Jennifer was on the verge of suffocation. She could feel death pressing against her and she began to lose consciousness. Right before everything turned black, Mona released her. Looking at the woman gasping and coughing on the bed, Mona felt like a king gazing down at the loser from a condescending angle. “Not throwing you out of the house is my biggest mercy to you, you crazy woman. Be grateful.” Mona exercised her wrists. Her delicate face lost its usual gentleness and was replaced by a frosty and fierce glare. Jennifer continued to gasp for air on the bed, flabbergasted by what just happened. Mona was really trying to kill her, and she almost died. She sat herself up using her hands and moved to the side to draw distance from Mona. Her eyes were filled with fear and reverence for Mona. Mona curled her lips. She was glad that Jennifer understood that she was serious. She had to fight poison with poison. If she did not become the villain today, she would continue to be
He strode into the ward and saw his mother kneeling before Mona. With a heavy look, he went over and carried his mother back to the bed. Jennifer curled up on the bed and shuddered ceaselessly. Thaddeus frowned. He turned around to Mona, asking, “What happened to my mother? What did you do to her?” Mona scoffed. “What could I possibly do to her? Kill her?” “Mona, please. I’m better off dead. Just strangle me like you did, just take my life away,” Jennifer preemptively begged.Mona looked at Thaddeus. She wanted to know which side he would take. Thaddeus asked Mona, “You strangled my mother?” “I did.” “Why?” Thaddeus found it outrageous and unbelievable. Mona could barely kill a fish in the kitchen, yet she just strangled his mother and forced her onto her knees. “I…” Mona was speechless for a moment. She did strangle Jennifer out of vengeance and grievance, but it was only to scare the woman, a method that she had to use to achieve her goal. “Mother just woke up.
Mona tucked Jennifer in and left her alone to rest. She and Thaddeus went out to the corridor. Thaddeus crossed his arms and stared at his wife. He raised a brow and asked, “How? What did you do to my mother?” Mona pursed her lips. There was an obvious delight in her expression. She tapped her head softly and jokingly said, “I settled it with my brain and wisdom.” Thaddeus did not say anything. He stared at Mona blankly. To be honest, after spending some time living with the woman, his impression of her drastically changed, and he was constantly surprised. Resentment turned to fondness while respect and admiration changed to being impressed. His relationship with his mother had always been terrible, which ultimately led to Mona’s relationship with his mother being similarly bad. However, Mona solved it easily. He had never seen his mother so docile before. “You did great today.” The man's eyes sparkled, and he was not stingy with his praise. “Just great?” Mona poute
Mona yawned, trying to act cute in front of the man on purpose. For some reason, she liked to act cute and behave like a little girl in front of him.“Yeah. After sending your mother to the hospital last night, Eleanor and Victor came. I am telling you, you should really check on the servants, or else they will know everything that happened at home.” Thaddeus nodded. “You’re right. I thought of the problem as well, but I got so busy I didn’t get the time to deal with you. Why don’t I leave it to you, mistress of the house?” “Of course.” Mona playfully looked around. Her eyes shone brightly. “If I do a good job, is there a reward?” “Why don’t you start investigating first? If you do a good job, of course, you will be rewarded.” “Don’t worry. Leave it to me.” Mona tapped her chest confidently. Thaddeus asked, “But there are more than a dozen servants at our house. How are you going to investigate all of them?” Mona said, “Don’t worry. If I am confident enough to take the j
How far would the woman go just to go back to shooting? Was it worth risking her life? “I can’t allow you to go back for the shoot.” The man snatched her phone and looked for Sophie’s contact number. “No way!” Mona swiftly snatched the phone back and hid it behind her. “I’ve already promised her. How can I go back on my word? Besides, Sophie said she would find me some stunt doubles, and I don’t have to do all those dangerous stunts.” Thaddeus sighed helplessly. He shot a grudging glare at the medical report in her hand as he thought of the baby. The glint in his eyes disappeared. He believed Mona, but the origin of the baby had yet to be determined and the timing was not right. There must be some details that he left out. As he pondered, Mona got up and headed to the elevator. She waved at Thaddeus and stuck her tongue out at him. She playfully said, “I’m looking forward to the movie, so I have to go back to shooting. You stay at home and take care of the elders and the
“Mona,” Anna suddenly called her, stopping her. Mona turned around. “Based on my observation, his second personality might have awakened. If so, he will be in an emotional state. Two personalities sharing a body… It’s symbiotic and also competitive. Besides, the main personality tried to erase the second personality when he woke up, but now it seemed like he failed.” Mona listened to Anna carefully but could not fully understand her. “Erase the second personality? What does that mean?” Anna explained, “In short, he’s returning to normal. His mental and psychological states are damaged, hence giving birth to the second personality. He is like the bad cells in the human body that must be erased and eliminated before the body can function normally.” “Despite taking medication, he still can’t stop the second personality from awakening?” “Yeah. He did a lot of things to try to erase the second personality, including electrotherapy, acupuncture, and many other methods. He is no
His eyes shone when he saw the woman that he missed so much. He was like an abandoned child who found shelter in Mona. He reached out to her and held her hands. “You’re finally here.” Mona could feel the man’s hands shaking. She looked into his eyes, and through them, she saw an unfamiliar soul. After spending time with both of them, Mona realized they were two different people, two very different souls on both ends of the spectrum. Thaddeus’ main personality was logical, cold-blooded, and always considered the pros and cons of the situation. It would be foolish to be sentimental with him. The second personality was a sentimental soul and also the weaker side of himself. It was born from the depression and oppression he faced as a child. Mona suddenly realized how painful it was for Thaddeus to have two personalities in one body. “Thaddeus, are you alright?” Mona sat down beside the bed. She did not know how to talk with the man anymore. A moment ago, Anna had asked
Mona held his face and told him to sit down. “Do you remember why you are suffering from a split personality disorder? It’s because Thaddeus’ mental state faced a lot of pressure when he was young and lacked emotions, hence his sentimental side is gone. If he’s able to regulate his emotions, he will be able to recover to a normal person’s level and have a stable mental and psychological state. Then, you two will be able to become one, right?” “Liar!” Thaddeus got aggressive and pushed Mona’s hand away. Mona bolted up and stepped away. Upset, she yelled, “I’m pregnant! What if you hurt the baby?!” Thaddeus was thrilled to hear the news. “Pregnant? Is it mine? Or his?” Mona rubbed her temples. “I don’t want to talk to you. I’m having a headache.” “It’s mine. It’s definitely mine.” The man was confident, and the certainty recovered his energetic and smug look. Mona sighed. For some reason, the second personality seemed a lot more childish this time. “Yeah. It’s yours, yo
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