“If you’re a man, tell me the truth. Rose married Sebastian not long after divorcing Theo. It all happened so fast, it’s not normal. What’s more, you’re Sebastian’s father and that makes things even less normal.”Sydney came here because Theodore came looking for her yesterday, and told her some things.Sebastian had wanted Sydney to talk to Rosalie, but instead of contacting Rosalie, Sydney went to meet Geoffrey instead. She felt that Rosalie wasn’t the root of the entire incident.Geoffrey nodded. “Yes, you’re still as intelligent as you were in the past. You’re able to pinpoint the essence of the issue. I found it strange why you’d marry Wesley Spencer. Oh, I know. Did you have your heart broken and lose hope in life?”Sydney’s eyes narrowed, and she said coldly, “The greatest regret of my life isn’t marrying Wesley, but that I was with a money-minded, cold and heartless bastard thirty years ago. I still feel sick thinking about it now. Well, I was young and insensible, and even
After wiping his face, Geoffrey placed the napkin back on the table. “That’s the way. The anger on your face brings me back to those times, when you’d throw a tantrum. How nostalgic. It’s been a while since anyone dared to throw a temper tantrum at me.”“You’re a filthy, mad dog. Does your wife know about this?” Sydney sneered.“I’m going through divorce procedures with her, and we’re facing issues with division of my property. The process is taking some time, but I’ll divorce her eventually.”“Geoffrey Cater, make your son divorce Rose,” Sydney said emphatically.“No problem,” Geoffrey promised without any hesitation.Sydney was slightly taken aback, not expecting him to agree so readily. However, she knew he wasn’t such an easygoing man.“What’s your condition?” Sydney asked.“It’s simple. Divorce Wesley Spencer, and be with me after I divorce Xyla. And, I’ll tell you a secret…” Geoffrey said.Sydney burst out laughing. “Hahaha! Even if I divorced Wesley, I’d never marry yo
Sydney hurried over to Rosalie’s house.Rosalie was waiting for her at the door, and felt a little nervous seeing her ex-mother-in-law charging toward her. “Mom, what’s the matter?”Sydney brushed past Rosalie, and said coldly, “Where’s your husband?”Rosalie was aware that Sydney knew, and that the latter wasn’t here to exchange pleasantries.She hurried over. “Did something happen?”Sydney stopped in her tracks, and turned around. “Nothing. I’m just here to see you. Why are you so nervous?”“I’m just worried. You don’t look too good.”“I’m not feeling very well. Perhaps I’m in a bad mood because something cropped up at work. Sorry about that,” Sydney said with a smile. “Let’s head in.”The moment Sydney walked in, she heard a voice. “Rose, I’ve read through the document.”Sebastian came downstairs, and saw Sydney. He stood stunned for a moment before greeting her. “Hello, Mrs. Harper.”He had heard about Sydney from Rosalie, but didn’t expect her to come so quickly.Sydney
Rosalie pursed her lips. "It's okay. You're not really talking about him behind his back.""That's good. I'm frank, but I don't have bad intentions. I'm glad you don't hold it against me."Sydney enjoyed her lunch, while Rosalie and Sebastian seemed unusually quiet. It was as if Sydney had made the atmosphere awkward.In the middle of the meal, Rosalie suddenly felt the urge to use the restroom—a common issue for pregnant women."I need the ladies. You all continue eating." Rosalie got up, and left the dining room.Sebastian, wanting to be a good host, said politely, "Sydney, I know you care about Rose. Rest assured, I'll treat her well.""But you've lost your memory. You don't remember anything from before. How can you promise to treat her well when you don't know anything?" Sydney asked bluntly.Sebastian's smile froze, though he didn't appear upset. It was just that his gaze became somber. "I'm her husband. Even if I've lost my memory, I won't forget how to treat her well. Ro
"Sebastian, you're just as despicable as your father. Both of you disgust me," Sydney said coldly.She was deliberately provoking Sebastian, wanting him to reveal his true nature.Sebastian narrowed his eyes, and clenched his fists. "I'm terribly sorry, but I've even forgotten my father. I don't remember what kind of person he was. However, if you insist on saying I'm as despicable as him, there's nothing I can do about it."It's a shame, really. After all, this is our first meeting, and you've already made such a judgment about me. It makes me wonder if you're impulsive, or if you have some grudge against my father, and you're just projecting that onto me. That's why you're finding fault with me in every way."Sebastian gave a polite smile and continued, "Would you like to share what happened? Were you an old friend of my him? Did something happen between you two? I see hatred in your eyes."Sydney had to admit that Sebastian wasn’t that simple. She even began to suspect whethe
After lunch, Sydney said she had something to attend to and needed to leave. Rosalie walked her to the door.Sydney mentioned that she wanted to speak to Rosalie privately, so Sebastian stood at a distance."Mom, what did you want to tell me?" Rosalie asked."Actually, it's nothing much. I see that you and Sebastian are getting along well. You trust him, right?"Rosalie nodded. "Yes, he treats me very well.""I already know about what happened in the restaurant yesterday," Sydney said. "Have you forgiven Sebastian?""Did Theodore tell you everything?" Rosalie asked.Sydney nodded."So, he sent you to persuade me?""He's worried about you, so I came to check on you. I don't have any other intentions.""Mom, at the end of the day, I have a new life. I hope he won't interfere anymore. Please tell him on my behalf that whatever happens from now on, it's my own choice and has nothing to do with him. Even if I make the wrong choice, I'll bear the consequences myself.""And what ab
"Mom, I know you're worried about me, but Seb has really been good to me. We've been through a lot together. Some things you weren't aware of, so you don't know about us...""Enough," Sydney interrupted her. "I know I wasn't involved in your matters, and I have no say in them. I'm just giving you a reminder. You can feel it out for yourself. Maybe what I'm saying is right, or maybe it's wrong. Who knows? But every word I've said to you is true. Even if you don't know what kind of person Sebastian is, you should at least know what kind of person his father is."Sydney gently patted Rosalie’s shoulder. "I'm leaving now."As Sydney opened the car door and was about to get in, Rosalie called out to her, "Mom, I trust Seb. He's a good man. It doesn't matter what kind of person his father is."Sydney smiled. "He's only a good man to you.""Mom, if what you said about his father is using me to threaten you is true, please don't do anything against your will because of me. I'll be fine.
