“You're so smooth-talking,” Nina teased, shooting him a playful glare before picking up the tray and opening the kitchen door.She set the breakfast on the table and called to Orion, “Breakfast is ready! Go wash your hands first, then you can eat.”“Mom, I already washed them!” Orion proudly held up his hands. “Our teacher taught us the right way to wash. They’re super clean.”“You’re such a big boy now!” Nina praised him, lifting him into his chair and sitting down to peel his egg.Nash didn’t sit idle either. He poured milk for everyone, making sure to include a glass for Lydia.“Thanks, Mr. York,” Lydia said quickly, feeling a bit formal.“No need for that. Let’s just enjoy breakfast,” he replied, steering clear of any mention of Quincy.Throughout the meal, Lydia remained quiet, watching this family of three as they laughed and chatted. The envy in her eyes was almost palpable. Once, she and Quincy had been like this, always with so much to talk about, especially when she
Orion rattled off a list of games, and the boy shook his head the whole time. He had completely forgotten to cry, his big eyes wide with curiosity. “What are those games you’re talking about? I’ve never heard of them.”“Come to preschool with me, and you’ll see. There are lots of other kids there, and we can play all of them together.” Orion kept him guessing, adding a little suspense.The boy was intrigued. He got up, grabbed Orion’s hand, and said, “I want to go to preschool with you. I want to try all those games!”The boy’s parents, relieved, approached Nina to thank her and offered praise for Orion.“They’re classmates now, and I’m sure they’ll be great friends. No need to thank us,” Nina replied, watching her son’s retreating figure with pride. She and Nash had done well raising him.Once the two kids disappeared into the school, Nina got back in the car and instructed the driver to head to the courthouse. As the reality of seeing Quincy again set in, Lydia found herself cle
“Quincy,” Lydia noticed the call and spoke up, “Someone’s calling you. Go ahead and answer. It’s not like you need to worry about me anymore. We’re getting divorced, after all.”In just a month, they would have their divorce papers, and that would be the end. They would be strangers with no ties left between them.Quincy finally pressed the answer button, feeling utterly drained. “Mom, is there something you need?”“Quincy, where have you been these past few days?” Mrs. Perez’s voice was filled with concern.Ever since that day in the hospital when Quincy mentioned the special herbal tea, Mrs. Perez had been quick to act. She urged her husband to rush home, and then had Mabel keep Quincy occupied. They managed to dispose of the herbal tea successfully, so even if Quincy searched every corner of the house, he wouldn’t find a trace.After finally breathing a sigh of relief, Mrs. Perez grew increasingly frustrated when Quincy seemingly disappeared, avoiding even a single visit. He wo
Quincy didn’t get angry at Lydia’s words. Instead, he just felt more guilt. “I’m sorry, Lydia. Truly, I am.”“There’s no need for apologies, and no need to waste any more time on me,” Lydia replied. “They just called our number. Once we’ve got our divorce papers, you’ll be free to be with Miss Tiffany as openly as you want.” She stood up.Together, they approached the desk, and Lydia addressed the clerk, “Hello, we’re here to file for divorce.”“Are you both sure you want to go through with this?” the clerk asked, following protocol.Lydia nodded firmly. Quincy didn’t say a word, but his expression spoke volumes. He clearly didn’t want this.The clerk picked up on Quincy’s hesitation and took a moment to offer some advice. “Every marriage has its share of disagreements and arguments. That’s completely normal. Sometimes people rush into divorce, only to regret it later. I’ve seen many couples come back and remarry.”“We’ve made up our minds. Please continue with the paperwork,”
“Quincy,” Lydia turned to face him. “In what capacity are you saying that to me?”Before Quincy could respond, Tiffany, who had rushed over from her cab, answered for him. “Obviously as your soon-to-be ex-husband, Miss Fay. Let me remind you, you’re still married. Accepting roses from another man while you’re still married. That’s cheating, isn’t it?”Lydia nearly laughed out loud through her frustration. “Cheating?” Was she seriously being accused of cheating?What did Quincy and Tiffany think they were? She and Eugene were entirely innocent, nothing had happened between them. And even if it had, Tiffany, as the mistress, had no right to accuse her of anything.“Tiffany, who told you to come here?” Quincy’s eyes burned with anger.Why did she keep interfering like this? He shoved Tiffany aside. “This is none of your business. Get out of here.”“Quincy! Wake up! She’s been seeing this man since before you two decided to divorce. How can you not see what’s going on?” Tiffany shout
Behind them, Quincy watched Lydia and Eugene walk away, a storm of pain swirling in his chest. He wanted nothing more than to step in, stop them, and take Lydia back home. But in his current position, what right did he have?“Quincy,” Tiffany cut in, taking advantage of the moment. “I know how women think, and I can see through Lydia’s little game. She’s with this new guy, but she still wants to keep you as a backup. She’s just using you as a safety net.”Quincy clenched his fists. “I don’t hit women, but don’t push me. I’m warning you. Keep your mouth shut.”“Quincy!” Tiffany’s frustration boiled over. Why was he so devoted to Lydia?But she also knew when to stop. If she kept pushing and really set Quincy off, it could spiral out of control. So, she reluctantly fell silent, watching as Quincy walked away.Immediately, Tiffany pulled out her phone and called the media contact she had arranged. “You got all the footage I mentioned, right? Follow through as we discussed, and I’ll s
