“Grandma,” Yvonne said, filled with melancholy, “Is Mom feeling very miserable right now?”“Not just that. I saw her crying so hard this morning. She doesn’t want the divorce at all, but your dad…” Chandra held Yvonne’s hand. “Vonnie, don’t blame me for speaking ill of him, but I think he must have a mistress. That’s why he’s divorcing your mom.”“What?” Yvonne yelped in shock. “Grandma, are you sure about that?”Chandra said, “I heard that he had a girlfriend many years ago, whom he broke up to marry my daughter. We didn’t investigate this thoroughly. Someone heard him calling a woman who seemed to be his first lover. I suspect that they’re hooking up again now, which is why your dad asked your mom for a divorce. Otherwise, why would he ask for one when they’ve been married for over thirty years?”“Grandma, I’ll go ask Dad.” Yvonne stood up in a huff. Chandra grabbed her arm. “Silly girl, will he tell you even if you went to him?”“Then what should we do, Grandma? If this is tr
“Don’t worry. I won’t let Dad find me out.”“Good girl! I really didn’t dote you in vain. Come tell me about it once you find out. My heart is breaking seeing how upset your mom is.”Tears fell from Chandra’s eyes as she spoke. “How could I let my darling daughter get bullied like this?”“Grandma, don’t cry. Don’t worry, I’ll get to the bottom of things. If Dad really has an affair, I won’t forgive him either.”Chandra patted Yvonne’s hand. “That’s the daughter of the Carter family.”-Xyla came downstairs, and saw Yvonne walking out. She wanted to call Yvonne back, but Yvonne left in a hurry and disappeared from sight very quickly.Xyla approached her mother. “Mom, why didn’t you tell me that Vonnie was here?”“You were resting upstairs. I didn’t want to disturb you.”Xyla looked at her mother with doubt. “Mom, did you call her over? What for?”Upon seeing the doubt on her daughter’s face, Chandra decided not to hide the truth from her.“I called Vonnie over to ask her why
In the evening, the soft sunlight filtered through the villa's windows, casting a warm golden glow across the room. Inside, it was quiet, with a faint floral fragrance lingering in the air, as if time had frozen at that very moment. A gentle breeze lightly brushed against the curtains, whispering softly.Geoffrey leaned against Sydney from behind, his fingers gently tracing her shoulder. He couldn't help but lower his head to give her a kiss.Sydney opened her tired eyes, a wave of irritation and disgust flickering in them. She tried to shift her body to avoid his kiss, but she had no strength left. She had been trapped here for hours.Over twenty years ago, they had been the closest of people, but now everything had changed. Sydney only felt hatred and contempt toward Geoffrey, even a sense of disdain.Geoffrey lay beside her, satisfied. He pulled her tightly into his arms. "Sydney, it's been almost thirty years, and finally, we've reunited. Though we're no longer young, the feeli
"What's wrong? I was just telling the truth. Did it hurt your pride? Well, there's nothing I can do about that. I have no idea where you get the confidence to think I'd have any feelings for you."Could it be that when you're with those young girls, they're pretending to flatter you and butter you up just to fool you, an old man? You actually believe that you can make women fall for you easily? Tsk, tsk, tsk, how pitiful.""Shut up!" Geoffrey covered her mouth. "Sydney, don't think I don't know you're deliberately provoking me! You're clearly just being stubborn."He yanked the blanket away, forcefully flipping her over on the bed, making her lie face down. Grabbing a fistful of her hair, he lifted her head and hissed into her ear, "Sydney, I'll make sure you know the price of being stubborn. Don't even think about leaving tonight!"His rage consumed him, like a wild beast ravaging its prey. Yet deep inside, his pride had been severely wounded. It was precisely because of this th
Yvonne arrived at her father's place, carrying the roast duck with her. As soon as she stepped into the living room, a servant quickly approached her. "Ms. Carter, you're here.""Where's my dad?" Yvonne asked.The servant smiled and replied, "Mr. Carter is upstairs. He's still busy with some work, and asked me to look after you for now. Please, Ms. Carter, have a seat in the living room."Yvonne handed over the packaged roast duck. "This is the roast duck I bought for him. It seems to have cooled down a bit, so please heat it up.""Of course, Ms. Carter. Please make yourself comfortable in the living room.""No need," Yvonne said. "I'll go upstairs and find my dad to see what he's busy with."Just as Yvonne was about to head upstairs, the servant suddenly stopped her. "Wait a moment, Ms. Carter.""What's the matter?" Yvonne asked, feeling puzzled. "Why are you stopping me?""Mr. Carter is busy upstairs. He said he wants to finish his work quickly, so it's best not to disturb hi
Yvonne asked, "Dad, does that mean you and Mom have wanted to divorce for a long time and were just waiting for Sebastian and me to grow up?"Geoffrey remained silent. His lack of response was as good as an admission.Yvonne sighed softly. "If that's the case, then why did you marry Mom in the first place? Did you marry her because you loved her? If it was out of love, why did the love fade later? And if it wasn't for love, then why marry in the first place?"Faced with Yvonne's questions, Geoffrey didn't know how to answer. He had never told his children the truth about his marriage to Xyla.Seeing her father's silence, Yvonne understood. What her grandmother had said must be true. Geoffrey married Xyla purely for his own benefit. He had used her to climb the social ladder.He never truly loved her. That was why, over the years, he never treated her mother with the care one would show a loved one. Now that he didn't have anything to lose, he divorced her without hesitation. Ho
