The man failed to see through Mona’s expression. She would never display her true thoughts on her face. “I believe you, I really do,” Mona said with a frivolous smile. She then pointed at his pocket and said, “Mr. Fontaine, your phone is buzzing.” Thaddeus regained his composure and realized that the phone in his pocket was indeed vibrating. He pulled it out and saw the name on the screen: Samantha. He hesitated but ultimately answered it. “Thaddeus, where are you?” “A friend’s house.” The man glanced at Mona before he walked out. Mona finally sighed a breath of relief after Thaddeus left. It was tiring trying to compete with the man, both mentally and physically. “He left? Who called?” Linda came in and asked. “Who else? Of course, it’s his fiance.” Mona had a satisfied look at the hundred-thousand-dollar cheque before she kept it away. “What do you think Thaddeus is thinking? He’s dating Samantha, almost marrying the woman, but he’s still coming back to you. He ca
When Bobby and Millie returned from school, the house was instantly bustling with activity. The two little ones changed their shoes and immediately ran to Mona’s room to see her.“Mommy, Mommy, are you feeling better?”Millie took out a piece of candy and handed it over to Mona. “Mommy, taking medicine is very bitter. Have a candy.”Mona took it and unwrapped the paper, looking at the glistening candy inside.She popped it into her mouth, her eyes squinting at the sweetness.Her children knew her best. She liked eating candy when she was sick.“Millie, where did you get the money to buy candy?”“Bobby gave it to me. He’s rich. If I want something, Bobby will take money out of his pocket and buy it for me.” Millie took out a butterfly hairpin from her furry bunny bag. “See this? Bobby bought candy for Mommy and a hairpin for me.”Mona smiled and clipped the hairpin to her daughter’s hair. “Wow. Millie, you’re so adorable.”Then, she looked at her son, who stood silently by the
Everyone got ready and went outside.Linda walked ahead with one child in each hand while Mona locked the door behind her. She was just about to go downstairs when she heard a loud thud from her neighbor’s house.She was startled and hurriedly went downstairs.On second thought, she wondered if her neighbor had fallen down the stairs because of the power outage.“Suzy, what are you doing? Come on down.”Linda and the children were waiting for her downstairs and raised their heads to urge her.“I’m coming.”Mona decided to mind her own business and was just about to leave when she heard someone from across the hall. A man’s deep voice sounded through a door.“Just a moment, please. I need help. Can I have a moment of your time?”Mona paused, turned around, and looked at the door.She found the voice very attractive and somewhat familiar.Furthermore, this person seemed to be very polite. He should be a cultured and educated person.She turned around and walked two steps up t
“That’s too much of a coincidence. I think you watch too many melodramas.”Mona laughed at Linda’s words.After hailing a cab at the roadside, the group got into the car. Linda told the driver the name of a nearby shopping mall, and they drove off.Mona was bored. She remembered what Linda just said and took out her phone to open WhatsApp.The man’s profile picture was a painting by the Italian artist Salvi.Coincidentally, she liked Salvi very much, and this painting was one of his main works that she had always wanted to see in exhibitions.Unfortunately, the exhibitions were limited to the European region, so she could not go and see them. She simply downloaded an image from the Internet and used it as her wallpaper for a while.Mona suddenly became interested in the man who set this painting as his profile picture. This painter was pretty niche in the country, and his painting style was not well known. Very few people knew who Salvi was.She clicked on the chatroom and want
“Go away. Don’t touch me!”Millie slapped Isabel’s hand away and hid behind Mona.Bobby stood in front of Millie and spread his arms to protect his sister.Mona, who originally did not want to cause trouble, stopped in her tracks and looked icily at the two women in front of her.She raised her chin and said, “Please be more respectful. You’re scaring my children.”“They’re your children? Yours?”Eleanor was shocked and carefully looked at the two children again.She prayed they were not Victor’s.However, their eyes gave her a sense of familiarity.It was strange. Why did they look like a certain person? Just who was it she was thinking about?“Don’t worry. These children have nothing to do with your family.”Mona sneered. She hoped more than anyone that the children’s father was not Victor. He was unworthy.Eleanor sighed in relief and glanced at Isabel. “Isabel, let me introduce you. This is Mona Ortega. She used to be acquainted with our family and was a high school cla
Mona thought she had heard wrong and turned to look back in wonder.At some point, Thaddeus appeared. It was quite rare. After all, this man seldom appeared in shopping malls. Maybe he was accompanying Samantha shopping.Speaking of, why had she been bumping into him everywhere today?She did not want to encounter him and quickly left with Linda and the children.Eleanor pulled Thaddeus to the side and asked, “Thaddeus, did you know? Those two with Mona are her biological children.”Thaddeus faintly glanced at the two adults and two children who had already walked away.He withdrew his gaze, curled his lips into a vague smile, and said jokingly, “Since when did you become so keen on meddling in other people’s affairs?”Eleanor froze for a moment. She originally thought he would be angry when he found out Mona had two children behind his back. She did not expect him to be so calm.It seemed he really did not care about Mona.“I was just asking out of curiosity.” Eleanor turned
