stomach, just as confused as he was. Then, a possibility flashed through her mind. Caleb clearly had the same thought. Without a word, he turned and walked into their bedroom, returning moments later with a pregnancy test. Vera looked at him, stunned. “When did you buy that?” He responded matter-of-factly, “Better safe than sorry.” Vera was momentarily speechless. Five minutes later, she stepped out of the bathroom, her hand instinctively resting on her stomach, her expression a mix of shock and disbelief. It was positive. They had only been married for three months. How did this happen so fast?Caleb, on the other hand, remained composed—at le
Of course, Vera wasn’t about to dump all her responsibilities on her assistant. That would be exploitation. She called her assistant into her office. “You’re twenty-five this year, right?” Her assistant blinked, confused. Wasn’t her age common knowledge? Why was Vera suddenly bringing it up? A thought struck her. Was this an arranged marriage situation? Her face immediately filled with silent refusal. “Miss Vera, I’m still young. I’m not thinking about marriage anytime soon.” Vera tapped her pen against the desk. “I’m not telling you to get married.” “Oh.” “I just want to offload some of the smaller daily tasks to you. You don’t have to run every minor document by me.”Her assistant instantly understood. A raise. After confirming she was on board, Vera gave her a salary bump and had her hire a few more assistants to distribute the workload. “If I don’t have time to handle everything, you guys will take care of it. If something’s too complicated, jus
Vera could sense danger the moment the conversation turned in this direction. Her father had never questioned her about married life, and she was lucky enough to avoid nosy relatives. But just because she hadn’t experienced it firsthand didn’t mean she hadn’t seen it happen to others. Without hesitation, she abandoned the half-folded pastry in her hands. “I... uh, need to use the restroom.” Before she could escape, Mrs. Smith caught her wrist. “You and Caleb aren’t getting any younger,” she said matter-of-factly. “You should start thinking about kids—make sure you’re putting in the effort, hmm?” Vera left the kitchen visibly drained. Mrs. Smith was a wonderful mother-in-law, the kind who treated Vera like her own daughter. Despite knowing Vera came from a well-off family, she had still gifted them a house as a wedding present. Of course, Caleb already owned a place, but his mother had insisted. “That’s your house. This is the home I’m giving you as a weddi
That undeniable possessiveness flickered in Caleb’s gaze—subtle yet impossible to ignore. It was the kind of look a powerful man might give his beloved in an old Hollywood film. And right now, the photographer felt like the unlucky bystander who had accidentally stumbled upon an intimate scene. His voice wavered slightly, caught up in his own imagination. “Mr. Smith, lift your eyes toward the camera.” Caleb’s sharp gaze flickered over, intense and commanding. The photographer instinctively pressed the shutter. They continued with several more poses, reviewing the shots as they went. Vera loved them all, but her favorite was still the vintage-inspired one. “How long until we get the final prints?” she asked. “Two to three days at most,” the photographer replied. “I’ll have them shipped directly to you.” Then, after a slight pause, he hesitated before making a request. “I actually have a personal favor to ask—would you both be open to letting us displa
Vera was tempted. They had already taken plenty of wedding photos—several sets at the island, more at the wedding itself. But this wasn’t just any photo studio. It was privately booked and known for being one of the most prestigious studios in the city. Appointments here were nearly impossible to get. The fact that Caleb had managed to secure a session meant he had gone to great lengths to make it happen. If they were just going to take ordinary wedding pictures, it would be a waste of an opportunity. Still, she wasn’t sure what kind of shoot she wanted. The photographer, understanding her hesitation, pulled out a sample album. “You can take a look at our past work. These are some of the styles we’ve done.” Flipping through the pages, Vera saw an array of stunning concepts—each picture more breathtaking than the last. Then, one particular set caught her eye. A Golden Age Hollywood theme.It was classic, nostalgic, and beautifully atmospheric. “Ca
After the wedding, Vera considered taking some time off for a honeymoon. But the thought quickly faded when she realized Caleb had been practically living at the hospital. With a sigh, she dismissed the idea. She was used to it, but to say she wasn’t disappointed would be a lie. Her assistant picked up on it. “Mrs. Smith, don’t you want to go on a honeymoon?” she asked one day. “One of my friends just got married, and she’s been obsessively researching destinations. “She even said a marriage without a honeymoon is already half a failure.” Vera froze mid-page, suddenly losing interest in the documents she had been reviewing. Her assistant hesitated, then offered a suggestion. “Why don’t you go visit Dr. Smith at work?“You seem… distracted. Maybe seeing him will help.” Vera snapped out of her daze, suddenly aware of how preoccupied she had been lately. It was embarrassing to admit, but she had been zoning out far too often—especially after coming hom
Whenever they did this in the past, Caleb always maintained some restraint. But tonight—he didn’t hold back at all. He took her from the bedroom to the bathroom, then back to the bed, his searing kisses trailing every inch of her skin. The next morning, even as she woke up, Vera could still feel the lingering traces of last night’s intoxicating pleasure. As expected, she ended up taking the day off. It wasn’t until two days later that she finally returned to work. *Everyone at the company had already prepared for this. The moment Vera walked into the office, she was greeted with knowing smiles and teasing remarks. “Congratulations, Mrs. Smith!” “Newlywed bliss, huh?” “Three whole days off? Someone had a good time.” It didn’t take a genius to figure out what she had been up to. Obviously, her married life was going exceptionally well—so well that she had completely abandoned work for it. Under the weight of their mischievous stares, Vera barely k
Yelena still hadn’t accepted Hunter, but he wasn’t giving up either and was relentlessly closing in on her. Knowing Yelena’s soft heart, Vera figured it was only a matter of time before she gave in. She let out a sigh. Her friend’s love life wasn’t something she could interfere with. Besides, Caleb had already given her a little inside scoop. “She came to the hospital for a follow-up a few days ago,” he had mentioned casually. “Hunter was the one who brought her.” Vera had clicked her tongue at the news. Yelena always seemed quiet and reserved, but apparently, she was full of surprises.*Time flew by in the blink of an eye.By mid-month, Caleb had rented out an entire vineyard and spent several days transforming it into the perfect wedding venue.When the day arrived, the celebration took place right there.The vineyard was sprawling and elegant, every bit as grand as any luxury hotel—if not better. Even the wine cellar remained untouched, stocked with years-
“Did you plan this from the start?” Vera narrowed her eyes, feeling like she had just walked into a carefully laid trap. “Mm.” Caleb smiled, then leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. Because yes—he had always been planning this. The biggest change in Vera’s life after the island proposal was the ring now sitting on her finger. It wasn’t just any ring. It was custom-made, something Caleb had specially ordered. She only found out by accident when she glanced at his phone one day and saw the purchase record. It had been ordered two months ago. Vera did the math and was stunned. He had been preparing for this long before she even started getting impatient. Her heart swelled with emotion. And as soon as Caleb’s parents heard that their son had finally proposed, they wasted no time pushing them to get the marriage license. *One day, Vera overheard Caleb’s mother lecturing him. “Your dad and I weren’t expecting much from you. With how much ti