“I didn’t,” Jamie said, her hands trembling uncontrollably.Ben must think she had taken the money and squandered it, but in truth, not a cent of that ten million ever reached her hands. Even her child’s medical expenses were paid from the money she earned herself, bit by bit.Of course, Ben didn’t believe her. “Enough with the act. I’m not some random guy you can fool with a few words. Don’t forget what I do for a living.”As a lawyer, he had handled all kinds of cases, and he knew how to see through lies. But he didn’t realize that when it came to Jamie, his judgment was clouded by his emotions, and reason took a backseat.“If you don’t believe me, then why even bother asking? No matter what I say, you’re just going to see me as a liar. What’s the point?” Jamie felt herself on the verge of breaking.She hadn’t had an easy life these past few years. Her child was sick, and as his mother, she felt the pain most deeply. Add to that the financial strain, and now the constant pressur
The sight of a diamond only reminded Ben of Jamie, of their love from long ago, and of just how foolish he had been.Winnie was thrilled. “Thank you so much!”Ben didn’t respond, but instead leaned close to Jamie’s ear, his words sharp and meant to sting. “When I went with your sister to pick out her wedding jewelry, she insisted on getting gold with the lowest processing fees and even chose a second-hand diamond ring. I remember wondering why she cared so much about saving money. It turns out it was all to help you.”A second-hand diamond ring.Jamie’s tears flowed even harder. In that moment, she didn’t know what to say. “Winnie, why do you have to be so good… so foolishly selfless?”Ben could feel the tremble in her body. It only drove him to mention Winnie more.“Speaking of, I’ve been meaning to ask, how do you manage to brainwash your sister like that? You’re both sisters, yet your personalities couldn’t be more different. Sometimes she’s so naive, I almost feel guilty abou
“Thank you, Winnie,” Jamie forced a smile.Standing upright, she walked with Winnie up the stairs, though the moment she lifted her leg, a sharp ache shot through her back. Ben had been rough with her earlier, venting his anger without a care for her discomfort.Noticing Jamie’s strained movements, Winnie gently held her arm. “Jamie, is your back acting up again?”“Yes… yeah,” Jamie mumbled evasively.Winnie’s concern deepened. “It’s no wonder, with how hard you’ve worked these past few years, taking on so many jobs. Your back wouldn’t be in this shape if you hadn’t pushed yourself so hard. You used to have no choice, but now you’ve got me and Jack. You don’t have to carry all the weight on your own.”Jamie could only swallow her pain. Winnie believed Jack’s presence would ease her burdens, yet in reality, it only added to her stress.Once they reached the bedroom, Winnie opened the wardrobe and pulled out a set of silk sheets. “Jack prepared these for you himself. He may not be
Ben had said he would come tonight, and he would keep his word.Finally, a knock echoed from outside her door.Jamie hesitated. She had locked the door. Maybe if she stayed in bed and pretended to be asleep, she could avoid this ordeal tonight. She would deal with the consequences of facing him tomorrow.But then her phone buzzed loudly, jarring in the quiet room. The knocking grew louder.She picked up her phone, and there was a message from Ben. “I know you’re not asleep. Either come over here and open the door, or I’ll keep knocking until I wake up Winnie. Let’s have her come in and watch the show.”Her heart sank. Just what kind of person would force her sister to witness something like that? It was beyond cruel.Jamie rushed to the door, tears streaming down her face. “Stop knocking, please.”“What, weren’t you pretending to be asleep just a moment ago?” Ben taunted, taking his time. Standing in the doorway, he reached out and grasped her neck, his tone low and mocking.
