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
The calmer Lydia appeared, the more anxious Mrs. Fay became. She would prefer if Lydia broke down in tears, screamed, or even smashed everything in the house. Anything but this eerie calmness.Mrs. Fay pulled her into a tight embrace. “Lydia, you know you’re our only child. If anything were to happen to you, your father and I wouldn’t survive it.”With the awful things being said online, Mrs. Fay was terrified that her daughter might not be able to handle it and would consider something drastic.But Lydia wouldn’t let that happen. She wrapped her arms around her mother, noticing how much weight she had lost. It was something Lydia hadn’t realized before. All because she had been worried about her.“I may have lost my child, but I still have you and Dad. You’re the best parents in the world, and I want to take care of you. As long as we clear up the truth, everything will be fine,” Lydia reassured her, though as soon as she spoke, the doorbell rang.She quickly went to the door and
Quite the opposite, Mrs. Fay believed that Eugene’s tears were proof of how deeply he loved Lydia. Because of his love, he could truly empathize with her pain and feel her suffering.Lydia wanted to say she didn’t need Eugene’s help, but seeing the exhausted faces of her parents, what choice did she have? Could she really just kick him out?Doing so would only hurt her parents, who had already been through so much. So, instead, she watched as Eugene sat down with her parents on the couch.“Mr. and Mrs. Fay, I’ve already come up with a plan for handling the online scandal on my way over. We’ll fight fire with fire. They want to attack Lydia? Well, Quincy is no saint either! He’s been messing around with another woman the whole time.” Eugene slammed his hand down on the table to emphasize his point. “Lydia and I haven’t even been in touch, but Quincy’s cheating led to Lydia losing her child. I’ll make sure he ends up with nothing.”Lydia didn’t want things to escalate like this. In h
“No, not yet,” the doctor sighed heavily, “Your mother’s condition is incredibly severe. The chances of a successful surgery are very, very slim. She already had a weak heart, and now with this brain hemorrhage, it’s a tough situation. In all my years of practice, I’ve never seen anything like this.”Quincy felt a sudden chill grip his heart. He had always hated his mother meddling in his marriage, and had even thought to himself that it would be a relief if she stopped interfering one day. But he had never imagined the cost would be her life.“Doctor, is there—”“Whatever you need to ask can wait. First, you need to sign the critical condition notice. Every second you delay puts your mother in more danger,” the doctor interrupted, handing over the papers.A nurse quickly brought over the pen and paperwork. Quincy grabbed the black pen and, without hesitation, signed his name. He watched as the doctor disappeared back into the operating room. His heart felt like it was lodged in
Tiffany's eyes filled with tears. “Mrs. Perez, it’s just that I’m not lucky enough to be your daughter-in-law.”“Don’t say that, dear. You’re a sweet, thoughtful girl, and your luck will come in time,” Mrs. Perez consoled her before calling Quincy over.Quincy approached, but he kept a noticeable distance from Tiffany, not wanting any association with her.Mrs. Perez grabbed his hand and placed it in Tiffany’s, saying, “Quincy, this is my only wish. You refuse to fulfill it, so I’ll settle for Tiffany becoming my daughter. She can be your sister instead. That should be acceptable, right?”“Mom, I already have a sister. Mabel is standing right here,” Quincy replied, exasperated. He couldn’t believe his mother’s persistence. She wasn’t even that old, but she was acting like she had lost her mind. If she had really wanted another child, she could have had one back then. Modern medicine had come a long way. She could have gone abroad and had another child through IVF if she wanted to
When the secretary finally explained the situation to Quincy in full detail, his first reaction wasn’t about how badly he was being dragged through the mud. It was concern for Lydia. “Lydia never did anything wrong to me. She doesn’t deserve this kind of treatment. Who’s behind all of this?”Even if Lydia was with someone else now, as long as the man treated her well, Quincy would feel no more than bitter regret. He would never blame Lydia for anything. She was a wonderful person, and it was his failure to be the husband she deserved that had led to their separation.“I’m not sure,” the secretary replied. “A user posted a video online, and suddenly all the major marketing accounts started sharing it. It quickly trended on social media. Then the Fay family retaliated.”Without hesitation, Quincy ordered, “Get a team on it immediately. Issue clarifications and send legal notices to those accounts. If they keep spreading lies, we’ll take legal action.”With that, he hurried out, det
As they walked out the door, Eugene seemed to be trying to calm Mr. Fay down, but every word he spoke only fueled the fire.Just as they reached the entrance, they ran into Quincy.“You’ve got the nerve to show up here? After everything you’ve done to my daughter, what are you doing here now?” Mr. Fay rolled up his sleeves, clenching his fists tightly.Normally a calm and rational man, Mr. Fay wasn’t one to resort to violence. But right now, all he wanted was to land a punch on Quincy’s face to vent his rage for Lydia's sake.“Mr. Fay, I’m so sorry. It’s my fault I couldn’t take better care of Lydia, I—” Quincy began to apologize sincerely, but before he could finish, Eugene cut him off.Panicked, afraid that the truth might come out, Eugene was desperate to get Quincy out of there. “You two are divorced now. You have no right to be here. Get lost! You’ve already hurt Lydia enough, and now you want to come here and harass her parents?”“Eugene, even if you want to swoop in and ta
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