“You started it,” Mona said with feigned anger. “Bobby, Millie, time for bed.”“Okay. Good night.” Millie climbed down from the sofa, obediently walked to the TV to turn it off, and went to her room.“Good girl, Millie.” Linda gave a thumbs up and praised Mona. “You’ve taught your children well.”Mona could not help but laugh. When she saw Bobby still holding the tablet and not going to bed, she walked over, and pinched her son’s face. “Bedtime, Bobby.”Bobby handed the tablet to Mona. “Here. Pick two.”Mona took the tablet and looked at it. The photo album was filled with men of all types.She swiped through the photos and asked curiously, “Where did you find all these photos? There are so many blind date candidates. Did you hack into a dating website?”“Of course not.” Bobby looked smug. “They gave their photos to me themselves. Every time we go out, someone always secretly asks me about your situation, and I add them on WhatsApp. This was the result of accumulation. Some of
Mona’s first blind date, Finn Johnson, was an engineer from a network company. He was someone Bobby met during the art festival competition. Finn was the technical team leader and gave a lot of advice to Bobby on his drone.Bobby saw how patient and good-tempered Finn was, so he secretly pointed Mona out to the latter and asked if he liked this type of lady.Finn’s eyes immediately lit up the moment he saw Mona.Of course, he liked her. How could he not? She had the beauty of a goddess. Few men could resist her charm.Thus, when Bobby said he wanted to matchmake them, Finn instantly agreed and quickly exchanged numbers with Bobby. It was as if he was afraid Bobby would go back on his word.Mona only learned about this situation ten minutes ago. If not for Linda stopping her, she would have picked Bobby up to spank him.He was vigilant in finding a man for his mom, even during a competition. What kind of child was he?Mona arrived a little earlier than the appointed time and had
The couple was tired after a time of bonding, and they lay on the wicker chair, closing their eyes before slipping into dreamland. Sometime later, Thaddeus felt a chill and opened his eyes. His T-shirt was wet, and Bobby and Millie were spraying water at him with water guns. The youngest child was nearby too in her stroller. She suckled on a pacifier and watched the bustle. “Where’s your mommy?” Thaddeus shuffled his hair and looked around, searching for Mona. “Freeze, Daddy. We have held Mommy captive. Surrender yourself to us.” Acting like the boss, Millie pointed her massive water gun at her daddy. Thaddeus had indulged his eldest daughter so much that the girl would only have things her way. Nevertheless, Thaddeus played along since it was only a game. He knew his children well. Millie took after Mona and was shrewd. Still, Millie would be on her best behavior when in public. “Hurry up and surrender, Daddy. Put your hands up, and we will release Mommy.” Millie poked
It was a cooling breeze for the Summer as flowers bloomed in the garden of Fontaine Residence. Mona rested on a wicker chair under the wine arbor, holding in hand the latest issue of the weekly design magazine, with her face on the cover. In the photo, she held a trophy up on the stage of a design competition, standing out amidst the radiant background. Since the birth of her youngest, Mona took a month off for rest before picking up her passion again and returning to the world of design. Recently, she won first place in an international design competition and found fame. Mona was happy with her life and enjoyed the rich and peaceful state of things. She had time to herself for once during the weekend, so she found a quiet spot to enjoy time alone while the kids had a nap. The sunlight shone over Mona through the leaves, basking her in warmth. She let out a yawn and closed her eyes for a nap. Thaddeus walked out of the house and saw the woman enjoying the moment of bliss. The t
“Mommy, did the baby kick you today?” Millie wobbled her way over and placed her hand on Mona’s belly. She could feel the baby stirring inside her mommy’s stomach. Millie was pleasantly surprised. “The baby kicked me! Mommy, is the baby swimming inside your belly?” “Yeah. The baby is kicking.” Mona affectionately caressed her belly. The fetus had been kicking and rolling a lot more lately, so she could not get much sleep. The tall and strong man drew near and looked tenderly at Mona. His husky voice lingered in Mona’s ear. “Weren’t you craving strawberries? I placed an order, and the fruit is being airlifted here as we speak. It’ll arrive tonight.” “Yay.” Mona was gleeful. Since the beginning of her pregnancy, she had become quite fussy and craved the strangest food. She wanted caviar from Japan, cookies from France, and strawberries from the highlands. Anything she asked for would be transported fresh to the house the next day.The man had taken good care of her during her en
