“You can have me arrested, too, if you want to call the cops. I told Mona to poison the food, so I should take responsibility for it. I will turn myself in now.” Thaddeus pulled a menacing look. With Thaddeus getting up to leave, Jennifer panicked and took strides forward to pull him back. “Don’t do anything foolish, son. This has nothing to do with you. Why are you turning yourself in?” Thaddeus gave Jennifer a chilling look. All he saw from her face was two-faced, selfish, and snarky behavior. Since the day his father betrayed his marriage and abandoned his wife and son, Thaddeus lost his kind and gentle mother. The person Jennifer was now occupied two-thirds of Thaddeus’ childhood and left a lingering psychological trauma to Thaddeus. He understood the awful feeling of being suppressed and could relate to Mona. Due to their shared understanding, Thaddeus would not let her down. “Mom, how can you say it has nothing to do with me? What if I insist that I instructed Mona to p
Thaddeus read out his social security number, and the attending officer keyed into the system for a look. It was Thaddeus Fontaine. A well-known name in the city, Thaddeus was the heir of the Fontaine Group. The man, who had the potential to rock the economy of Neuffield in the future, had laced food with poison.“Let’s take your statement.” The attending officer led Thaddeus to the interrogation room. However, before the line of questioning could happen, Jennifer rushed to the police station together with a team of security. Jennifer looked like she was here for a fight. “My son is in his thirties, but it’s like he hasn’t grown up. He throws a fit every time we have an argument. I’m sorry you had to see that, officer.” Jennifer courteously smiled at the attending officer and made up an excuse that would not harm the Fontaine family’s reputation. She then turned to the security team behind. “Hurry and take him away.” The few bodyguards gathered around Thaddeus and carried
It was late by the time Jennifer and Thaddeus returned to the family residence, and all the fuss had drained everybody. Thaddeus proceeded upstairs while Jennifer stood downstairs, calling out to Thaddeus. “Thaddeus, I need to talk to you.” The man stood there and drew a deep breath. His slender back spoke of something forlorn and helpless.It was exhausting to have an aggressive and self-centered mother. Jennifer approached Thaddeus, and with no regard for his feelings, she commanded, “Tell your precious wife to see me first thing in the morning.” Thaddeus stared at Jennifer with furrowed brows. Behind his silence was anger. “Don’t hurt her, Mom.” Jennifer snapped back, “What? Can’t I have a word with my daughter-in-law? I must be doing a horrible job as a mother for my son to think of me as atrocious. It’s not like I’m going to eat my daughter-in-law up.” The mention of Mona always seemed to trigger Jennifer to build walls around her and get into battle mode. It was
After going through her bedtime routine, Mona lay next to the man and quietly closed her eyes. Amid the darkness, only faint breathing could be heard. Tired from a busy day, Mona soon fell asleep. The man beside her opened his eyes and turned around to look at her beautiful face. The moonlight through the sheer fabric shone on Mona’s face, painting an ethereal picture of her in the man’s eyes. Thaddeus wished time could stop now so tomorrow would never come as he quietly stared at her. It was bright outside when Mona woke up. Finding herself alone in bed, Mona got up and rubbed her eyes. By the trickling sound from the bathroom, Mona picked up that Thaddeus was showering. It did not take long for Thaddeus to emerge barechested from the bathroom. His hair dripped with water and covered his face, adding an unapproachable air to his prominent facial features. Sitting in bed, Mona looked at the man from afar. She got the feeling that the man had become aloof. The tenderness and
Thump, thump, thump.Standing outside Jennifer’s bedroom door, Mona knocked. However, no one answered. She cleared her throat and said, “It’s me, Mona.” It took a while before Jennifer came to the door. Seeing that it was Mona, Jennifer opened the door wide and let her in. Mona had never entered Jennifer’s room before, and the smell of unscented candles overwhelmed Mona’s senses the moment she stepped foot into the room. She picked her head up and saw a monochrome picture of a man. The drawn curtains shielded away the light and paired with the black-and-white theme décor, the room appeared rather stifling and oppressive. Standing in the midst, Mona felt uncomfortable with the pungent smell of an open flame and heaviness in her chest. “That’s Thaddeus’ father and your mother’s lover.” Jennifer stared at the photo hanging on the wall with gnashed teeth and a menacing look as if it were the enemy. Mona’s gaze fell on Andrew Fontaine’s picture. The man’s handsome face sugges
“I didn’t poison any food. That was all your doing.” Mona rose to her feet in pain while her chilling gaze brushed past Jennifer. Her piercing eyes drew a crawling sensation under Jennifer’s skin. Jennifer got a grip of herself and righteously claimed, “I have proof. The proof, the witness, and my status as Old Mrs. Fontaine should be enough to lock you up for a few years.” Mona was trembling at the tip of her fingers. It was only now that she could see it all. Jennifer was wicked and shrewd. The old woman was the queen of patience, using Ginny as a pawn to get rid of everybody she hated. Jennifer had her ways to force Mona into the game despite the latter’s disinterest. Moreover, Jennifer had always been the manipulator of the game and rules. She even kept Thaddeus on a tight leash. Ha… The sad thing was that Mona lost herself in the supposed love when her husband and mother-in-law turned against her. She was left out in the cold with nothing to fend for herself. Mona’s he
Mona’s head was buzzing. So, all of that was over a room? Mona said, “Ms. Kimball is free to stay in any room she wants at Fontaine Residence. I have no issues so long as she likes it.” Rising to her feet, Jennifer patted Mona. At least, the woman was wise in that respect. “You wouldn’t have to suffer if you had been cooperative from the start.” “What are you after by doing so, ma’am?” It was hard to believe that a mother could be so cold-blooded and selfish as to ruin her son’s marriage because of the hatred she had. Mona could not wrap her head around it. “It’s so I can feel better.”Jennifer smiled victoriously. She enjoyed Mona’s suffering. As long as Mona had an unhappy marriage and a rough life, Jennifer would get what she wanted. “You’re paying for your adoptive mother’s sins. Of course, you will be gaining resources for your children in return. Don’t you want them to get a head start in life and climb socially higher than their aunt? I don’t suppose you wa
Mona endured the bursts of pain coming from her knees, sucked in a cold breath, and said what she wanted.“I agreed with everything, but Thaddeus, no matter what happens in the future or what dilemmas you encounter, the last thing you should give up is Bobby and Millie when weighing the pros and cons. Even if we break off relations, you can’t separate me from the children. You have to give them the best conditions and life. If you can’t do that, I’ll die with you!”Mona vented all the anger in her heart.Her greatest regret was trusting this man. She should not have been moved by him. She was simply a fool to have thought she could change such a cold-blooded and rational man.Thaddeus looked at Mona silently. There was no expression on his face.Mona curled her lips in a mocking smile.Coward!Step by step, she limped and went back to her room. How could she turn around the battle and win with her damaged body? She had to take good care of her heart and body and strive to become