“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
“Eugene? What are you two talking about?” Lydia walked over, looking at them both with curiosity.Eugene immediately took a step back from Quincy, smiling casually. “Oh, nothing important. Let’s go. I’ll take you back. We picked up all these gifts, and I’m sure your mom will love them.”As Lydia and Eugene walked off, Quincy felt an intense urge to go after them, to catch up and set things right. But he held himself back. He knew that until he had resolved his own family issues, he shouldn’t pull Lydia into any more of his problems.Tiffany wasted no time piling on, trying to sway him again. “Quincy, did you see that? I’ve been trying to tell you how she really is, but you never want to listen. But there they were, flaunting it right in front of us.”She sidled closer to Quincy, subtly trying to take his arm, but he quickly stepped aside. “Get in the car. I’ll drive you to the hospital,” he said, brushing her off.“Alright, let’s go. Your mom and cousin are waiting for us. It woul
"What could possibly be wrong with me? You all know that I’m not really sick. I'm just putting on a show for Quincy. If I didn’t, he’d still be under that little witch’s spell." Mrs. Perez waved off the matter as if it were nothing. Pretending to be sick wouldn’t make her actually sick, right?Her main concern remained her son. “Tiffany, I'm counting on you to help Quincy move on. I can’t let that woman keep dragging him down. I went through all the trouble of getting rid of the child so they could sever ties once and for all.”Mabel's expression faltered for a moment. She glanced at the gifts sitting nearby and swallowed back her response."I understand, Mrs. Perez," Tiffany replied confidently. “A man can’t resist a woman’s care when he’s at his weakest, especially when Lydia’s already found someone else. If we keep working together, there's no way they'll ever get back together.”The saying goes, "It takes one to know one." Today, when Tiffany saw Eugene, she could tell right aw
After setting down her phone, Mrs. Perez continued to criticize Lydia, egged on by Tiffany. The conversation flowed easily between them, filling the hospital room with laughter and smug remarks. That was, until Quincy opened the door, his face red with anger as he glared at everyone inside. “What are you doing? Why do you keep going after Lydia like this?” He was furious at the way they were gossiping about her, slandering her character without a second thought. “Quincy, your mom is sick. You can’t just come in here and start shouting,” Tiffany said in a falsely sweet voice, stepping over to him and taking his hand. “If you don’t like the topic, we can stop talking about it.”“Cut the act, Tiffany. Your performance is terrible.” Quincy shot back, unphased. He had overheard enough standing outside the door to realize just how well Tiffany and his mother worked together. He had even been thinking earlier about treating his mom with more care, but what he had just heard felt like
They truly did not even know how to lie convincingly. Or maybe they thought that just because he was their son, they could do anything, and it would never be wrong. In their minds, as long as there was a blood connection, children could not actually go against their parents. If they dared to, they would be considered ungrateful. That was a heavy label, and most kids would end up giving in.“But you’re forgetting something. Lydia is the daughter of the Fay family. She chose to marry me, to be my wife, and that doesn’t mean her status is beneath mine or that you can treat her however you please!”When Mrs. Perez married Mr. Perez, they lived in a rural area where her mother-in-law was relentless, picking on her every day. It wasn’t until they worked hard, bought a house in the city, and started living separately that things finally improved. Mrs. Perez had endured her mother-in-law’s bullying with no recourse, but Lydia was a different story.Her face changed as she realized this.
