It did not matter anyway. There was no need for Mona to take things personally when they came from people who could not stand her. “It’s fine, Maria. I’m heading out today anyway. I’ll dine out today.” Mona took the stairs down and saw Jennifer ordering the maids downstairs to do some spring cleaning and redecoration. The smile on her face was brighter than during New Year’s. “Hey, get some holy water and sprinkle it around the house to get rid of the bad juju. I don’t want the bad energy in my home.” The maids buzzed around, wondering what had gotten into Jennifer to demand a clean sweep. Mona crossed her arms and watched the whole thing while sneering to herself. This was probably the farewell Jennifer had prepared for her. Sensing Mona standing behind her, Jennifer fanned herself and worked her hips over to Mona. “Did you have a talk last night?” Mona callously answered, “Yeah.” Jennifer’s face lit up. Her son did not disappoint her this time. “How much did my so
“Jesus Christ! The man has lost it!” With her hands over her throbbing heart, Jennifer furiously called the Lord’s name in vain! Thaddeus leisurely sat on the sofa and crossed his life, offhanded about the whole thing. “Thaddeus, why do you keep taking me for a fool? What spell does the woman have you under?” With Jennifer hot with emotions, Thaddeus frowned and soothed her. “I have a say in my marriage with Mona, and I don’t want to divorce her. Besides, it’s only a marriage of convenience. Why do you care so much?” Jennifer was confused. “A marriage of convenience? Why did you give her money just now?” The way she saw it, her son was paying for solicitation. “It’s because you rubbed her the wrong way.” Thaddeus nonchalantly scrolled his mobile screen. His attention was on his phone. “What? You gave her money because I gave her hell? Don’t tell me that’s what you two discussed last night. Not only did you not get a divorce, but she has now become untouchable in the h
The result took Mona by surprise, and Eleanor sank into a panic. “Mona, I had the dream again last night. I woke up this morning with a pair of hands strangling me. I grabbed the cup and smashed him with it. He then let me go.” Eleanor ranted as she grabbed Mona’s hand to play out the strangulation. “It was like this. The person put his hands around my neck. I couldn’t breathe. He was trying to kill me.” “Take it easy, Eleanor. Let me take a look at you.” Mona let go and took Eleanor’s hand to check her pulse. Her pulse was all over the place. Moreover, it was worse than before. Yet, the medical report indicated that Eleanor was healthy. The conflicting information left Mona scratching her head. Mona inspected the scratch marks around Eleanor’s neck. The scratches were fresh, so it did happen this morning. Eleanor was thrown into fear and panic. In the midst of deranged confusion, she grabbed Mona’s arm and lost focus in her eyes. “Mona, do you think I’m possessed?” “I’m
Mona had nothing more to say since Eleanor refused to run tests on the pills. This was Eleanor’s body, so it was not anyone else’s place to say anything if she did not want to do anything about it. “Mona, can you give me some remedies to keep the illness under control?” Eleanor pulled on Mona’s arm and asked pleadingly. Mona could not say no since she felt bad for the woman. However, Mona was stumped. She had no idea what Eleanor’s diagnosis was. “Eleanor, I can only give you something to sleep better at night. Just take it three times a day.” Mona pulled out a pen and paper from her bag and wrote down a few items. She then read the remedy one more time to be sure. “Alright. Thank you, Mona.” Eleanor put away the paper. Mona was struck by a thought. “Eleanor, do you have a prescription for your previous illness? I want to take a look.” Eleanor was dumbstruck. With nervousness fleeting across her face, she changed the topic. “I’ve suffered a lot from the illness, but I took
“I’m not playing any games. I’m serious. Do I need to bare my soul for you to believe me?” Behind the man’s cynicism was earnestness. Only Victor knew that he was not kidding when he said he would die for Mona. Yet, no one would believe him. Everybody believed he was a playboy, but who made him this way? It was none other than the woman before his eyes. Mona glanced at Eleanor from afar before stepping back to keep an appropriate distance from Victor. “Victor, I have a question. You gave me a box of biscuits that night when you asked me out to the café. Was it a deliberate act?” Victor gave it a thought and smirked. “What?” With Victor acting like he did not care, Mona sternly warned, “Do you think I don’t know what you’re up to? You’re using me to do damage so that you can cause Thaddeus trouble and losses. I’m warning you. Stop the little sneaky and dirty tricks. You better play fair if you want to beat your uncle and gain a footing in the Fontaine Group.” Victor c
Time passed, and soon it was midnight. Lightning streaked across the dark blue sky amidst the roars of thunder. Heavy rain poured thereafter. There was a noise from the door. Mona opened the front door, completely drenched from the rain, lending her a disheveled appearance. Mona brushed off the rain that had gotten all over her and took off her shoes before trudging her heavy footsteps past the hallway into the living room. “Are you done frolicking around? The sudden voice in the room startled Mona. She turned to the sofa where the man was sitting. Following a strike of lightning, she got a good look at his grimacing side profile. By the sound of the man’s voice, he appeared furious. Mona pursed her lips and explained, “My phone ran out of battery while I was out.” Thaddeus rose to his feet and strode over to Mona. He stood before her and pinched her chin. He frowned at the sight of her swollen eyes. “Were you crying?” Mona slapped the man’s hand away and turned her h
Weariness was written all over Mona’s dark eyes, and she was about to collapse under the weight of her emotions. It suddenly felt exhausting to live. She was human, and there were moments when she just wanted to have a breakdown and be done with it. Mona spun on her heel and put her shoes on in the hallway. “Where are you going?” Thaddeus drew close and watched Mona get ready to leave. The way he saw it, the woman was sulking. She was throwing a tantrum because he said something he did not mean. The man stood there and watched her with a straight face. Still, he carried himself with haughtiness. “That’s enough, Mona. Get upstairs and go to bed!” “No!” With emotions running high, the only thing on Mona’s mind was to go against the man. She had so much fury pent up inside her with no outlet to blow off steam. She was better off taking a walk than fighting with the man here. She put on her shoes and walked out of the residence, closing the door with a bang. Mona advance
After Mona left the Fontaines’ residence, she wandered aimlessly. Alex drove past the house and picked her up to bring her back to his home where she spent the night. Her eyes were vacant, and her mind was elsewhere as she gazed at the beautiful garden outside the window. Now that she thought about it, she had been rash last night. Her past was the most delicate subject. Mona had to toughen herself up in the presence of the rich and powerful. Nevertheless, she had her fragile moments. Mona was allowed to be upset and emotional about it, but she had to move forward after that. After blowing off steam, Mona should put her mask back on and return to the Fontaines’. She lifted the covers and put on her slippers to wash up. Mona opened the door and saw a slender man making breakfast in the kitchen. “Are you up? Come and have breakfast.” Alex served a steak on the table. Mona drew close and pulled a chair to sit down. She looked around Alex’s house. It was an amazing crib with fl
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