Geoffrey's earlier seriousness faded away, replaced by fatherly warmth. His words brought Yvonne a little comfort."Dad, I understand.""That's good. I'm really happy you came to have dinner with me tonight. I've asked the kitchen to prepare your favorite dishes."He didn't want Yvonne to discover that Sydney was there. However, Sydney was so exhausted from his torment that she wouldn't wake up, not even if thunder struck.After Yvonne finished eating with him, she would leave. At that point, he would return to his room and continue sleeping with Sydney."Thank you, Dad." Yvonne smiled. "Dad, no matter what happens, remember that we're family and I'll always be your daughter. Even though you and Mom divorced, I know there must have been no way to continue living together, which is why you made that choice. The divorce is good for both of you. As your daughter, I just want you both to be happy. If one day you meet someone who can make you happy, you must tell me. I will support you
Yvonne returned to the dining room.She acted as if she hadn't seen anything and continued drinking and chatting with her father.After dinner, it was time for her to leave.Before leaving, Yvonne tested the waters. "Dad, why don't I stay here tonight and leave tomorrow?""You used to never stay home and are always out playing, and now you want to stay with me? I think you should go out and have fun like you used to."This was Geoffrey's private residence, and Yvonne and Sebastian didn't live here."Dad, are you trying to get rid of me?""Exactly."Yvonne pouted, seemingly a little upset. "I'm your daughter. How can you chase me away?"Geoffrey patted her on the head. "Alright, now. How could I bear to do that? I was just joking. You should go spend some time with your brother. He must be exhausted taking care of your sister-in-law."Yvonne could sense that her father wanted her to leave.It made sense—he was hiding a woman here. If his daughter stayed and she found out, it w
She and Justin's baby must have really wanted to survive, which was why it tried so hard to stay in her body.For all she knew, it was Justin staying by her side in another way.Rosalie caressed her stomach while covering her lips as she sobbed brokenly. This time, she didn't cry merely due to sorrow, but because she saw a ray of light amidst the hopelessness, and Justin's shadow within the light.Theodore gently patted her through the sheets. "Rose, you still have me and Steve. We'll stay by your side. I'll also take care of the baby in your stomach. I won't let him grow up without a father."Rosalie looked at Theodore, tears streaming down her face. She held his hand tight, words unspoken in her heart that she didn't know how to express.After being under observation in the hospital for two days, the doctors made sure that she was physically fine and Theodore took Rosalie home.Rosalie was ready to see Steve.She had been emotionally unstable and didn't dare to see Steve not b
When Rosalie opened her eyes, she saw the ceiling above her. The mild scent of disinfectant drifted in the air and tears filled her eyes."Rose, you're finally awake."Theodore heaved a sigh of relief and held her hand tight.Rosalie was still in a daze, her eyes empty as she lay silently on the bed."Rose, you're pregnant. The doctor said that the fetus is two months old."Rosalie's brows furrowed. She turned around and gaped at Theodore in shock. "What…what did you say?""It's been less than 50 days since you disappeared, but the fetus is more than 50 days old, so I think this baby…" Theodore didn't go on, but the meaning behind his words was clear.Rosalie caressed her stomach and recalled what Justin said in her dream about their love continuing. He was caressing her stomach at that time. As it turned out, it was a foreshadowing of what was going to happen."It's Justin's child," she said agitatedly.Sebastian had a vasectomy, and the timing wasn't right. The baby was cert
"Silly girl, it isn't your fault. It was my own choice. If I were given another chance, I'd still be willing to be with you. Moments spent with you were happier than my entire lifetime. I should be the one saying sorry. I didn't protect you well and let you get hurt."Justin felt so real, as though he were still alive. Rosalie could sense the tears in his eyes and feel his every breath."Justin…" Rosalie broke down crying."Rose," Justin said, holding Rosalie's hand. "It's time for me to leave. I'm sorry, but I can't stay by your side.""No, Justin!" Rosalie grabbed his hand and cried agitatedly, "You said earlier that you're mine and I'm yours. You said you'd never leave me! You can't go back on your word!""Rose," Justin said, tears streaming down his face. "Although my body is no longer with you, my soul will always be in your heart. No matter where you go, you'll bring me with you. As long as you think of me, I'll live on."He gently pulled Rosalie up to her feet, his face ha
