In just one week, Lydia had accomplished so much that even her supervisor took notice of her hard work and dedication. “Tomorrow, we're meeting with a client. I’d like you to come with me.”“A client meeting? Really?” Lydia's eyes lit up. She had once been an assistant to Nash, so handling clients was nothing new. But after only a week at her family’s company, being invited to a client meeting felt like a clear sign of her supervisor’s trust in her.“Absolutely. I’ve been observing your skills and your attitude, and honestly, I think you might be even better than me. You’re more than ready to meet clients,” her supervisor affirmed.There was still plenty of prep work for the meeting, so her supervisor forwarded all the project files to Lydia’s email. Opening her inbox for the first time in a while, Lydia saw her supervisor’s email at the top, but she also noticed an unread message from Quincy. She had intended to delete it, but her finger slipped, opening the email instead. No
Seeing his daughter collapsed on the floor, Mr. Fay was terrified. He rushed over in just a few strides, scooped her up, and bolted out of the office. “Call an ambulance!” he shouted. One of the nearby employees quickly dialed 911, and within minutes, an ambulance was at the building entrance. Mr. Fay rode with his daughter to the hospital, anxiously pacing outside the emergency room, his worry mounting. She was his only child, his greatest treasure. If anything happened to her, he didn’t know how he or his wife would cope. Just the thought alone was overwhelming.Lost in his thoughts, he nearly jumped when the doctor approached. He grabbed the doctor’s shoulders, his voice frantic, “Doctor, how’s my daughter? What’s wrong with her?”The doctor glanced at Mr. Fay’s grip, considering stepping back, but the desperation in his eyes was unmistakable. With a deep sigh, the doctor replied, “Your daughter’s fine, Mr. Fay. She just had low blood sugar. She’s recently pregnant, so she
“That's not true. This child isn’t his at all. He’s lying about it,” Lydia shook her head, her voice steady. “This child is Quincy’s.”She gently placed her hand over her stomach, a thought striking her. Could it be that the child she had lost before had somehow returned to her?Turning to her father, she declared, “No matter what, I’m keeping this child. Quincy and I are divorced, but he won’t trouble me. I trust him. I know he’s a decent man.”“And what about his mother?” Mr. Fay sighed, shaking his head. “That troublesome mother-in-law is a nightmare for anyone unlucky enough to deal with her.”Compared to Eugene, he was starting to view Quincy in a more favorable light. Besides, the evidence he had found showed that the slanderous posts defaming Lydia online weren’t Quincy’s doing. They were from Tiffany, who had even connected with a rival of Fay Corporation. This mess wasn’t Quincy’s fault.If Quincy were the only concern, Mr. Fay might have looked the other way for the sake
“With what would she get pregnant?” Mrs. Perez laughed, dismissing Lydia entirely. “I asked the doctor last time. With her condition, it’s hard for her to conceive, especially after a miscarriage. Even if she tried to lure Quincy, it wouldn’t bring about a child.”Suddenly, the door to the room was thrown open.Quincy stood outside, his face filled with anger. He could no longer hold back. Every word he had just overheard pushed him to his breaking point. He never imagined his mother could be so ruthless, so selfish, so downright despicable.“Quincy, what are you doing back so suddenly?” Mrs. Perez was genuinely panicked. With only Mabel in the room earlier, she hadn’t held back, saying exactly what was on her mind. She hadn’t expected Quincy to come back like this.“If I hadn’t come back, how would I have known about all the ‘good deeds’ my mother’s been doing behind my back?” Quincy’s voice trembled with frustration. “You’re a woman too. How could your heart be so twisted?”Not
“I didn’t actually go through with the treatment.” Mrs. Perez felt a deep wave of regret. She had schemed and plotted, yet, in the end, she had outsmarted herself. If she had known it would come to this, she never would have gone down this road.“But it’s all clearly documented in your medical record.”“I didn’t take the medication, and I poured out the IV fluids,” Mrs. Perez confessed, regretting every word as she spoke.The doctor could only look at her, baffled. “If you don’t want treatment, then just go home and save the money. Young people today work hard to earn a living, and it’s embarrassing for our hospital if this gets out.”“No, no! I’ve learned my lesson. I’ll fully cooperate with treatment from now on.” Mrs. Perez was suddenly willing to comply, all traces of defiance gone.Despite her tough talk about dying, the ones who talk about it the most are often the ones most afraid of it. She genuinely wanted to live. Life was good now, with no financial worries, and excep
“Her condition is very severe. Even if she undergoes surgery now, she’ll most likely be bedridden for the rest of her life.” When it came to his mother, Quincy could only think, “she brought this on herself”.In the beginning, Lydia had treated her so well, always considerate and caring, visiting her regularly and even making various nutritious soups. If his mother hadn’t created so much trouble, the family would be happy together, eagerly awaiting the arrival of a new life. But life would not work on “what ifs”; only actions and consequences.Lydia was silent for a long time. “How did it come to this?”Back when they were still married, Mrs. Perez’s health had seemed fine. She looked perfectly healthy. How did things deteriorate so quickly?“She’s been faking her illness for ages, but now she’s genuinely sick, and her condition has worsened fast. She’s missed the best treatment window,” Quincy explained briefly.Lydia nearly blurted out “serves her right,” but held her tongue,
