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
Ryan followed her, saying, “Honestly, from the moment I saw you, I could tell something was off. If you need any help, just let me know. After all, we grew up together and were childhood friends.”Back then, he had a crush on Jamie. But when his family moved to another city, they lost touch, and those unspoken feelings faded, tucked away in the past. Now he had a girlfriend, and he knew he and Jamie weren’t meant to be. But for the sake of their shared history, he still wanted to help if he could.“Thanks, but there’s really nothing I need help with. I can manage everything on my own,” Jamie replied, pausing to thank him. She didn’t want to owe anyone any more favors. Ryan had his own life, and so did she; she didn’t want to pull him into her problems.“Alright, but if you don’t mind, could we sit down for a few minutes to catch up?” Ryan asked again.Jamie agreed, and they chatted briefly about their lives since they had last met. When Ryan heard that her child was sick, his exp
“Who are you? This hospital hallway has plenty of cameras. I’m warning you to watch yourself and don’t go bullying women in public!” Ryan rolled up his sleeves, ready to step in.Ben wasn’t the least bit intimidated. He had been into fitness since college, initially because Jamie liked men with abs, and eventually, it just became a habit. He loved the intense, sweaty workouts, and facing off against someone like Ryan barely registered as a challenge.“Don’t fight, please!” Jamie quickly stepped between them. She turned to Ryan. “I know him. Please, just go.”“But he was about to hurt you right in front of me, no less. If he’s this rough now, imagine what he’d do if I left!” Ryan protested, refusing to back down.Every word he said only added fuel to Ben’s already raging anger.Ben’s jaw clenched so tightly his teeth ground together. He had canceled a meeting, sped through traffic, and run countless red lights, all in a rush to make sure Jamie was safe. And what did he find? Jami
But Ben’s sharp tongue didn’t let up, and within a few cutting remarks, he had Jamie feeling utterly humiliated.She tried to explain, “There’s really nothing between us. We just ran into each other today and talked for a bit.”Ben cut her off before she could finish, “Oh really? Then it just shows you’ve been surrounded by men for the past four years. A woman like you probably wouldn’t even know who the father is if you were pregnant.”Jamie’s body tensed at his words. He could insult her, but she wouldn’t allow him to bring her child into it.“Ben, I’ve only ever been with you. If I’m pregnant, the child would only be…”“Are you trying to say the child is mine?” he challenged, staring directly into her eyes. “I remember asking you, the night before you left, what you would do if you got pregnant. You told me, without a second thought, that you’d abort it.”Back then, he had been thinking that if she were pregnant, they would get married. He was ready to defy his parents if need
But Winnie was pregnant and needed regular checkups to minimize any risks. Jamie continued, “And Winnie always praises how considerate you are, She even mentioned that you personally found her doctor for the prenatal exams. But now you’re saying this… Aren’t you worried she might overhear?”“If I don’t mind her discovering our relationship, do you really think I’d care about that?” Ben replied, full of confidence. “Even if she finds out everything, she’ll still stay with me.”Jamie knew him well enough to understand that he never made claims unless he was sure. If he was saying this so confidently, it meant he believed he had Winnie completely in his grip.A wave of dizziness hit Jamie. “I did what you asked last night, and I’ll go along with whatever you want tonight as well. I…”“I’m a lawyer, not a collector of cast-offs. Especially ones with a clear price tag of over $10,000. What are you lined with, gold or diamonds?” Ben interrupted again, his words laced with cruelty.But
The doctor called over a nearby nurse. “Christine, please accompany this gentleman to the payment desk to check the details.”This nurse happened to be the one overseeing Charlie’s room. She already felt sympathy for Jamie and her son, and now, assuming Ben was Charlie’s father, she couldn’t help but share Jamie’s hardships with him. “She’s been raising her sick child alone, working multiple jobs just to cover his medical bills. It’s really not easy for her.”“I even suggested she upgrade to a VIP room. The room has two beds, one for a family member to rest. But she turned it down because the VIP rooms are too expensive.”Ben’s heart twisted as he listened. So, this was how Jamie had been living all these years.And this child—who was his father? Could it possibly be his own?No, that couldn’t be. Jamie had left him years ago for the sake of money, cutting him off entirely, severing every line of contact. She had left so coldly. How could she possibly have kept his child?Before
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