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
The man, dazed from the beating, looked up to see Quincy’s furious face. Instantly, he cowered, forcing a smile. “I get it, I get it. She’s all yours. I’ll leave right now, I promise not to bother you two. Take your time, big guy.”Quincy grabbed him by the collar and firmly warned him again. “A woman is a person, not something you can just hand over. You don’t have the right to talk like that.”The only reason Quincy had intervened was to stop an innocent woman from being harassed, not to claim her for himself. Apart from Lydia, he didn’t want anyone.“Yes, yes, you’re right,” the man mumbled as he scrambled to his feet and darted away, grumbling under his breath about Quincy. Acting all noble but everyone knew why guys came to a place like this. It was solely to pick up women.Quincy didn’t bother chasing him. Instead, he turned to give a word of caution to the woman. She should be careful hanging around a bar at night like this. But then he froze.It was Lydia.“Quincy? Am I s
If Lydia didn’t recognize him, Quincy would leave her to rest. He knew she was drunk, and he didn’t want to take advantage of the situation.“Quincy, I could never forget your face. Do you really think I wouldn’t know it’s you?” Lydia looked at him, her voice slightly slurred. Though her vision was hazy under the dim light, her emotions were clear. She was letting herself believe this was a dream, one where she could finally release all the feelings she had kept bottled up for so long. She repeated Quincy’s name, over and over.Hearing her say his name was intoxicating to Quincy, more so than any alcohol. He leaned down, kissed her deeply, and they lost themselves in the moment, wrapped in each other’s arms. Hours passed, and by the time they were done, Lydia was completely spent, too exhausted to even get up and shower. She drifted off to sleep almost immediately. For the first time in a long while, they both slept soundly.As the sunlight filtered through the curtains the next
He lay on the bed until Lydia opened her eyes.When she saw Eugene, she froze for a moment, her mind going blank. She struggled to speak, “Last night… how did we end up here?”The fragments of memory lingering in her mind told her that she had been with Quincy, so why was it suddenly Eugene? She couldn’t accept this reality.“Lydia, I told you to head home early last night, but you insisted on letting me go alone. How could I leave you there at the bar? Surrounded by men who were eyeing you like prey? I couldn’t risk that, but despite all my precautions, you still fell into their trap.” Eugene’s voice dripped with false sincerity as he spun his tale.His expression conveyed nothing but concern. “They slipped something into your drink. When you went to grab some juice, you lost consciousness and nearly got taken away. Luckily, I arrived just in time to save you.”Lydia struggled to remember what had happened the night before. She recalled the sleazy guy who had tried to make a move
“Right,” Lydia suddenly stopped in her tracks. “I need to check out.”“No need for that. I booked last night’s room under my name, so we can head straight to the hospital. I’ll take care of everything else,” Eugene quickly interrupted her.Just as they were leaving, Quincy returned. He was holding breakfast from a popular spot that he had waited half an hour in line for. But it didn’t matter. If Lydia liked it, he would gladly wait even longer.“Excuse me, sir,” the receptionist suddenly called out to him. She looked at Quincy with sympathy, almost as if he were a tragic character. Here he was, up early to buy breakfast, only to find his girlfriend with another man. Unable to resist, she said, “Your girlfriend has already left. Would you like to check out?”“Uh, yeah, let’s just check out,” Quincy replied, startled. So, Lydia had woken up. She must have slipped away quietly, still unsure of how to face him. It might be best to let them both cool off for a while.After checki
She couldn’t just get divorced and then marry again right after. She also didn’t want to be tied to Eugene for the rest of her life. Even though they had slept together under the influence of the medication, her mind was always on Quincy. Now that she was awake, she felt a strong aversion to any physical contact with Eugene, even just a touch of hands.Eugene looked at her, disappointment evident in his eyes, but he was reluctant to give up. “Think it over, Lydia. There’s no rush to make a decision.”If she continued to refuse him, he would go to her parents. They had been so supportive of him and wanted to see them together. He was sure they would join forces to persuade Lydia.Lydia remained silent. No matter how long she considered it, she wouldn’t agree to marry Eugene.……Meanwhile, on Nina’s side, they hadn’t been in touch since Lydia left. During this time, Nash had approached Quincy about taking on a project, but Quincy was overwhelmed with family matters. Maintaining
Nina nodded. Although she wasn’t the best singer, she could carry a tune. Orion clapped his hands in excitement. “That’s great! Mom and Dad, tomorrow the school is having a family event. It’s a singing competition. Will you come with me?”Tomorrow was Saturday, and the school scheduled the family event for this day, considering that parents had to work during the week. If there was nothing on his plate, Nash would certainly accompany Nina and Orion to the school, but he had a new project to handle.With the traffic light turning red, Nash discussed it with Nina. “Honey, why don’t you take the kids to school tomorrow? I have to meet a client that day.”Nina nodded in agreement. While both parents should share the responsibility of taking care of the kids, as a married couple, they should understand each other’s commitments. Nash was working hard to create a better life for their family, and she completely understood that.Orion, being a very considerate child, didn’t complain at a
Ben rubbed his tired eyes after reviewing the draft for a while. When he looked back at Jamie, a faint smile curved his lips. “The draft looks good—just a few minor issues.” Jamie immediately perked up, eager to learn, like a diligent student. Playing the role of her temporary teacher, Ben shared everything he knew without holding back. The afternoon flew by. Feeling satisfied, Jamie grabbed the draft with fresh notes and rushed off to make revisions. She became so immersed in her work that she didn’t even notice how much time had passed until evening. Ben, having finished his own tasks, looked over and saw Jamie still glued to her computer. With a sigh, he rubbed his forehead and walked over to pull her up from her chair. Jamie yelped as her upper body suddenly left the ground. “Ben, what are you doing? I’m not done yet!” Ben pointed to his watch. “Take a look at the time.” Jamie glanced at the clock, then jumped up in alarm, nearly bumping into him. “Charlie!”
Ben picked up the project proposal that had been set aside. Realizing she had misunderstood, Lila felt a flicker of embarrassment but quickly composed herself. Glancing at his actions, she said calmly, “This is the project I want your team to handle. So, can you do it or not?” Jamie couldn’t read Ben’s thoughts. She only knew she didn’t want Lila to get her way. This woman had been looking for trouble from the start, clearly acting with bad intentions. Why give her an opportunity to exploit? But Ben glanced at Jamie, the corners of his lips curving into a gentle smile, almost as if to reassure her. “I think it’s doable.” He directed the comment to Jamie, but Lila assumed it was for her. Instantly, her earlier frustration vanished, and she crossed her arms smugly. “Did you hear that, Jamie? Ben is your boss, isn’t he? Now that he’s given the green light, you don’t have anything else to say, do you?”Her self-satisfied demeanor made it seem as if she had already secured her
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