Inside the car, Sydney was on the phone with Theodore."I saw Rose today, as well as Sebastian.""Mom, what did Rose say? Did she listen to you?""Listen to me?" Sydney let out a faint snort. "You make it sound like I demanded something of her. After all, I'm not her real mother. If I asked her to leave Sebastian, do you think she'd listen to me?""But Sebastian isn't a good person. Did you explain the seriousness of the situation to her?""It's only serious from your perspective," Sydney replied. "To Rose, it's not that serious.""How is this not serious? Sebastian is that kind of person...""What kind of person?" Sydney interrupted him. "No matter what, his feelings for Rosalie are real. He wouldn't hurt her. In that regard, he's better than you. Think about how many times you hurt Rosalie with your affair with Cynthia.""Mom, between Cindy and me..." At this point, Theodore suddenly stopped, unsure of what to say."What about you and Cynthia? You can't even finish your sent
At their last encounter, every word Rosalie said to Theodore was piercing. Now that she was calm after not seeing him for a while, she realized Theodore's state seemed to be deteriorating.She bore a grudge against him, but seeing him like this instinctively made her sentimental about their past.Theodore heard Rosalie's words and looked at her, stunned. After a long silence, he murmured, "Live for myself?"He suddenly chuckled. "I am living for myself. I'm doing well, don't worry."He spoke with a tinge of panic, betraying his true mental state.He looked as though he was trying to hide something, and Rosalie knew that she wouldn't be able to pry it from his lips. She nodded instead. "I certainly hope so.""Rose, you and Justin…"Theodore paused for a moment, his breathing suddenly erratic as he felt a twinge of pain in his heart."Theo," Rosalie said, "my life is my own and your life is yours. It's good enough that we lead our own lives peacefully. Don't bother yourself w
Two weeks passed by in a flash.Life was a living hell for Theodore without his medication. The sleeping pills did help him sleep, but they couldn't soothe his nerves.He went to the doctor again, who told him this was a withdrawal symptom and he tried to counsel Theodore about it.Without the support of medication, Theodore found himself spiraling.Back at home, he was tortured by insomnia. Even the pills failed to help him sleep. In the day, he couldn't concentrate at work no matter how hard he tried. He became even more hot-tempered, irritated by anyone who crossed his path.In the CEO's office…Theodore flew into a rage, throwing documents on the floor and scolding some of the senior executives of his team."What in the world are you doing?! Useless bums! You can't even do something so minor!"They were all frightened by Theodore's outburst. He was seldom so bad-tempered and always behaved very respectably. Even if his subordinates did something wrong, he wouldn't flare u
Theodore took his original pills to a pharmaceutical quality testing laboratory. He knew someone from there who did a composition analysis on the pills.The results showed that it was a legitimate psychoactive drug prescribed by the hospital and there were no issues with it.Theodore wanted to test the pills because he suspected that someone switched out the pills, but based on the test results, the pills were exactly what the doctor had previously prescribed.Perhaps he was overthinking.He had been exceeding the dosage during this period. The doctor had reminded him about the strong side effects of the pill and warned him to strictly follow his instructions, but he didn't heed the doctor's orders. He deserved whatever happened to him.For a long time, he had been relying on medication to maintain his mental state, which was hanging by a thread. Otherwise, the thought of death was always haunting him. Theodore drove back home.Upon hearing his car, Aurora immediately ran out.