“I'm not trying to run. I was just going to close the door,” Jamie quickly explained, panic in her voice.There was no way she could leave now. Ben was already venting his anger on Winnie because of her, and if she walked away, she would be leaving her sister even more vulnerable.“Did I say you could close the door?” Ben’s tone was anything but satisfied.His fingers reached for her collar, and with one sharp tug, he tore it apart. “And I didn’t say you could walk. Remember our old dog? It always crawled around on all fours.”He paused, then let out a mocking chuckle. “But maybe you’ve forgotten all about that. Should I find a video to refresh your memory?”“I haven’t forgotten.” Jamie shook her head, her voice barely a whisper.That dog held so many happy memories for the two of them. She had planned to take it with her the day his mother showed up, forcing her to leave. But she had been stopped.His mother’s words were burned into her memory. “That money may seem like a fortu
Jamie lay in bed alone, tears flowing freely, soaking her pillow. She didn’t know how long she cried, but eventually, exhaustion overtook her, and she fell into a deep sleep.Ben didn’t sleep well that night either. He returned to his study, took a cold shower and sat at his desk. He then opened a drawer, pulling out an old photo of them together. He had never been able to throw it away. In the photo, they were nestled close, eyes filled with love for each other.But now, he despised Jamie, and Jamie clearly hated him too. Logic told him he should stay far away from her, yet he couldn’t bring himself to let go. Even if they were only left to hurt each other, he had accepted it.……The next morning, Winnie woke up to find the other side of the bed empty. She barely glanced at it before getting up, washing up, and heading next door to check on Jamie.She knocked at the door, but there was no response inside. This felt wrong.Though they hadn’t lived together for years, Winnie kne
Jamie shook her head. “I’m just really tired right now.”“Then keep sleeping. I’m relieved to see you’re okay.” Winnie stood up to leave, not wanting to disturb her further.She headed downstairs to make breakfast and set the table, then called Ben over to eat. After all he had done for her, she felt it was only right to show her gratitude by taking care of these small things.Once breakfast was over, Ben left for work, and Winnie sat on the couch, watching TV. Jamie continued sleeping until she woke up naturally. Glancing at the time, she quickly got ready and hurried downstairs. “Winnie, I overslept. I need to get to the hospital now.”“Wait, I already packed breakfast for you. Take it with you to eat on the way. Skipping breakfast will upset your stomach, and you know how sensitive it is.” Winnie dashed into the kitchen and returned with the packed breakfast.“I made two portions. One for you and one for Charlie.”“Thank you,” Jamie said, taking the breakfast but unable to m
“If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have to spend all this money, Mom.”“That’s not true,” Jamie replied, hugging her son tightly. “You’re a gift from heaven, my most precious treasure. You’ve never been a burden to me.” Despite all the hardships over the years, she had never once regretted having him. He brought so much joy and purpose to her life.“But, Mom, what about the medical bills? I hate seeing you so tired,” Charlie said, looking up at her, his face full of worry. He didn’t fully understand the challenges, but he could see that making money was hard for her—otherwise, why would she look so stressed?Jamie fell silent, thinking it over. Even if she took on as many side jobs as possible, it would still take her at least two days to scrape together the $100 she needed, and the hospital wouldn’t give her that long. Besides, more bills were coming, and there was no way she could earn money fast enough to keep up with them.Unless… she used that card.There was over $10,000 in
But instead of feeling touched, Vera’s first reaction was nausea. A wave of discomfort surged up from her stomach, and Vera’s face paled. She bolted for the bathroom. Caleb followed quickly. “Are you feeling sick?” “I don’t think so. I’ve been eating normally—nothing too heavy or weird lately.” Vera clutched her stomach, just as confused as he was. Then, a possibility flashed through her mind. Caleb clearly had the same thought. Without a word, he turned and walked into their bedroom, returning moments later with a pregnancy test. Vera looked at him, stunned. “When did you buy that?” He responded matter-of-factly, “Better safe than sorry.” Vera was momentarily speechless. Five minutes later, she stepped out of the bathroom, her hand instinctively resting on her stomach, her expression a mix of shock and disbelief. It was positive. They had only been married for three months. How did this happen so fast?Caleb, on the other hand, remained composed—at le
Of course, Vera wasn’t about to dump all her responsibilities on her assistant. That would be exploitation. She called her assistant into her office. “You’re twenty-five this year, right?” Her assistant blinked, confused. Wasn’t her age common knowledge? Why was Vera suddenly bringing it up? A thought struck her. Was this an arranged marriage situation? Her face immediately filled with silent refusal. “Miss Vera, I’m still young. I’m not thinking about marriage anytime soon.” Vera tapped her pen against the desk. “I’m not telling you to get married.” “Oh.” “I just want to offload some of the smaller daily tasks to you. You don’t have to run every minor document by me.”Her assistant instantly understood. A raise. After confirming she was on board, Vera gave her a salary bump and had her hire a few more assistants to distribute the workload. “If I don’t have time to handle everything, you guys will take care of it. If something’s too complicated, jus
