Theodore avoided her gaze. "I don't want to treat you as a substitute. It's not fair to you. Even if I use you to relieve the torment in my heart, once Rose returns, I would abandon you without mercy.""Then what if…" Aurora's voice was hoarse as she spoke. "What if I'm willing to be that substitute? What if I want to give it a try?"She really wanted to try. Even if she started off as a substitute, the woman he loved had already married another man. There was no longer any possibility between them.She still had a chance to be the real thing. Everything would work out if she could make this man fall in love with her."You're willing to be a substitute?" Theodore hadn't expected Aurora to say such a thing."Can you let me try? I don't mind if you see me as her, just as long as you don't call her name in front of me."Aurora had never thought she could compromise this much. In front of the man she loved, she had even given up her dignity. She had never done anything like this for
"You... you..." Aurora felt her blood boil. "You're too much! You really are a jerk!"Theodore sneered indifferently, "You're just realizing that now? I've always been a jerk. Otherwise, why would my ex-wife divorce me? This is reality. You're not even worthy of being her substitute."Aurora bit her lip hard, tears streaming down her cheeks. She felt utterly shattered.She never expected that even after compromising so much, this man could still be so cruel. It was over before it had even begun.She shouldn't have humiliated herself. She shouldn't have.In her fury, Aurora angrily took off the suit jacket she was wearing and threw it at him."You're utterly shameless, Theodore! I hate you!" she cried before turning and running away.Theodore didn't stop her. He casually dusted off the suit jacket and draped it over his arm.The sound of her footsteps grew more and more distant.Suddenly, a scream came from behind him.Hearing the sound, Theodore immediately turned around. Not
Before Cynthia could respond, Theodore spoke first. "Her name is Cynthia Zeller."He only introduced Cynthia by name, but didn't explain how she was related to him.Cynthia thought Theodore was deliberately hiding the truth from Aurora, and felt indignant. She immediately said, "I'm Theodore's fiancée. We almost got married before."At the mention of this, Theodore's brows furrowed slightly.He thought back to his wedding with Cynthia. He had been so close to marrying her, but at the critical moment, he received news that Rosalie had been kidnapped. Without a second thought, he left everything behind.Unfortunately, he still lost Rosalie.He hadn't known what happened to Cynthia afterward, and it was only today that he saw her again. It would be a lie if he said he didn't feel any guilt at all. He felt guilty toward Cynthia to a certain extent.When Cynthia said she was his fiancée, he didn't refute her on the spot. Aurora almost fainted on the spot."Fiancée?" She looked at
It must have been him who triggered Aurora.She had heart disease and couldn't handle such emotional turmoil. It was practically a death sentence.However, what else could he have done at the time? He couldn't really treat Aurora as a mere substitute.Cynthia clenched her fists so tightly that her nails almost dug into her palms.After a long while, she took a deep breath, calmed herself, and walked over to Theodore. "Theo, can you tell me what's really going on? Who is she?"Theodore leaned against the wall, his eyes lowered. "She saved me.""What?" Cynthia was a bit surprised. "She saved you? When?"At the thought of it, Theodore's heart ached again. Recalling that moment nearly took his breath away. "It's in the past. I don't want to talk about it anymore."He really didn't want to discuss it any further, and changed the subject. "About the wedding… I'm sorry. I abandoned you."Cynthia bit her lip, her eyes filled with dissatisfaction and pain."So, you do remember that yo
Theodore looked at her, unsure of what to say at that moment.He had indeed wronged Cynthia. He had no right to argue back.It was true that he had abandoned her at the wedding. Even if Cynthia cursed him, it would be entirely justified.Seeing Theodore's cold demeanor, Cynthia felt both pain and anger. She would rather Theodore argue or even fight with her.Instead, he treated her so indifferently, doing nothing at all, which only showed that his feelings for her were as dead as still water.Or maybe, Theodore had never felt anything for her from the beginning, and it had all been her own delusion."And what about this woman?" Cynthia asked. "What are you going to do? You abandoned me, and now you're planning to be with this Aurora?""Cindy," Theodore interrupted her. "You'll find a better man. Don't waste your time and emotions on me anymore.""It's easy for you to say! You just walk away, but what about me? Now I have to watch you with another woman. How can I accept that? W
"I am that kind of person." Theodore turned around. "Believe it or not."He didn't care whether Aurora believed him, or how Cynthia viewed him. He had completely stopped caring. He didn't even care how his family saw him, let alone anyone else."No, you're not like that! Theodore, why won't you admit it?" Aurora looked at him in pain. "You're suffering inside. Why won't you acknowledge it? You're not the kind of person you claim to be. There must be a reason for what you did.""What reason?" Theodore angrily replied. "Why do you always make excuses for men? There's no reason. I betrayed my wife, and I deserve everything I'm going through now! I had it coming!"Unable to control his anger, Theodore suddenly shouted. Aurora was startled by his outburst, and stared at him with wide eyes.Realizing that his emotions were out of control, Theodore immediately took a deep breath and said, "I did what I did. Stop making excuses for me. I'm not a good man."Aurora clenched her fists, tear