“Then maybe it’s best to just end this cleanly from the start,” Mrs. Fay said, standing firmly on her daughter’s side. “Go on, I’ll transfer the money directly to your account. These items are too heavy for one person to carry, so I’ll have a bodyguard help you out.”Hearing the word “bodyguard” made Eugene feel even more bitter. She was subtly warning him that if he tried anything, there were bodyguards ready to step in and throw him out.He gave Lydia one last look. “Then, I’ll go. Lydia, take care of yourself.”“She’d better stay home as much as possible. If not…” he thought. Of course, he didn’t say this out loud. He had followed her before, and he planned to continue. When the right moment came, he would take her away by force if necessary. Once intimate photos of them together made it online, Mr. and Mrs. Fay wouldn’t have much choice but to reluctantly accept him as their son-in-law. Society was always harder on women than men. Unless her parents truly didn’t care about
Lydia looked outside. The once-bustling street was now eerily quiet. It was rush hour. Vendors should have been seizing the moment to rake in profits, not closing shop all at once. The only explanation? Eugene had orchestrated it all.“You’re truly despicable,” Lydia’s disgust deepened.Eugene, far from being ashamed, looked proud. “Thanks for the compliment. I paid each vendor two thousand dollars to clear out. Now, you have two options: willingly be with me, or be forced to.”One way or another, he was determined to have Lydia.Lydia’s hand moved to her bag’s zipper as she scoffed. “I’m not choosing either.”She was human, not about to be treated like a captive animal. Eyeing her chance, she began to unzip her bag to retrieve her pepper spray, but Eugene moved in, wrapping his arms around her from the side.He buried his face in her hair, inhaling deeply. “Mmm, you smell amazing, my dear. You’re getting your divorce next week, right? How about you marry me on the same day?”
Yelena quickly lowered her arm, letting her sleeve fall over the mark to cover it. “It’s nothing. Here’s your cocktail. Please enjoy.” “Yelena.” Hunter grabbed her wrist without warning. He pulled up her sleeve, revealing the deep, ugly scars on her arm. His brows knitted together instantly. “Who did this to you?” The force behind it was brutal—downright inhuman. Yelena remained silent. Who else could have done this besides Liam? But she had agreed to this. She had willingly accepted Hunter’s request and entered Liam’s world. She had no right to complain. Her silence gave Hunter all the confirmation he needed. “Liam did this to you, didn’t he?” Yelena nodded. “It’s nothing. The wounds have already started healing. They look worse than they feel. Give it some time, and they’ll fade.” “Wait here.” Hunter stood abruptly and walked away. Yelena had no idea what he was doing, but since he told her to wait, she didn’t argue. A few minu
Then again, it made sense. How could a normal person possibly empathize with a lunatic? If Yelena could understand Liam, that would make her just as twisted. *For the next few days, Yelena stayed home to recover. During that time, Liam came back a few times, bringing her flowers and food. Like a child showing off a treasure, he placed the food in front of her. “Yelena, these are your favorite honey crullers. I got them fresh from the bakery. Try them and see if you like them.” “I’m not really hungry.” She didn’t want to eat anything he gave her. She couldn’t even stand looking at him. But she had made a promise. So, she had to force herself to stay. Liam’s expression darkened. “Are you really not hungry, or do you just not want to eat what I give you?” For someone like him, once he had lost his temper once, the second time would only come faster and smoother. With a heavy thud, he slammed the honey crullers onto the table. “Yes, I hit y
If Liam had been a normal person, Hunter never would have sent her here in the first place. But of course, Yelena could only think that. She wasn’t suicidal enough to say it out loud. Instead, she reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. “I was really just messaging an old classmate. If you don’t believe me, go ahead—check my phone.” She wasn’t worried. Whenever she contacted Hunter, she deleted each message immediately. She had even forged an entire fake conversation just in case Liam ever got suspicious. So, no matter how thoroughly he checked, there would be nothing for him to find. Liam narrowed his eyes. “Is that so? Then why do I still feel like you’re lying? Women like you—nothing but liars, every last one of you.” Then, he struck her again. Yelena screamed. The pain was relentless, merciless. She had no idea how long it lasted—only that by the time he finally stopped, she was barely breathing. Her body slumped against the floor