Warm sunlight shone on Rosalie's face, making her feel toasty.She opened her eyes slowly and found herself in a warm embrace. Before her was a face that was so achingly familiar, her breath caught.He looked at her affectionately with his deep, dark eyes, caressing her face with his hands. His coarse hands rubbed against her tender cheeks, and it all felt so real."Justin," Rosalie called out tentatively and very cautiously, suppressing the emotions stirring in her heart. She almost whispered it, for fear that her dream might come to an end.Justin flashed her a doting smile. "Why are you crying? Did you have a bad dream?""Bad dream?" Rosalie looked around her. She and Justin were in their room.Everything felt so real. She felt so happy and warm, and all those scary things that had happened felt like nothing but a nightmare.Rosalie started tearing up as she dove into Justin's arms. "Justin, I was so frightened! Turns out that it's just a dream. I thought I lost you."She wo
In the deep of the night, Rosalie dreamt of Justin once again.They were walking down the red carpet, filled with joy—but the next moment, a bullet pierced mercilessly through his heart, snatching his life from him. She saw him lying in a pool of blood.She screamed and struggled with all her might, but she was helpless. Nightmares haunted her night after night."Justin, Justin! Don't die! I'm begging you, don't die! Don't kill Justin, I'm begging you, don't kill him, don't! Ahhh!" Rosalie screamed as her eyes flew open.In the next second, she found herself in a warm embrace. "Rose, I'm here. It's just a nightmare, a nightmare."Although it was a nightmare, it really did happen.Rosalie felt the warmth of his arms and burst out crying."I caused Justin's death, I harmed him! If…if I made him leave, if I didn't go to the airport to find him, he would still be alive and well. Why did I go and find him? Sebastian was right, everyone who loves me ends up in a terrible plight. I cau
Rosalie held the rings tightly in her hands and put them at her chest, sobbing, "Justin, Justin…"She collapsed on the bed, dissolving into tears."Rose, I know you're in a lot of pain, but I want you to know that you still have me and your son. Don't you want to see Steve? He really missed you."The mention of Steve made Rosalie come alive, but only for a split second.She gripped her collar tight. "I need some time to be alone. I don't want him seeing me like this."She didn't want to scare her son. She was afraid that she might break down before Steve."Okay. If you need me to be by your side, just call me."Rosalie shut her eyes and curled up into a ball, ignoring Theodore's offer.Theodore sighed and pulled the sheets up over her before leaving the room.When he was walking down the corridor, his phone started buzzing in his pocket. He pulled it out of his pocket and answered the call."Mr. Spencer, we've dealt with Sebastian's corpse."Theodore clenched his fists so ti
It was like a long, long nightmare.Rosalie didn't know how much time had passed. All she could remember was herself walking in the desert for a long, long time. She felt tired, thirsty, and hot. She saw no end to the desert and she seemed to be looking for something, although she had forgotten who she was.Just as she fell from tripping over a stone and found herself unable to crawl back up, a man appeared before her.Rosalie looked up, and tears welled up in her eyes the moment she saw who it was.She suddenly remembered who she was and she reached out a trembling hand, calling out, "Justin… Justin…!"Her voice was hoarse.Justin crouched down. "Rose.He reached his hand out, as tender as before.Rosalie felt as though she had found her lifeline. Yet right before their hands touched, a loud gunshot sounded as she saw a bullet pierce mercilessly through Justin's chest. Blood trickled down the wound.Justin collapsed to the ground."No…no, no!"Rosalie yelled at the top of h
"Sebastian Carter, dare you kill me? Hahaha…!" Rosalie laughed.Her scornful laughter was akin to blades that pierced Sebastian's heart. He knew his time was up and all forms of pretense were useless.Although he refused to concede defeat, he had no other choice.Anyone who loved this woman was bound to end up in a horrible plight.Out of the blue, he asked, "Theodore, do you love Rose?" "Of course I do, but I'm not as perverted as you are," Theodore spat."Yes, I'm perverted while your love is noble and dignified. At the very least, Rose loved you once, but what about me? She has never loved me." Sebastian chuckled bitterly, tears filling his eyes. "I just want her to love me! What wrong have I done? I just don't want to lose the woman I love. How is that wrong?"Until now, Sebastian refused to admit his wrongdoings. He might know it in his heart, but he refused to admit it outright.Tears of indignation rolled down his cheeks as he bawled like a child. "The only wrong I di
Sebastian gritted his teeth as he vented his overwhelming wrath on Rosalie's body.Rosalie shut her eyes and bit down on her lips hard, bearing with the pain. She didn't cry out for fear that the people outside would hear her and realize the indecency that was going on.The men outside were shouting anxiously. Just then, one of their members ran over with an electric drill in hand. "I found this! Let's try it."A loud drilling sound came from the door. A few minutes later, the door lock finally came loose.The door was kicked open with a loud bang and Theodore barged in with his men. Sebastian and Rosalie were seated by the bedside, with Sebastian holding a gun pointed at Rosalie's temple.Rosalie's hair was in a mess, with tears streaming down her face. Her sleep gown was all tattered and torn.Fire burned in Theodore's eyes when he saw the scene before him. "Sebastian Carter, what did you do?!""I did everything you can imagine! If you don't believe me, just watch." Sebast