Bobby was referring to Jimʼs mom. Mona gestured an okay sign to him and smiled. “Donʼt worry. Iʼm a superwoman. There’s nothing I can’t handle.” Bobby frowned slightly, looking very much like Thaddeus. “But Iʼm afraid that sheʼll be unreasonably pushy and unforgiving. Thatʼs the worst kind of person to deal with.” “Oh, donʼt worry for nothing. How serious can this be? Quickly get in the car to watch your sister. Iʼll be back soon.” Mona was glad about her childrenʼs concern for her but also felt sorry at the same time. They should be carefree at their age, but they still shared worries like adults. The consequence of being too understanding was bearing things they should not experience at their age. After feeling sad for a moment, Mona picked up her spirits and followed Jimʼs mom into the hospital for a checkup. While they were waiting outside the checkup room, a tall man walked over. The man had an unordinary temperament and wore an expensive suit jacket. It was clear he
Mona was dumbfounded after she heard that. She quickly composed herself and calmly faced the angry and indifference man in front of her. "Sir, since youʼre the principle of the kindergarten, thatʼs all the more reason for you to abide by the school rules and regulations and act according to them. You shouldnʼt abuse your power for selfish desires." Jimʼs dad looked down at Mona with arrogance and indifference. A contemptuous smile could be seen on his face. 'Sheʼs a woman, indeed. Short-sighted with poor insights.' “Babe, are you really going to expel her child?” Jimʼs mom tugged at his sleeve and acted coquettishly with a look of admiration on her face. “You love our son so much. Not every child is as lucky as him.” The man looked at his wife on the side and frowned slightly. He seemed to be a little displeased. “Donʼt simply talk.” His petite wife shivered down her shoulders. She pursed her lips and did not dare to say anything else. "This matter will be dealt with
Millie tilted her head and muttered, “If Daddy is your son, that means youʼre our grandma!” Jennifer nodded. “Yes, Iʼm your grandma.” “Bobby, we have a grandma too!” Millie was excited. She held Bobby, overjoyed. Mona stood on the side and watched the harmonious and warm scene. However, something felt off. It was delightful that Jennifer approved of the two children. Even so, Mona had a feeling it was unreal, as though everything was fake… Mona shook her head and gathered her wandering thoughts. She said to the children, “Bobby, Millie, say goodbye to Grandma. Itʼs time to go home.” Bobby and Millie waved obediently at Jennifer and got out of the car one after another. “Aunt Jennifer, thanks for looking after my children today. Weʼll be leaving first.” Mona thanked Jennifer politely and took the two children's hands as they walked to her car. Sitting in the driverʼs seat, Mona took a long breath. The thought of Jimʼs dadʼs strong attitude made her feel like she could
Mona called Thaddeus after dinner. He was still working overtime in a meeting at the company, but when he saw that it was Mona who called, he immediately paused it. He picked up his phone and walked outside to answer the call. Thaddeus stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window and looked down at the dazzling and glorious night view. He answered the call and put his phone next to his ear. When he heard Monaʼs voice coming from the other end, his troubled and restless mind gradually returned to peace. “Have you had dinner?” Mona started the conversation with a question of concern and casually asked. “Yeah.” Thaddeus unknowingly smiled. Even his voice became extremely gentle and pleasing to the ear. “Iʼm working overtime, so I had some food from the office building. It was too oily and not as tasty as what you cook.” Thaddeus was not indifferent and stingy with words. As long as Mona looked for him, he would tell her every little thing that happened in his day. Was there not
“Didn’t you say your dinner was too greasy? This is something to help with digestion.” Feeling warm and cozy inside, Thaddeus took large gulps of the soup. Happiness was written all over his face. Mona had something on her mind. She watched as the man finished his food while looking hesitant to speak. Noticing her preoccupation, the man grabbed a napkin to wipe his mouth before asking, “What’s going on with the kids?” Mona turned to the side and met Thaddeus face-to-face. “Here’s the thing. Millie hit a boy in school.” “Oh?” Raising a brow, Thaddeus thought he heard it wrong and had to ask one more time. Who would have thought his little princess had a savage side to her? She had the guts to hit someone. That was interesting. The man’s laid-back attitude demonstrated to Mona his lack of awareness of the gravity of the matter, so she showed a photo on the phone. “Yeah. I’m not kidding. Look at the bump on the child’s head. Your daughter did this. Thank goodness the med
“How would you go about it, then? I want to hear your thoughts,” Thaddeus asked Mona. “Come with me to school on Monday. Millie was in the wrong for hitting, but that’s not a reason to expel a child. Let’s try to reason with them.” Thaddeus nodded his head. “We’ll go with your idea. You have my full cooperation.” It was his habit not to waste time or effort on trivial matters like these. He was better off using the time to make money. However, he was not going to go against Mona’s wishes. “Alright. So it’s settled. We’ll meet at the school entrance at eight o’clock on Monday. You can leave now since you’ve finished your food. I’m going to bed now.” “Where can I go? Who was the cause of my arm injury?” Displeased, Thaddeus pointed at his injured arm. Mona pursed her lips in helplessness before conceding. “Fine. You can stay here, but I can’t be at your beck and call like a nanny. I have things to do.” Thaddeus spoke of his displeasure and reflected the hurt in his express
Mona pursed her lips, getting the feeling that the man was letting himself go. There were no boundaries to the man’s indecency once he stripped away his unfeeling front. “Of course not.” “But I’m a normal man with needs.” Thaddeus was helpless. Mona put her hands in the air. “I’m not stopping you from taking care of your needs. You can get with any woman you want. I’m sure there’s a line of women who can’t wait to get into your pants.” The man scoffed in disgruntlement. “You’re just playing dumb.” “I don’t get it.” Mona’s mind harked back to her conversation with Marianne. Marianne said nothing would happen even if Thaddeus were alone in a room with a woman. At one point, Marianne had her suspicions that Thaddeus was asexual. Thaddeus nodded his head in annoyance. His arms drooped as he croaked, “But I only want you. All I want is you.” Mona dropped her jaw. The sudden love confession came out of nowhere. The first thought to jump into her mind was to run away. Sh
Thaddeus’s daughter’s cheerful giggles swept away all his frustrations and annoyances. He had never felt better. Lifting his arms up high, Thaddeus hurled Millie into the air. “Are you happy, my precious daughter?” Millie chuckled and replied, “I am! I am!” The smile on Millie’s face drove Thaddeus to work harder to make her happy while ignoring the throbbing pain coming from his injured arm. The laughter and chatter of the father and daughter echoed through the stairs, waking Mona and Bobby up. Mona rubbed her eyes as she lay in bed and monitored to frolic downstairs, suddenly realizing what a comfortable environment it was to be in. It seemed as though she woke up on the right side of the bed. She sat up and stretched, feeling refreshed in the morning. Mona got out of bed, put on her fluffy slippers, and went to wash up. After a change of clothes, she made her way to the stairs and stood by the staircase as she picked up on the conversation between the father and daugh
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