"Theodore... Theodore!" Aurora cried out his name, tears streaming down her face. "Why are you treating me like this? Why?"Aurora really wanted to chase after him and disregard all her concerns, but right now, she didn't have an ounce of strength left."Why did I fall in love with someone like you? Why?" Aurora didn't understand. It had only been a few days, and she had only met him a handful of times, yet she couldn't seem to let go of him."Why did you fall? How pitiful. Let me help you up."A man suddenly appeared in front of her and helped her up from the floor.Aurora raised her head, and saw a stranger standing before her. She frowned in confusion. "Who are you?""Lie down first, and I'll explain slowly."Yerick helped her onto the bed and tucked her in.Aurora wiped the tears from her face.Seeing Yerick looking at her with a half-smile, Aurora felt a bit uneasy. "Who exactly are you?""Do you remember that email?"Aurora's heart skipped a beat. "You sent that emai
Seeing Aurora's emotional state, Yerick quickly comforted her in a gentle tone. "Calm down. Let me explain everything to you slowly."Yerick took out his phone from his pocket, swiped a few times, and then handed it to Aurora.Aurora looked at the screen, and saw a photo of a beautiful young woman. Her gentle smile was like the warmth of the sun in spring, giving off a feeling of immense comfort. Her eyes were full of tenderness.Aurora stared at the woman in the photo, her heart trembling violently. "This...this is...""She is Theodore's ex-wife. Her name is Rosalie."Aurora stared at the woman on the phone screen in a daze, her eyes gradually filling with tears. So, this was what she looked like. No wonder Theodore couldn't forget her.If his wife was so beautiful, why did Theodore get involved with that woman named Cynthia?If it was really about looks, Cynthia didn't seem to be more beautiful than Rosalie. Could it be because of some other qualities?Yet, in the end, Theodor
Rosalie hurriedly handed the baby to Theodore.She was at her wits' end. What exactly was going on?Perhaps this was because they were truly father and son. Sometimes, there were no explanations for things that were simply amazing and mysterious.Theodore felt energized looking at the baby. Rosalie, on the other hand, was exhausted."Rose, why don't I stay here and coax the baby to sleep? You can go to bed first.""How can I make you do that? You need to rest early.""But Steve cries each time I put him down. If he keeps crying, it'll disturb you and Justin, or even our neighbors.""Well…" Rosalie didn't know what to do."How about this," Theodore suggested, "I'll give you Steve. If he doesn't cry, I'll leave. If he cries, then do as I say. I'll stay to coax him to sleep and I'll leave once he's asleep, okay?"Rosalie pondered for a moment before nodding. "Okay, then."She stretched her arms out to receive the baby.The moment Theodore put the baby in Rosalie's arms, the bab
Rosalie stood at the door, watching Theodore coaxing Steve. She paused in her steps.It didn't take long for Theodore to calm Steve down. When he saw Steve stop crying, a gentle smile appeared on his face."I'm leaving now. I won't disturb you. You and your mom should go to sleep early."He carefully placed Steve on the bed, but as soon as he let go, Steve started crying again.Theodore quickly picked him up again and soothed him. "What's wrong, baby?"After coaxing Steve for a while, Steve stopped crying and began giggling. "Steve, be a good boy and sleep, okay?"At that moment, Rosalie walked forward. "Theo."Hearing her voice, Theodore immediately came back to his senses and realized that he had overstepped his boundaries."Sorry, I rushed in as soon as I heard him cry. Here, I'll give him back to you."He wasn't sure why, but when he heard Steve cry, he felt sad. He had an urge to comfort Steve, almost as if it were a responsibility.Theodore stepped forward and handed Steve to Ros
Rosalie's heart trembled. She rushed forward and covered Theodore's mouth with her hand, her eyes filled with intense panic. "Don't say such things."He had a son now, but he was speaking of an end to his lineage. She also didn't want Theodore to die a terrible death.Theodore grabbed her wrist and suddenly pulled her into his arms, lowering his head to kiss her lips.Rosalie's eyes widened, and her mind felt like it exploded in that instant. In a panic, she stretched out both hands to push him away, trying to resist—but he wouldn't budge.Rosalie dared not struggle or shout too hard, fearing that Justin might hear. Justin would certainly come out to stop them. He was injured and running a fever; his body couldn't handle such an ordeal. He definitely wouldn't be a match for Theodore. Rosalie had no choice but to helplessly close her eyes, allowing him to kiss her.After a long while, Theodore finally let her go. He cupped the back of her head with one hand and held her waist with the