“No. I won’t let myself go.” The man huffed heavily after finishing his sit-ups. Then, he rolled out of bed and got changed in the walk-in closet. Mona stared at the man’s well-toned back, gasping at his body upkeep. People would probably have a hard time believing he was a father of three. With that in mind, Mona became aware of a potential threat. She got up and drew close to the man. “You’re responsible for taking care of the baby once the child is born.” Thaddeus straightened his tie. “Alright. I can do that. I want to be present in the baby’s life and your pregnancy. You should rest at home once your belly gets bigger. I’ll handle Bobby and Millie’s school run, okay?” The man pinched Mona’s face dotingly. “Now you’re talking. Are you heading out?” Mona got up on her tiptoes to brush off the dust from his shoulders. “Yeah. I need to sort out a lot of paperwork.” “I wrote down notes of the meeting I attended on your behalf a few days ago.” Mona walked out to retrieve a
Thaddeus was in the hospital for a week before he was discharged. The election day for the successor of the Fontaine Group was two weeks later, but Thaddeus had not made a full recovery in his legs. He remained in a wheelchair and persisted in his daily physiotherapy. Mona had a room freed up in Fontaine Residence for Thaddeus’ rehabilitation. A specialized doctor would come around the house every day to help Thaddeus with his recovery. Thaddeus was a strong man to fight through the pain in his physiotherapy sessions. That day, Mona watched as the workers hung a decorative painting on the wall in the hallway. She ordered paintings of her preference and had them shipped from abroad. Mona instructed the workers to put it up, not paying attention to the wobbly painting that had been hung behind her. The painting was about to hit her from the back. Thaddeus was exiting the rehabilitation room when he caught sight of the danger. Getting up from his wheelchair, Thaddeus took large stri
The few pictures of Mona and Victor at the height of a tussle gave the impression that they were having an intimate moment. Thaddeus went through the photos with a look of disdain. “So you stood there and pretended to take pictures of me to show me these? You set my wife up with another man to tell me she was cheating on me?” It was not hard to guess the game the paparazzi were playing, but who was he trying to fool? The man was dumbstruck, as it never occurred to him that Thaddeus could see through him. It had taken the three of them to come up with the idea. However, it had not taken much for Thaddeus to foil their plan. Mona let out a relieved smile. She thought that Thaddeus would be furious at the look of the pictures and had prepared herself to give a long explanation. She was surprised that Thaddeus quickly saw through the attempt to drive them apart. Their relationship was solid, and no one could come between them. Mona thought to herself with glee when she took
Mona stood in front of Thaddeus, blocking his face as she confronted the paparazzi who took their picture. “Hand over the camera!” “There’s nothing in the camera. Besides, it’s my personal property. Why should I give it to you?” “You clearly took a picture of my husband. You have some nerve to say there’s nothing.” Mona grabbed the man by the wrist and lifted her foot to kick. Thaddeus grabbed her wrist to stop her. “You’re pregnant. Think about the child.” Thaddeus pulled Mona back, leaving himself exposed to the paparazzi. “Why do you want to photograph me? Do you want to see me in a wheelchair? Take a picture then.” Thaddeus pulled a straight face. His nonchalant gaze spoke of intimidation. Dumbstruck, the paparazzi looked at Thaddeus’ legs and smiled dryly. “What happened to your legs, Mr. Fontaine?” Thaddeus did not answer. However, his dark eyes flicked chillingly as he looked murderously at the paparazzi. Even in a wheelchair, Thaddeus did not have to say anythi
With the help of the two caretakers, Thaddeus sat in the wheelchair. He had overcome his emotions and pulled himself together. His mind was clear as he sorted out what he should do next. Thaddeus called the assistant into the room and laid out the following plan. “I won’t attend any media interviews before the election, but I won’t disappear from the public eye either. I don’t want to give the press something to talk about. My wife will represent me. Going forward, whatever she says or does will be considered my own. She has the authority to attend all corporate conferences, big or small.” Mona dropped her jaw in shock. She was to attend company meetings and speak on his behalf. It was trying to make the impossible happen. On second thought, Thaddeus must have his reasons to do so. She had the confidence to do a good job anyway. The assistant took note of everything Thaddeus said. The Fontaine Group was about to choose its next leader, and with Thaddeus still in recovery, the
“It’s okay. That’s normal after surgery. The doctor gave me a heads-up. Since it’s a brain operation, you might have damage to the motor nerve. With the help of physiotherapy, you’ll be back to running in no time.” Mona consoled Thaddeus. Thaddeus lifted his hands and gave Mona a gentle push. “Leave.” Mona froze. She looked at the man who was fine a second ago, not knowing what to do. “Can you leave? I need some time alone,” Fixing his gaze on Mona, Thaddeus spoke callously. “Okay. I’ll be right outside if you need me.” It dawned on Mona why the man was persistent in driving her away. He did not want her to see him at his worst. In a way, he was trying to protect his pride and dignity as a man. However, they were a married couple. Mona would never turn her back on him. Mona could understand the man’s vulnerability and his feelings at the moment. Hence, she said nothing and quietly left the ward to give Thaddeus the time and space to sort his emotions. Instead of doing n