“The hand choking me had long and sharp nails, and those nails sunk into the flesh of my neck. I bled too.”Eleanor said frantically and raised her neck for Mona to see.Mona looked carefully and could not help but be astonished.Sure enough, there were five deep nail scratches left behind on Eleanor’s neck. The wounds were deep enough to leave bloody scabs.However...Mona was a little confused. She could not figure out what was going on.“Mona, you’re the best at treating people. Please save me. I don’t want to die.”Eleanor was genuinely terrified. Compared to when she was ‘terminally ill’ before, this time, she was drowning in fear.Although Mona did not want to get involved, Eleanor was looking at her like a lifeline. Mona could not bear to leave her in the lurch.More importantly, this matter had completely piqued Mona’s interest. She wanted to find out what had happened to Eleanor.“Calm down, Eleanor. Let’s take things slow.”“Take things slow? Of course, you’re not
Jennifer narrowed her eyes at Eleanor with disdain and ridicule in her tone. She implied that this farce today was because of Eleanor’s mental problems. Everything was just her imagination.“Well, that’s enough.”After impatiently dropping that sentence, Jennifer got up and left.Thaddeus glanced at Eleanor. “Are you feeling unwell?”Eleanor sat on the sofa with a distant gaze. Her expression seemed dazed.Now, even she did not know whether she was mentally or physically ill.“Let’s arrange a full body checkup for her at the hospital first.” Mona suddenly spoke up. “I’ll accompany her tomorrow.”Thaddeus looked suspicious. “What’s the point of you accompanying her? You’re not a doctor. You should just use your tricks on that woman upstairs. Don’t get involved.”“I said I’m going, so I’m going.”Mona was resolute. She sat beside Eleanor and patted her hand, saying, “Don’t worry, Eleanor. We’ll go to the hospital for a checkup tomorrow. We’ll also bring the medicine you eat dail
“Why should I lose my temper?”“Isabel was obviously trying to suppress you. She disrespected and offended you, so you should fight back. Remember your identity, Mona. You represent my wife. Being so cowardly is a disgrace to me.”Thaddeus really could not figure out this woman. Sometimes, she was so smart and clever that even he secretly admired her. However, in other aspects, she was incredibly disappointing.Mona curled her lips. “But Mr. Fontaine, I’ve never considered myself as your wife. Naturally, I won’t conduct myself as Mrs. Fontaine.”“As long as we’re not divorced, you’re my wife. So you’d better act the way you should.”Thaddeus was a little angry, so his voice was louder than usual. Bobby and Millie just so happened to be coming downstairs and heard their daddy reprimanding Mona loudly. They thought their parents were quarreling and ran down, holding Mona’s thighs on each side and protecting her.“Daddy, you can’t bully Mommy.” Bobby frowned with a serious face. His
Mona saw her daughter and knew she felt aggrieved. Her daughter was usually very sensible and obedient. However, her father Thaddeus had become a stranger, and Millie naturally felt it. Although she was very well-behaved these days, Mona knew the child had just been holding it in.Now, she found an outlet to cry and pour out all her accumulated grievances and disappointment.Thaddeus saw the woman not care at all. His heart felt like a mess when the little girl sobbed.“Heartless woman,” Thaddeus grumbled at Mona and bent down to pick Millie up.However, he did not even know how to hold a child. He picked Millie up by her shirt like he was carrying a kitten, then held her in his arms.Millie grabbed Thaddeus’ shirt and clutched his crystal cufflinks tightly. She found a sense of security in her daddy’s strong arms and instantly stopped crying. Her little body twitched and curled up into a ball, falling asleep in the man’s arms.Thaddeus lowered his head. It was the first time he
“What is it?”“I have a question. If Mommy wanted to divorce Daddy, would you be okay with that?”Mona had always been straightforward with Bobby and told him everything. Bobby’s mind was very mature. He could even give comprehensive thoughts for her to think over.Bobby frowned. “Divorce again?”In Bobby’s view, it was like two children playing house. Marriage was just a game that could start and end at will.He was very tired having a pair of parents like that.“What’s that look for?” Mona saw Bobby looking at her like she was a fool. She pouted and said, “It’s serious this time. After all, I’ve been abandoned again.”They were married twice, but it was Thaddeus who brought up divorce both times. Mona was really helpless. However, she had money now, so divorce would not be a bad thing to her and her children. Except for the fact that the children would lose their father, everything else worked in their favor.Bobby put on a straight face and thought it over seriously. Finally
Mona looked at the time. It was already past 1 pm. She had slept until noon and even had to go through a farce, so her stomach was hungry.Just as she was about to have lunch, the maid who took care of the woman upstairs ran down and reported, “Madam, that woman upstairs isn’t eating. She said she wants to see you and has something to say.”Mona looked at the guest room upstairs and nodded at the maid. “Alright. You can bring my lunch to the guest room as well.”“Yes.”Mona went upstairs. The door of the guest room was half open, and she saw the woman in the room sitting silently at the table. When she saw Mona, she abruptly stood up and welcomed her at the door.“Susan, you’re here. I have something to say to you.”Mona looked at the smile on the woman’s face and froze. This was the first time she saw the woman smiling so happily.“I heard you weren’t eating and wanted to talk to me. I haven’t eaten, either, so let’s have lunch while we chat.”“Sure!” The woman moved a chair,
Mona stopped eating, and her hand held the spoon in the air. She did not know how to respond.She smiled derisively and put some food on the woman’s plate. “Hurry and eat. Your food is getting cold.”The woman nodded heavily. “Okay! Let’s eat. I’ll go and visit Thaddeus after. I want him to see how good I look now. He’ll definitely be happy.”Mona looked at the woman’s expectant expression and slowly chewed the food in her mouth. She swallowed the tasteless food as a bad premonition gradually rose in her heart.“Sweetie,” Mona put down her spoon and looked at the woman solemnly. “Physical appearance is certainly important, but if you want the attraction between you guys to last, you need to rely on your inner attraction. Wisdom and EQ are needed to maintain a relationship, and physical appearance is just a stepping stone. I hope you can calm down and not expect too much about your relationship with Thaddeus.”The woman froze and did not react to Mona’s words for a long time.“Suz
“Mommy? You’re the child’s mother?”Mona held Millie and patted her on the back, gently comforting her while ignoring the woman.The woman suddenly burst into laughter. The laughter sounded like it was from a horror film, piercing and terrifying. Her body swayed and staggered toward Mona as if she wanted to eat Mona up.Mona noticed the danger and stepped back while holding Millie. The woman sped up and lunged fiercely toward the mother and child.Holding the child, Mona was frightened by the aggressive woman. She backed up and knocked into the corner of the guardrail. Just as she thought she was about to fall with Millie, a large hand steadily wrapped around her waist, embracing her and the child in their arms.The woman was subdued by the security guards, who dragged her out of the Fontaines’ residence and threw her out. The entire episode lasted only three minutes.Thaddeus picked Millie up from Mona’s arms and checked on her anxiously. Then, he asked Mona, “Are you hurt?”“J
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