“They won’t divorce.” Holding Millie in his arms, Bobby gently patted her back. “With us around, trust me, Millie. They won’t.” Relieved, Millie heavily nodded her head. “Yeah. I trust you, Bobby!” Bobby planted a kiss on Millie’s forehead and tenderly soothed her. “Come on. Get some rest. There’s nothing to fear. I’m here.” “You’re the best, Bobby.” Millie snuggled up against Bobby before closing her eyes to fall asleep. Bobby cuddled his sister while staring at the shadows of trees outside, lost in his thoughts. Daddy did not come home tonight, and Mommy was not in the best of moods. Something bad must have happened between them. It was high time to figure out a way to get through it. Mona woke up bright early in the morning. Before she could get out of bed, Bobby brought a breakfast tray into her room. “Breakfast time, Mommy.” Her son knew the way to her heart, always perceptive of her down days. The boy would do all he could to make her feel better. “Mommy, I
Thaddeus then hung up the call. “Alright.” Bobby was in distress as Daddy and Mommy had an argument, and it was something big that they could not set right. “Bobby, is your mommy around?” With a voice calling out to him, Bobby turned around and saw Mommy’s agent – Sophie. “Mommy is having breakfast in the room.” Flashing a smile at Sophie, Bobby drew close and took her hand. “Sophie, are you here to talk about work with Mommy?” “Yeah.” Sophie smacked a copy of the script in her hand. “See this? It is your mommy’s homework. Don’t tell me that your mommy is still lying in bed.” “No. She’s having her breakfast.” Bobby pulled Sophie downstairs. “Come downstairs. I have something to tell you.” “Um, but…” Sophie cocked her head back and glanced at Mona’s shut bedroom door as Bobby dragged her down the stairs. Bobby took the script from Sophie and put it on the table. “Sophie, there’s something I need to talk to you about.” Sophie narrowed her eyes at Bobby, who seem
Sophie dragged Mona out the door once Mona was done making herself presentable.It only stuck Mona to ask when they were in the car. “Who are we meeting?” “Stella.” Sophie buckled up and glanced at Mona. “She said she wants to talk about the script with you in person.” “Must it be today? I don’t want to go.” Mona’s mind wandered to the two seniors in the hospital. Sophie was not too pleased about it. “Then where do you want to go? What do you want to do? Stella is the investor in the movie. She’s not someone you can throw hissy fits at.” “My grandparents are in the hospital. I want to visit them.” Sophie slammed the brakes and pulled up at the side of the road. She looked over to Mona. “You’ve changed.” Mona was confused. “How so?” Sophie pulled out a compact mirror from her handbag and placed it on Mona’s palm. “Look at your eyes.” Mona thought it was strange. “What’s wrong with my eyes?” “There’s no twinkle in them anymore.” Sophie expressed her lament. “Your
“I’m out with Sophie.” “What for?” “Just an outing.” Mona would rather not report every detail of her life to Thaddeus as if she was a slave. In fact, she was not in the mood to talk to the man. “Where to?” “My phone is almost out of battery. Bye.” Mona ended the call and tossed the phone aside. “What’s the matter? Was it from Mr. Fontaine?” Sophie took a quick glance at Mona. “Yeah.” “Don’t tell me you two got into a fight.”Mona furrowed her brows. “Sophie, I don’t want to discuss anything related to him.” “Alright, alright. I won’t talk about him.” Sophie shut her trap and kept her eyes on the road. The meeting spot with Stella was at a resort. Apart from Stella, there were a few faces Mona had seen on the financial channel. They were big-name CEOs of listed corporations. With a wine glass in hand, Stella mingled among the CEOs with ease. It appeared they shared a good relationship. Compared to these veteran CEOs, Mona was more curious about how a withdr
Mona enjoyed a moment of peace with her eyes half shut when a woman’s voice came from behind her. “Get over here, Thaddeus.” Mona abruptly opened her eyes at the mention of the name and turned her head to the source of the voice. The woman’s voice belonged to Ginny, and the man Ginny called out to was Mona's husband. It was also the same husband who gave Mona the cold shoulder and stayed out all night last night. Sitting in a corner, Mona stared from a distance at the pair getting into a buggy and heading to the forest. As the buggy disappeared out of her sight, Mona was caught in a daze while emotions stirred within. A million thoughts ran through her head. It was only yesterday that Thaddeus promised he would remain faithful and never cheat on her. Following a night of absence, he went frolicking with another woman, and it happened right under her nose. After the countless lies, the affair, and cheating, how was she supposed to trust him? Mona shook with rage, having
“Don’t bother. He won’t pick up anyway.” While searching for Thaddeus’ number in her contact list, Sophie answered, “I can’t do that. Mr. Fontaine loves you. He’d probably kill me if I left out information that you’re sick.” Mona pursed her lips and turned away to look at the fleeting view outside the window. The dizzy spell only worsened. Despite multiple attempts to reach Thaddeus, Sophie could not get through to the man. Feeling dejected, Sophie took a glance at Mona and smiled embarrassedly. “Mr. Fontaine must be occupied. He doesn’t like to take calls during meetings.” Without answering, Mona solemnly closed her eyes. That man was too busy hitting it off with his new bird to bother about her. Sophie drove to the hospital right away and took Mona to the obstetrics and gynecology department for a check-up. The medical test revealed that Mona was anemic. She was put on an IV drip and prescribed iron supplements. “With you in your first trimester, you should be more
Thaddeus raised his arm to feel Mona’s temperature, but Mona shied away from his touch. “How long are you going to be mad at me?” Although the man was displeased, he softened his tone at the sight of Mona’s tearful eyes. “How do you feel now?” Moan sat up and looked at the rather concerned man. The man was having a blast with another woman a minute ago. How was he able to switch to a loving husband right after? Thaddeus was quite the actor. Had she not seen them with her own eyes, Mona would not have believed Thaddeus had an affair with Ginny. “Thank you for your concern, Mr. Fontaine.” Mona created distance between her and the man, speaking in a distant and indifferent manner. Her politeness only reflected that he was a stranger. Thaddeus frowned. What was with the sudden politeness? The woman was probably throwing another fit. Her temper flared easily. Nevertheless, it was not a bad thing since it meant she cared. “Are you cold?” Thaddeus noticed Mona wrapped up
“The perfume smell on you stinks.” Mona pushed Thaddeus away. “Get off. Stay away from me.” She could not be more in touch with her innermost feelings. Mona rejected the man, be it physically or mentally, and it had reached the point of no return. Thaddeus restlessly ran his fingers along his hair, taking Mona’s rejection as her feeling sick. Pregnant women had their little tantrums anyway. “Have a little lie-down. I’ll go get the doctor.” Thaddeus walked out of the ward and proceeded to the doctor’s office. He asked about Mona’s health condition before taking strides back to the ward with the doctor. “Huh? Where is Mrs. Fontaine?” Mona was missing. All that was left was the IV bag with two-thirds of its content remaining. Anxious, Thaddeus rushed into the toilet for a look, but she was nowhere to be found. With a bad feeling sinking in, he harked back to Mona’s disdainful eyes and gesture. She said that the perfume smell on him stank. Was the woman angry over 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