“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?”
Quincy didn’t bother looking back. His fury poured into every punch aimed at Eugene’s face. “If you have a problem with me, fine. But why hurt Lydia? Are you even a man?”A man’s fists should be used to protect women, not to terrorize them.He had originally planned to follow Lydia for a few days, observe Eugene, and see if Eugene was truly someone who could make her happy. If so, Quincy was willing to step back. But now, seeing what Eugene had done, he realized just how wrong he had been. If he hadn’t arrived in time, Lydia would have been at Eugene’s mercy. No amount of punches felt like enough.After watching for a moment, Lydia finally called his name. “Quincy, step aside.”Eugene looked up suddenly. Blood was already trickling from the corner of Eugene's mouth, but he managed a smug smile at Quincy. “See? To Lydia, I’ll always matter more than you. If you know what’s good for you, back off. This is just a little *marital fun* between us.”Quincy couldn’t hold back a curse.
“Alright.” Right now, Quincy didn’t even care what Lydia was saying. Whatever she told him, he would simply follow it. She was always right in his eyes.Seeing him like this, Lydia was momentarily reminded of when they had first fallen in love. Back then, when they had just begun dating, Quincy would look at her with the same silly smile every day. She once asked him what made him so happy, and he would only replied, “As long as you’re by my side, nothing else matters.”But now, they would not be seeing each other anymore. The child in her belly would have her love, her parents’ love, but would never know a father’s love.“Lydia, do you resent me for following you?” Quincy asked, breaking the silence. “I know you don’t want to see me, but I was genuinely afraid something might happen to you, worried he wasn’t a good person, so I followed you.”“No,” Lydia shook her head.“No? You don’t resent me, or…?”“I don’t mind seeing you,” Lydia interrupted him. “We loved each other deepl
Lydia continued to reassure her parents, “I’m really fine. Quincy showed up just in time and saved me. Plus, I had pepper spray in my bag, and it worked like a charm. One spray and he was down.”Eugene was still unconscious.“How’s Quincy doing now?” Mr. Fay asked, wanting to go in and see him.Lydia led them into the hospital room where Quincy was having his wounds treated. When he saw them enter, he quickly stood to greet them.“Sit down and let them finish tending to your injuries,” Mr. Fay said, feeling a mix of emotions. He had never been pleased with Quincy as a son-in-law. Especially during the divorce proceedings, he had wished Quincy would disappear from their lives for good. But after today, seeing how Quincy had risked himself to save Lydia, Mr. Fay found himself warming up to him.Mrs. Fay felt the same way. She approached Quincy, examining his wounds closely, then told the doctor, “Use the best treatment to avoid any scarring.”The doctor nodded.She wanted to say
At the police station, Lydia saw Eugene once more. When he caught sight of her standing with Quincy, his eyes turned red with rage, and he tried to charge at them, only to be stopped by the officers.“Lydia, how could you betray me?” he shouted furiously. “You two are already divorced. Are you really planning to get back together? Why would you hurt me like this?”To anyone unaware of the situation, he might have sounded heartbreakingly sincere, as if Lydia had wronged him.“Let’s be clear,” Lydia replied coldly, “we were just friends, never anything more. And for the record, Quincy and I haven’t finalized our divorce. Even if we did divorce and chose to remarry, that’s none of your business. My life choices are my own.”Just because Eugene had feelings for her didn’t mean she was obligated to reciprocate. What did he expect? That she would stick around just for him until he decided he was done with her?“Lydia, I won’t allow you two to be together,” he said, seething. “He’s not
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