Eleanor complained endlessly while secretly wiping her tears. “My son married an unworthy woman who infuriates me at home every day. Today, she even said she wants to send me to live in the countryside. When I said a few words to her, she said we should give her the dowry money and kept scolding me. She’s outrageous and selfish.” Mona listened to Eleanor complain about the bitterness and repressed emotions in her heart. Her mood was momentarily disturbed. She wanted to comfort Eleanor but had nothing to say. She had more or less witnessed Victor and Isabel getting together from the beginning. Back then, Eleanor hoped for nothing but for Isabel to be married into their family. Now, Eleanor could only blame herself for the situation she got herself into. Eleanor was greedy for Isabel’s wealth but could not accept how cranky and pampered she was. How could one get the best of both worlds? Even if there were such a case, she would not be the one to enjoy it. “The relationship b
“Is what you really think?” Eleanor asked Mona. She suddenly smiled and raised her chin to look at Mona. Her posture made her look rather arrogant. Mona looked at Eleanor. Although Elearnor’s deep eyes seemed to be smiling, they were becoming slightly cold and were turning into a sharp blade that wanted to penetrate Mona’s heart. It was clear that Eleanor’s words had an implicated meaning. Mona picked it up and responded calmly, “What do you think, Eleanor?” “Don’t overthink it. I just find it odd, as your remarriage was so sudden. Given what happened between you and Thaddeus previously, you should hate him, yet your attitude toward him changed so quickly. If it wasn’t because of something urgent, it’s hard to imagine why a person’s attitude might have changed overnight. I’m only asking because I find it strange.” Mona heard Eleanor’s response and replied casually again, “If that’s the case, you give me the same feeling.” Eleanor asked, “How so?” “Both of us are people wi
Was it not just a life-or-death struggle? Mona feared no one. “Eleanor, there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you. You know about Isabel’s miscarriage in the hospital, right?” Eleanor nodded. “Of course. Not only did Isabel miscarry, but Victor also fractured his bones and stayed in the hospital for a long time. What’s the matter? Why are you suddenly bringing this up?” Mona smirked, and a treacherous look could be seen on her face. “You don’t actually think it’s true, do you?” She casually threw a bomb at Eleanor. Eleanor’s face slowly darkened. She looked at Mona and asked, “What do you mean?” Mona continued to act as if nothing happened. She spoke about the truth that had nothing to do with her. “It’s exactly as I said—Isabel and Victor joined hands to lie to you. In fact, Isabel—” Who knew that before Mona could finish, Isabel’s angry voice could be heard coming from behind. “Mona, I’ll rip your mouth apart if you dare to talk nonsense here again.” Mona turn
This was the effect Mona wanted to see. Although it was not very moral to sow discord, she was quite happy to add fuel to fire between Eleanor and Isabel. Mona would only feel good if Isabel did not live a good life. She returned to Fontaine Residence before 3:00 pm. Her two babies had changed into clean clothes and were sitting on the sofa. They ate cookies and watched cartoons while waiting for her to come home. Mona walked over and sat on the sofa. She quietly looked at her attractive babies and smiled with her eyes squinted. “Who chose your outfits?” Bobby and Millie looked exceptionally fashionable today. Moreover, they were wearing matching sibling outfits. The former wore a white shirt with suspenders, while the latter wore a denim skirt with white sneakers and a yellow fisherman’s hat. Millie’s big eyes were as good-looking as grapes and looked like a real-life version of Barbie. “Me!” Millie raised her hand high and asked for praise. “I’m good at matching clothes
With help from the faint light coming from the bathroom, Mona squinted at the man approaching her. Perhaps sensing Mona’s fear, the man sneered with a bad attitude. Mona looked at the man’s perfect figure. When the familiar scent interspersed the air, she immediately knew who had returned. “Thaddeus,” she called out his name. The man did not respond but stopped. He removed his suit jacket and threw it on the sofa at the front of the bed. Following that, he unbuttoned the collar on his white shirt, revealing his sexy collarbone. When he got closer to Mona, his handsome and reserved face gradually became clear. Mona was still in shock, so she put her hand on her chest and rolled her eyes at Thaddeus. “Why didn’t you tell me you were back? You scared me.” Thaddeus pulled up his cuffs and unbuttoned the remaining buttons on his shirt one by one, exposing his tight and sexy chest muscles. “What are you afraid of? After all, this is our room, Mrs. Fontaine.” Thaddeus' voice w
Thaddeus saw Mona dodging and pinched her waist with his hand. “Playing dumb, hm?”“Don’t touch me.”“Who should I touch if not you? Who was Mrs. Fontaine?”Thaddeus acted exasperated.He asked over and over again: Who was Mrs. Fontaine?He was so persistent because he wanted to hear her answer.When Mona woke up in the morning, the bed beside her was empty. She touched the cold spot beside her. Last night felt like just a dream.It seemed like a dream, but the pain on her body was real.She stayed in bed for a while, then got up and went downstairs for breakfast. However, she did not see Thaddeus.She asked Aunt May, “Where did your second young master go?”“Second Young Master? Did he come back?”Aunt May did not even know that Thaddeus had come back. While drinking milk, Mona concluded that the man probably left in the middle of the night.Where could he have gone?She did not have to think. He must have gone to another woman.Mona got a little angry at that thought. I
Linda punched the air. Mona was much calmer and hugged her legs, gazing silently out at the scenery. She looked gloomy.When Linda saw her like that, she could not bear to lecture Mona anymore. She took out a box of medicine from the glove box and handed it to Mona.“Take this. You have to remember to protect yourself in the future. Our bodies are very precious.”Mona glanced at the medicine and pushed away the contraceptive pills in Linda’s hand. She shook her head and said, “I don’t need it.”“Oh-ho?” Linda sneered. “Why? Did the great Mr. Fontaine learn how to take care of you now?”Mona’s expression was faint as she said in a low voice, “Linda, I can’t get pregnant again.”Linda was shocked and thought she had heard wrong. “What did you say?”Mona turned to look at Linda with a calm yet sad smile. “After taking the pill last time, he took me to the hospital for a checkup. The doctor secretly told me that I might not be able to be a mother again.”“Damn it.” Linda waved her
“Really?”“Of course. You’ll earn much more than the amount you earn by staying up all night every day to draft designs.”Mona bit her finger and frowned in thought. Being an actress was a good way of making money, but they usually had professional training. She also heard they needed to have resources behind them. How could she get good resources if there was no one helping her and her background was not powerful enough?“Forget it. I’ll just stick to my old job.”“Come on. Do you know who your husband is? He’s the CEO of Timez Group, the boss holding the best resources in the entertainment industry. You have a great golden mountain lying right beside you. Why not consider using it?”Mona pondered silently. Linda was not wrong, but she did not want to do that. She never thought of using Thaddeus' resources either.She did not want to add another layer of involvement between them.“Besides, are you sure Thaddeus will agree to me joining the entertainment industry? His family has
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