Theodore spoke fiercely, and Aurora seemed to be frightened by it. She sat up on the bed and wrapped the sheets around her body, shivering."I suddenly remembered the places that my ex-boyfriend might be hiding and wanted to tell you about it, but the moment I stepped into your room, you pushed me onto the bed," Aurora said, biting her lip and lowering her head as tears trickled down her cheeks.Theodore tried hard to recall what happened last night based on Aurora's claims, but he felt as though he lost a part of his memories last night. He couldn't imagine himself doing what Aurora claimed."You mean that I forced myself upon you?""I…I didn't mean that," Aurora said, gripping the sheets tightly. "Theo, you wanted me and I was certainly willing to give myself to you. You didn't force me to do anything. I thought you wanted me last night. I didn't expect you to question me the moment you woke up. What happened? Did I do something wrong?"Theodore recalled that he seemed to have l
The two of them sat around the dining table, eating dinner as they chatted.Theodore looked disinterested as he chatted with Aurora. She could sense that as well, so she went silent and didn't bother him much.After dinner, he told her to do whatever she pleased before returning to his room. He never came out and Aurora wondered what he was doing inside.Aurora hovered outside Theodore's room, pacing back and forth many times. She wanted to knock on the door and talk to him, but she stopped herself many times for fear that he might be annoyed with her.Yerick said that he could make her get pregnant with Theodore's child.Although she managed to move to Theodore's place, he wasn't passionate with her at all, unlike in the past. He would never touch her.Aurora put her hand gently on the door as she whispered, "Theo, I'll do anything for you. I really love you."In the deep of the night, Theodore tossed and turned on the bed, unable to fall asleep.He pulled out a drawer and ret
Theodore sighed. "Rest and recuperate well. I'll send someone to find your ex-boyfriend. When I do, I'll use my network to make sure he sits in jail for a few years. I'm sure he's committed multiple crimes.""Thank you. If you really manage to find him, putting him behind bars is enough. But what should I do before you find him? He could come to me anytime. He said he'll never set me free and will kill me. He looked like he had gone mad.""I'll send someone to protect you. Don't worry.""Theo, can I…""What?" Theodore could sense that Aurora had something to say. "Just speak your mind. Don't beat around the bush.""Theo, I'm really scared. Can I stay with you before you find him? Don't worry, if you don't want me disturbing you, I won't. I'm just so scared to be by myself… I have nightmares when I sleep."Afraid that he might misunderstand, Aurora hurriedly added, "Don't worry, once he's found and put behind bars, I'll move out immediately. I'm just so scared right now. Please, I
Theodore lay on the bed, unable to fall asleep. He felt a fire burning in his heart, his mind unable to stop thinking about Rosalie.Whether his eyes were opened or closed, all he could see was her.Frustrated, he flipped to his side to pull out a drawer and retrieve a bottle of pills. He couldn't calm himself down without medication.Just then, his phone rang. Theodore picked it up and saw the name on his phone screen—it was Aurora.He flung his phone aside.It kept ringing, irritating him greatly. Eventually, he answered the call. "What do you want?""Theo, save me! Save me, quick!"Shock registered on Theodore's face. "What happened?""He's chasing after me… Can I go find you? I really have nowhere else to go! I'm so scared!""Who's chasing after you? Where are you right now?""I…I'm now at… It's so dark, I can't tell. I'm hiding in a small alleyway right now. As I came here, I think I walked past a bar called Endless. I took a right turn and ended up in this alleyway. I'm
Aurora collapsed on the ground, overwhelmed by the sudden force. Her head was pounding and she cupped her red, hot cheeks with her hands. "What…what did you do? Why did you slap me?" she asked, stunned. Yerick looked down upon her, his towering figure dark and frightening in the night. "Are you taking me as your hitman, ordering me around as you like?"It was enough that she ordered him to kill another. How dare she ask him to kill Rosalie?! She was digging her grave!"I didn't mean that," Aurora said agitatedly. "I'm just so scared! We're on the same boat, so we should help each other out.""Help each other out?" Yerick crouched down and pinched her chin. "Tell me, then. What have you helped me with so far? Why do you think I arranged for you to be by Theodore's side and allowed you to get to know him? What do you think is my motive?""I…I don't know!" Aurora said with trembling lips. The man before her was way too frightening, his eyes ghostly as he chuckled. "But I'll do wha
Justin brought the baby home and saw Rosalie spacing out before the kitchen counter. She didn't even realize they were home."Mama," Steve called out to her.Rosalie heard him and turned to look at them. "You're back."She took Steve from Justin's hands and held him in her arms."Rose, are you alright? What did Theodore tell you?" Justin asked. "Aurora felt guilty and made Angie her scapegoat. Angie has been nabbed by the police," Rosalie replied.Justin frowned. "Angie surely wouldn't be a sitting duck. She'll expose Aurora.""That's not wrong," Rosalie said. "The problem is, Aurora is too good at putting up a facade. Theodore doesn't trust Angie and he said he'll investigate things and find out if Aurora was involved. At the end of the day, he refuses to believe that Aurora is capable of something like that. He subconsciously thinks that Angie was solely responsible.""That sounds like something he would do," Justin concluded. "Last time, I could tell he's very protective of