Theodore walked in, and Rosalie passed by him directly. She found a thermometer and went back into the room to take Justin's temperature. The thermometer read 104 degrees."Justin, you have a fever. We need to go to the hospital."Rosalie tried to help him sit up, but Justin grabbed her wrist. "I can't go to the hospital. I'll be fine after one night of rest.""No, your temperature is too high, and you're injured. Your wound is definitely inflamed.""I'm really fine, don't worry. Do you have any fever medicine here?"Seeing Rosalie's anxious expression, Theodore closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and suppressed the anger within him. He walked over and said, "I can call a doctor to treat him."Rosalie turned to him and asked, "Will they talk about it?""I guarantee they won't. I know people who are professionals in secret treatments. They will not reveal a thing."Rosalie thought for a moment, then looked at Justin. "Can we call the doctor? Please? Otherwise, your life will be at risk
After Theodore hung up the phone, he walked to the liquor cabinet and opened a bottle of whiskey, pouring it into a glass.Just as he was about to take a sip, he suddenly thought of his stomach and put the glass aside. He had promised Rosalie many times that he would stop drinking. If he drank now, he would feel guilty.He walked over to the window, gazing blankly at the night sky. The city was especially bright, shimmering with light, as if the stars were hovering on earth.Why was Justin at Rosalie's place at this hour? Was he really sick? Or was it just an excuse?Furthermore, what was Justin's sudden arrival in Blencalgo about? With his status, he could only bring trouble and danger to Rosalie.Theodore became more and more troubled as he thought about it.He walked to the wardrobe, opened it, and took out his coat.-Rosalie was lying in bed, unable to sleep. She gently held Steve and stared at his face, thinking, 'Steve, if your grandmother wakes up, I will tell Theodore that you
Aurora tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep.She turned over and asked, "Angie, how did Rebecca react after the injection?"Angie was holding her phone, reading a novel online. Hearing Aurora's question, she turned to her and asked, "Why aren't you asleep yet?""How could I sleep?""She didn't have any reaction," Angie replied.Aurora recalled what Yerick had told her. The solution was provided by Yerick, who had said that there wouldn't be any special reaction once it was administered. They just needed to wait. Aurora didn't know if the solution would work.She turned her head and saw that Angie was still absorbed in reading, as if nothing had happened."Angie, how can you still read a novel? After what happened, can you still concentrate?""What's so hard to handle? It's just a dead old woman. Nothing to worry about."Angie lay back on the bed. She started cursing again while reading a novel. "The female lead is such a saint, but now she's acting so promiscuously. Don't blame t
Rosalie helped Justin onto the bed, and he lay down. "Rest well. You can stay here as long as you need to recover."She took the blanket and put it over him."Justin, how long were you waiting outside my door?"Justin smiled faintly. "Not too long."In reality, he had waited for several hours. However, knowing she was busy, he didn't want to disturb her, so he waited quietly on his own."Why didn't you call me beforehand? If you had, I would have come back earlier."Despite his injuries, he had been waiting at her door. She felt he must have waited for quite a while."I planned to come after my wound healed, but I wasn't sure how long that would take. I wanted to tell you about this as soon as possible because I was worried about you. I needed you to think about whether there was anyone suspicious around you.""I can't think of anyone suspicious… Oh, by the way, Theodore lied to me earlier, saying he had stomach cancer. I really believed him. Later, I received an email with his medica
"It's clearly not! Look at you. Don't move, I'll grab the first-aid kit."Rosalie got up, went to the cabinet, and retrieved a medical kit before rushing back. Thankfully, she had a medical kit on hand."Lie down here. I'll help you treat it."She had treated Justin's injuries before, so she was a bit more experienced now.Justin didn't resist this time, allowing Rosalie to undo the bandages on his shoulder. When she saw the wound, she was shocked. The blood stains on it had already blackened."How did it get like this? We need to go to the hospital!""It's fine, Rose. Don't worry about me. I'll be okay."Justin opened the medical kit and pulled out the necessary supplies. Then, he used a cotton ball soaked in antiseptic to clean the wound."Justin, let me do it," Rosalie said, taking the tweezers from his hand. "Lie still."She understood his reluctance to go to the hospital, likely to avoid further complications. So, she stopped urging him to go to the hospital. For now, she would tr
"Something came up suddenly, so I had to deal with it. Sorry about standing you up last time," Justin said.Rosalie wanted to say more, but realizing they were still standing at the door, she quickly said, "Let's head inside."She entered the password and opened the door. Justin followed her inside.Rosalie carefully laid the sleeping baby on the bed before closing the door and heading into the living room."Justin, why didn't you let me know you were coming?"After she found the apartment, she had sent him a message with her new address. She hadn't expected him to show up unannounced."Sorry. I should've informed you beforehand. I'll leave now," Justin said, looking a bit embarrassed as he turned to go.Rosalie quickly stopped him. "That's not what I meant. I just didn't expect you to come suddenly. It's not that I don't want you here. I'm happy to see you—I was worried something had happened to you."Justin gave a faint, bitter smile. His pale face looked somber. "Rose, if… One day s