“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
Winnie reacted strongly, refusing to believe any of it. “We’ve known each other for so long. He’s always been so good to me, and he’s incredibly dedicated to his work. He’s an exceptional lawyer. How could he possibly do something like this? You have to investigate thoroughly and clear his name,” she said, her voice trembling. The captain waited until she finished before asking, “Miss Lewis, just now you called him ‘Jack.’ Is that right?” “Yes, that’s his name, Jack Green. We’re engaged, and we’re getting married soon. Is there a problem with me calling him that?” Winnie responded, momentarily stunned. Her first thought was that the captain was being unnecessarily nosy. Was it wrong for an engaged couple to call each other by their first names?The captain shook his head. “This has nothing to do with your upcoming marriage, but the name you’re using doesn’t match the one on his ID. Were you aware of that?” “You’re joking, right? That’s not funny,” Winnie said, her face
While Nash spent time with his daughter, Gemma, every day, Nina and Pharaoh had missed out on so much together. Now that the doctors had given Pharaoh only five years to live, it was clear they needed to make the most of the time they had left and create as many good memories as possible.Lydia completely understood.She waved goodbye to Nash, then linked her arm through Quincy’s as the two walked toward their parked car.“I was thinking that, since work has been slow, we could take a short trip to a nearby city,” Quincy said, glancing at her with a warm expression. “But it looks like we’ll have to postpone it.”With her by his side, life felt perfect.Lydia smiled. “If not this week, then next week or the one after. We’ve got all the time in the world.”They were still young, with plenty of time to do everything they wanted.……Meanwhile, Winnie was left alone at home since Jamie went out to work. With nothing else to do, she decided to tidy up. The villa was large, and clea
Nash was the first to speak. “Mrs. Lucas, what exactly happened to Ben? Can you tell us everything? Let’s see if there’s a way we can help.”“Alright. Thank goodness he has friends like you. Otherwise, I’d have no idea what to do right now.” Mrs. Lucas recounted the situation in detail but carefully omitted her own involvement.The living room fell silent, and everyone’s expressions darkened.“I raised Ben. I know my son. He would never do something like this. It must be a setup,” Mrs. Lucas said, her voice trembling with emotion. The more she spoke, the more heartbroken she felt. All she could think about now were her Ben’s virtues. Apart from refusing to listen to her about marriage and career plans, Ben had always been a good son.“Don’t worry, Mrs. Lucas. We’ll figure something out,” Lydia offered as she stood and gently guided Mrs. Lucas to the nearby study. “You should rest for a bit. Don’t wear yourself out.”Quincy watched Lydia closely as she left the room. Only when sh
Mrs. Lucas deeply regretted her decision. If she had known it would come to this, she would never have sought out this man for help. “You hide behind a mask and won’t even show your face. How can you call yourself a man?”“Mrs. Lucas, do you really think throwing insults will make me take off the mask and obediently do your bidding like a dog?” The masked man remained calm, his tone even laced with amusement, which only added to Mrs. Lucas’s frustration.She was on the verge of breaking down. “Just name your price. How much will it take to get my son out of there?”As long as Ben could walk out safely and unharmed, no amount of money was too much.But the masked man shook his head. “This isn’t about money. If it were that simple, you wouldn’t be here begging me for help.”The truth was, Mrs. Lucas had come to him because she had run out of options. He was her last hope. Yet, he shrugged nonchalantly, as if to show her just how powerless he really was.“I don’t make the laws, an
Why would Caden do this?“And then there’s that recent case you handled. The client is suspected of laundering money for an international corporation, and these are the ‘evidences’ you submitted.” The captain’s brows furrowed as he pulled a file from the side, placing it in front of Ben. “Take a look at what you turned in.”The documents were full of evasive arguments, but the worst part was that a check had somehow been slipped between the pages. With all this evidence piled up against him, even as a lawyer, Ben had no way to prove his innocence.He had no idea how things had come to this. He had personally organized and submitted these files to the court, but the ones on record were completely different. Someone had swapped them out.But who?Ben handled everything himself, except for having his assistant print the documents. Could it be…?“Mr. Lucas, the evidence is overwhelming. You’d better think about how to clear your name,” the captain said, standing up and looking at Ben
“Please come with us,” one of the officers stepped up, holding a pair of silver handcuffs.Ben was even more puzzled. He hadn’t done anything illegal. Why were these officers showing up at his office? And why the cuffs?His first reaction was to step back. “You must have the wrong person.”“Your name is Ben Lucas, right? We’ve already matched your photo. I suggest you don’t resist and just come along quietly,” the officer barked.They wouldn’t be here without solid evidence. There was no mistake.“If you’re taking me in, I’d like to know the reason,” Ben replied, still trying to make sense of what was happening.To the officers, his reaction came across as defiant, making him look even more suspicious.“Don’t tell me you’re unaware of your own wrongdoing? You’re supposed to be a lawyer, familiar with the law. How convenient to play ignorant when it applies to you!“Think carefully! Confess, and things might go easier for you. Resist, and you’ll only make it worse. Don’t interfe
How could Jamie feel right about taking the money? In just a few days, Winnie had already lent her so much. She couldn’t keep taking advantage of her.“Jamie, if I were living alone, I wouldn’t care so much. But now, with Jack and the baby on the way, it’s unrealistic for us to keep living together forever. Take this money. It’s enough to cover at least half a month’s rent,” Winnie said firmly.Jamie could hear the underlying message. Winnie was trying to hint, as gently as possible, that it might be time for Jamie to find her own place. It made sense. Winnie was building her own family and naturally wanted privacy. Having a relative around wasn’t exactly ideal, especially with everything Ben had been doing lately. While he hadn’t openly revealed anything about their past, it was clear enough that Winnie had noticed something.Jamie truly wanted to move out, but the moment she started looking for a place, Ben would make her life difficult. She didn’t mind for herself, but with
The next morning, Ben opened his eyes. He immediately noticed the blanket covering him. Could Jamie have been the one taking care of him last night?He sat up, only to see Winnie sleeping on a makeshift bed on the floor.“You’re awake? You were so drunk last night that you passed out on the way home. It was a struggle just getting you here. I even tried to wake you up for some tea to help sober you up, but you were completely out,” Winnie said as she woke up, too.After straightening up the living room a bit, she went to the kitchen and came back with a mug of warm herbal tea. “I’m guessing the hangover’s mostly gone, so you probably don’t need anything strong. But this will soothe your throat.”“You don’t have to go through all this trouble,” Ben replied, placing the mug on the coffee table without drinking it.Ben looked around the room. It was just the two of them. Where had Jamie gone?The thought nagged at him, so he asked directly.“Jack, I’m not sure if I should say this…
“He… likes my sister?” The shocking thought had barely surfaced before it jolted Winnie. “You’ve got the wrong person. I’m not Winnie,” Jamie quickly pushed Ben toward Winnie’s side.A look of irritation crossed Ben’s face. It was Jamie he wanted to hold. What did Winnie have to do with him?Annoyed, he grumbled, “Why do you keep pushing me away?”“Jack, you’re mistaken. I’m your fiancée!” Winnie finally couldn’t hold back anymore. She strode over, took Ben’s hand, and placed it around her waist. “I get that my sister and I look a bit alike, but you can’t keep confusing us like this!”She had brushed it off the first couple of times, but this was going too far.Ben still seemed inclined to push her away.Just then, the taxi arrived, and Jamie opened the front passenger door, slipping inside. Seeing this, Ben staggered in her direction, while Winnie hurried to open the back door for him.Once inside, Ben leaned back in the seat and fell asleep almost immediately.Not wanti