Mona went downstairs and walked out of Fontaine Residence to where the bakery staff had dropped off the cake. She took the cake, handed it to the kitchen, and told them to bring it out at night.The chefs in the kitchen had gone to the market early to buy many fresh ingredients in preparation for the birthday party in the evening.Mona felt the solemn and formal atmosphere.Unexpectedly, the Fontaine family attached great importance to Thaddeus’ birthday and pulled out all the stops.“Are there any guests coming today?” Mona pulled the housekeeper aside to ask.“Besides this family, Old Mrs. Fontaine also invited the Kimball family,” the housekeeper said truthfully.The Kimball family?Mona frowned. Why were they coming? She thought they were in the hospital. Why did that father and daughter have to join every event?She sneered in her heart, becoming more aware of how scheming Ginny was.Just as she was thinking, Jennifer’s voice suddenly sounded. “Go and put away the mirrors
It was only when Mona approached did she notice that Millie was wearing two different socks on her feet. Furthermore, there was a pair of autumn trousers under her skirt. It was simply a fashion disaster.“Millie, don’t you feel hot dressed like that?” Mona crouched down, wanting to take off the girl’s trousers.Millie looked innocent. “Yeah, but Daddy said girls have to pay attention to their safety when wearing skirts. I won’t have to be worried if I wore pants.”Mona was speechless and asked Thaddeus, “Don’t you know that there are leggings to prevent exposure?”Thaddeus shrugged. “How would I know?”Mona curled her lips and said firmly, “But Mr. Fontaine, you should.”Thaddeus paused, suddenly realizing that what happened this morning was all part of Mona’s plan.“You’re right. In the future, I’ll also participate in taking care of the children’s upbringing.”Mona took off Millie’s autumn trousers, tilted her head up, and looked at the man with a smile. “That’s good. I beli
Ginny and her father came at 5 p.m., and Jennifer entertained them enthusiastically. In consideration of Ginny’s feelings, she had everything with a reflective surface removed. Mona asked the two children to play in the yard first. She had something to say and do and did not want the children around whilst so.“Go and get the fruit cut from the kitchen.”Before Mona could sit down, Jennifer bossed her around with a tone of command.“I’m not a servant in this house, Jennifer.” Mona refused. “This isn’t something the lady of the house should do.”Jennifer rolled her eyes, looked at Ginny and her father sitting in the living room, and warned, “Ms. Kimball is injured. You’d better entertain her properly later and put away that rotten look on your face as if you’re attending a funeral. Otherwise, you’ll suffer the consequences if Thaddeus blames you.”Mona only felt amused and straightened her beautiful dress, ignoring Jennifer.Jennifer was furious. “What are you laughing at? I don’t
“It’s a birthday cake for you,” Mona said with a smile.Thaddeus’ eyes shifted from the cake to Mona’s face, and his expression gradually turned cold. “This is your birthday present?”A stupid cake?The smile on Mona’s face froze. It was clear at a glance that the man was not satisfied.At that moment, Ginny and Tony noticed the subtle interaction between the two and acted like they were watching a show.Mona felt a little embarrassed. This cake had cost her a lot of money. Even if he was dissatisfied, he should not show it so obviously. He was humiliating her.“Oh, there’s a gift too.” Fortunately, Mona had a backup plan. She asked the maid to take a wrapped box from the table in her room and handed it to Thaddeus.“Happy thirtieth birthday.”Thaddeus’ eyes fell on the gift box, his face becoming more and more gloomy. Without saying a word, he unwrapped the box and found a pure gold fountain pen lying inside, shining beautifully under the light.Mona observed the man’s reacti
Mona could not tell how the dinner started and ended.From beginning to end, she felt as if she was in an ice cave as she sat beside Thaddeus. The children were singing the birthday song, and Thaddeus blew out the candles and made a wish. While everyone laughed and celebrated Thaddeus’ birthday, the feeling of being left out sank into her stomach. She did not know where her heart ran off to.She only knew that the sincerity she offered up was silently thrown to the ground by Thaddeus, tossed away like garbage along with her dignity.All of Thaddeus’ words and actions tonight made her sad. She even doubted herself for a moment. Was she so bad that her carefully prepared birthday gift was no match for a measly wristband from Ginny?“Mona Ortega, did you hear what I said?”All the people in the dining hall left, but Mona was still sitting there. Jennifer had called her name thrice, telling her to clear the plates on the table.When Mona returned to her senses, what she saw was Jenni
Mona saw Millie opening her arms at Ginny, asking for a hug. The girl’s obedient and adorable look gave Mona, the real mother, heartbreak. She turned around and dragged herself upstairs. Suddenly, a woman’s cry came from downstairs, followed by Millie’s. Mona’s heart skipped a beat. She immediately went downstairs and saw a piece of gum on Ginny’s hair, which messed it up terribly. “Millie, how could you stick gum on Aunt Ginny’s hair? You’re so young and already so naughty! I must punish you!” Jennifer grabbed Millie’s hand. She knew the girl was as vicious as her mother. The girl had pretended to hug Ginny but actually wanted to prank her and mess up her hair. How atrocious! “Mother, don’t you lay a finger on Millie!” Thaddeus was a slave to his daughter. With the girl crying her lungs out, he did not care if she did it on purpose. He carried the girl in his arms and protected her from his mother. “Thaddeus, you’re spoiling the girl! Look at Ginny’s hair. It’s rui
Mona stood on the spot for a long time. Her head lowered, and her mind filled with many messy thoughts which eventually exhausted her mentally. She no longer wanted to waste her energy in maintaining her relationship with the man. She had done what she had to do and could live up to her conscience. Now, all she wanted was to rest for the night. Mona had a strong heart and mentality. Even if she was treated unfairly, all she needed was a good night's sleep to wash away the terrible mood and thoughts to welcome a brand new day with a fresh start. As for the relationship with Thaddeus, she decided to just let it be for now. After Mona washed her face, her phone on the table rang. She picked it up and saw Tim’s name on the screen. Speaking of Tim, Mona had a strange feeling about the man. He had sounded utterly urgent when he asked her to help him choose a bracelet for the name engraving, as if the girl he was chasing was running away. However, once she was done with it, the
Mona then went downstairs, turning her back on the man. Thaddeus’ anger fueled as he looked at Mona’s figure walking away. He sharply noticed the bag in her hand, and his expression turned cold. Inside the bag was a pair of couple bracelets. He had seen it before and knew the words ‘True Love’ were engraved on it. The man narrowed his eyes dangerously. Was she heading out so early in the morning with the bracelets to see another man? Thaddeus called Maria over and told her to take care of the kids. The man headed to the window at the end of the corridor and looked outside. By then, Mona had driven the car out of the gate. Thaddeus was left with a gloomy expression. His eyes narrowed like a hawk aiming at its prey, and the anger in his eyes could melt the window glass. “Mona, you’ve really done it this time!” He thought the bracelet was a birthday present she had prepared for him. However, now it seemed he was overthinking and was not even a qualified partner to the
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