Vera could sense danger the moment the conversation turned in this direction. Her father had never questioned her about married life, and she was lucky enough to avoid nosy relatives. But just because she hadn’t experienced it firsthand didn’t mean she hadn’t seen it happen to others. Without hesitation, she abandoned the half-folded pastry in her hands. “I... uh, need to use the restroom.” Before she could escape, Mrs. Smith caught her wrist. “You and Caleb aren’t getting any younger,” she said matter-of-factly. “You should start thinking about kids—make sure you’re putting in the effort, hmm?” Vera left the kitchen visibly drained. Mrs. Smith was a wonderful mother-in-law, the kind who treated Vera like her own daughter. Despite knowing Vera came from a well-off family, she had still gifted them a house as a wedding present. Of course, Caleb already owned a place, but his mother had insisted. “That’s your house. This is the home I’m giving you as a weddi
That undeniable possessiveness flickered in Caleb’s gaze—subtle yet impossible to ignore. It was the kind of look a powerful man might give his beloved in an old Hollywood film. And right now, the photographer felt like the unlucky bystander who had accidentally stumbled upon an intimate scene. His voice wavered slightly, caught up in his own imagination. “Mr. Smith, lift your eyes toward the camera.” Caleb’s sharp gaze flickered over, intense and commanding. The photographer instinctively pressed the shutter. They continued with several more poses, reviewing the shots as they went. Vera loved them all, but her favorite was still the vintage-inspired one. “How long until we get the final prints?” she asked. “Two to three days at most,” the photographer replied. “I’ll have them shipped directly to you.” Then, after a slight pause, he hesitated before making a request. “I actually have a personal favor to ask—would you both be open to letting us displa
Vera was tempted. They had already taken plenty of wedding photos—several sets at the island, more at the wedding itself. But this wasn’t just any photo studio. It was privately booked and known for being one of the most prestigious studios in the city. Appointments here were nearly impossible to get. The fact that Caleb had managed to secure a session meant he had gone to great lengths to make it happen. If they were just going to take ordinary wedding pictures, it would be a waste of an opportunity. Still, she wasn’t sure what kind of shoot she wanted. The photographer, understanding her hesitation, pulled out a sample album. “You can take a look at our past work. These are some of the styles we’ve done.” Flipping through the pages, Vera saw an array of stunning concepts—each picture more breathtaking than the last. Then, one particular set caught her eye. A Golden Age Hollywood theme.It was classic, nostalgic, and beautifully atmospheric. “Ca
After the wedding, Vera considered taking some time off for a honeymoon. But the thought quickly faded when she realized Caleb had been practically living at the hospital. With a sigh, she dismissed the idea. She was used to it, but to say she wasn’t disappointed would be a lie. Her assistant picked up on it. “Mrs. Smith, don’t you want to go on a honeymoon?” she asked one day. “One of my friends just got married, and she’s been obsessively researching destinations. “She even said a marriage without a honeymoon is already half a failure.” Vera froze mid-page, suddenly losing interest in the documents she had been reviewing. Her assistant hesitated, then offered a suggestion. “Why don’t you go visit Dr. Smith at work?“You seem… distracted. Maybe seeing him will help.” Vera snapped out of her daze, suddenly aware of how preoccupied she had been lately. It was embarrassing to admit, but she had been zoning out far too often—especially after coming hom
Whenever they did this in the past, Caleb always maintained some restraint. But tonight—he didn’t hold back at all. He took her from the bedroom to the bathroom, then back to the bed, his searing kisses trailing every inch of her skin. The next morning, even as she woke up, Vera could still feel the lingering traces of last night’s intoxicating pleasure. As expected, she ended up taking the day off. It wasn’t until two days later that she finally returned to work. *Everyone at the company had already prepared for this. The moment Vera walked into the office, she was greeted with knowing smiles and teasing remarks. “Congratulations, Mrs. Smith!” “Newlywed bliss, huh?” “Three whole days off? Someone had a good time.” It didn’t take a genius to figure out what she had been up to. Obviously, her married life was going exceptionally well—so well that she had completely abandoned work for it. Under the weight of their mischievous stares, Vera barely k
Yelena still hadn’t accepted Hunter, but he wasn’t giving up either and was relentlessly closing in on her. Knowing Yelena’s soft heart, Vera figured it was only a matter of time before she gave in. She let out a sigh. Her friend’s love life wasn’t something she could interfere with. Besides, Caleb had already given her a little inside scoop. “She came to the hospital for a follow-up a few days ago,” he had mentioned casually. “Hunter was the one who brought her.” Vera had clicked her tongue at the news. Yelena always seemed quiet and reserved, but apparently, she was full of surprises.*Time flew by in the blink of an eye.By mid-month, Caleb had rented out an entire vineyard and spent several days transforming it into the perfect wedding venue.When the day arrived, the celebration took place right there.The vineyard was sprawling and elegant, every bit as grand as any luxury hotel—if not better. Even the wine cellar remained untouched, stocked with years-
“Did you plan this from the start?” Vera narrowed her eyes, feeling like she had just walked into a carefully laid trap. “Mm.” Caleb smiled, then leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. Because yes—he had always been planning this. The biggest change in Vera’s life after the island proposal was the ring now sitting on her finger. It wasn’t just any ring. It was custom-made, something Caleb had specially ordered. She only found out by accident when she glanced at his phone one day and saw the purchase record. It had been ordered two months ago. Vera did the math and was stunned. He had been preparing for this long before she even started getting impatient. Her heart swelled with emotion. And as soon as Caleb’s parents heard that their son had finally proposed, they wasted no time pushing them to get the marriage license. *One day, Vera overheard Caleb’s mother lecturing him. “Your dad and I weren’t expecting much from you. With how much ti