Mona went upstairs to check on Bobby in his room. Inside the cozy children’s room, Bobby curled up his tiny body under the blanket, seeming to be having difficulty sleeping. He stretched his hand outside the blanket and tried to take off the antipyretic patch from his forehead. Mona sat beside him and held this tiny hand. She looked at his reddish face and somehow teared up. If she could not even take good care of her own son, she was not qualified to be a mother. She blamed herself for what happened and felt guilty for not being able to protect him. She swore inwardly that she would find out the truth about Bobby falling into the pond and clear his name. She wanted the Fontaines to know that she and her children were not subjects that they could bully. Meanwhile, in the study, the lights were turned off. Anna was doing hypnotherapy on Thaddeus while the other two watched with heavy and concerned expressions. The people who knew Thaddeus’ secret had all gathered in this r
Alex looked into Mona’s calm eyes. He took a deep breath and said, “What I am about to say might be difficult for you to accept, so please be prepared for it, at least mentally.”Mona smiled. “Mr. Ortega, you don’t seem like a person who nags, so what’s up? What else can’t I accept given that I have been through so much?” Alex took a slight pause before he continued, “Thaddeus’ split personality is acting up again. His main personality has awakened, and that was why he was behaving strangely at the ancestral ceremony.” Mona pondered his words for a few seconds but got more confused. She looked at Alex and waited for a further explanation.“Thaddeus was diagnosed with split personality when he was ten. The man who has spent years with you is his second personality, which is the culmination of his emotional and sentimental side. It is also his irrational side. Now that his main personality has awakened, the second personality has gone dormant. The two personalities cannot co-exist,
Mona smiled and nodded at Alex gratefully. “Thank you, Mr. Ortega. But you don’t have to worry about me. It’s just that this is a lot to digest and it’s too sudden. I need some time.” Alex looked somewhat surprised. “You don’t seem sad at all.” Mona smiled in silence before she headed to the bedroom. She was exhausted and there were a lot of things waiting for her tomorrow. All she wanted to do was have a good rest. Alex watched her disappear from his sight and fell into deep thoughts. Back in the study, Anna had just completed the hypnotherapy for Thaddeus. “Mr. Fontaine, what did you see in your dream?” Thaddeus got up, stretched his neck, and waved at Anna. Confused, Anna furrowed her brows. No? No dream? She clearly sensed that Thaddeus had a dream during the hypnotherapy, yet he claimed he did not have one. She did not ask why but wisely stepped out of the room instead. Thaddeus loosened his necktie. He grabbed the glass of water from the table and drained it
Mona curled her lips and sneered. “Yeah, well, you killed my parents, so who could have taught me?” Thaddeus’ handsome face was shrouded in a cold expression. He clenched his fists. “Divorce.” Mona was startled for a moment. “Tomorrow morning, I’ll have my lawyer draw up a divorce agreement and send it over for you to sign.” Thaddeus looked down at Mona with a cold and indifferent look on his face. “A woman like you isn’t fit to be the mother of the Fontaine heirs, let alone be the future missus of the family!” After saying that, he turned around and opened the door to leave, leaving Mona standing dumbfounded on the spot. Mona only regained her rationale and senses from her confused thoughts after standing there for a long time. Thaddeus was too overbearing and asked for a divorce just because he wanted it. He treated her as a pushover. Mona felt that her body was heavy, so she dragged her exhausted self back to bed. She only wanted to get some good sleep at the moment.
“I’m not getting a divorce.” Mona’s tone was firm. She straightened her back and responded to Thaddeus’ humiliation neither haughtily nor humbly. If they divorced, there would definitely be a fight over custody of their children’s custody.Mona had raised the children ever since they were born, so the custody should be hers. Nonetheless, Thaddeus had a strong team of lawyers. If they were to go to court, she would certainly lose given the gap between their powers. Therefore, the wisest thing to do was to avoid divorce. This was the result of Mona’s thinking overnight. “You’re not?” The proud and cold-blooded Thaddeus raised his eyebrow. A look of impatience appeared on his unhappy face. “According to my understanding of my second personality, a woman who can handle him must be a smart person. I’ve offered you the best deal. If you’re willing to end this meaningless marriage, it’ll be a win-win situation for everyone. You should know that given your background, you’re far f
Thaddeus was somewhat shocked. A surprised look flashed across his deep eyes, and an unexplained emotion grew inside him in an instant, making him feel annoyed. His second personality was not obsessed with Mona for no reason. She was very smart, but due to her outstanding appearance, she gave off the illusion that she was only eye candy. Thaddeus gathered his emotions and looked indifferent and calm. “Ms. Ortega, you’re eloquent indeed. However, you should know that I’m not that trash and won’t compromise just because of your words, so you’d better know what’s right and sign the divorce agreement.” Mona bit her lip, and her small palm-sized face looked pale. Facing such a domineering and unreasonable man, she was completely helpless at the moment. What could she do? She could only grit her teeth and insist on not signing the papers or getting the divorce. “Then, I’ll also stick to my principles and my bottom line. I won’t get a divorce, so I advise you to give up on the tho
Thaddeus and Mona walked one after another toward the side hall. Before they even entered, they heard the cries of a child and the angry curses of a woman at him. “You d*mned child, I’ll break your leg here today!” “Ah! It hurts—it hurts so much!” The child’s plea for mercy was heard coming from the side hall. It sounded mournful, so much so that Mona was shocked and subconsciously tugged at the hem of Thaddeus’ suit. As such, the imposing Thaddeus stopped and looked down at the small hand that was tugging at his suit. He unconsciously curled his lips. Mona was too timid and soft. She was not tough at all, making her unfit to be his wife. “What’s the matter? Are you scared?” Mona composed herself and answered, “No, it’s just that the child is screaming so miserably.” She was no match for Thaddeus’ heart of stone. He remained indifferent in the face of the child’s miserable screams. “You’re too soft-hearted. So what if he’s screaming miserably? That’s the price he shou
The man’s wife, who was the child’s mother, had died of illness last year, leaving the child behind. The man’s mistress was obedient and was considered a qualified and competent stepmother, so she was taken into the Yeagers by the child’s father this year. Even so, she did not have a title, so she could only introduce herself as the child’s nanny whenever outsiders asked who she was to the child. Alas, how could the woman be resigned to being the stepmother of the dead woman’s child? She initially wanted to try to give birth to the man’s children so that she could get a firm foothold in the family. Who’d have known that when the d*mned child was playing once, he bumped into her belly while she was pregnant, causing her to have a miscarriage such that she would have difficulty getting pregnant for the rest of her life? The woman was extremely hateful. The child was her nemesis, so she loathed him to the bone. Now that the boy got into trouble, she took advantage of the situation a
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