"How about we take a walk in the garden, sweetie?" Nina suggested as she sat down next to her son, Orion. At six or seven years old, he was at such a lively age. She hated having to keep him cooped up in the house, but it was necessary for his safety. If Orion were to run into danger again, there would be no guarantee he would come back. Those people wouldn't spare him just because he was young."Okay," Orion agreed, putting down his building blocks and standing up. He glanced over at Gemma, lying in her crib, and sighed. "I wish she could grow up faster so she could play with me.""Once your dad catches those bad guys, you’ll be able to go out with your friends again. And before you know it, your sister will be big enough to play with you," Nina said, taking his hand as they headed out to the garden. Gemma was in good hands with their housekeeper, Mrs. Watson. It was the perfect time of year, with most of the flowers in bloom. Orion had a wonderful time playing with Nina in th
Jamie sighed, knowing Ben was trying to comfort her. Though she still felt a little wistful, she quickly let it go.What she didn’t expect was that the boys’ whispered conversation would continue from the car all the way to the dinner table. Even while eating, they huddled together, making it clear no one else was welcome to join their secretive chat. Noticing how little food they had touched, Jamie tapped the table with a hint of exasperation. “Alright, you two. Mealtime is for eating, not whispering. Didn’t your teachers teach you that at school?” Charlie immediately recognized that Jamie wasn’t joking this time. She was genuinely a little upset. He quickly straightened up, putting on his most obedient expression as he picked up his utensils. “Got it, Mommy. I’ll eat properly now.” Jamie then turned her gaze to Orion, who, sensing her sternness, also sat upright and promised to focus on his food. With both boys settled and eating obediently, Jamie felt satisfied and
Ben glanced down at Jamie’s hand tightly holding his own. A faint smile flickered in his eyes, but the somber look on his face didn’t fade completely. Jamie noticed and assumed he was still upset. Unsure how to console him, she simply kept holding his hand, refusing to let go. That was precisely what Ben had intended. “It’s about time to pick up Charlie, isn’t it?” Jamie finally finished reading the case file, stretching as she glanced at the clock. It was already 4:00 PM. Preschool ended at 4:30, so if they left now, they would arrive just in time. Ben had already grabbed the car keys. “Yeah, let’s go.” Fortunately, traffic wasn’t bad, and they arrived at the preschool quickly. Jamie was scrolling through her phone when she suddenly said, “Nina messaged me. She’s busy today and can’t pick up Orion. She asked if we could swing by and get him.” They exchanged a look. Ben didn’t seem fazed. Picking up one more child didn’t make a difference to him. Jamie, ho
Most of the people nearby didn’t know what had happened. They simply listened to the man’s loud retorts and, judging by his confidence, began to cast skeptical glances at Jamie.“She looks so young. Why is she acting paranoid? How ridiculous.”“I don’t think it’s paranoia, it’s overconfidence. They say too much confidence is a sickness, and she clearly needs treatment.”“Oh, come on. I think she’s actually really pretty. Why are you all so hostile toward her? Honestly, the guy could’ve been snooping like she said. She did mention it was about her documents.”Hearing at least one voice defending her warmed Jamie’s heart. She turned and gave a smile to the young woman who had spoken up.The young woman froze for a moment, her face unexpectedly turning red. Embarrassed, she quickly looked down, pretending to sip her milk tea.Jamie didn’t linger on the moment. She refocused her attention on the man, her tone calm but firm. “I never said you were staring at me. You were clearly tryin
The girl's death was caused by her being forced to run laps despite being on her period. She had requested to be excused, but the teacher denied her request. Left with no choice, she pushed through, only to suffer a severe hemorrhage. She wasn’t treated in time and tragically passed away.The school defended itself, claiming the blame didn’t rest solely on them. They argued the girl and her family bore significant responsibility. After all, they reasoned, no one else had any issues during the drills. Why was it only her?Jamie’s frustration boiled over as she read through the case materials. “A school this shameless actually exists!”Ben tried to calm her. “Take it easy.”She took a deep breath, then sighed after a long pause. “You’re right. There are too many cases like this.”The idea of valuing a life at a mere $5,000 sounded absurd, but it wasn’t uncommon in reality. Examples of such injustices were everywhere, stemming from the lack of clear legal protections.“And that’s no
