The woman noticed Thaddeus’s silence. She nudged her friend and signaled her for assistance. So the other woman stepped in and said, “I’m sorry about my friend, Mister. She’s been going through a lot lately. That’s why she got careless. Why don’t you give us your jacket, and we will clean it for you. Maybe you can leave us your number so we can bring it to you once it’s cleaned?” “Get the hell out of my face!” Thaddeus ran out of patience and yelled at the women. The two were stunned and startled. “Mr. Fontaine, what happened to your hand?” Someone noticed the rashes on the back of Thaddeus's hand and was shocked. A crowd started to gather around him, and it was causing a commotion within the broadcast hall. Mona also noticed the commotion from backstage. She looked toward the noises and saw Thaddeus surrounded by a group of people. She curiously went over to have a look. Thaddeus had a gloomy look on his face. When she saw the coffee stain on his shirt, she immedia
Thaddeus looked slightly disheartened. Knowing that the once obedient Mona had left him and treated him with a drastic change of attitude made him feel terrible. Especially when his heart was slowly being filled by her presence. The man then twisted the tube open and applied the cream to his hand. His brows furrowed tightly as he pondered about something. When he exited the washroom, Mona and the kids had left. Disheartened, the man grabbed his jacket and left the broadcast hall. His towering figure and handsome looks turned heads as he shuttled across the crowd. Even the broadcast station’s female staff, who had seen numerous handsome men at work, could not help but be captivated by his looks. His handsome features with a hint of depression made women’s hearts race. Any woman who laid eyes on him had the urge to hug and save him from his depression. Thaddeus was no stranger to other women’s admiration. The more attention he received, the emptier his heart was. For
Mona was carrying a huge double-strapped backpack. She was a petite and frail woman. With that amount of items on her back, it must be heavy on her shoulders. Bobby and Millie were by her sides as they headed to the sidewalk. Mona tried to hail a taxi to send the kids back to kindergarten before heading to Starbright. She promised Raymond she would go to work, but she has been delaying the starting day until now. However, it was extremely difficult to hail a taxi at this hour. Even the Book-A-Ride app had a long waiting list. With no alternatives left, Mona was forced to walk the kids while carrying the heavy backpack as she continued to book a ride or get a taxi. Going forward while shouldering the pressure was nothing new to her. Bobby held her hand as they walked along the road. Suddenly, a thought rushed into his mind, and he said to Mona, “Mommy, I want to join the math competition this winter break.” Mona pulled the strap higher. The trophy inside was weighing her d
With the thought in mind, Mona locked the door as soon as they went in. However, the lingering thought fueled her anxiety and she decided to call Linda about it. She informed Linda of the mysterious neighbor and asked her for help. Being a good friend, Linda offered to move over starting tomorrow. Despite feeling warm because of Linda’s offer, Mona also felt sad because she only had one true friend in this big city. She thought she was an independent and strong woman, but being a human being with complex emotions, living alone with only two kids in this world would feel lonely and tiring at times. Thankfully she still had her kids as mental support. After doing nothing for a while, she pulled out a pair of men’s leather shoes from the shoe rack and placed them in front of the house. She also hung some men’s clothes on the balcony to make it look like there was a man in the house. The little things manage to give her a sense of safety. After tucking the kids in, Mona c
“Don’t open the door! What if it’s a stranger?” “Oh! Right! Who is it? What should we do? Millie is scared!” Millie immediately hid behind Bobby. Bobby patted her hand, reassuring her. “Don’t worry. Go back to your room and lock the door.” “Okay.” While Millie ran back to the room, Bobby went up to the door and asked, “Who is it?” “Your new neighbor. I want to borrow some stuff.” Bobby was alarmed when he heard the voice of a man. “New neighbor? I don’t know you. I won’t open the door.” “Did something happen inside?” the man asked. “Nothing. Please leave. My Daddy is coming home soon.” Bobby held the door handle tightly, looking nervous. “Daddy?” the man asked. “Your mommy is living with your daddy?” “Why are you asking that? Of course, Mommy is living with Daddy!” After that, the man’s voice disappeared and things went silent outside the door. Bobby sighed a breath of relief. Some time later, knocks came from the door again. “Open the door. It’s me.” “Unc
Thaddeus looked at her weak and petite figure. Even the oversized clothes on her felt like they could crush her. Her original rosy cheeks looked pale like a porcelain doll without any signs of life on it. It crushed him to look at her like this. “If it’s nothing important, please leave. We’ll talk when I get better. Goodbye,” Mona said feebly as she tried to close the door. Thaddeus took a step forward and barged into her house. “Why are you being stubborn at a time like this?” The man grabbed her wrist. The moment he touched her tender skin, it felt like he was holding a piece of burning charcoal. “Mona, you’re burning. How can you be alright like this?” The man disregarded her reaction and carried her up with both his hands. “Hey! What? What are you doing?!” Mona was lifted up from the floor. Her legs fluttered aimlessly as she pounded his broad chest. There was a sobbing tone to her grumbling voice. “Thaddeus, I hate you! Let me go! I don’t want to go to the hosp
A sharp cry broke the steamy atmosphere. Thaddeus turned around and saw a woman in the living room. Linda came in with bags of clothes and necessities. She had promised Mona that she would move in with her for a while last night, and when she arrived, the door was unlocked and opened. She walked into a steamy scene. “What are you doing?!” Linda grabbed the knife on the table and swung it in a flurry at Thaddeus. “I’m warning you! Let go of her, or I will call the cops!” Linda related the man to the mysterious neighbor that Mona mentioned last night, hence her hostility and caution. “You handsome bastard! You are dressed nicely, but you are a piece of shit!” Thaddeus turned around and looked at Linda who was freaking out outside the door. “Shut up!” he bellowed. Linda finally had a good look at the man’s handsome face and was stunned. The knife in her hands fell on the floor with a clang. Thaddeus Fontaine!? Mona’s ex-husband? Thaddeus knew Linda had mistaken him f
“My uncle? How did he know about Susan’s fever?” Victor frowned. “Why are you asking me that?” Linda replied with a ridiculing tone. “All I can say is your uncle loves Susan more than you do. Do you think you are a reliable boyfriend, Victor? Can you even give her the happiness that she wants?” Linda continued to taunt him with words that had hidden meanings. Victor got angry. “Stop talking nonsense. Stop poking your nose into our relationship.” “Victor, I’m just giving you a piece of advice here. She’s no longer Susan. She’s Mona. If you really like her, stop disturbing her with the past.” Victor’s fists were tightly clenched. He ignored Linda and stormed out of the apartment. Linda sighed as the door slammed shut. What did Susan do to deserve all this from the two men? Men with power and wealth usually were never serious about relationships. They all tackled problems mostly from their own selfish perspective. Susan had nothing now, no leverage and right to be on the