When Lydia finally hit rock bottom, Eugene planned to step in and offer his support. That way, she would remember his kindness deeply and she would likely end up despising Quincy completely.“Alright, Mr. Ford, I’ll head back to handle those files,” his assistant said, though he couldn’t help but feel puzzled. “If you truly love someone, shouldn’t you want them to be okay?” the assistant wondered.Online harassment could be brutal, and yet Mr. Ford was choosing to stand by and do nothing. The assistant didn’t understand his boss’s thinking, but he knew it wasn’t his place to question. He was there to do his job, and that was all.After the assistant left, Eugene returned to his work, occasionally checking the trending topic online. Frustrated by the slow momentum, he decided to speed things up by hiring a few more bots to fan the flames.……After completing the divorce paperwork, Lydia had initially left with Eugene. However, halfway there, she asked to be let out and headed bac
What if Lydia couldn’t handle it and did something to hurt herself? How would they survive?“Dad, if something’s wrong, just tell me. Don’t carry everything on your own like this,” Lydia pressed, refusing to back down.She stood firm in front of him, making it clear she wouldn’t leave until he explained everything.Mrs. Fay came over as well, gently urging her husband. “We’re a family. There’s nothing we can’t talk about. If Quincy really did something terrible, Lydia needs to know. It’s better for her to see his true colors than to be kept in the dark.”Mr. Fay tried to brush it off. “It’s really nothing. I was just chatting with someone about their perfect son-in-law, and it reminded me of Quincy, which made me angry. Let’s not dwell on these unpleasant things.”But after so many years together, Lydia knew her father far too well to be fooled by a few words. She wasn’t about to let it slide so easily.Pulling out her phone, she said, “If you won’t tell me, I’ll find out for mys
Lila spoke coolly. “Well, since no one ever mentioned it to you, now you know. Jamie, when you used to work in the service industry, weren’t you well aware of these things? So why is it that now, after being with Ben, you’ve changed so quickly? Forgetting where you came from this fast is something else.”Jamie had insisted on handling this meeting with Lila herself. Even though Ben had dropped her off and wanted to accompany her inside, she had stopped him at the door. And now, it was clear. Lila, seeing Jamie alone, felt free to mock and humiliate her without restraint. Jamie stood abruptly, her presence suddenly intense. “Lila, do you know why I’m here today?” Lila sneered dismissively. “I couldn’t care less about your intentions. But since you’re here, you should remember one thing—I’m your client.” “Client?” Jamie couldn’t help but laugh at that. “Did we finalize a partnership? You seem to have forgotten that just as you can choose not to work with me, I also have the
At the event that day, some people were bold enough to question Ben directly to his face. It was no surprise that, in his absence, they felt free to make unpleasant comments to Jamie instead, leaving her to deal with it alone.Ben held Jamie’s hand, his gaze soft and full of care. “After everything we’ve been through to get here, you should understand how determined I am to protect you,” he said gently, his voice steady and soothing. “If anything happens to you, you have to tell me. If you don’t, how am I supposed to know? I can’t let you suffer in silence.”Jamie nodded. “I know. I promise. But I really just want to use this opportunity to prove myself.” How could she not? If she didn’t prove herself now, when would she? Her goal was to stand alongside Ben for the long haul. “And what exactly will proving yourself through working with her accomplish? Jamie, you need to understand that as long as you’re with me, you don’t need to—” Before Ben could finish, Jamie placed
“Why don’t you stay home and take care of Charlie? With you watching over him, I’d feel completely at ease. Besides, I’m earning enough money now. You don’t need to worry. I can more than provide for the both of you,” Ben said, his tone gentle but firm.The Lucas Corporation was massive, and Ben’s past work as a lawyer brought in astronomical fees, starting in the millions. Financial security was never a concern for their family.Jamie shook her head. “The work I’ve done before was all over the place, but didn’t you support me in doing it? What’s this sudden change, Ben? You’re switching sides faster than flipping a page!”Her decision to return to studying law had been encouraged by Ben himself. But now, hearing him say this, it felt like he was wavering, as though he wanted her to stay at home. Stay at home and do what? Take care of the child? To Jamie, this was an opportunity she couldn’t let slip away. It was her chance to prove herself. “That’s not what I meant,” Be
Lila visited Summer, whose condition had visibly deteriorated. “Looking at you now, do you regret any of it?” Lila asked. If Summer hadn’t been so fixated on Ben, she wouldn’t have ended up this way, consumed by obsession. Summer gave a bitter smile. “With so many twists and turns in life, who even has the right to speak of regret?” She reached out and held Lila’s hand tightly. “Lila, let my experience be a lesson to you. Make sure you see things clearly and never do anything foolish for someone who doesn’t love you.” It was sound advice, and Lila couldn’t help but feel indignant on Summer’s behalf. But her indignation was meaningless. Back then, all she had wanted was to make things difficult for Jamie. In the end, it had backfired, leaving her worse off. “I’m sorry, Summer,” Lila said remorsefully. “I couldn’t even help you get justice. I still carry that guilt.” “You don’t owe me an apology,” Summer replied gently. “You came to see me and cared enough to thin
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