Suddenly, footsteps sounded behind Yelena. She spun around, her heart hammering in her chest. Liam was walking toward her, a faint smile on his lips—but the coldness in his eyes told a different story. Memories of his past cruelty flashed through her mind, sending a shudder down her spine. She forced herself to stay calm. “Who are you messaging?” He was getting closer. So close that when he finally stopped, they were nearly pressed against each other. Then, without warning, his fingers clamped around her chin, gripping tighter and tighter. Pain shot through her jaw, and Yelena winced. “No one. Just an old classmate. I ran into her a few days ago while I was out.” “Oh? Is that so?” Liam’s voice softened, almost gentle. To anyone watching, he might have seemed like a kind, easygoing man. But Yelena knew better. He would never let her off that easily. And sure enough— In the next second, he grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked her hea
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.“Haven’t I been just fine lately?“Or do you think my hand isn’t injured enough? If that’s the case, go ahead—do it yourself. “You already know I wouldn’t fight back no matter what.” Without warning, Yelena stretched out her injured hand, an act that instantly enraged Liam. “What the hell is wrong with you?” He snapped. “I was just making a casual remark. Is that really what you think of me? I already told you—I’m not going to lay a hand on you.“It wasn’t intentional before, and you know it. We both do. Stop acting like you’re above all this when we both know who sent you here.” Yelena felt a pang of sadness. They had spent so much time together, yet this was how he treated her—always choosing to hurt her. “I know—I wasn’t someone you chose, and none of this was intentional. But after all this time we've spent together...“I thought maybe I was a little different to you. But I guess I was wrong. Nothing has changed at all.
“Why do you even care about what happens to other people? Haven’t I made myself clear enough already?“Whose card is this—yours or mine?” His assistant immediately apologized upon hearing Caleb’s tone. “I hope you won’t hold this against me. I really wasn’t thinking clearly at the time—I should have considered this more carefully.” Caleb didn’t bother responding. After hanging up, he focused entirely on investigating Vera’s brother. *Meanwhile, Vera was deeply worried. If things had been somewhat under control before, now they were completely off track. The situation on both sides was far more complicated than she had anticipated. “Don’t worry. That’s exactly how it is. If you don’t want to go in person, I can go for you—but it won’t be cheap,” the private investigator said.Since Caleb had warned her about the private investigator, Vera started testing him, probing for inconsistencies. And sure enough, his story had too many holes. “Why are you so sure my b
As Caleb spoke, he looked at Vera with a hint of helplessness. After all, her hand had been injured because of Luna. “Don’t feel guilty about this. Honestly, it’s nothing to me.“And I’m not the type to carry burdens over things like this.“Besides, it’s been so long. If this had happened back then, I might have cared. But now? I just don’t think it matters anymore.” Vera’s voice was steady and sincere. But Caleb’s expression darkened. “Why would you say that? Why do you think it doesn’t matter? Do you really see me as just the same as everyone else?” For some reason, at this moment, Caleb took it personally. Vera couldn’t help but laugh. “Of course not. You’re different from the rest—so obviously, I wouldn’t see it the same way.“You’ve helped me so much. The least I can do is acknowledge that, instead of stubbornly nitpicking about what’s right or wrong, don’t you think?“Besides, whatever happened between you and Luna, that’s none of my business. It’s in
“I didn’t mean to just now. Besides, you’ve been acting all sneaky lately—so really, who else is to blame?” Seeing Yelena in tears, Liam, who had been furious just moments ago, felt a small pang of guilt. He was never good at expressing emotions. But watching her like this made him a little uncomfortable. “Go get your hand treated. Otherwise, people who don’t know any better might think I’ve been abusing you.” With that, he turned and walked away. Yelena watched his retreating figure, feeling a bit helpless. This wasn’t something she could decide on her own. Installing surveillance? It wasn’t as easy as it sounded. Liam was naturally suspicious. If he caught wind of it, the consequences would be disastrous. But she had no choice. She had a mission to complete, and there was more at stake than just this moment. Letting out a deep sigh, she finally decided to head to a clinic to get her hand treated. *“What happened to you? That’s a serious injury. You
And just like that, the conversation fell into a brief silence. Meanwhile, on the other side, Hunter received a call from Yelena. “What did you just say?” Yelena told him that her hand was broken, and on top of that, Liam seemed to be getting suspicious. She wasn’t sure what to do, so she called Hunter for advice. “I don’t really care what happens to you, but at the very least, take care of yourself.“Otherwise, if something else goes wrong later, I’ll have to step in and clean up the mess. Don’t you think so?” Hearing this, Yelena was a little taken aback. “It’s not just about my injury. The real problem is, I’m scared of what he might do now.” Sure, she had taken the two hundred thousand dollars, but she had to stay alive to spend it. At this rate, she wouldn’t even make it through in one piece. “I already told you—protect yourself. If you need anything else, I’ll try to provide it. But right now, I need you to do something for me.” Hunter had been look