How much suffering had his daughter endured during her marriage?As Mr. Fay thought back to the online attacks, where so many people blindly insulted Lydia, hurling vicious words at her, his fury reached its peak. He couldn’t hold back any longer. His fists, fueled by rage, landed punch after punch on Quincy.“Mr. Fay, Eugene is a liar. You can’t believe anything he says. I never laid a hand on Lydia, and I would never try to slander her,” Quincy pleaded, trying his best to avoid the blows without fighting back. He didn’t want to hurt Mr. Fay. He dodged and explained, but Mr. Fay, blinded by anger, wasn’t hearing any of it.“I only believe what I’ve seen with my own eyes,” Mr. Fay spat, his voice trembling with fury. “You’re just like your mother, constantly making my daughter’s life miserable. What good could possibly come from you?”Quincy fell silent, unable to respond. As a man, he could understand Mr. Fay’s reaction. If his own daughter had been hurt like that, he wouldn’t
“Of course not! There's nothing between us,” Quincy hurried to explain.Tears welled up in Tiffany's eyes as she looked at Quincy, her expression filled with sorrow. She lowered her head, as if making some big decision. Then, turning to Mr. Fay, she said, “I only see Quincy as an older brother. We have always treated each other as siblings, so please don’t misunderstand our relationship, and definitely don’t say things like that.”That was the last straw for Mr. Fay. He wasn’t stupid. Just looking at Tiffany’s expression made it clear that their relationship was far from innocent. Brother and sister? What a joke.“I’d say you two are more like ‘lovers pretending to be siblings.’ Now that the divorce is final, you can go be as close as you want, but spare me the act! It’s disgusting!” Mr. Fay spat, releasing Quincy’s collar and shaking off the frustration with a sharp clap of his hands.His heart broke for Lydia, who had wasted so much time on a man like this.“It’s not like that
“Get out of my way, stop causing trouble! Tiffany, do you want me to strangle you?” Quincy’s eyes were red with fury. All he wanted was to explain things to Mr. Fay, but every time he tried, someone else jumped in, making everything even more complicated.“If you really want me dead, then go ahead and strangle me. I don’t care,” Tiffany lifted her chin, exposing her neck to his hands as tears streamed down her face. She knew Quincy would never hurt a woman, much less strangle her in front of everyone.Tiffany was gambling on the chaos. Even if it made Quincy hate her, it would be worth it if she could drive a permanent wedge between him and the Fay family.Mr. Fay, however, was convinced it was all just an act. This was his home, not the set of a soap opera.Enraged, Mr. Fay kicked at Quincy again. “Make up for it? Over my dead body!”“Mr. Fay, if you want to hit someone, hit me, but stop hitting Quincy!” Tiffany cried as she rushed to shield him.It was at this moment that Lyd
“Lydia, do we really have to end up as enemies?” Quincy’s voice faltered as he looked into her eyes, seeing nothing but coldness.His heart grew colder with every passing second. How he longed for the past, when Lydia’s gaze was filled with warm, fierce love, like the midday sun that wrapped him in its comforting heat. But now, everything had changed.Lydia gave a mocking smile. “This is the path you chose, Quincy. You made your decision, and now you want to backtrack? It’s pointless. We’re adults. You can’t have it all.”The moment he chose to follow his mother’s wishes and kept meeting with Tiffany, any hope for them was lost. Lydia wasn’t the type to tolerate her husband accepting a ‘sister’ from outside their marriage, and she certainly wouldn’t stand by while her mother-in-law plotted to shove a mistress into her husband’s life. If someone wanted to live that life, they could but she wasn’t going to make herself miserable for it.“But Lydia, I chose you. I’m having the rum
Could she really be so pathetic, constantly throwing herself at someone who clearly didn’t want her, enjoying being insulted every day?“Quincy...” Tiffany watched helplessly as Quincy walked away. She didn’t chase after him but stood up from the ground quietly. Quincy’s disdain for her was obvious, and she wasn’t stupid. She could see it as clear as day. But what Mrs. Perez had promised her was too tempting. As long as they got married and she bore him a child, that child would become the future heir of the Perez family and inherit the entire company! And with Quincy being close to Mr. York, his company would only grow. If she could endure the cold shoulder now, the future held the life of a rich wife waiting for her. Her in-laws would adore her, and even if Quincy didn’t love her, at least he would treat her with respect for the child’s sake. Quincy was a good man, and if she could just win him over, there would be nothing but sweet rewards in the future. Tiffany had calcu
The bar was filled with beautiful women, but none quite had the presence that Lydia did. As soon as she stepped inside, men holding drinks were quick to approach her.“Hey gorgeous, I’ve got a booth over there and a bottle of whiskey. Why don’t you join us for a drink?”“Forget him, come with me. I’m a VIP member here. Whatever you want, we’ll order it.”Without so much as a glance, Lydia brushed past them, her expression unchanged. “Excuse me.”She made her way to the bar, took out her card, and rented a private booth for herself. She ordered a case of beer and sat down alone. She mechanically cracked open bottles, one after the other, pouring the liquid down her throat. Before long, the table was littered with empty bottles.Lydia had hoped the alcohol would dull the pain, but the more she drank, the clearer her mind became. Unwanted memories flooded in. Snapshots of Quincy filled her thoughts. From moments at work to their everyday life together, all these fragments blended i
The bottle shattered into countless pieces, scattering across the floor. The woman jumped back, startled by the sudden violence. Her heart pounded in her chest as she stared at Quincy in disbelief. “What the hell are you doing?”“I told you to get lost,” Quincy finally looked at her.His gaze was void of any emotion or desire, filled only with pure disdain. In that moment, the woman felt a sharp sting of rejection. Was she really that undesirable? A man who wouldn’t even consider a woman throwing herself at him, going so far as to smash a bottle. How harsh.“Fine, I’ll leave! What, you think you’re the only option I’ve got?” she retorted, her pride wounded. She spat out, “With that attitude, who else would even want you? If you didn’t want to be bothered, why come to a place like this?”Bars were for unwinding, for indulging in pleasure, so what was he doing pretending to be the good guy?Quincy didn’t respond. As the noise around him quieted, he sat back down, lost in his tho
“Eugene, I’m telling you one more time. I don’t need you here. Just go home,” Lydia’s tone grew more impatient.She had come out late to have a drink, clear her mind, and ease her frustrations, not to have Eugene hovering around, nagging her endlessly.Eugene, however, didn’t budge. Instead, he sat down beside her and opened a bottle of beer for himself.“If you want to drink, then I’ll drink with you. Whenever you’ve had enough and want to go home, I’ll take you.”Lydia found herself at a loss for words. Suddenly, she no longer felt like drinking. She placed the bottle aside and looked at the men and women swaying wildly in the dance floor under the neon lights.How she wished Quincy was the one beside her right now.“Lydia, how about we head over and dance for a bit?” Eugene offered.Earlier, as he walked into the bar, he spotted Quincy. That man really was everywhere, like a shadow that refused to disappear. Or maybe it was just fate. No matter how they tried to avoid each ot
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