“Whose legal documents are these?” one of the investigators asked.“They’re mine,” Jamie replied. “I’ve been using them to prepare for a competition.”After she explained the situation, the investigator handed the documents back to her and issued a warning, emphasizing that such legal materials should not be present within the company. With that, they left.The man, clearly stunned, called after them, his voice rising with disbelief. “Did you even check properly? He’s a lawyer! How can a lawyer run a company as its president? Isn’t that against the rules?” The officials followed the direction of his finger and turned to look at Ben. Their expressions shifted into something between amusement and confusion, as though the man had asked an absurd question. “His law license was revoked a long time ago,” one of them stated plainly. The man froze, then shouted in denial, “That’s impossible!” “Why would it be impossible?” The official frowned, his tone growing stern. “When his l
Ben wouldn’t let Jamie fight his battles for him.He pulled her behind him, shielding her, and addressed the crowd with a cold expression. “If that’s the case, let’s have the authorities investigate.”Jamie stared at him, stunned.She understood the saying, “A clear conscience fears no accusation.” As long as Ben had nothing to hide, there was no reason to be afraid. But these people weren’t here for the truth, they were looking for trouble. It was likely orchestrated by their defeated opponents, timed to create chaos. Even if nothing incriminating was found, the media would seize the opportunity to smear them.Ben was doing this for her, disregarding himself completely.She was touched, but also anxious. She wanted to pull him back.However, Ben wasn’t budging this time. His warm but firm hand enveloped hers, silently telling her not to stop him.“What’s the matter? Afraid?” Ben asked, his hands casually in his pockets, raising an eyebrow with a hint of defiance.The loudest
“There’s a surveillance camera overhead, just so you know,” Ben said coldly, his gaze sharp as a blade. “I get it that you’re here to stick up for Summer. But let me be clear: whatever happened between the Lucas family and the Larson family is none of your business.”He held up the empty glass, his tone unwavering. “That drink was a warning. Don’t even think about testing my limits.”Jamie was his limit—his bottom line. He wouldn’t allow anyone to harm or disrespect her.Lila’s voice rang out, dripping with mockery as she addressed the gathering crowd. “Did everyone hear that? He’s threatening me with a drink as a ‘warning.’ Anyone here would agree this behavior is out of line. And all because I said a few words?“Ben Lucas, someone like you will get what’s coming to you!” Lila snapped, her voice sharp and bitter. “Doesn’t anyone wonder why someone who was doing so well as a lawyer suddenly gave it all up to become a CEO? Doesn’t everyone know lawyers aren’t supposed to engage in b
Jamie and Ben didn’t care about anyone else’s opinions.“You really think you and Ben can last?” The woman’s tone dripped with disdain. “Don’t forget, your statuses are worlds apart. If Ben didn’t care, why would he keep bringing you to events like these? Clearly, he does care.”Jamie noticed the woman’s provocative glare. Her elegance and poise were unmistakable, but her words revealed a heart filled with malice.With a calm but cutting tone, Jamie responded, “Even if Ben does care, that’s his business, not yours. And let’s be honest, you’d never have the courage to say this in front of him, would you? So, what’s the point of saying it to me?”Jamie didn’t even bother to take the woman seriously. Her relationship with Ben was her own, and she knew better than anyone how much he valued her.The woman sneered. “Oh, trust me, I’d say it to his face. But I assumed you had some self-awareness. Clearly, I was mistaken. You’re pathetic, Jamie.”With that, she spun on her heels and walk
“I was with Nash and the others today,” Ben said as he leaned back into the couch. “Jamie, tomorrow I want to take you to an exclusive high-society gala. If there’s anything you want or need for the occasion, just let me know.”For Jamie, the idea of attending such events held little appeal. What truly mattered to her was simply being by Ben’s side. Yet, Ben seemed determined to introduce her to this world, using his connections and influence to elevate her standing and help her thrive.But Jamie’s heart leaned toward a simpler life, one focused on family and the small joys within their home.“You’ve already given me everything I could ever want—friends, a safe life, love. I don’t feel drawn to these events. Can I skip this one?” she asked gently. Spending time with Charlie and bringing him over to play with Orion sounded like a better plan.Ben’s gaze softened. “If you really don’t want to go, I’ll respect your choice. But skipping out might not look great. There will be more occa